How To Choose The Best Food Coloring For Your Bakes

Food coloring is a pantry staple for avid bakers and can be used in a variety of ways from colorful batters and to pastry fillings. (If you've ever wondered , it's all thanks to food dyes.) However, not all food dye is the same.

According to Jerrelle Guy, author, artist, recipe developer, and creator of , the moisture content in food dye affects how the color shows up in your finished product. "Liquid food coloring [..



.] can be dull unless you use a lot, which can be a problem if you're watching the moisture content of what you're baking," Guy says. "Gel food coloring, on the other hand, is concentrated, so it gives you nice, vibrant colors without adding much liquid.

Powdered food coloring is best for recipes where no extra moisture can be added, like macarons or dry batters." Liquid food coloring is the dye that most novice bakers have in the pantry. It is the least intense color-wise because it is partially diluted and its watery consistency makes it easy to adjust the amounts you're adding.

Gel and paste colorings, meanwhile, have a thick consistency and a corn syrup or glycerin base. They offer a more intense color than liquid dyes and must be added in small, controlled quantities. You can also buy powdered food coloring – a dry food-grade dye that doesn't have any additives.

It can be used as is or made into a paste. Natural food dyes are also an option Jerrelle Guy points out that availability is a factor when choosing a food coloring. Liquids and gels are generally available in most grocery stores, while powdered food colorings are harder to find and may have to be purchased from specialist suppliers.

Using food colorings can also alter the flavors in your baking, especially if you use a lot to achieve a vibrant shade. Corn syrup-based dyes may affect the taste of your desserts. For example, doesn't contain corn syrup, but it does have a slightly bitter flavor that some people can detect.

If you're worried about flavor or additives, Guy suggests using natural food coloring as an alternative. Guy notes that she "likes to use beetroot juice or dragonfruit powder for reds and pinks, spirulina, spinach, green pandan leaf powder, or matcha for greens, turmeric or goldenberry powder for yellows, wild blueberries for purples and blues. There are so many natural colors out there to play with.

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