Dye Free food coloring: comparing 7 natural food coloring brands
I never gave much thought to food coloring in my life. I like food coloring to turn out how I expect so I can get the colors I want. A few years ago, I used some natural food coloring in some icing for my son's birthday cupcakes when we were in Arizona. It turned grey. It looked so unappetizing, and since then, I have had no respect for natural food dyes.
However, I am trying to make better decisions when and where I can for my family, and this includes what we put into our bodies. I am not crazy strict about things, but I do want to make some changes.
Why should we care about food dyes?
I am no expert, but here is a little article that I liked that explained some concerns people have with it:
Guys, red food dye is in SOO much stuff. And over Christmas, I was a firsthand witness to the difference it could make in kids. My sister has been trying to avoid red dye specifically for her little guy, and she wasn't lying about how he couldn't go to sleep or down for a nap if he had anything with red food dye in it. I have been more observant with my own kids and have been more aware of how food dyes are the culprit to some less desirable behavior.
After Christmas, I felt like it was time to re-visit the natural food coloring in the world. But how was I to choose what would work right, and I wanted something that could give me a good red, I feel like red is SO hard, and red food dye is the worst. That quest led me to order a bunch of different brands and deciding I was going to figure out what was best.
Here we go. Some information before we dive in:
+natural food dyes are heat sensitive, so not great for putting in before you bake (some products have recommendations and guidelines for if you want to attempt).
+ Keep in mind your consistency and the natural food coloring you are using because some require being mixed with water and then added to what you are coloring. If you are adding to frosting, make your frosting a little stiffer than you like so that the extra liquid won't make it too soft.
+I compared a small amount of the product and a large amount of the product in 50g of the same batch of buttercream. Remember that 50 g of buttercream is not a lot, so for some of the brands, the depth of color won't be as bold, or for others, you would need a whole lot of coloring to get a bright/deep color.
(I also use the terms icing and frosting interchangeably throughout this whole post.)
+Weirdly yellows and oranges were the ones that had the most added flavor and often left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth; some brands were worse than others.
+As the colors sat overnight and were chilled, and the colors got bolder
1. COLOR KITCHEN
($29.98 10/ct 2 packages of blue, pink, yellow, orange green) *no red in package
BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/2GF2XSk
(This is the kit I purchased https://amzn.to/2GF3YtC )
compared ½ packet vs the full packet
How much will it color: It says that 1 color packet/pint of frosting or ½ pint to make it brighter
Special instructions: It says that you can refresh the color with ¼ tsp of water, and it will also help it mix better.
Ease: a few of the powder packets were a bit messy when I opened them, and some powder spilled.
Flavor: Yes. The pink tastes a little floral, the yellow and orange had a bitter aftertaste, the green and blue seemed not to have any discernible flavors.
Color quality: I didn't have a red to test, but the colors seemed a little dull unless using the whole package, green was especially dull.
OVERALL RANKING: 5/10 for the cost, I would purchase something else
2. COLOR GARDEN
( $5.75 5/ct one use packages of red, green, blue, yellow, orange)
BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/37TmsCV
Compared ¼ packet to about ½ of the packet
How much will it color: comes with 5 single-use packets, each packet will color one pound of frosting
Special instructions: needs to be used immediately after opening (can't be saved)
Flavor: Red had a bit of a sour berry flavor, orange had no distinguishable flavor, blue had a bit of a mild smell and taste, but nothing terrible tasting, green had a definite "green" (leafy) taste, and yellow had some slight bitterness. All the flavors that may have been in the coloring tasted natural.
Ease: So easy to use and mixed really well and smoothly.
Color quality: This color was so concentrated, and the colors were just as advertised, man that red was actually RED, even when I was only using ¼ of the packet, I could tell it would be red. If you are looking for bolder, deeper colors, these are the real deal.
OVERALL RANKING 9/10 If you are looking for bolder, deeper colors, these are the real deal. Almost a perfect 10, but only having single-use packets is kind of disappointing and the mild added flavor.
3. SUPERNATURAL
BUY HERE https://amzn.to/37Jeyfa (currently unavailable? And no red, just "pomegranate.")
Compared 1/3 of a packet vs. almost the whole packet
How much will it color: 1 packet = 2 cups of frosting
Special instructions: mix color and water before adding to frosting, blackberry magic changes color. If you add lemon juice, it goes pink. If you add baking soda (like I did), it turns blue.
Flavor: There was a definite smell, the blue had a floral taste, the pomegranate had a real pomegranate taste (wasn't bad, just was prominent), orange and yellow had no flavor
Ease: This color was the hardest to mix, and some of the colors came out grainy, and I added so much water to the orange powder to try to get it smooth that it made the frosting runny and still wasn't smooth
Color quality: Great deep colors, the blue, and pomegranate were especially bold, and I love the bold yellow and how it is so gold (if that makes sense)
OVERALL RANKING 7/10 If you need a good blue, fuschia or yellow, these are a good bet and bonus, this yellow had NO discernible added flavor or bitterness
4. CHEFMASTER
($17.95 set of 4, blue, red, pink, yellow)
BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/318ihk1
Chefmaster website – if you sign up for emails you can get 20% off your first purchase through the website, or use promo code ‘sleeping’ for 10% off your purchase until March
Compared 4 drops vs. 20 drops (which was almost half the bottle)
How much will it color: Says 10 drops will change the color of 100 g of icing
Special instructions: just squeeze into what you are coloring and add more to get deeper colors
Flavor: no discernable after taste at all
Ease: Mixed super easy and I love that you get a bottle and it isn't one time use
Color quality: The color was duller, but the colors were as advertised. The yellow was intense, and the red was actually red and not pink
OVERALL RANKING: 9/10 I know the colors aren't as deep and bold as some of the others, but I loved that the red was a true red and that it wasn't a one-time use packet, also NO EXTRA FLAVORS that I could tell.
5. WATKINS
( $5.59 4/ct 0.3oz red, yellow, green, blue)
BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/2thoBco or most grocery stores I think, I got mine at target
Compared 4 drops vs. 20 drops (which was almost half the bottle)
How much will it color: No specifications included
Special instructions: recommendations for use when coloring eggs on the back of the box
Flavor: Yes. Yellow had a robust bitter aftertaste, and green had one as well.
Ease: Mixed easy enough
Color quality: The colors had almost a neon look to them. The colors aren't very strong, the red is a lot pinker, and it would take a whole bottle to get any sort of bold color.
OVERALL RANKING: 6/10 Guys that yellow aftertaste scarred me. When I was using the buttercream on cookies and a cake, I was afraid to use yellow because of it, but this coloring is the most accessible and easy on a budget.
6. 365 EVERYDAY VALUE
($6.99 4/ct 0.3oz red, yellow, green, blue)
Compared 4 drops vs. 20 drops (which was almost half the bottle)
I swear that this is the exact same as the Watkins brand, but branded by 365
BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/2RZfx4c available at Whole Foods
How much will it color: No specifics on how much it would color
Special instructions: It says that if you add some cream of tartar, the red will be bolder (I didn't notice a difference) and like the Watkins, instructions on using to dye eggs.
Flavor: Yes, a bitter aftertaste for the yellow and green
Ease: Mixed well and easy to use.
Color quality: Colors were dull and almost neon, you would need a whole lot of it to get kind of dark colors, and the red was pink.
OVERALL RANKING: 6/10 I like that there were more detailed ingredients listed than the Watkins brand, it is wallet-friendly, but the colors are dull (if you are going for pastels, this is perfect) and that yellow aftertaste scarred me.
7. TRUCOLOR
($34.99 for a set of 6 or $6.49/bottle, I tested sky blue, super red, sunset yellow, fuschia)
BUY HERE: https://www.naturalcandystore.com/category/natural-food-colors
Compared 1/8 tsp vs. ½ tsp
Special instructions: This is a powder, it says to mix 2 parts of water to 1 part powder
How much will it color: Nothing specified
Flavor: Sky Blue had a bit of an aftertaste, the red had a stronger almost natural berry flavor, yellow had a bit of an aftertaste that felt like it was natural as well.
Ease: Not as easy as something you just squeeze into the cup, but when mixed with water, it was smooth and then easy to add to the frosting.
Color quality: Awesome, very true to what they say the colors are, the red was red, the sky blue was a perfect sky blue, etc. etc.
OVERALL RANKING: 8/.510 Guys, I was hoping to like TRUCOLOR, and I did, the company that sells it is small and they didn't have super red. I made a note in my order about how I wanted some, and they emailed me about it right away. I love small companies. I just wish that you could order all of it through amazon for easier shopping. They are pricier but have so many color options, and their colors last for about a year (if sealed and kept in a cool dark place). If you are looking for specific colors and are willing to pay more for that, I would get these for sure.
To sum it up
BEST OVERALL for COLOR: Color Garden, ChefMaster (use code ‘sleeping’ for 10% discount") and TRUCOLOR
BEST OVERALL for BUDGET: Color Garden (I know it is one-time use packets, but those colors were SO good)
BEST TO AVOID: Color Kitchen, Watkins and 365 (which makes me sad because they are so easy to get your hands on)
IF MONEY ISN'T AN ISSUE: Chefmaster (use code ‘sleeping’ for 10% off your purchase through their website) and TRUCOLOR (like if I could own one of every color that trucolor makes, I would)
