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Blending plant-based colors involves experience and experimentation, but many shades and hues can be created by mixing the right amounts of various colorants together. We recommend starting with small amounts to determine what is desired and what is possible.
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Successful color mixing also requires an understanding of how natural colors react to heat and pH levels, such as using baking soda to maintain stable blue and green tones.
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Color Garden provides 100% plant-based foundations that allow home bakers to safely decorate everything from frostings to beverages.
Many home bakers are shifting away from artificial dyes in favor of natural options. Concerns over health and a desire for cleaner ingredients have made plant-based colors a popular choice. But while store-bought natural colors often provide basic primary shades, creating custom pastels or unique hues can seem difficult.
We put together this food color mixing guide that explains how to create a full palette of custom shades using plant-based ingredients like beets, turmeric, and red cabbage instead of synthetic dyes.
Lots of Colors to Start with at Color Garden
Before you begin mixing, it helps to understand the botanical sources of your base colors from Color Garden. Each plant provides unique color molecules that serve as building blocks for your custom shades.
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Natural Red and Pink Food Coloring: These shades utilize beet juice for soft pinks and deep reds. We blend beet juice with beta-carotene to achieve a more vivid, natural red food coloring without synthetic dyes.
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Natural Yellow and Orange Food Coloring: Turmeric and beta-carotene provide warm, sun-kissed tones. These colors are heat-stable for baking, though turmeric should be kept away from bright light to prevent fading
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Natural Green and Lime Green Food Coloring: We produce natural green food coloring by mixing yellow turmeric with red cabbage. A pinch of baking soda helps keep or enhance the blue color of cabbage, which will also affect the green color that is produced. For a bright lime green hue, we blend turmeric with spirulina.
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Natural Blue and Sky Blue Food Coloring: Red cabbage provides a rich dark blue, while spirulina offers a lighter sky-blue shade. As with our greens, a small amount of baking soda may be needed to maintain the red cabbage's blue against acidic ingredients.
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Natural Purple Food Coloring: This shade is crafted from concentrated grape juice. It allows you to create anything from light lavender to deep plum, depending on the amount used.
Each of these plant-derived colors offers a unique starting point for your creative projects.
By understanding the botanical sources and their specific needs, such as pH adjustments or light sensitivity, you can better predict how they will appear in your recipes.
This foundation allows you to move beyond basic shades and begin the process of custom blending.
To achieve the best results, it is helpful to follow a structured food color mixing guide that accounts for these natural characteristics.
Food Color Mixing and Matching
Mastering the art of mixing requires a basic understanding of how colors interact. Natural pigments are often subtler than synthetic dyes, so the results appear more earthy and soft.
Basics of Color Theory for Food
Primary colors include red, yellow, and blue. You can create secondary colors by mixing these primaries. Red and yellow make natural orange food coloring. Blue and yellow create natural green food coloring.
Red and blue result in purple. Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color next to it on the color wheel.
How Natural Food Color Behaves Differently
Plant-based colors are sensitive to their environment. They are generally less intense than artificial dyes. Some are sensitive to pH levels or heat. For example, red cabbage blue can shift toward reddish purple tones in acidic conditions (the natural color of red cabbage). Beets and other Reds will fade or brown if exposed to high oven temperatures for too long. Turmeric used in yellows and oranges will fade when exposed to light, causing changes to the original color.
Beginner Mixing Ratios and Process
Start with equal parts of two colors to see the initial result. You can then adjust the ratio to change the intensity. Always use small test batches with a white icing or batter base.
Add your colors gradually using a toothpick or small spoon. Mix thoroughly to ensure there are no streaks in your final product. You will need small bowls and a neutral testing base to practice your skills.
Key Considerations When Mixing Food Colors
Working with plants requires attention to detail. These tips help you maintain the quality and appearance of your custom shades.
1. Use Immediately
Many natural colors can shift or fade over time once they are mixed. It is best to mix your colors fresh for each baking project to ensure the most accurate results.
2. pH Adjustments
Adding baking soda is a crucial step for maintaining blues and greens. Red cabbage extract naturally leans toward purple. Adding an alkaline substance like baking soda helps it stay a true blue if it’s what your recipe requires.
3. Heat Stability
Turmeric and beta-carotene generally hold up well under heat. Reds and cabbage-based blues and greens tend to fade. These are better suited for no-bake recipes or low-heat treats like frostings and icings. But baking methods can be modified to produce good results.
4. Start Small and Adjust
Add your color drop by drop or pinch by pinch. Using small tools can help with this. Adding too much at once can make the color muddy.
Food Color Mixing Examples
You can create professional-looking shades by following specific ratios. These examples show how to achieve popular hues using Color Garden bases.
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Teal: Combine 6 parts natural blue food color (with baking soda) and 4 parts natural green food color. This creates a cool, ocean-like tone perfect for themed cakes.
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Magenta: Blend 8 parts natural red food color with 2 parts natural blue food color. The result is a rich flower-like magenta.
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Mint Green: Mix 10 parts natural sky blue color with 2 parts natural light yellow food color. This creates a refreshing pastel that visually mimics mint green ice cream.
Mix in the Fun in Your Cooking With Color Garden
Learning to mix colors with natural ingredients opens up creative and healthier possibilities in your kitchen. It allows you to decorate without worrying about artificial additives or stains.
At Color Garden, we provide the pure, plant-based foundations you need to create any shade you can imagine. You can buy natural food coloring at Color Garden to start your next project.
Our products are 100 percent plant-based and ready to use. Bring nature's palette into your home and start mixing today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can natural food colors be mixed like regular food coloring?
Yes. You can follow basic color theory, such as mixing red and yellow to get orange. Keep in mind that natural colors are less intense, so you may need a larger quantity to reach your desired shade.
How do you get natural blue food coloring?
Red cabbage is a common source. When you boil it and add baking soda, the purple liquid shifts into blue tones. This adjustment is necessary to keep the color stable.
Do natural food colors change flavor?
In small amounts, the taste is minimal. Turmeric can be earthy and beets are slightly sweet. When mixed into icing or batter, these flavors are usually masked by the other ingredients.