Everything You Need to Know About Powdered Food Colouring

If you’re into baking or cake decorating, you’ve probably heard about powdered food colouring. But what exactly is it, and why are so many bakers making the switch?

In this post, we’re breaking down what powdered food colouring is, how to use it, and why it’s one of the most versatile tools in any baker’s decorating kit.

What Is Powdered Food Colouring?

Powdered food colouring is a concentrated, food-safe colour pigment in dry powder form. Unlike liquid or gel colours, it’s completely dry, meaning there’s no added moisture, just pure, intense colour.

At Honeyberry, our powdered food colours come in stunning curated multi-packs like Rainbow Colours and Warm Colours, as well as 1kg Pouches, giving you everything you need to create vibrant, eye-catching designs.

Why Use Powdered Food Colour?

There are several benefits to using powdered food colouring, especially if you love to experiment with finishes, textures, and techniques.

1. Vibrant, Intense Colour

A little goes a long way! The colours are highly pigmented, so you get bold results with just a pinch.

2. No Extra Moisture

Powdered colours are ideal for recipes where you want to control the moisture, like chocolate, macarons, buttercream, or royal icing. They won’t thin out your mixtures the way liquids might.

3. Paint, Dust or Blend

This is where powdered colour really shines. You can:

• Use it dry to dust over biscuits or chocolates for a soft finish.
• Mix with water or alcohol to create a paint or “ink” for writing and brushwork on fondant and icing.
• Blend colours together to create custom shades
  
  

4. Long Shelf Life

With no liquid ingredients, powdered food colouring has a longer shelf life than most gels or liquids, and you only need a small amount each time.

What Is It Best Used For?

Powdered food colouring is perfect for decorating, not for baking into batters. It’s not bake-stable, meaning the colour will fade or change when exposed to high heat. Instead, it’s best used on:

• Fondant
• Buttercream
• Chocolate
• Macarons
• Royal icing
• Biscuits & cookies
• Edible toppers
• Cake details and decorations

Want to write on cookies or create painted cake toppers? Just mix a small amount of powder with a drop of water or alcohol (like vodka or lemon extract), and use a fine brush to write names, draw patterns, or paint floral designs.

Try It for Yourself

Whether you’re a home baker or a professional cake artist, powdered food colouring is a must-have for beautiful, creative finishes. Explore our two bestselling packs:

🌈 Rainbow Colours Multi-Pack – For bold, bright bakes
🔥 Warm Colours Multi-Pack – For elegant, earthy designs

👉 Shop Powdered Food Colour Now

Got questions about how to use powdered colours in your specific recipes? Drop us a message or tag @honeyberry.uk on Instagram—we’d love to see your creations!