How To Make Black Food Coloring: 7 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make Black Food Coloring PDF download Download Article Reviewed by Maria Short

Last Updated: May 13, 2025 References

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  • Mixing Food Coloring
    • |
  • Using Natural Ingredients
    • |
  • Expert Interview
    • |
  • Q&A
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  • Tips
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  • Warnings
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This article was reviewed by Maria Short. Maria Short is a Baker and the Owner of Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe in Hilo, Hawaii. With over 24 years of experience, she specializes in specialty desserts and wedding cakes. She graduated from L’Academie de Cuisine’s Pastry Arts Program with honors and studied at Baltimore International Culinary College. In 2019, Maria competed in the 6th season of the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship. In 2010, she had a cake named one of “America’s Most Beautiful Cakes” by Brides magazine. This article has been viewed 1,576,476 times.

Black food coloring can be hard to find in stores. Luckily, you can prepare your own black food coloring right at home.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Mixing Food Coloring

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  1. Step 1 Buy red, blue, and green food coloring. 1 Buy red, blue, and green food coloring. You can mix these colors to make a dark grey, which is about as close as you can get without buying black food coloring.[1]
    • If you're making icing or frosting, use gel or paste food coloring. Liquid food coloring is less intense and can make the icing runny.[2]
  2. Step 2 Mix in cocoa powder (for white frosting only). 2 Mix in cocoa powder (for white frosting only). The end result is always better when you start with a dark recipe. If you're using white frosting, you can fix this by mixing in cocoa powder, one spoonful at a time.[3]
    • Black cocoa powder gives the best result, but ordinary cocoa powder should work fine for this method.
    • If you skip this step, you'll need to use much more food coloring, which can affect the taste and texture.
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  3. Step 3 Add equal amounts of red, blue and green to your recipe. 3 Add equal amounts of red, blue and green to your recipe. Start with just a couple drops of each color, stirring them in well. Repeat until the mixture darkens to a deep grey, always adding equal amounts of the color.
    • You can use yellow instead of green, but the lighter color makes it more difficult to achieve black.
  4. Step 4 Adjust the color. 4 Adjust the color. If you see hints of other colors in the grey, make these adjustments:
    • If it looks green, add more red.
    • If it looks purple, add more green.
    • Make all adjustments one drop at a time, stirring thoroughly between each drop.
  5. Step 5 Wait for the final color. 5 Wait for the final color. Most food coloring will deepen in buttercream and fade slightly in royal and boiled icing. If you are making the latter type of icing, consider adding the color a half hour before serving to minimize the fading.
    • In some regions, chemicals in the water can change the color. Buttercream usually has a more reliable color when made with milk instead.
    • Keep the recipe away from direct light and heat, which can cause fading.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Using Natural Ingredients

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  1. Step 1 Mix black cocoa powder into cake batter. 1 Mix black cocoa powder into cake batter. This special type of cocoa powder, labeled "black" or "ultra Dutch processed," has a darker color and more mild taste than regular cocoa. This will make a deep black cake with a chocolatey flavor. When replacing ordinary cocoa powder, make the following changes to the recipe:[4]
    • Add a little extra fat (butter or oil).
    • Use 1 tsp (5mL) baking powder instead of each ¼ tsp (1.25mL) baking soda.
  2. Step 2 Add squid ink to savory dishes. 2 Add squid ink to savory dishes. This has a briny taste and is not suitable for sweets or desserts. This is mostly used to color pasta, rice, or savory sauces. For the most intense color, mix it into homemade pasta dough (replacing the salt and a little of the liquid ingredients). For a faster but less consistent method, add the ink to the water while the pasta or rice is boiling. Stir ink into the sauce as well for a more dramatic look.[5] [6]
    • Fishmongers sometimes sell this, but you may need to ask at several stores.
    • Add squid ink in small quantities. It is quite salty and can taste of iodine in large quantities.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question Where can I buy black food coloring? Community Answer Community Answer You can find it on Amazon. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 22 Helpful 30
  • Question How do I make black fondant using food coloring? Zachary Nazarenko Zachary Nazarenko Community Answer The easiest way to do this is to add two or three drops of food coloring (depending on the amount of fondant) and "fold" it in. Wear gloves and use your hands to get this done. The fondant will start to soften due to your body heat, but that's easily managed with a small stint in the fridge before use. If you don't have gloves, do the same in a sandwich baggie. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 10 Helpful 12
  • Question How do I make black buttercream? Amy273 Amy273 Community Answer It is simple - after you have got your buttercream, you add a pinch of black food coloring powder or you put two or three drops of a liquid food coloring into your buttercream. Then you mix it together for about a minute. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 39 Helpful 20
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Tips

  • If you'd rather buy food coloring, some specialty baking stores may sell black food coloring. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Black walnut shells can be boiled to make a dark brown or black dye to decorate eggshells. Eating the dye may be harmful, so do not use it as a food coloring. The juice will stain skin, clothing, and anything it touches. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Mix 3 drops of each color at first then stir thoroughly and if it turns green add more red and stir thoroughly. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Don't use squid ink if you have seafood allergies. Thanks Helpful 16 Not Helpful 8
  • There is some debate about whether squid ink is vegetarian or not. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you may want to avoid it. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 3
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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about baking, check out our in-depth interview with Maria Short.

References

  1. ↑ Maria Short. Baker. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKxFjoNJZoA
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKxFjoNJZoA
  4. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/for-truly-dark-chocolate-baked-goods-black-cocoa-powder-ingredient-spotlight-173923
  5. ↑ https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Rice-with-Squid-Ink
  6. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/04/squid-ink-pasta-black-recipe.html

About This Article

Maria Short Reviewed by: Maria Short Baker This article was reviewed by Maria Short. Maria Short is a Baker and the Owner of Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe in Hilo, Hawaii. With over 24 years of experience, she specializes in specialty desserts and wedding cakes. She graduated from L’Academie de Cuisine’s Pastry Arts Program with honors and studied at Baltimore International Culinary College. In 2019, Maria competed in the 6th season of the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship. In 2010, she had a cake named one of “America’s Most Beautiful Cakes” by Brides magazine. This article has been viewed 1,576,476 times. 1 votes - 100% Co-authors: 41 Updated: May 13, 2025 Views: 1,576,476 Categories: Food Crafts | Cake Decorating Article SummaryX

To make black food coloring, add equal parts of red, blue, and green food coloring to your recipe. Stir the food coloring into the dish until it's a dark gray color. If it's not dark enough, add a couple more drops of each color. If you're making frosting, you can also stir in black cocoa powder until the frosting looks black. For tips on fixing your food coloring if it looks green or purple instead of black, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Anonymous

    Anonymous

    Feb 25, 2017

    "I was making Angry Birds cupcakes for my nephew and I live in a place where you get no other color of food coloring..." more
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Maria Short Reviewed by: Maria Short Baker Co-authors: 41 Updated: May 13, 2025 Views: 1,576,476 100% of voters found this recipe helpful. 1 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote Anonymous

Anonymous

Feb 25, 2017

"I was making Angry Birds cupcakes for my nephew and I live in a place where you get no other color of food coloring..." more Edith Martinez

Edith Martinez

Oct 18, 2017

"Thanks, I wanted to know how to mix colors for the eye of the tiger to put on cookies." Anonymous

Anonymous

Dec 27, 2016

"Helpful tips on how to make black food coloring without having too much of one color." Nico Gordon

Nico Gordon

Oct 20, 2016

"The tip was enough to know what colours to mix to get black." Anonymous

Anonymous

Jun 25, 2017

"Knowing what colors to mix was most helpful. Thank you!" Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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