Custom Colored Sugar for Fall
The other day, I had one of those slap-your-forehead, duh! moments. I was getting ready to decorate some sugar cookies with colored sugar when I realized I didn’t have the color I needed. Halfway out the door to make an emergency grocery store run, it hit me - why not make my own colored sugar?
It couldn’t be easier to make: simply take regular granulated sugar and add a few drops of food coloring (I do about 1/4 cup at a time with about 5 drops of liquid food coloring). Voila, colored sugar. What’s more, you can custom color the sugar as well. Need orange for Halloween? Or a specific shade of red or blue? Or a certain color for a sanding sugar or garnish? Done!
If the sugar gets clumpy from the food coloring, give it a spin in the food processor to break up the lumps.
Colored Sugar
on Nov 23rd, 2008 at 12:35 am
Wow! So easy! Why didn’t I think of that? Geesh. I’m always scratching around for orange sugar sprinkles. Thanks!
Dana Zia
http://danazia.wordpress.com/
on Nov 23rd, 2008 at 4:41 am
What a great idea! That is much better than all those sprinkles available in the shops
Thank you for sharing this…. Margot
on Nov 23rd, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I love your blog! So many good recipes. I can’t wait to make the Cranberry Crunch Bars, they look delish. Thanks for the recipe.
on Nov 23rd, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Thanks, everyone for your nice comments!
on Nov 24th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Cool! But how do you mix it? Do you just stir it in a bowl? I feel like my color distribution wouldn’t come out so perfectly even.
on Nov 24th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Hillary, I just mix it in a small bowl with a spoon, crushing any lumps and stirring until uniform in color, but you could also use a food processor.
on Nov 24th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
This is just what I have been wanting! Thank you! Now if only I can find a quantity source for not too expensive clear sprinkles.
on Nov 24th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
What a great tip. Thanks
on Nov 24th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I’ve never even thought of making my own before. Great idea and beautiful pictures!
on Nov 24th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
[...] cupcake, then more pudding. Top again with bread or cupcake, then a whirl of whipped cream and some orange colored sugar. Also on the menu: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes Cranberry Chutney Butternut Squash Soup Pumpkin Butter [...]
on Dec 7th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I have been baking for my grandsons that are on a gluten free/casein free diet. I wanted them to have beautifully adorned christmas cookies just like all the other kids. I cannot use conventional food coloring so I colored my icing with pomegranate juice and some with mashed avocado. I had a beautiful green icing and a pinkish red icing. Turmeric can be used sparingly to make yellow. Now I am trying to make colored sugar. I have made a gorgeous red sugar by mashing blueberries and working in the juice. Now I am stumped as how to attain other colors. Any ideas out there for the sugar. I am going to try carrot juice for orange sugar. I wish I could make a blue sugar. Help would be really appreciated. Thanks and happy baking.
on Dec 7th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Bradley, Food Hunter and Lori, thank you!
Lynn, here’s a link to an article from Martha Stewart on natural dyes for coloring Easter eggs. It’d be the same concept to make colored sugars - boiling down the item to make a dye, then coloring the sugar with that. I’ve tried some of these, and can tell you that the cabbage did yield a pretty blue. Hope this helps! http://www.marthastewart.com/article/dyeing-eggs-naturally?autonomy_kw=egg%20coloring&rsc=header_6
on Dec 9th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Love this idea! I’m about to make cookies I will use colored sugar to decorate! Thanks for sharing!
on Jan 14th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
What a fantastic and simple idea! I wish I had come across this post before I made my Christmas cookies this year. I ran out of colored sugar and didn’t have an opportunity to get more…I must admit, the overall result was a little sad
on Oct 19th, 2009 at 11:43 am
I think blue can be made from red cabbage. Sounds weird, I seem to remember Mom making dying blue eggs with red cabbage leaves in the egg water.
on Dec 5th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I will use red sugar to rim my martini glasses. This was just what I was looking for. Thanks
on Dec 13th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Can you color sugar using food color “powder”? Thanks!
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 2:28 am
[...] PS if you find yourself plum out of colored sugar you can make some of your own. [...]