My kids and I love dying eggs for Easter every year, and this is my mom-approved way to do it. These easy rice dyed Easter eggs are a fun activity for the whole family, without the stress. I use colored rice in zip-top bags to dye hard-boiled eggs in a mess-free way. The rice helps deposit the food coloring more evenly, and it creates vivid and psychedelic tie-dye colors. This is a great sensory activity that my kids love to do every Easter!
Dying Eggs with Rice and Food Coloring
I love this easy method for dying Easter eggs with food coloring and rice. It’s simple, non-toxic, and mess-free. Everything happens in sealed plastic bags, so I don’t have to worry about my kids having tie-dyed hands for the next week.
These bright and colorful dyed eggs are perfect for Easter celebrations. Plus, without added vinegar, these eggs still taste great and make a delightful healthy snack afterwards. I like to make festive Easter deviled eggs with them!
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Save the Rice for Sensory Bins!
Once you have dyed your eggs, you can pour the spent rice into a large bin together, and your child will have a sensory bin. I recommend spreading the rice out on a lined baking sheet and letting it dry overnight so your kiddos don’t dye their hands. Then, add some fun toys!
Rice Dyed Eggs Recipe
Equipment
- 6 Sandwich-Sized Zip-Top Bags
Ingredients
- 24 hard-boiled eggs *
- 6 cups dry white rice divided
- Food coloring multiple colors**
Instructions
To Hard-Boil the Eggs
- Place the eggs in a pot of water, bring them up to a boil, then cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Allow the eggs to sit in hot water for 15 minutes. You can run the eggs under cold running water to cool them.24 hard-boiled eggs
To Dye the Eggs
- Place one cup of rice into each zip-top baggie.6 cups dry white rice
- In each bag, add 10-15 drops of food coloring to the rice, so you end up with a different color in each bag. Shake them up so the rice is well coated with the food coloring. Every few eggs, you will need to add a few more drops of food coloring to the rice to keep it wet.Food coloring
- Allow your kids to put the eggs, one at a time, into the bags. Seal the bags and allow them to shake or smush the rice around the egg for 1-2 minutes. You can even let them move the eggs into different colors to get the eggs a fun multi-tone.
- Using tongs, have them place the eggs into the empty egg carton or a plate lined with paper towels. Allow the eggs to dry and store them in the fridge.
Notes
- Don’t use too much food coloring at once. If the rice is too wet, you’ll get solid-colored eggs. The rice should be just barely coated and still feel gritty.
- Optionally, add 1 tsp of white vinegar to each bag of rice along with the food coloring for stronger colors.
- The hard-boiled eggs are pretty tough, but be careful not to squeeze them too hard, or you could scratch or crack them. Gently massage or shake them away from any hard surfaces.
- I always double-bag my rice just in case the first bag leaks.
- Use a wire cooling rack set over a sheet of parchment paper to dry the eggs with even air circulation so they don’t stick.
- Once the eggs are completely dry, put a drop of vegetable oil on a paper towel and gently buff each egg for a shiny appearance.
- Make these dyed eggs for decorations by making them with ceramic eggs that can be left out.
- You can eat the eggs so long as they are kept in the refrigerator and you use food-grade dye.
How to Dye Easter Eggs with Rice Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather the eggs, rice, food coloring, and zip-top bags. To hard-boil the eggs, place 6-8 eggs in a pot of water at a time (or do them all at once if you have a big enough pot!), bring them up to a boil, then cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Allow the eggs to sit in hot water for 15 minutes. You can run the eggs under cold running water to quickly cool them. Repeat this process 3-4 times, until you have 24 hard-boiled eggs.
Color the Rice: Place 1 cup of rice into each of 6 zip-top baggies (6 cups of rice total). In each bag, add 10-15 drops of food coloring to the rice, so you end up with a different color in each bag. Optionally add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to each bag for brighter colors. Shake them up so the rice is well coated with the food coloring. Every few eggs, you will need to add a few more drops of food coloring to the rice to keep it wet.
Dye the Eggs: Allow your kids to put the eggs, one at a time, into the bags of rice. Seal the bags and allow them to shake or smush the rice around the egg gently. You can even let them move the eggs into different colors to get the eggs a fun multi-tone.
Dry the Eggs: Using tongs, have them place the rice-dyed eggs into the empty egg carton or a plate lined with paper towels. Allow the Easter eggs to dry and store them in the fridge. For picture-perfect, shiny eggs, rub each one with a tiny bit of vegetable oil after the colors have set.
How to Store
Store leftover rice dyed Easter eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Peel carefully before eating. If using as decorations, do not leave them out of the refrigerator for longer than 2 hours.
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