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
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/
What a great idea! That is much better than all those sprinkles available in the shops
Thank you for sharing this…. Margot
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.
Thanks, everyone for your nice comments!
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.
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.
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.
What a great tip. Thanks
I’ve never even thought of making my own before. Great idea and beautiful pictures!
[...] 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 [...]
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.
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
Love this idea! I’m about to make cookies I will use colored sugar to decorate! Thanks for sharing!
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
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.
I will use red sugar to rim my martini glasses. This was just what I was looking for. Thanks
Can you color sugar using food color “powder”? Thanks!
[...] PS if you find yourself plum out of colored sugar you can make some of your own. [...]
[...] corn onto waxed paper or parchment paper. Drizzle with melted chocolate candies and sprinkle with colored sugar. Allow to cool completely before putting it into a ziplock bag. Should keep fresh for a couple [...]
Thanks so much! I just about went out and bought 4 specific colors for my sons birthday party and now I can get the perfect shade. Thanks!