Homemade Natural Blue Food Coloring
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Today I am sharing something that I never thought I would make: a Homemade Natural Blue Food Coloring Recipe.
Natural blue food coloring is one of the hardest colors to make naturally—but there are a few options that actually work and one of them costs very little to make.
Most of the time I try to keep things simple in the kitchen since my life is really busy, but sometimes I like to have a little extra fun with food to make our whole food/allergy-friendly kitchen more interesting, especially true when our kids were little.
But artificial food coloring is just a no go for me.
There are a few ways to make natural blue food coloring. Some work better than others depending on what you need it for.
- Red cabbage – the best DIY method (explained below)
- Blue spirulina – the most vibrant blue, great for frosting and smoothies
- Butterfly pea flower – a bright blue that changes color depending on acidity
Below, I’ll show you how to make blue food coloring at home using red cabbage, plus tips for getting the best color.
Why I Made This Blue Food Coloring
Our boys skated in a local charity hockey league and for their season finale, the team members were going to receive a cupcake decorated with frosting to match their uniforms.
It would have been simple if they'd been on a green, red, or yellow team, but blue?!
I had a good Carob Muffin recipe that I could use for healthy cupcakes and then the green source from these Mint Fat Bombs would work, and turmeric is great for yellow and beets work for pink. But blue?
I initially told my boys not to get their hopes up, but I figured something out and I think you'll love it too.
Reasons to Avoid Artificial Food Colors
We all know that those artificial food colors are not healthy. I mean, who thinks that eating something fake is good for you?
Here are some things to consider. Artificial food colorings:
- are suspected of having links to behavioral and health problems.
- can have aluminum in them. When you see, “FD & C Yellow Aluminum Lake” on an ingredient label, you can know that you will be eating aluminum. There is discussion about this form not being as toxic as other forms, but I would prefer to take no chances here.
- can contain barium or zirconium.
How to Use This Natural Blue Color
You could use this natural blue food coloring for any of the following:
- dying Easter eggs
- paper mache projects
- crafts
- fun creative food ideas (blue mashed potatoes, anyone?)
How to Make Natural Blue Food Coloring (Red Cabbage Method)
Here are the basic instructions with some process images. For the complete information, scroll to the printable recipe card.
- Boil cabbage
- Reserve water
- Add baking soda to the water
Photo 1: Reserved cabbage water.
Photo 2: The final result: homemade natural blue food coloring.
Money Saving Tip: Use filtered water for cooking the cabbage and then, though it is pretty well boiled, you can still eat the leftover veggies for dinner. Try topping them with Moroccan Vinaigrette and Chaat Masala.
Recipe Notes
- Natural food coloring is prone to fading quickly. If your color isn't that deep to begin with, you won't have much margin for fading.
- Don't try to make this blue too dark by adding a bunch of baking soda to the water if you're using it for food, or you'll end up with baking soda-flavored food.
- The color in the cabbage juice itself is not particularly sensitive to temperature, but the mixture of the baking soda with the juice is. So you will want to add the color after the food item has cooled, or else only add it to food items that will not be heated.
- If you're making frosting, note that this method creates a softer, more muted blue—blue spirulina typically will create a brighter result.
When Natural Blue Food Coloring Won't Work Well
Natural blue food coloring is very sensitive to pH:
- Acidic ingredients in your recipe (like lemon juice or yogurt) will turn it purple
- Using too much baking soda can push it toward green
- Heat can dull the color
For best results, add the coloring after cooking and use it in neutral or slightly alkaline foods.
Homemade Natural Blue Food Coloring
Ingredients
- Half-head red cabbage (yes, I said “red cabbage!”)
- Water
- Baking Soda
Instructions
- Wash the cabbage and cut out the stem.
- Chop into small pieces.
- Place cabbage pieces in a pot and add water until the cabbage is covered.
- Simmer for 10 minutes and then drain.
- The resulting liquid will be purplish (see photo #1 above).
- Gradually add baking soda, ½ teaspoon at a time, until you get a nice blue hue (see photo #2, above). Be careful, because the baking soda will add flavor to the coloring. If you are using the color for something you will be eating then you need to be especially careful how much you add. Since it is the alkaline quality of the baking soda that causes the red cabbage juice to turn blue, you can also add spinach juice, green tea, or another alkaline ingredient.
Notes
- The color in the cabbage juice itself is not particularly sensitive to temperature, but the mixture of the baking soda with the juice is. So you will want to add the color after the food item has cooled, or else only add it to food items that will not be heated.
- Natural food coloring is prone to fading quickly. And the if your color isn't that deep to begin with, you won't have much margin for fading.
- Don't try to make this blue too dark by adding a bunch of baking soda to the water if you're using it for food, or you'll end up with baking soda-flavored foo
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
Don't Feel Like DIYing?
If you'd rather not have to make your own natural blue food coloring or would like an option that will work for an acidic recipe, here is a link to a set of good natural food coloring including blue.
What will YOU use this Natural Blue Food Coloring for?
Hello, what a great idea!
Do you think I can make the icing & spread them on cupcakes the night before as you mentioned that they do fade?
Thank you!
Hi there – Thanks for the kind words!
They don’t fade—the issue is only if the pH of the icing would be affected in some way.
Enjoy!
You clearly have no idea the minute amounts of aluminum that are in food coloring, nor do you understand the concept of bioavailable vs. insoluble salts of metals. Before you disparage people much, much, much more educated and intelligent than you, perhaps you should learn something about what you’re saying is “bad”. You do a disservice to everyone when you spread untrue, illogical propaganda. But thanks for the half-assed attempt at making something blue.
Hi Mike! Thanks for reading and commenting. Yes, I do have a good idea of the minute amounts of aluminum are in food coloring. Of course it’s not tons. Are you aware of the cumulative effect of ingesting / being exposed to metals? You might wish to read this post. https://wholenewmom.com/heavy-metals-in-cosmetics/
Please do tell me whom I was disparaging and tell me about the bioavailable vs insoluble salts of metals. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Regardless, I will still prefer natural over artificial. I think my blue looks pretty good. And I have more ways to do it now too. None of them using artificial colors. I think using artificial colors is half-*&*ed and that my way is better, but then that’s just me. I do think that others here would agree as well.
By the way, coming to a blog and commenting with this kind of rudeness is really unacceptable and well, rude. The world has enough garbage going on. I would appreciate it if you check your heart before responding. Thank you.
Mike, I don’t understand why it upsets you so that people are trying to avoid toxic metals, even if they are in trace amounts? How in the world can you call this disparaging?? Artificial food dyes are also likely contributors to ADHD symptoms and some of them are shown to be carcinogenic. Even if the evidence is limited, why risk it for something completely without nutritional or flavor value? Maybe you are just frustrated at how toxic the world has become. Don’t add to it though with that energy, bro!
Adrienne, Re: the ‘disparaging’ person above wth the ‘disparaging’ comments.
Read his name out loud to yourself.
Ummm…yeah hoping that’s not the case. Now I need to unhear that. 🙁
My son has an aluminum allergy, and he has friends with allergic reactions to certain food colourings – I am encouraged to find posts like this. It’s a difficult allergy to diagnose. Someone who takes the time to write disparaging comments to a mother for replacing food dyes with vegetable colours…that person has lost their soul (and probably their mind). Poor fellow.
hey mike, i think it would be wise of you to intake such metals and toxic substances as to kill yourself don’t be an a**FY&* cause your fata** is trying to be “super healthy” for ……(deleted by blog owner) – think before you be inconsiderate and rude next time there bud OR instead of complaining like a F*(&*& child handle it like the adult you claim to be and fix it yourself if that’s what you want. you came here cause you didn’t know how to do it yourself in the first place so really i think you’re learning a lot here:
1. you don’t belong on social media
2. you’re negative over some internet recipe you just don’t like
3. people don’t need a*(&YH who spread “misinformation” and “propaganda” (how is making a homemade blue food dye propaganda go back to school i think you need it dawg)
4. people don’t like when guys like you keep spreading bigotry on the internet.
5. you know i’m right, just give up.
i hope you take everything i say into consideration! REMEMBER THINK BEFORE YOU TYPE D*&*(*&*& 🙂
ps: the only thing half-assed here is your side of the argument
(edits made by blog owner)
Just use blue spirulina, Walt White.
I’ve heard about that and other options too. I don’t think that was necessarily on the market when I wrote this, however.
Hello, thanks for sharing your method. I live in Singapore and we use butterfly blue-pea flowers to dye our cakes/cookies/rice blue, it’s a South East Asian thing to do. It’s also rather nutritional. Are they available where you are? They are very easy to grow.
Cheers!
I have heard about that…I think more and more you can get them here but it’s only recently that I heard about them. Thanks for haring!
Have you tried mixing spirulina powder with water & filtering? This is what some blue food colourings are made from & is all natural! It looks much more vibrant!
I haven’t tried that–great idea!
So have you done this yourself? I looked around on the internet and seems it’s not a common thing.
Hi,
It is not working with butter icing 🙁 and I need a color blue theme for my cupcakes 🙁
Hi there – can you tell me the ingredients in the icing, please?
This is a lovely quick recipe, thank you for sharing it with us. Have a fantastic day!
Thank you and you are so welcome!!
I’m throwing my boys a beach birthday party and want to make “ocean water” or a blue drink. I dont Really want to use food coloring or blue Gatorade. The recipes I’ve seen use lemon lime soda (I was lime Thinking la croix ) . Anyways, would this work with a sparkling water + sugar drink? Maybe a lemonade drink? Too acidic?
The acid in the drink will cause it not to work so I would try another option – I’m going to put some in the post today hopefully . sorry about that! Could you do a La Croix with a berry flavor instead possibly?
These look SO COOL!
Question: I wanted a soft purple color for my icing – should I crush blueberries or boil them like you did the cabbage? Thanks!
Thanks! For blueberries I don’t think you would have to boil them–just crush them and use the juice. Hope that helps!
Why not use blueberries ?
That’s an option too!
Trying to decorate a baby shower cake.what happens when trying to use this recipe for cream cheese frosting?
Hi there. Cream Cheese is moderately acidic so I don’t think it would stay blue — the other ingredients would mitigate the acidity but just not sure it would work.