When I made my original post 5 years ago (almost to the day) I felt excited that I had found something that would help to maintain the behavior of my kids. Being (mostly) dye free! And now, I see so many benefits not just for my kids. The good news is that there are SO many more brands now to try, and a lot of quality product. I was shocked that brands of dye free food color that were at the bottom for me before, have re-formulated and now are some of my favorites, and I am so glad that there are so many more options. I was so blown away by what can happen in 5 years. My hope is that natural food dyes will continue to improve and get better and better, and I really think it has just begun.

HERE WE GO. SOME INFORMATION BEFORE WE DIVE IN:

+natural food dyes are heat sensitive, so they are 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 because some require mixing with water and then adding to your 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 in 1.2oz of buttercream (I did not add vanilla). Remember that 1.2oz of buttercream is not a lot, so for some 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 interchange the terms icing and frosting throughout this post.)

+As the colors sat overnight and were chilled, and the colors got bolder

+this post contains affiliate links.

1.COLOR GARDEN

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/4aIjQJa ($5.75 5/ct one-use packages of red, green, blue, yellow, and orange)

How much will it color: it comes with five single-use packets; each packet will dye one pound of frosting

Special instructions: They need to be used immediately after opening. I have found success in refrigerating the packets for up to a week. Some colors (green and blue) don't hold their color as long.

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.

Ease: It is so easy to use and mixes well and smoothly.

Color quality: This color was so concentrated, and the colors were just as advertised. The red is bright, but it does lean more toward an orange-red. Even when I was only using ¼ of the packet, I could tell it would be red. Blue was darker and more grey, and overnight, it darkened a bit and looked more green.

OVERALL RANKING 7/10 If you are looking for bolder, deeper colors, these are the real deal.

OTHER NOTES: From their website: Further, please remember that warm colors (red, orange, and yellow) prefer an acidic environment. Consider adding lemon juice. On the other hand, cool colors (green, blue, and purple) prefer an alkaline environment. Consider adding baking soda.

2. SUPERNATURAL

BUY HERE https://amzn.to/4hiFTZx ($9.99 for pack of 4 (red, orange, yellow and magic blackberry) https://amzn.to/4jFxHUF for red and green

WEBSITE: https://www.supernaturalkitchen.com/supernatural-food-colors

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 mild floral taste, while orange and yellow had no flavor. The green powder smelled reasonably strong, but it had no strong flavor when mixed in the icing.

Ease: This color was the hardest to mix; some came out grainy. As the color has sat, there are some dots where the color didn't dissolve completely.

Color quality: Great deep colors. The Blue and pom red were especially bold, and I love the bold yellow and how it is such a gold yellow (if that makes sense). The green was fairly dull but looked pretty natural. Overnight, the Blue (blackberry magic mixed with baking soda) turned more green and didn't hold the blue color as well.

OVERALL RANKING 8/10: If you need a good red, blue, Fuschia, or yellow, these are a good bet; bonus, this yellow had NO discernible added flavor or bitterness.

3. ENCO NATURALS

WEBSITE: https://encofoods.com/collections/enco-naturals

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/3EneAi0 ($12.99/1.41OZ color) You do have to buy each color individually, but each bottle is 1.41oz and is like a traditional food dye (not one-time use), so the amount will last a long time.

*They also sell traditional food dyes, so make sure you are buying from the NATURAL line

How much will it color? I have no details on this, but I used just a few drops, so I would say each bottle will last a long time.

Ease: So easy to mix into the color.

Flavor: Red had mild berry notes, and green and blue had a mild taste but nothing overwhelming.

Color quality: This was my favorite red. It isn't too pink or orange. The yellow is also bold and bright. The Blue is a lighter blue but also bright, and the green is great.

OVERALL RANKING: 9.5/10 I had never heard of this brand, but it was my favorite overall. The downside is that each bottle is sold individually, so it is the most expensive, but then again, these bottles will last the longest, so is it more expensive?

4. 365/WATKINS

Watkins and 365 are the same.

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/40XbTMO. ($5.99 4/ct 0.3oz red, yellow, green, blue)

It is also available at Whole Foods and Watkins at most major grocery stores.

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 I like the Watkins instructions on using it to dye eggs.

Flavor: I was shocked that the red tasted SO bad. The yellow was fairly bitter and didn't taste great. I was also shocked that the green was the best tasting, but still not great. The Blue did taste more "berry" but also was kind of bitter.

Ease: Mixed well and easy to use.

Color quality: The colors aren't great (the red is very pink), but if you are looking for a neon set of colors, this is what you need. I also really liked the blue and could build up the color pretty well.

OVERALL RANKING: 3/10. I like how easy this is to find and that it is the most wallet-friendly, but the red tasted awful and not a great red color. However, the neonness of the colors is cool if you need that. And if you aren't looking for really bright colors, the bad flavor wouldn't be as harsh.

5. CHEFMASTER NATURAL

*They also sell traditional food dyes, so make sure you are buying from the NATURAL line

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/4jLxrDt ($24.99 set of 4, blue, red, pink, yellow) CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK

How much will it color? It says 10 drops will change the color of 100 g of icing.

From the website: Natural Red – produces deep Pinkish-Red hues.

Natural Blue – produces rich Serene Blue hues.
Natural Yellow – produces bright Lemon-Yellow hues.
Natural Pink – produces soft Strawberry Pink hues.

Flavor: Very mild blue and green aftertaste.

Ease: Mixed is super easy, and I love that you get a bottle that isn't one-time use. I have found that after opening, the strength of these doesn't last very long (maybe a month tops)

Color quality: Overall, the colors were fairly dull when initially mixed. Adding more color to the red and letting it sit overnight produced a pretty nice red. The green is very light and dull, and I had to mix it with blue and yellow). I think yellow is their strongest color, but red is up there if you use almost the whole bottle and have time for it to sit overnight.

OVERALL RANKING: 5/10. I know the colors aren't as deep and bold as some others, but I love that the red was a true red and that it wasn't a one-time-use packet. Also, the flavors were very mild.

6. PRSM- Powder

WEBSITE https://www.prsmsugar.com/

BUY HERE https://www.etsy.com/listing/1461080134/essential-7-dye-free-bundle?click_key=a135ff19faa55f7974d1d4f52b2f14c4d719b375%3A1461080134&click_sum=04e56ec9&ref=items-pagination-4&crt=1&sts=1 ($50 for a set 7 seven)

Or you can buy colors individually for $8.00/ 7g

How much will it color: no specifications

Special instructions: Mix into icing a shade darker than pastel and give it time to develop. I mixed the powder with some water to make it easier to mix into my icing.

Flavor: The red had a bad smell and taste. The yellow had the mildest taste. The green did smell like spirulina, and the green and blue had a bad taste.

Ease: The color dissolved in water easily and mixed well with the icing.

Color quality: The red was very pink, but the yellow was golden. The green was great, and the Blue was my favorite Blue of all of them. It was more of a royal blue, which I hadn't seen in natural dyes.

OVERALL RANKING 6.5/10 The blue alone would make me buy it again, or just purchase the blue and green. Unfortunately, the red was a bust, in my opinion.

7. PRSM- Liquid

BUY HERE: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1554931738/primary-5-gel-bundle?click_key=4b3dc0866b0be0ead65043c699ad69fac4b7cf35%3A1554931738&click_sum=640f9900&ref=items-pagination-33&crt=1&sts=1 ($55 set of 5, blue, red, green, yellow and purple)

Or buy each bottle individually for $11/1oz

How much will it color? There are no specifications, but it is similar to ENCO in that each bottle will last a while.

Special instructions: Mix into icing a shade darker than pastel and give it time to develop. I mixed the powder with some water to make it easier to mix into my icing.

Flavor: Red wasn't great; blue had a mild aftertaste, but the other colors had no flavor.

Ease: Mixed super easy, and I love that you get a bottle and it isn't a time-use

Color quality: The red leans a little pink, but it is very bright and not dull. The other colors are great. Although the Blue isn't as dark as the powder, you could build up the color, and it is more of a royal blue as well.

OVERALL RANKING: 8/10 Even though the red leans a little pink, it is a significant red; it just doesn't taste great. But there are many other color options I haven't purchased (or tested yet), and the bottles will last for more than one use. The ease of the product and the blue make me a big fan.

8. COLOR KITCHEN

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/4hk9DoB ($29.99 10/ct two packages of blue, pink, yellow, orange, green) *no red in package

How much will it color? It says that one color packet/pint of frosting or ½ pint to make it brighter

Special instructions: You can refresh the color with ¼ tsp of water, which 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. There is no red, but I made one with pink and orange as per the instructions on the box.

Flavor: The red (pink and orange mixed) tasted berry. The yellow had no distinguishable taste, and the blue and green had a very mild taste.

Color quality: I actually really liked the brightness and intensity of the colors after they had some time to develop. The Blue is more of a sky blue, but it is great, and the green is good, natural-looking green. Because it doesn't come with red and you mix it yourself, how it results really depends on your ratios. I felt like I was able to make a great true red.

OVERALL RANKING: 8.5/10 The cost feels a little higher, but it does come with two packs of each color and a color mixing guide on the side, so it is actually a good amount of coloring.

9. Pixie Dust

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/4gGYcqd ($18.49 for .20oz of each color: red, blue, yellow, green)

How much will it color? No specifications included

Special instructions: Dissolve in water before use and store away from sunlight.

Flavor: The red had a mild berry taste, and the yellow, green, and blue had a mild bitter aftertaste.

Ease: They packed a lot of powder in the containers, making it messy. Powder spilled everywhere.

Color quality: The colors were pretty good once they were built up. The green is more of a mint green. The Blue was brighter and darker than some, a good mix between sky and royal Blue.

OVERALL RANKING: 7.5/10 These are actually pretty solid. The containers made it a little messy to use, and I could build up the colors pretty well. I do wonder how long the strength of color would last in the powders, and they definitely are from a small business, which I love to support.

10. India Tree

BUY HERE: https://amzn.to/3Q3NMWu ($11.99 for a set of 3 1.265oz bottles Red, yellow, blue)

Special instructions: nothing specific

How much will it color: Nothing specified

Flavor: The red didn't flavor, the green and yellow had a mildly bitter aftertaste, and the Blue had a very strong bitter flavor that I did not enjoy.

Ease: Effortless to use

Color quality: The red was very pink, and overall, the colors were pretty dull. I was able to build the Blue up a bit with more color added, and then I made a green with the blue and yellow, and it turned out very minty green.

OVERALL RANKING: 4/10 The red is just pink, and the other colors aren't as strong unless you use a good amount of coloring, which just makes that bitter aftertaste worse.

11. TRUCOLOR powder

(BUY HERE: https://www.naturalcandystore.com/category/natural-food-colors $8.22/bottle; I tested sky blue, super red, sunset yellow, and spring green)

Special instructions: This is a powder; it says to mix two parts water with 1 part powder

How much will it color: Nothing specified

Flavor: The red is very berry-prominent, and the other colors have a mild, bitter aftertaste.

Ease: Red was harder to dissolve in the water, but the other colors were okay.

Color quality: The colors are good; red is one of my favorites. They do offer very color-specific colors, and so all the colors were great for what they were supposed to be. Sky blue was a great sky blue, and spring green was precisely that.

OVERALL RANKING: 8/10. I really do love TruColor. They were my most recommended before re-testing and are still a top brand for me. They are pricier but have so many specific color options, and their colors last for about a year (if sealed and kept in a cool, dark place). I have found more recently that their product sells out quickly, so just be aware if you are on a tight schedule for ordering food dyes. If you are looking for specific colors and are willing to pay more for them, I will get them.

Tru Color also makes liquid baking colors, which I have really enjoyed using; they were out of stock of the colors I was testing when ordering them. The green and blue liquid colors did lose their coloring ability after a few months, but the yellows, oranges, fuchsias, and reds have held up well. They are better at withstanding heat, but they are still natural dyes so that the color quality might decrease depending on the temperature and length of exposure. I use them lots in icings/frostings, and I am not baking for things.

TO SUM IT UP

BEST OVERALL for COLOR: ENCO, COLOR KITCHEN

The best overall for BUDGET with one-time use is COLOR GARDEN, but some other brands could be better for your budget because they last longer and can color more.

BEST TO AVOID: Watkins/365, India Tree, Chef Master Natural

IF MONEY ISN'T AN ISSUE: ENCO, PRSM liquid, Tru color

BEST RED: Supernatural, ENCO, Color Kitchen, Pixie Dust

BEST BLUE: PRSM powder (royal Blue), PRSM liquid (royal Blue), Pixie dust (sky blue), Tru Color (sky blue)

BEST GREEN: ENCO, PRSM powder, Color Kitchen

BEST YELLOW: You can't go wrong with yellows. ENCO, Supernatural, and PRMSN liquid had the most golden yellows, while Color Garden and Tru Color had the best bright yellow.

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