Written by Mik Nuzzi

If you're new to natural food coloring (like I am!), you might be wondering how it performs compared to synthetic dyes—especially in royal icing. After years of decorating with Chefmaster’s traditional Liqua-Gels, I’ve come to rely on their bold hues, easy color mixing, and fast development.

Recently, I tested the Chefmaster Natural Liqua-Gels and I’m excited to share what I found. I expected some variation from synthetic dyes, but I was curious—how different would they really be?

In this post, I’ll share what I learned from my first round of testing. Whether you're thinking about switching to natural colors or are just beginning your journey, here's what to expect when using them in royal icing.

How Do Natural Colors Get Their Pigments?

These colors get their pigments from familiar plant-based ingredients like:

• Pink: Beet color
• Red: Beet color, red cabbage color, soda lye, and lycopene
• Sunset Orange: Paprika
• Yellow: Beta-carotene
• Dark Green: Beta-carotene and spirulina powder
• True Blue: Spirulina powder
• Royal Blue: Spirulina powder and vegetable juice color
• Violet: Spirulina powder, grape juice extract, and vegetable juice color
• Brown: Caramel color
• Black: Spirulina powder, grape juice extract, caramel powder, and riboflavin

Knowing the ingredients helps to anticipate scent, taste, and how the colors might behave once mixed.

What to Consider when Making the Switch to Natural Coloring:

Switching to natural colors brings a few new things to consider:

• Cost: Natural dyes are typically more expensive due to their sourcing and production. Plan to budget accordingly if you’re making the switch now.

• Shelf Life & Storage: They tend to have a shorter shelf life—most under 12 months—and may require refrigeration after opening. Be sure to check labels and rotate more frequently.

• Pigment Concentration: You’ll likely need more drops than you’re used to with synthetic dyes to achieve bold colors using natural colors. I kept this round limited to 6 drops per 4 oz icing batch to see how the base pigments performed. 

• Color Development: Natural colors will deepen over time. Some colors darkened significantly after just 2 hours, and I noticed more darkening after 24 hours and once the icing dried on the cookie. I recommend mixing icing colors ahead of time and adjusting your colors after it’s rested and developed. 

• Smell: Some colors (especially yellow and orange) had stronger scents straight from the bottle, but I didn’t notice any apparent smell once the icing was dry on the cookie.

• Taste: Despite some strong initial scents, I didn’t detect any flavor changes after decorating with typical color amounts.

Color Observations:

Each color was tested in 4 oz. of royal icing made with powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water—no extracts. For this first round of color testing, I limited color use to 6 drops or less.

• Pink – Beet Color

Light beet scent in the bottle that disappeared after drying.
Results: Cool-toned pink, ideal for bubblegum, cotton candy, florals. Darkened 1–2 shades when dry.

• Red – Beet, Red Cabbage, Soda Lye, Lycopene

Very liquidy—add carefully. Similar scent to pink.
Results: Lighter in the bowl, but dried 2–3 shades darker into a rich, vibrant red once on the cookie.

• Sunset Orange – Paprika

Spiced scent straight from the bottle; no flavor after drying.
Results: Warm, punchy orange—great for pumpkins, sunsets, and florals.

• Yellow – Beta-Carotene

Veggie scent initially, no taste or smell after drying.
Results: Soft buttery yellow, perfect for bees, popcorn, florals.

• Dark Green – Beta-Carotene, Spirulina Powder

Vegetable-forward scent, muted green result; no flavor after drying.
Results: Best for botanical, woodland, or ocean themes. I plan to test this mixed with blue/yellow next.

• True Blue – Spirulina Powder

Strong spirulina scent in bottle, but neutral once dry.
Results: Shades from chambray to denim—great for rustic palettes.

• Royal Blue – Spirulina + Vegetable Juice Color

Similar to True Blue in color and scent.
Results: Nearly identical results; likely interchangeable unless blending with other colors.

• Violet – Spirulina, Grape Juice, Vegetable Juice

Strong scent with a hint of grape; no flavor after drying.
Results: Muted at first but dried into a deep violet—eggplant-like with just 4 drops.

• Brown – Caramel Color

Caramelized smell in bottle, none after decorating.
Results: Quite muted but deepens after drying—great for woodland creatures and neutral sets.

• Black – Spirulina, Grape Juice, Caramel Powder, Riboflavin

Surprisingly mild scent; no flavor after drying.
Results: Dark gray when wet, dried into a much deeper tone with green undertones. I plan to test blending it with other colors to deepen further.

Thoughts & Next Steps:

What surprised me most was how neutral the final icing smelled and tasted—and how much the colors transformed after drying. Natural dyes do behave differently, but they can absolutely produce vibrant and beautiful results.

In future tests, I’ll explore:

• How pH levels (like lemon juice or extracts) impact color

• Painting on dried icing with natural colors

• Airbrushing results

• Long-term stability and color separation in stored icing

• Deepening colors with more coloring in the icing
  
  

If you're curious about natural food coloring, I highly recommend experimenting!