How to Make Natural Food Dyes and Where to Buy Natural Food Dyes

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Natural dyes: If you’re concerned about synthetic food dyes, natural colorants can deliver an attractive look using concentrated vegetable pigments. To make cake, cupcake and cookie frosting look festive, we recommend the natural food dyes from King Arthur Flour (kingarthurflour.com). For naturally colored sprinkles, we like the “Nature’s Colors” pastel shades from India Tree. Find this brand at cheftools.com.

Related Link: The Hidden Health Risks of Food Dyes

Ingredient Glossary

Spices, etc.: Ancho chiles; Annatto; Black bean-garlic sauce; Cajun seasoning; Candied citron; Candied orange peel; Chervil; Chile-garlic sauce; Chiles; Chipotle chiles; Cinnamon; Coriander seeds; Crystallized ginger; Curry leaves; Curry paste; Dried chrysanthemums; Dried shrimp; Dry sea scallops; Fermented black beans; Fish sauce; Five-spice powder; Galangal; Garam masala; Ginger juice; Harissa; Herbes de Provence; Hoisin sauce; Jerk sauce; Jerk seasoning; Juniper berries; Korean chili powder; Lavender flowers; Lemongrass; Lime leaves; Lingonberries; Liquid smoke; Madras curry powder; Maple extract; Maple sugar; Mint; Miso; New Mexican chile; Orange-flower water; Oyster sauce; Pasilla chiles; Pickled ginger; Piment d’Espelette; Preserved lemons; Saffron; Sambal olek; Sambhar masala; Shiso; Smoked paprika; Sriracha; Sumac; Tamarind; Thai basil; Thai chiles; Vanilla beans; Wasabi powder; Zatar

Fruits & Vegetables: Arugula; Asian pears; Boniato; Broccolini; Calabaza; Celeriac; Cremini mushrooms; Daikon; Dried mushrooms; Edamame; Enoki mushrooms; Green papaya; Haricots verts; Jicama; Kabocha; Key limes; Kohlrabi; Korean zucchini; Kumquat; Leeks; Mâche; Morel mushrooms; Napa cabbage; Oil-cured olives; Papaya; Pea shoot; Plantains; Poblano chiles; Portobello mushroom; Precooked diced or shredded potatoes; Preshredded cabbage; Purple potatoes; Sour cherries; Sprouted beans; Sun-dried tomatoes; Tomatillos; Watercress; Watermelons

Sweeteners: Agave nectar or syrup; Palm sugar; Superfine sugar

Nuts & Seeds: Black sesame seeds; Chestnuts; Flaxseeds; Marcona almonds; Pepitas; Soy nuts; Toasted sesame seeds

Oils & Vinegars: Almond oil; Chinkiang vinegar; Cinnamon oil; Flaxseed oil; Garlic oil; Nut oils; Rice bran oil; Rice vinegar; Sherry vinegar; Walnut oil; White balsamic vinegar

Alcohol: Cream sherry; Grappa; Kirsch; Madeira; Marsala; Mirin; Port; Sake; Shao Hsing; Sherry

Dairy & Eggs: Dried egg whites; Evaporated milk; Farmer cheese; Ghee; Goat cheese; Pasteurized liquid “egg products”; Quark; Queso blanco; Ricotta salata

Baking: Baking raisins; Bread-machine yeast; Candied violets; Cocoa nibs; Coconut chips; Dutch-process cocoa; Food dyes, natural; Lighter Bake; Mexican chocolate; Prune pie filling; White Whole Wheat Flour

Flours: Bread flour; Buckwheat flour; Cake flour; Instant flour; Masa harina; Oat flour; Rice flour; Soy flour; Tapioca starch; White whole-wheat flour; Whole-wheat pastry flour

Meat, Fish, Seafood, Meat Substitutes: Andouille sausage; Baked tofu; Boneless duck breast; Boneless, skinless chicken breasts; Calamari; Capicola; Chicken tenders; Chorizo; Chunk light tuna; Cod; Cornish game hens; Country ham; Crabmeat; Pancetta; Prosciutto; Rotisserie chicken; Seitan; Serrano ham; Shrimp; Skirt steak; Sole; Spanish-style chorizo; Tempeh; Tofu; Turkey tenderloin

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