7 Natural Food Dyes for Easter Eggs and Year-Round Baking

Easter is the ideal time to rethink what's in your food dye. Instead of using store-bought food coloring, take a look around your kitchen: You may have all the natural food dyes you could want hanging around in your refrigerator and pantry. Whether you're looking for a last-minute solution or an alternative to the artificial stuff, fruits and vegetables — and candy — are a treasure trove for natural food colors and a great way to repurpose items that might otherwise go to waste. The colors they impart might also surprise you.

We tested out a slew of fruits, vegetables, and candy to guide you through how to make food coloring. Here's what to do, using Easter eggs as an example with a blank canvas for seven natural food dyes:

Simply bring 1 cup of water to a boil, then add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and the food or candy of your choice. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot, and let steep for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the depth of color you desire. Remove from heat and let cool. Then strain the dyes into jars and start dipping eggs! For a more vibrant color, dye the eggs, let them dry completely, and dye again. To make larger batches of dye, increase the vinegar by 1 tablespoon per 1 cup of water. Here are some of our favorite color combinations.

Red onion skins

To make the dye: Use 1 cup of onion skins.

Color of the dye

• On white eggs: lavender
• On brown eggs: blue-green

Yellow onion skins

To make the dye: Use 1 cup of onion skins.

Color of the dye

• On white eggs: muted red
• On brown eggs: deep red

Red beets

To make the dye: Use 1 cup of chopped or shredded raw beets, or canned beets and their liquid.

Color of the dye

• On white eggs: deep red
• On brown eggs: orange-red

Purple cabbage

To make the dye: Use 1 cup of chopped or shredded cabbage.

Color of the dye

• On white eggs: light blue
• On brown eggs: rose red

Ground turmeric

To make the dye: Use 2 tablespoons ground turmeric.

Color of the dye

• On white eggs: bright yellow
• On brown eggs: yellow-orange

Hard candies

To make the dye: Use about 10 candies of one color.

Color of the dye

• On white eggs: bright
• On brown eggs: muted

Hot Tamales or jelly beans

To make the dye: Use one 5-ounce package of candy, or about 1/2 cup of unwrapped candies.

Color of the dye

• On white eggs: bright
• On brown eggs: muted

Once you've tested the colors and hues of these natural food dyes you can apply how to make food coloring to frosting and icing for baking projects and beyond.