Why use artificial food coloring and dyes if you can use natural ingredients to obtain the most beautiful vibrant colors? This guide will teach you how to color icing (or even buttercream) without food coloring, using real plant-based foods, such as powders, juices, and frozen fruits.
The icing is perfect for decorating Christmas cookies or birthday cookies. It's also a fun and safe activity to do with kids. Make sure to check out my vegan and gluten-free sugar cookies if you need a great recipe to start with.
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Vegan icing base recipe
The vegan icing is made from powdered sugar and lemon juice or plant-based milk (e.g., soy milk, gluten-free oat milk).
STEP 1: Add the powdered sugar to a small bowl. Add a few drops of lemon juice or plant-based milk at a time. Give it a good stir and add a few more drops. For a colorful icing, you can replace the lemon juice with pure fruit juice.
STEP 2: Stir until you obtain a thick but drizzly consistency. Add more lemon juice/milk if it's too thick, and more powdered sugar if it turns out to runny. For a colorful icing, you can stir in a superfood powder.
STEP 3: Transfer the icing to a piping bag or zip bag.
STEP 4: Cut off the tip of the piping bag. Make sure to cut a pretty small whole to be able to decorate your cookies precisely.
Elo's tips
- Sift your icing sugar through a fine-mesh sieve to avoid clumps when mixing the icing.
- Cover your icing with plastic wrap if you're not using it immediately to prevent it from drying out. Give it a good stir before using.
How to color icing with powders
Spices and superfood powders are incredible for coloring icing. You can create light pastel colors or more intense ones, depending on how much powder you use. However, note that the more intense the color, the more intense the flavor.
- Green: matcha powder. A little goes a long way but you can intensify the color by adding more matcha to the icing. I use cooking-grade matcha powder, which is usually more affordable. Both lemon juice and plant-based milk are great for mixing the icing. Note that it does add a subtle matcha flavor. If you know people who do not like the matcha flavor, I recommend adding just the tiniest amount to the icing.
- Yellow: ground turmeric. You only need a tiny bit to obtain a beautiful yellow color. Be aware that you'll slightly be able to taste the turmeric. I recommend mixing it with lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Orange: carrot juice powder. If you want a bright orange icing, you might want to splurge and get carrot juice powder. A more budget-friendly option is 100% pure carrot juice (see below).
- Pink: strawberry or raspberry powder. They are usually made from freeze-dried berries and can be pretty expensive. For a cheaper way to color your icing pink, check out my frozen raspberry method.
- Blue: blue spirulina powder. It is one of the only ways to obtain bright blue icing with natural food. This superfood is great for 4th of July baking and smoothies, too.
- Brown: cocoa powder. It's a very affordable ingredient you probably already have in your pantry. Sometimes brown icing can be fun to play with (e.g., to make reindeer cookies for Christmas or dinosaur cookies for birthday parties).
- Black: food-grade activated charcoal powder. Black icing can be fun to write on cookies.
How to color icing with juices
Concentrated juices are another great way to color icing and obtain brighter colors. Preferably choose 100% pure juices, such as those from Lakewood. Choose your juice wisely, as the icing will taste exactly like it. If you have a juicer at home, you could also make your own juice from fresh fruits.
Note that you cannot vary the intensity of the color as adding more juice will thin out your icing.
- Yellow: pineapple juice. It provides a very light yellow hue that looks great if you choose a pastel color palette for your icings.
- Orange: pure carrot juice. It provides a light orange color and can easily be made at home if you have a juicer.
- Red: beet juice. A few drops are enough to turn caster sugar into a pinkish-red icing. This one can also easily be made at home with a juicer. If you want a baby pink or a blush color, mix your icing sugar with plant-based milk and just add a few drops of juice.
- Pink: pure cranberry juice or pomegranate juice. They provide the most gorgeous pink color and give your icing a fruity, slightly tart flavor (that is more enjoyable than beetroot juice).
How to color icing with fresh or frozen berries
The cheapest way to color icing is probably by using fresh (or frozen) produce. This method works particularly well with berries to create pink and purple hues for icing. They also make the icing taste incredibly delicious.
- Pink: fresh or frozen raspberries. Thaw them on your kitchen counter or in the microwave if they are frozen. Mash them with a fork and run the puree through a fine-mesh strainer. Add the juice to the powdered sugar. No need to add lemon juice or milk.
- Red: fresh or frozen raspberries. It's the only plant-based food I've found that creates a true red color. Follow the same steps as for the frozen raspberries.
- Purple: fresh or frozen blueberries or blackberries. They create a deep purple icing. Follow the same steps as for the frozen raspberries. For less saturated purple tones, combine the icing sugar with a few drops of the berry mixture and a little milk or lemon juice.
Note that this method may result in a thicker, stickier icing. If this happens, you can thin it out with a little water or lemon juice.
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The recipe
How To Color Icing Without Food Coloring (Plant-Based)
Ingredients
With (superfood) powder
- ½ cup (60 g) icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon matcha powder see notes
- A few drops of lemon juice sub plant-based milk of choice
With juice
- ½ cup (60 g) icing sugar
- A few drops carrot juice see notes
With frozen berries
- ½ cup (60 g) icing sugar
- ¼ cup (40 g) fresh or frozen raspberries see notes
Instructions
Icing colored with powder
- Sift the icing sugar and matcha powder into a small bowl. Add in a few drops of lemon juice or plant-based milk at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. You want a thick icing that drips off a spoon in a slow steady drizzle. Add more matcha powder for a more intense color (and flavor).
Icing colored with juice
- Sift the icing sugar into a small bowl. Add in a few drops of juice at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Icing colored with berries
- If using frozen berries, thaw them on your kitchen counter or in the microwave. Mash them with a fork and run the puree through a fine-mesh strainer. Slowly add the strained purée to a small bowl with icing sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of lemon juice or plant-based milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
Notes
- Superfood powder you can use to color your icing: matcha powder, ground turmeric, carrot juice powder, freeze-dried raspberry powder, blue spirulina powder, cocoa powder, or activated charcoal powder.
- Juices you can use: pineapple juice, pure carrot juice, beet juice, pure cranberry juice, or pomegranate juice. Preferably use 100% pure juices for the most intense colors and best flavor. If you have a juicer at home, you could also make juice from fresh fruits.
- Berries you can use: fresh or frozen raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
- Note that the more intense the color, the more intense the flavor of your icing.
- Cover your icing with plastic wrap if you're not using it immediately to prevent it from drying out. Give it a good stir before using.
- Check out my vegan and gluten-free sugar cookie recipe if you need a great recipe to start with.
Nutrition
Equipment
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