How to Make Natural Food Coloring For Frosting (Red + Green)
Inside: Want to create bright, festive cookies without using synthetic food dyes? Here’s how to make natural colored frosting in red and green.
If decorating sugar cookies is a holiday tradition for you and you’d like to use natural food coloring to tint your frosting, I’ve got two recipes to help you achieve red and green.
The basic idea: Let plants lend their naturally bright shades. These two recipes use natural ingredients to make colorful liquids. You’ll sub in these liquids for the water or milk called for in your icing recipe. If you don’t have a go-to frosting recipe already, I’ve included one at the bottom of the post.
Yes, natural colored frosting takes more time than squeezing dyes from a store-bought tube. But think how much fun your kids will have watching spinach and beets transform into festive frosting.
One question I’m always asked about these frostings: Do they taste like beets and spinach? I don’t think they do, and neither do my kids—and neither do the many friends of theirs who were in and out of the house while I was testing this recipe and grabbed a sample. So I can safely say that these frostings are kid-tested!
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What you’ll need to make natural colored frosting
- Saucepan
- Fresh spinach
- Fresh beets
- Water
- Powdered sugar
- Almond or vanilla extract
- Blender or food processor
How to make naturally green frosting
Green is easy to achieve with fresh spinach. Just combine 3 cups unpacked fresh spinach leaves with 1/2 cup water in a blender. Strain out the pulp and use the liquid in place of the milk or water in your frosting.
Does it taste like spinach?
I recommend using a small amount of almond extract or vanilla extract in your frosting recipe (if using almond extract, please be aware that some extracts are not safe for people with nut allergies).
Naturally Green Frosting
Use fresh spinach and water to create a natural green food coloring for frosting.
Ingredients
- 3 cups unpacked fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- In a blender, combine spinach and water until smooth.
- Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh shrainer to remove any remaining pieces of spinach. Use the back of a spoon to press the pulp and extract the liquid.
- Replace the water or milk in your frosting recipe with equal amount of the spinach mixture.
How to make naturally red frosting
Beets offer an intense color. If you simmer them way down, you can create a natural red coloring by using the beet juice (simmer them for less time, and you’ll get pink).
Chop 2 fresh beets and blend with 1/4 cup water in a blender until it becomes a pulp (add a little more water if needed to blend). Combine this with another 1/4 water in a small saucepan and simmer on low heat for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Keep in mind that it’s hard to get a very deep, true red–even using store-bought food coloring. Depending on the size of the beets you use and how long you steep them, you may get a dark pink or a light red.
Does it taste like beets?
As with spinach, I recommend using a bit of almond extract or vanilla extract in your frosting recipe (if using almond extract, please be aware that some extracts are not safe for people with nut allergies).
Naturally Red Frosting
Get a simple, all-natural red food coloring by simmering fresh beets and water.
Ingredients
- 2 fresh beets
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
1. Rinse, trim, and chop beets (you do not need to peel them). Place pieces in a blender with 1/4 cup water and grind to a pulp (add a little bit more water if your blender is having a hard time).
2. Combine pulp and an additional 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer for about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Set a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl. Pour mixture through strainer, pressing ground beets against the strainer to squeeze out the extra liquid.
4. Use the liquid as a replacement for the water or milk in your frosting recipe.
FAQ About Natural Color Frosting
Does this frosting taste like beets and spinach?
I don’t think they do, and neither do my kids—and neither do the many friends of theirs who were in and out of the house while I was testing this recipe and grabbed a sample. So I can safely say that these frostings are kid-tested!
Do these recipes make vibrant colors?
Natural dyes tend to produce more muted colors. Since natural colors come from plants, they have wider variation, and the colors tend to be less vivid and more subtle.
Are there other ways to make natural food dyes?
Yes, you can grind freeze-dried fruit (such as freeze-dried raspberries or freeze-dried strawberries) into a fine powder using a food processor. You can also use other fresh fruit such as raspberries and strawberries to make pink frosting (these frostings will both have a berry flavor).
Here are my recipes for naturally-colored frosting:
- Naturally Colored Raspberry Whipped Cream
- Sugar Cookies With Naturally Colored Raspberry Buttercream
- How to Make Naturally Pink Strawberry Frosting
Can I buy natural food colors?
Yes. A brand I’ve used and liked is Color Kitchen. Natural food coloring has come a long way, so if you used them in the past but didn’t like the colors, give them another shot. Here are 15 naturally colored products, including food colorings, candy and baking mixes.
Is artificial food coloring safe for kids?
The FDA says says that food dyes–like all the food additives they’ve approved–are safe. But they do have a few cautions:
- Yellow 5 can cause itching and hives for some people.
- Carmine/cochineal extract, a red color made from insects, can cause an allergic reaction for some people. So this color, even though it’s a “natural” color, will always be specifically named in ingredient lists.
- Synthetic dyes may affect some children’s behavior. The FDA says that while the evidence shows most kids have no adverse effects, some children may be sensitive to them.
Some parents choose to avoid additives like artificial dyes and artificial sweeteners, and that’s a valid choice. Dyes don’t serve any purpose in food except color–and more companies are changing over to plant-based colors because of consumer demand. So it’s easier than ever to find naturally colored versions of things like fruit-flavored yogurt.
If you’re wondering whether dyes affect your child’s behavior, eliminate them and see if you notice any difference. I’ve talked to parents who have noticed a change after avoiding dyes and others who haven’t.
What frosting recipe should I use?
This is the basic recipe I use for buttercream frosting. I opt for shortening instead of butter because I want a clean, white color as the base. Shortening also gives the frosting the firmness you need for piping it through a pastry bag for decorating.
You’ll be using the liquids you created from the spinach and beets as the liquid in your frosting. If you want both red and green frosting, make two separate batches of this so you can tint each a separate color.
Basic Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup shortening (I use Spectrum)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 2-3 tablespoons liquid (milk, water, or the spinach or beet purees)
Instructions
- Combine powdered sugar and shortening and beat with hand mixer.
- Add vanilla and almond extracts. While beating, add liquid, 1 tablespoons at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.
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