Making colored sprinkles is easy—with only a few minutes and minimal ingredients, you can dye sprinkles any color your imagination desires!
Colored Sugar Sprinkles
Store-bought sprinkles are always an option, but you don’t always know what added sugars lurk behind the pretty packaging. Many don’t realize they can turn their own sprinkles into whichever vibrant colors they want. You only need natural food dye, white sprinkles, and a sealable plastic bag.
Use darker colors, natural colors, pastel colors, or whichever different colors you love most. Use your colored sprinkles on ice cream, cupcakes, or even in pancake batter. Have fun with them, and don’t be afraid to get creative!
Why You’ll Love these Colorful Sprinkles:
- Easy: All you need are two ingredients and a Ziploc bag. It can’t get much easier than that!
- Fun: Not only does the simplicity of this recipe make this recipe fun, but so does the satisfaction of massaging the color into your sprinkles and enjoying them afterward!
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How to Dye Sugar Sprinkles
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- All you need to do is put your white sprinkles into a plastic bag with a drop of liquid food coloring. Massage it in until you see the color coat all of the sprinkles.
- After this step is complete, place the colored sprinkles on parchment paper and let them dry for at least an hour.
- Once dry, store them in an airtight container or glass jar. Use as desired and enjoy!
This trick works on pretty much any white sprinkle– nonpareils, jimmies, specialty mixes!
If you’d like to make a unique color, follow the instructions for mixing the gel food coloring on the package, mix the colors together, then add them to the bag with the sprinkles. For example, to make green sprinkles, combine 1 drop blue food coloring and 1 drop yellow food coloring. Massage the bag before adding the sprinkles until the color is green and then add ½ cup sprinkles and continue as directed.
This recipe should work with liquid food coloring but I have only tested it with gel.
Adding too much food coloring can result in the sprinkles clumping together. If they look like they’re sticking together in the bag, add a little more white sprinkles and continue to massage until they no longer stick together.
Fun Craft Recipe
This fun craft recipe is a great, mess-free way to spend quality time with the children in your life. Whether they’re your own, your nieces, nephews, or others—they’re going to have so much fun watching the color spread through the plastic bag. Plus, it’s a great sensory activity as well!
Make Ahead Instructions
These colored sprinkles are a great make-ahead decoration. They will keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months, so make a bunch of colors ahead of a decorating event and store them until ready to use!
Storage Instructions
Store leftover colored sprinkles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months. I do not recommend refrigerating or freezing these sprinkles, as the process of thawing can cause the sprinkles to melt.
Variations
- This trick works on pretty much any white sprinkle– nonpareils, jimmies, specialty mixes!
- Some common color mixes:
- Purple: Add equal amounts of red and blue together.
- Green: Add equal amounts of blue and yellow.
- Orange: Add equal amounts of red and yellow together.
- Brown: Add equal amounts of red, blue, and yellow together.
- Pink: Use a small amount of red.
- Add edible glitter to make metallic sprinkles!
Scaling
You can scale this recipe up as much as you need! Use 1 drop of food coloring per ½ cup of sprinkles.
How to Use Colored Sprinkles
Colored sprinkles make a great addition to or decoration on any dessert!
I hope you love your colored sugar sprinkles! What are your favorite colors to make? What do you plan to use them on? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear all about it!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Colored Sprinkles Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 drop gel food coloring
- ½ cup white sprinkles
Equipment
- Ziplock Bag
Instructions
- Add the gel food coloring and sprinkles to the plastic bag and very gently massage the bag. You’ll see the color begin to coat the sprinkles– keep massaging until the sprinkles are evenly coated, about 30 seconds.1 drop gel food coloring, ½ cup white sprinkles
- Dump the sprinkles out onto a parchment-lined plate and allow them to dry for 1 hour before using.
Notes
- This trick works on pretty much any white sprinkle– nonpareils, jimmies, specialty mixes!
- This trick should work with any color you want! If you want to make a color you don’t have, just combine colors like you would do for frosting.
- Try adding edible glitter to make metallic colored sprinkles.
- You can scale this recipe up as much as you need!
- Adding too much food coloring can result in the sprinkles clumping together. If they look like they’re sticking together in the bag, add a little more white sprinkles and continue to massage until they no longer stick together.
- This recipe should work with liquid food coloring but I have only tested it with gel.
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