Homemade Food Coloring (All Natural + Vegan)

Some years ago, I wrote one of the most popular articles on this site, Warning: What You Don’t Know About Food Coloring. The article is about how artificial food coloring is tested on animals, and it’s possible to make them at home with stuff you probably already have in the fridge.

I know I know: I talk about animal testing a lot.

I’ve talked about how honey is tested on animals, and I’m constantly talking about how artificial food colors are tested on animals. Seriously, animal testing sucks and can yield dangerous results when physicians treat patients using medicine based on the results of these studies.

I mention these things because not everyone knows how pervasive animal testing is. More than just health & beauty products and medications are tested on animals; we should be talking about that.

It’s the whole “the more you know, the more informed choices you make” thing.

Before I get too far, please don’t send me hate mail with angry emoji faces saying, “What is wrong with you?! If something is tested on animals, that doesn’t mean that it’s not vegan!”

Honestly, please don’t.

Here’s the thing: Veganism is an ethical philosophy that begins with the idea that humans shouldn’t be using animals in any way. If we are testing artificial food colors on animals, we use animals. And while it’s true nearly every substance we consume was once tested on animals at some point, this doesn’t mean we should continue to use products we know are currently being tested on animals, like artificial food colors.

If this is all new to you, read this article about artificial food coloring. In it, you’ll learn about the seven most commonly found food dyes in some of your favorite foods. And you’ll discover how these food dyes are tested on animals. Spoiler alert; the tests cause death in 100% of the animal participants.

Artificial food colors are unnecessary, toxic to our health, and tested on animals.

There’s a better way.

A colorful array of vegan food dyes / Source

Since I hate artificial food colors, I thought I’d show you how to make DIY colors. Like a pretty food color tutorial, if you will. None of these colors are hard to make, and they won’t hurt you, your family, or any poor animal destined for a life in a lab.

Bonus, they’re cheaper than buying the pre-made versions too!

Let’s talk about all-natural and vegan food colors.

Look at those colors! Yellow, blue, red, purple, and green. All colors can be made at home with simple ingredients in your fridge or pantry—no weird synthetic chemicals are required.

And since you’re looking, check out those miniature mason jars! Adorable! My love of all things tiny has been long documented on this blog, so you should have expected that from me by now ;)

Let’s take a look at how to make each color. Trust me; it’s not complicated or expensive.

Red food dye / Source

Of all the colors, red is probably the easiest to make. Beet juice is the best choice because it will give you the most deep red color, although cherry juice will also work. However, cherry juice is more expensive.

To make red food coloring, run a raw beet through a juicer. Use the beet juice in the same manner as you would synthetic dyes.

If you don’t own a juicer, you can use this method to extract juice from raw beets. Start by placing a paper towel over a large plate. You could also use a clean tea towel but keep in mind that beets stain. Using a box grater, finely grate a raw beet onto the paper towel taking care not to get any on the counter. Once grated, gently pull the paper towel around the grated beet and squeeze the juice into a bowl.

Easy, peasy.

Also easy is buying a bottle of pre-made beet juice, though I found that making your yields the best results.

Icing made with confectioners sugar, corn syrup, and homemade red food coloring using a ratio of three parts beet juice to one part red apple juice / Source

To help sweeten the flavor of beet juice, mix one part apple juice with three parts beet juice. I tend to use red apples in food dyes because of their sweetness, but green ones would also work. Adjust the ratio of apple juice to beet juice to achieve different shades of red, including pink.

It should be noted that it isn’t necessary to sweeten the beet juice before use. Straight beet juice offers a darker, more vivid red color. And since beet juice doesn’t taste awful on its own, it’s fine to use as is. But it’s nice to have options, so now you have two. Choose the method that works best with the recipe you’re using.

Yellow food dye / Source

Much like homemade red food dye, making a vibrant yellow dye is easy too. The first thing you’ll need to get your hands on is some turmeric. Fresh or powdered, it doesn’t matter. Either will work with this method.

Pro tip: Buy your spices in bulk whenever you can. It’s insanely cheap to do so because you only pay for what you need, not the packaging.

You’ll find powdered turmeric in the spice section of the grocery store. Or, skip the powdered turmeric and go fresh. Fresh turmeric is located alongside fresh garlic; it looks like a pretty orange ginger root.

Icing made with confectioners sugar, corn syrup, and homemade yellow food coloring using apple juice and powdered turmeric / Source

Turmeric has a robust taste, especially when it’s fresh. To balance its strong flavor, I mix fresh apple juice with turmeric juice, just like I do when I make red food color from beets. I use the same three-to-one ratio, only in reverse. For a bright, vivid yellow food color, use three parts fresh apple juice to one part fresh turmeric juice.

Powdered turmeric will still yield a bright, vivid yellow color. You’ll use the same method of combining it with apple juice; however, you won’t use the same ratios. Instead, start with the amount of apple juice you’ll need for the amount of coloring you want. Next, add the tiniest amount of turmeric and stir well. Add more turmeric as necessary to achieve the color you’re looking for.

Remember, you won’t need a lot of apple juice, only make as much as you need. With turmeric, a little color goes a long way.

If you’re looking for orange food dye, mix some yellow and red food dyes together until you get the shade you want.

Green food dye / Source

Honestly, I’m starting to feel bad even calling these food colors “recipes.” They’re so simple.

Homemade green food coloring can be made using an array of foods. You could opt for powders like matcha or green tea. Or, use the juice of green vegetables such as kale or spinach. One ingredient and done.

Just to let you know, some people claim that they can taste the kale or spinach juice in foods that have been dyed using this method. However, this has never been my experience. If you are concerned that your green food coloring will have a “too green” taste, simply use the apple juice method to sweeten things up.

Icing made with confectioners sugar, corn syrup, and homemade green food coloring made from kale juice / Source

You can change the color of green by becoming a mixologist. For a pretty spring green color, mix yellow and blue dyes together. Or, if you’re going for a lovely teal color, mix blue and green together. Remember that using the apple juice method for sweetening will dilute the color ever so slightly. Add more or less juice to achieve the perfect level of color.

Keep tweaking the color until you get the exact shade of green you’re looking for.

Purple food dye / Source

I have to be honest; while I love all colors, I really love this pretty purple food coloring. Interestingly, both purple and blue food dyes come from the same ingredient but are used in very different ways. And believe it or not, that ingredient is purple cabbage.

Yes, purple cabbage.

Here’s how to do it. Start by removing the cabbage’s four or five outer leaves and washing them to remove any dirt. Next, give the leaves a rough chop and dump them into a pot. Add two cups of water to the pot. Then boil the pot of water and cabbage, and simmer for five to ten minutes. After ten minutes, turn off the heat and remove the cabbage leaves from the pot.

Don’t discard the water! It should be a deep, deep purple. Pour the water into a heat-safe jar or bowl and allow it to cool completely.

Congratulations, you now have all-natural purple food coloring that’s ready to use.

Icing made with confectioners sugar, corn syrup, and homemade purple food coloring made from purple cabbage / Source

Generally speaking, I don’t use the apple juice method when making purple food color because I want the deepest color possible. And you should be aware that the purple color will smell like cooked cabbage because that’s what it’s made from.

To test whether or not the cabbage flavors foods dyed with this color, I made my standard royal icing. Then I asked a friend to taste the icing. They couldn’t detect any cabbage flavor, and neither could I. 

I know I keep saying how pretty these homemade food colors turn out, but they really are. This purple is just as pretty as those artificial concoctions and isn’t made with ingredients I’m not afraid to eat. And that’s something I like a lot.

Blue food dye / Source

Lastly, blue food dye. That’s right, unicorns; you can finally have pretty blue for your confections! While blue is trickier than the other colors, it’s still easy to do.

You’ll start the same way as when making purple food color. Remove four or five leaves from purple cabbage, wash and roughly chop them, and add two cups of water to a pot. Bring the pot to a boil, and simmer for five to ten minutes. After ten minutes, turn the heat off and remove the cabbage leaves from the pot, saving the purple water.

Pour the water into a bowl and allow it to cool completely. Cooling the liquid is very important. If it’s even slightly warm, the color won’t process correctly.

Once the cabbage water is completely cool, add the tiniest amount of baking soda, and whisk until thoroughly dissolved. The color will change from purple to blue almost immediately, so you can quickly tell what shade of blue it is.

Icing made with confectioners sugar, corn syrup, and homemade blue food coloring made from purple cabbage and baking soda / Source

Be careful about how much baking soda you use when mixing the color. Only use the amount you’ll need to get the exact shade of blue you’re looking for. Adding too much baking soda could add a not-so-pleasant taste to the final product.

No one wants to have a sweet baking soda-flavored cookie, trust me. Gross.

I added approximately 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to my purple base to get the blue color above. Just be cautious when mixing, and you’ll be fine.

To test the flavor, I made a batch of royal icing and dyed it using the homemade blue dye. I was satisfied that I couldn’t taste any baking soda, nor could my taste tester. Or any other of the taste testers in the plenty of times I’ve made it since.

I know I said how much I love purple, and I do, but anyone who knows me knows that blue has always been my favorite among all colors.