I love finding simple ways of making natural food coloring.

For a while now I’ve been using beets to color my frosting but it wasn’t until recently that I learned about turmeric. It’s not just a spice or supplement, it actually works great as a natural dye!

Just be careful with the amount you put in and be aware that unlike charcoal frosting that doesn’t have a charcoal flavor, turmeric will leave your frosting mildly spicy.

But I think it’s a pretty pleasant tradeoff considering you’re staying away from artificial dyes, it’s as easy as store-bought, and you may already have turmeric in your pantry!

Recipe

5 cups powdered sugar

2 egg whites

1/4 tsp turmeric

2-3 tablespoons water

With an electric mixer combine the powdered sugar, egg whites, and turmeric. Then slowly add in the water. Add in a little more if necessary.

Royal icing is ready when you drag a knife through the bowl, “cutting” the icing in half. If it comes back together and smooths in 10 seconds (not sooner) then it’s thick enough.