Strawberry Red Food Coloring? All Answers

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You may not know it, but there are many things you already have around the house that can be used to create natural dyes that can be used to dye faded clothing and upcycle plain fabrics. For years people have used natural materials to dye their fabrics, beginning with a variety of vegetable dyes such as woad, indigo, saffron and madder. Fruits and vegetables are also great for making natural dyes. And best of all, natural coloring is fun too!

In this guide, I will walk you through the fruit dyeing process. We use a variety of fruits to give you a feel for the range of results that can be achieved with different fruit dyes. We’ll talk about using bleached versus unbleached fabrics and how frozen fruit can affect results. I chose to use berries as they naturally color fruit which gives powerful results.

Interest in the technique of natural dyeing has increased as people look for more natural ways to dye their fabrics, as synthetic dyes are often harmful to the environment. Indigo dyed fabrics are now regularly sold in haberdashery shops. Independent designers like Phuongmai Nguyen, who runs ethical company Indigo Sew and sells eco-friendly and handmade quilts and cushions in the UK, use naturally dyed fabrics in their work. “Synthetic dyes can be harmful to factory workers because of long-term exposure to the chemicals involved,” she says.

Phuongmai started using natural dyes because of her designs. “Naturally dyed colors look and feel more authentic than synthetic dyes,” she says. Then she realized how they were made and the process appealed to her even more. “Each fiber would also have its own beautiful backstory, of the dedicated craftsmanship involved in creating the dyes from plants and minerals.”

Frozen blackcurrants create a rich color palette that can be created year-round.

Frozen blackcurrants create a rich color palette that can be created year-round.

Although any fruit, vegetable, or plant that can cause stains can be used as a natural dye, some work better than others. I chose berries as they stain easily – remember dripping those raspberries all over your t-shirt as a kid? Different berries give different results as I will show you below.

As fruit tends to be seasonal, it is not always possible to always have fresh fruit on hand. Seasonal fruit is better for the environment, which worries many people interested in finding natural ways to dye. If that’s important to you, plan your coloring accordingly. It is also possible to use frozen fruit to achieve satisfactory staining results. However, if you have fresh fruit on hand, the fruit can be used immediately and does not need to be thawed before use.

You can of course also color with vegetables; Beetroot, onion skins and spinach give bold colors. However, this tutorial only covers coloring with berries.

Further ideas

If you want to experiment with other natural colorings, here are other fruits and vegetables that produce bold colors:

Beetroot

onion skins

spinach

Orange peel

kale stalks

damson

you will need

• 1 cup berries*

• ¼ cup salt

• Pot (note that the dyes may stain your pot)

• Pegs (for hanging finished fabrics until dry)

• Fabric (I used unbleached calico, unbleached muslin, dyed cotton, dyed muslin, some printed cottons, and several cotton blends)

• Gloves

*You may need more fruit depending on how much fabric you are dyeing.

Note: I used five different fruit dyes for the samples in this article: fresh raspberries, frozen blueberries, frozen cherries, frozen blackcurrants, and frozen mixed fruits (redcurrants, blackcurrants, and strawberries). As you will see below, the different berries produce a spectrum of results.

A word about fabrics

Fruit dyes give a range of results on unbleached muslin. Raspberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Blackcurrant, Mixed Fruit (from left to right).

Fruit dyes give a range of results on unbleached muslin. Raspberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Blackcurrant, Mixed Fruit (from left to right).

In general, natural fabrics accept dyes (natural or synthetic) best and therefore produce the strongest colors. Additionally, unbleached fabrics produce bolder colors than pre-dyed fabrics, although you may have fun over-dyeing pre-dyed fabrics to see what results you get. Depending on whether you prefer a soft, light palette or prefer to sew with darker, bolder colors, choose your fabrics accordingly. Also remember that you can soak fabrics in the dye bath for a longer period of time to achieve a lighter, deeper result. If you’re looking for rich color, it’s best to start with natural, unbleached fabrics like unbleached muslin or unbleached calico!

preparation

Add ¼ cup of salt to 4 cups of water. Add your fabric. If the water doesn’t cover your fabric, keep adding water and salt in a 16:1 ratio until your fabric is submerged.

Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for about an hour. This will create a fixative that will help your fabric hold the color better and this will help set the color in the fabric.

When you’re done, rinse your fabric in cold water and squeeze out the excess water.

dye

Add 1 cup of fruit and 4 cups of water to your saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, then add your fabric. If you have several yards of fabric, you will need to increase the recipe in a 1:4 ratio of fruit to water until your fabric is completely submerged.

Simmer gently for at least 20 minutes (I took mine off the heat after 30 minutes and let it cool).

Remove the pot from the heat and set aside with the fabric and dyed water still in it to cool.

Once the water has cooled, you can remove your fabrics or have more color absorbed if desired. The longer the fabric stays in the water, the more color it takes on.

You can even leave your fabric in the chilled water overnight if you prefer. Keep in mind that the finished fabric will be lighter than what appears in the dye bath.

When you are happy with the color of your fabric, put on gloves, take the fabric out of the water and hang it outside to dry.

Individual fruit staining results

I have detailed the color each fruit dye produces below, in general order from lightest to darkest. To help you understand how dyes take on different fabrics, I’ve shown each dye in a variety of fabrics.

raspberries

Raspberry color on (left to right): unbleached calico, unbleached muslin, unbleached calico,

Cotton blend, dyed cotton.

Raspberry color on (left to right): unbleached calico, unbleached muslin, unbleached calico, cotton blend, dyed cotton.

In general, raspberries produce the brightest colors of any fruit mentioned in this article. They produce a very pale pink color on unbleached, light-colored fabrics. If you want a bolder color, soak the fabric in the color mixture overnight.

cherries

Cherry color on (left to right): cotton blend, unbleached muslin, unbleached calico.

Cherry color on (left to right): cotton blend, unbleached muslin, unbleached calico.

Cherry dye gives a beautiful pale red color close to raspberry color; As with the raspberry dye, fabrics dyed with cherries should be soaked overnight if you want a more vibrant result. This dye also absorbs unbleached, light-colored fabrics best.

Mixed fruits

Mixed fruit color on (left to right): dyed cotton blend, dyed cotton, unbleached muslin.

Mixed fruit color on (left to right): dyed cotton blend, dyed cotton, unbleached muslin.

This combination is a bit like a wild card. A mix of red currants, black currants and strawberries creates a variety of colors on different fabrics. Colors range from a pale pink to a deep pink depending on the type of fabric used (unbleached fabrics tend to perform better than dyed fabrics, for example). Overall great results! You may want to experiment with different fabrics and different combinations of fabrics. For example, if you want a paler pink, try adding some cherries or even raspberries. If you want to add a purple hue to fabrics, check out blueberries or black currants (below).

Black Currants

Blackcurrant dye on (left to right): dyed cotton, unbleached muslin, unbleached calico,

dyed muslin (base color mustard).

Blackcurrant dye on (left to right): dyed cotton, unbleached muslin, unbleached calico, dyed muslin (base color mustard).

Blackcurrant dye produces a range of colors from a medium pink to a dark red on unbleached muslin and calico fabrics, depending on the fabric. You will find that the colors are similar to those produced with the mixed fruit dye, but blackcurrants can dye a wider variety of fabrics than the mixed fruit (for example, you can use this dye on fabric that has already been dyed and it will still work good, as opposed to the mixed fruits which are best reserved for unbleached fabrics).

blueberries

Blueberry Dye (left to right): unbleached muslin, unbleached calico, cotton blend, dyed cotton.

Blueberry Dye (left to right): unbleached muslin, unbleached calico, cotton blend, dyed cotton.

The blueberry mix yields the strongest color of all the fruit dyes listed in this article. For example, the difference between raspberry and blueberry dye is pretty obvious – the blueberry dye produces a darker plum color and a 30 minute soak time is enough to produce a rich color on a variety of fabrics.

Care of naturally colored fabrics

Because the fabric is not synthetically dyed, the color will fade over time. However, there are several steps you can take to minimize this. Natural dyes are more likely to fade with the use of detergents, so it’s best to hand wash whenever possible. This will ensure the color lasts longer. If you must wash your fabric in a washing machine, use a bleach-free detergent and set the machine to a cold wash setting. Some natural dyes can also fade in sunlight, so keep the fabric out of the sun!

With the warm weather in the northern hemisphere, now is the perfect time to experiment with fruit coloring. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, some winter fruits and veggies are also great candidates for coloring. Depending on the fabric and fruits you use, the result can be soft and subtle or lush and vibrant. Either way, you’ll have a unique fabric ready for your next sewing project.

Additional Resources

get red color. You saved me a lot of paint and time trying, thanks.”

…”

“I’ve been trying to make red paint, the only paint I’m missing, but after reading this page I’m on my way to the store

This is a messy thing, so be sure to wear gloves and an apron. Cover your surfaces in advance with a few layers of newspaper or, even better, place a wipeable oilcloth on the table. The paint works best when the water is still warm, so adult supervision is recommended and we encourage you to use tongs.

Using a few simple fruits and vegetables, you can easily make natural colorings at home – a fun activity for kids that also involves a little science. All white fabrics such as socks, T-shirts, hair ties or wool or colorfully decorated eggs for Easter can be dyed with these natural colors.

you will need

700ml cold water (about 3 cups) per color

Your chosen vegetables (see below)

Pot

Sieve

A pincer

Various bowls

method

Add the cold water to a saucepan along with the vegetables of your choice. Cover with the lid and bring to a boil. Once it boils, remove the lid and turn off the heat. Let the mixture steep for about 10 minutes. Place the sieve over a bowl and strain the mixture. Use tongs to add your colorable object to the mixture while the color is still warm. Leave it on for as long as you like – the longer you let it soak in the color, the stronger the color will become. Use tongs to remove your item and place in a new, clean bowl. Rinse gently with cold water to remove excess color, then allow to dry completely.

Choose your colour

We recommend making a double batch of the purple and red dyes if you want to make all the colors of the rainbow.

violet

Chop ½ red cabbage and add to the water. If you want to double the batch so you can make different colors, use a whole red cabbage instead and double the amount of water to 1.4 liters (about 6 cups).

blue and pink

To make blue, add ½ tsp baking soda to the purple dye and watch it transform before your eyes! To make pink, add the juice of half a lemon to the purple dye and it will turn out a reddish pink instead.

The science part: Red cabbage contains a pigment called anthocyanin, which acts as an indicator of pH, like litmus paper. When baking soda is added, it turns the solution into a lye that appears blue. When lemon juice is added, the solution turns into an acid that appears red.

Find out more about universal indicators on BBC Bitesize

Red

Chop 1 boiled beetroot and add to the water. Beetroot produces a rich red dye that you can easily combine with other colors. If you want to make a double serving, use 2 beetroots again and double the amount of water to 1.4 liters (about 6 cups).

Yellow

Slice a thumb-sized piece of turmeric and add to the water. We’ve found that fresh turmeric works best, but you can use ½ tsp ground turmeric if you prefer.

Green

To make Green Dye, first make Blue Dye and Yellow Dye and combine the two.

orange

To make orange dye, first make red and yellow dyes and combine the two.

How to make tie dye clothes

To create a tie-dye effect, first wrap elastic bands tightly around the selected fabric in the pattern you want to create. For a simple version, we suggest rolling your fabric into a long log shape and wrapping the ribbons the entire length. You can then either dip your item in color (for one color) or paint on the color in sections with different colors. Allow the color to set, then allow the fabric to dry as much as possible before removing the elastics.

Like this? Discover more fun ideas:

Sensory play ideas for children

Video: How to make a running rainbow

How to make paper mache

How to make a homemade bath bomb?

The best indoor activities for kids

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Have you tried making your own homemade natural dyes? We’d love to hear your tips in the comments below.

I stopped by a farmer’s stand last weekend and noticed that the strawberries looked pretty pale. I commented on this and the farmer assured me that this was not a concern and that I should also beware of bright red strawberries. His claim was that bright red strawberries in the supermarket are actually colored that way.

Is it common to dye berries? Is it even legal? Is this something you would typically expect to find in a grocery store, or is a technique used elsewhere (say, commercially or in restaurants?) or is this guy just trying to convince me to buy his product?

Color plays an important role in food. Finally, feast your eyes before you take that first bite. Luckily, if you’ve run out of red food coloring, there are several red food coloring alternatives that you can use.

The best alternative is to mix other food coloring to get as similar a look as possible. Natural alternatives can create a softer, subdued look and also add nutritional benefits and delicious flavors to a dish.

You can experiment a lot with food coloring. Don’t be afraid to explore your options and see what types of reds you can create.

Red food coloring

Recommended substitute for red food coloring

When experimenting with food coloring, remember to wear gloves to avoid staining your hands. Also, wear clothes that you don’t mind getting stained.

1. Mix pink and black food coloring

Mix pink and black food coloring

If you just ran out of red food coloring but have other colors available, you can mix pink and black to make red. This method is the best way to achieve a deep red color without affecting the taste of your food.

All you need is ¼ teaspoon of pink food coloring and five drops of black food coloring. This combination achieves a color similar to regular red food coloring, but you can adjust the ratios for different shades of red.

2. Beets

Beet juice is a popular red food coloring substitute because it gives the best results from other natural red food coloring substitutes. It is also very healthy and is high in fiber, magnesium and potassium.

All you need to make Beet Food Coloring is water and three beets.

First peel the beetroot and roughly cut into 1 cm cubes. Next, place the beets in a large saucepan and pour water over them until they are covered with about two inches of water.

Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the beets continue to cook until you can easily pierce them with a fork. They should turn a lighter shade of red.

Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Then pour it into a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth with no chunks.

Pour the mixture into a colander over a large bowl. Squeeze the beets with a spoon to extract more liquid.

You will need to experiment with the measurements to get the exact color you want. Also remember that different batches of beet food coloring are not uniform. Their shades may vary slightly.

Beet juice can also affect the taste of your food. As such, it’s best to use beetroot juice food coloring in savory dishes like soups as they have an earthy flavor.

3. Cranberries

cranberries

Cranberries are a great natural alternative to red food coloring for baking or cooking sweets. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries.

Place 2 cups of cranberries in a saucepan and add water until the cranberries are covered. Then let the pot simmer for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, use a fork to check that the cranberries have completely softened. When they are soft, turn off the heat and mash them with the fork. Then leave the mixture on for 25 minutes.

When the 25 minutes is up, pour the mixture into a colander over a large bowl. The dye is now ready to use.

Cranberry dye has a tart taste, so you can sweeten it with sugar and use it to color desserts. You can also use it to flavor icing, similar to lemon icing.

4. Pomegranate Juice

pomegranate

Anyone who has ever tried extracting pomegranate seeds knows that it can quickly become a red mess. As such, this fruit is a pretty obvious choice for making red dye.

All you need is 1½ cups of pomegranate seeds and ½ cup of water. Put the pomegranate seeds and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. The water turns red and can be used as a dye.

If you want a more concentrated color, you can crush or puree the pomegranate seeds in a blender and strain the mixture.

Use this dye sparingly as it has a strong flavor. It works best in sweet desserts, drinks, or salad dressings.

5. Red Freeze Dried Fruits

Red freeze-dried fruits

Freeze-dried fruit is a great alternative as it’s readily available at most grocery stores and can easily be turned into coloring.

Here are some popular freeze-dried fruits that produce a red tint:

strawberries

cherries

raspberries

Pitaya

goji berries

If you want to try using freeze-dried fruit as a coloring, all you need is a blender or spice grinder. Blend the freeze-dried fruit into a fine powder and it’s ready to use.

You can mix the powder with batter, icing or sauces. It’s important to note that freeze-dried fruit often stains fairly easily, so you might end up with more of a bright red or dark pink color.

If you want to try to darken the shade of red, you will have to incorporate a lot more powder, which will greatly affect the taste of the dish. Therefore, it is best to use this method for dishes where the fruit is the main ingredient.

For example, if you’re making strawberry shortcake and want to deepen the color of the cake batter, freeze-dried powdered strawberries are a great addition.

frequently asked Questions

There are many questions surrounding red food coloring, and you might encounter some mishaps with synthetic and natural food coloring as well.

Here are some common concerns people have when working with red food coloring.

Your child’s birthday is coming up and right on cue they want a cake that’s as unique as they are – sorry, supermarket sheet cakes. A three-tier rainbow-colored cake will absolutely make her day, but you’re not crazy about store-bought food coloring. The alternative of making natural food coloring from scratch means you’re in complete control of the ingredients and what your family eats when you knock out this showstopper. Plus, it’s easier than you think. Promise.

First, we will choose a fruit or vegetable that makes the most sense. Then we’ll go over the differences between powdered and liquid dyes and how to make them. Finally you are left with all the natural food coloring you need for this cake and more. (Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, anyone?)

How to make natural food coloring

1. Choose your natural food coloring sources

A disclaimer first: Natural food coloring isn’t going to be as vibrant as the fake stuff. But that doesn’t mean your colors won’t be wonderful, delicious, and a lot healthier. In fact, we were surprisingly blown away by how well many fruits, vegetables, and spices are actually able to color other foods. We’ve only put together a list of a few suggestions for your natural food coloring here, but feel free to let your kids have fun in your kitchen and turn it into a colorful science lab.

Red: tomatoes, beets, red peppers, strawberries

Tomatoes, beets, red peppers, strawberries Orange: sweet potatoes, carrots

Sweet Potatoes, Yellow Carrots: Turmeric

Turmeric Green: Matcha, Spinach

Matcha, spinach purple: blueberries, blackberries

Blueberries, Blackberries Pink: Raspberries

Raspberry brown: coffee, tea

2. Think about how you want it to taste

Before you decide on a vegetarian dish, take a second to think about the source of this color. For example, if you’re coloring a cake green, creamy matcha tea leaves might make more sense than a bunch of spinach, since matcha in cake form is absolutely delicious. But if you need a sun-kissed yellow cake, don’t worry about turmeric — it’s such a concentrated color that you can stir a little into your frosting for a bright hue without fear of a turmeric-flavored dessert to have to. A food you don’t have to worry about? easter eggs Throw this taste warning to the wind and go color crazy. The egg in the shell tastes like nothing but egg.

3. Consider the difference between a liquid and powder base

There are two bases to choose between when making DIY food coloring: powder or liquid. If you already have the fruit or veg you want to use on hand, the liquid method makes more sense as you can proceed directly to the following steps and have your paint ready to use. Liquid dyes also work best with pastels (Hello, Easter!). Powders require a bit more time and planning — unless you happen to have freeze-dried fruit in your pantry — but they’re great if you want more pigmentation and deeper colors from your natural color.

Powder:

Like the yellow turmeric we mentioned, powders are already concentrated and will easily dissolve in whatever you’re cooking, meaning the color will be far more vibrant and intense. Some colors already come in powdered form, like ground matcha and coffee, but others you have to make yourself. But don’t worry, it’s easy as pie.

Recipe for a powder base:

Purchase freeze-dried raspberries, blueberries, beets, or any other fruit that matches the color you want.

Place 1 cup of your ingredient in a food processor and pulverize into a fine powder.

Add a little water to your powder, tablespoon by tablespoon, until it becomes a liquid with all the powder dissolved in it. But don’t overdo it. Too much water can drown out your color.

Liquids:

Liquids produce a more subtle color than powders and are a bit more labor intensive unless you have a juicer.

Recipe for a liquid base using a juicer:

If you have one, put that bad boy to work because he filters out all the grits, pulp, and leftover pulp you don’t want in your food coloring.

Juice the fruit or vegetable you’re using for your food coloring and the resulting liquid is literally your coloring agent.

Recipe for a no-juicer liquid base:

Take your blueberries, strawberries, or whatever you’re turning into paint and add 1 cup of the ingredient to a small saucepan with 1 cup of water.

Bring to a boil and then bring the flame to a boil. Mash the ingredient with the back of a wooden spoon and crush for about 10 minutes, allowing the color to ooze out and change the hue of the water.

Let the ingredient cook until reduced to ¼ cup.

Place the mixture in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve or fine sieve into a bowl and press out the liquid with a wooden spoon.

Whether you use powdered powders or cooked liquids, the natural food coloring that is left can be used just like the artificial material. Gradually drizzle the color into your icing or cupcake batter, stirring, until you get the color you want, then serve your kids a vibrant, natural treat.

RELATED: 9 Simply Gorgeous Easter Egg Decorating Ideas

I’ve started sharing my Valentine’s Day cakes on social media and some of them are topped with super bright red icing.

This has led to countless comments and messages asking how I make a red frosting like this! I’ve experimented with different techniques, food coloring and even natural food coloring!

Below are the top tips I learned while testing which ingredients and methods work best for making bright red frosting.

Use the right kind of food coloring

I have some tips for making frosting that’s a deep, true red color. The first is to use gel food coloring!

Photo of a cake with bright red frosting colored with red Americolor gel food coloring.

When it comes to coloring your frosting these are an absolute must.

Liquid food coloring can affect the consistency of your frosting, especially if you have to add a ton to get the color you want.

Gel food coloring is much more concentrated, so you can add less and still get a deep color. The brand you use can also affect the color as some are more true to color than others.

I always use the Americolor brand (not sponsored, just my very favorite food coloring)! I like to use the super red shade when making red buttercream.

Alternative food coloring

Powdered food coloring is less commonly used, but is another wonderful way to get a bright red icing.

This powdered red food coloring is not expensive and you can order it on Amazon. The biggest benefit of using it is that it has NO bitter aftertaste. The only downside is that you need a ton of it to make red frosting.

There are also some wonderful natural red food colorings in powder form. If you’re looking for a natural way to make red buttercream, I suggest going this route.

I’ve also tried beetroot powder, which doesn’t give such a vibrant color but is a great alternative to gel food coloring. Surprisingly, it doesn’t actually change the flavor of the frosting!

Most of my cakes are glazed with an American-style buttercream frosting. My icing is naturally quite white, which makes a great base for coloring!

If your frosting is slightly yellow, it may be more difficult to make a colorful frosting.

Make your red frosting ahead of time

My second trick to making red frosting is to prepare it ahead of time. Yes, time is another mystery!! I can’t stress this tip enough. It is by far the most important tip.

If you make the frosting a few days (or more) in advance, the color of the frosting will deepen over time. Letting the buttercream sit at room temperature (usually when thawing) really deepens the color.

You can see below that the icing made 3 days in advance is a much deeper and lighter shade of red than the icing made the day before.

I actually added a lot more red gel food coloring to the frosting made that day and it still wasn’t really a deep shade of red.

This buttercream can be made weeks in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.

I take the icing out a few hours before I need it so it can come to room temperature. Once thawed, it will always be a darker color than when it started.

Give your frosting a good stir once it’s thawed

Speaking of which, I have an important piece of advice for preparing glazes ahead of time. When buttercream sits and/or thaws, it usually gets a lot of tiny air bubbles!

When making frosting, it’s almost impossible not to incorporate air when mixing in the powdered sugar (I recommend using a paddle mixer attachment to minimize this).

This will become more apparent over time as the buttercream sets and tiny air bubbles form.

To smooth your buttercream again, all you have to do is give the frosting a really good stir with a rubber spatula.

Slowly work the icing from side to side, spreading it over the sides of your bowl for a few minutes.

It’s definitely an arm workout, but after you’ve worked the frosting around the bowl and squeezed out the excess air, you’re left with a silky smooth frosting.

Avoid the bitter taste

My final tip helps control the bitter taste that bright red buttercream typically has. I’ll be the first to admit that most icings with lots of food coloring taste bitter.

Red frosting is one of the worst culprits, and there are a few ways to get around it. The first option is to use an unflavored red gel food coloring that will help reduce the bitter aftertaste.

It’s harder to find online, and while it tastes better than the frosting, there’s still a little aftertaste.

As I mentioned above, another great way to avoid bitter taste is to use powdered red food coloring! It works great and you can’t taste it at all!!

Flavor your red frosting

My way of getting around this is to flavor the frosting, either with a strong extract (like almond or coconut) or with cream cheese! I love using my cream cheese buttercream recipe when making red frosting.

You can also use strawberry powder to flavor the frosting and of course color it red (like I do with my strawberry frosting recipe).

The cream cheese flavor counteracts the bitter taste of the food coloring. My cream cheese frosting is thick enough to squirt with and I used it to make this Red Buttercream Rosette Cake.

Add another color like pink or black

Another trick to making red frosting can be to start with a pink frosting. Strange I know. But a pink base color makes it easier to make red frosting.

You can achieve this by using either pink gel food coloring or a natural base like strawberry powder or beet powder.

Making pink buttercream red is a lot easier than starting with a white buttercream base and making it red.

It also allows you to use a lot less red food coloring, which I think is all the goal here.

However, sometimes this can still result in the frosting having a bitter taste. This is a good idea for achieving a red color, but not the best idea for flavor.

If you’re looking for a really deep red color, you can also add a tiny (and I mean TINY) drop of black gel food coloring to your red buttercream. This will really help it deepen the color, especially if you let it sit for a bit.

Quick and easy trick: The microwave method

If you follow my tips above and your buttercream doesn’t STILL look as dark as you’d like, don’t worry.

I have a quick fix guaranteed to leave you with bright red buttercream. I like to call it the microwave method!

Scoop 1/4 cup of the finished buttercream into a microwave-safe bowl. Add additional gel food coloring and mix until frosting reaches desired color.

Then heat the frosting in the microwave for 5-15 seconds. The icing should be runny but have a deeper color. Mix this back into the full bowl of frosting and you should achieve a bright red color.

I like this method because it always works and is a quick way to make deeply colored frosting. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it changes the consistency of your frosting.

If you use this method, let your icing sit for about 30 minutes before using to allow it to thicken again.

Tips for making SUPER Red Frosting

Use gel food coloring (preferably Americolor Super Red) or powder food coloring.

(preferably Americolor Superred) or . Make this frosting a few days ahead of time to allow the hue to deepen.

so that the shadow deepens. Flavor the glaze with cream cheese or a strong extract (like almond) to avoid a bitter taste.

with cream cheese or a strong extract (like almond) to avoid a bitter taste. Start with a pink frosting base so you can add less red food coloring.

so you can add less red food coloring. Add a tiny drop of black gel food coloring to further deepen the hue if needed.

to further deepen the shadow if necessary. Try the microwave method! Scoop ¼ cup of prepared buttercream into a microwave-safe bowl. Add additional gel color, mix until glaze reaches desired color, and microwave for 5-15 seconds. The icing should be runny but have a deeper color. Mix this back into the full bowl of frosting and you should get a true red color.

Prepare this red frosting ahead of time and storage tips

Make your frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it’s thawed to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

to get the consistency nice and smooth again. A glazed cake can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious! If you cut the cake and have leftovers, use the remaining frosting to cover the cut portion to keep it moist and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Whether you’re baking a cake for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or an Angry Birds cake, I hope these tips will help you make the brightest, most delicious red buttercream!!

Share your creations with me!

If you try this red frosting recipe please tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so I can see your amazing creations!

If you have any questions about red frosting that I haven’t covered, or if you have any tips of your own, please share them in the comments section below.

Other recipes you might like:

Red is a primary color and you cannot create red by mixing colors together. However, you can change the color of any red color and make a red color look brighter by combining it with specific colors.

mixing colors

As much as you wish, you can’t make a red color brighter or more saturated than it comes straight out of the tube. Instead, you must choose a red color based on the results you want. Because it’s a primary color, there are a good number of shades of red in almost every color. The most popular include cadmium red and vermilion. You’ll also find earthy reds like the popular burnt sienna.

If you mix red paint with other pigments, you get different shades. Mix in a yellow and you get an orange-red. Mix it with titanium white and it starts to turn pink, but mixing red with zinc white reduces saturation. When you mix a red with blue you go towards purple.

Red is a very useful color to have in your toolbox and the color possibilities when it comes to mixing are endless. However, you must always remember that you cannot make a red color “redder” than it already is.

The illusion of a lighter red

There’s a little trick you can use to create the illusion that your red is lighter. It all depends on the colors and tones that you paint next to it.

Red’s complementary color is green, and that’s the perfect place to start. Complementary colors can naturally appear lighter than they really are.

To see how your red looks next to other colors, take a few minutes and paint a color map with blocks of red surrounded by different colors. When you’re done, examine it to compare the results. You should notice a significant difference in how the red pops out of the different tones. This can help you apply the red tones in your image to get the results you want.

get red color. You saved me a lot of paint and time trying, thanks.”

…”

“I’ve been trying to make red paint, the only paint I’m missing, but after reading this page I’m on my way to the store

This is a messy thing, so be sure to wear gloves and an apron. Cover your surfaces in advance with a few layers of newspaper or, even better, place a wipeable oilcloth on the table. The paint works best when the water is still warm, so adult supervision is recommended and we encourage you to use tongs.

Using a few simple fruits and vegetables, you can easily make natural colorings at home – a fun activity for kids that also involves a little science. All white fabrics such as socks, T-shirts, hair ties or wool or colorfully decorated eggs for Easter can be dyed with these natural colors.

you will need

700ml cold water (about 3 cups) per color

Your chosen vegetables (see below)

Pot

Sieve

A pincer

Various bowls

method

Add the cold water to a saucepan along with the vegetables of your choice. Cover with the lid and bring to a boil. Once it boils, remove the lid and turn off the heat. Let the mixture steep for about 10 minutes. Place the sieve over a bowl and strain the mixture. Use tongs to add your colorable object to the mixture while the color is still warm. Leave it on for as long as you like – the longer you let it soak in the color, the stronger the color will become. Use tongs to remove your item and place in a new, clean bowl. Rinse gently with cold water to remove excess color, then allow to dry completely.

Choose your colour

We recommend making a double batch of the purple and red dyes if you want to make all the colors of the rainbow.

violet

Chop ½ red cabbage and add to the water. If you want to double the batch so you can make different colors, use a whole red cabbage instead and double the amount of water to 1.4 liters (about 6 cups).

blue and pink

To make blue, add ½ tsp baking soda to the purple dye and watch it transform before your eyes! To make pink, add the juice of half a lemon to the purple dye and it will turn out a reddish pink instead.

The science part: Red cabbage contains a pigment called anthocyanin, which acts as an indicator of pH, like litmus paper. When baking soda is added, it turns the solution into a lye that appears blue. When lemon juice is added, the solution turns into an acid that appears red.

Find out more about universal indicators on BBC Bitesize

Red

Chop 1 boiled beetroot and add to the water. Beetroot produces a rich red dye that you can easily combine with other colors. If you want to make a double serving, use 2 beetroots again and double the amount of water to 1.4 liters (about 6 cups).

Yellow

Slice a thumb-sized piece of turmeric and add to the water. We’ve found that fresh turmeric works best, but you can use ½ tsp ground turmeric if you prefer.

Green

To make Green Dye, first make Blue Dye and Yellow Dye and combine the two.

orange

To make orange dye, first make red and yellow dyes and combine the two.

How to make tie dye clothes

To create a tie-dye effect, first wrap elastic bands tightly around the selected fabric in the pattern you want to create. For a simple version, we suggest rolling your fabric into a long log shape and wrapping the ribbons the entire length. You can then either dip your item in color (for one color) or paint on the color in sections with different colors. Allow the color to set, then allow the fabric to dry as much as possible before removing the elastics.

Like this? Discover more fun ideas:

Sensory play ideas for children

Video: How to make a running rainbow

How to make paper mache

How to make a homemade bath bomb?

The best indoor activities for kids

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Have you tried making your own homemade natural dyes? We’d love to hear your tips in the comments below.

Red velvet cake calls for lots of red food coloring, and if that doesn’t suit you, there are natural alternatives.

Pure beet juice

beet powder

Pure pomegranate juice

Dried hibiscus flowers soaked in hot water, strained

Cranberries boiled with enough water to cover them, strained

These substitutes can affect flavor, although some are more subtle than others. You may also need to play around with quantities to get the red color you want.