Home » Activities » Sensory » 90+ Natural Food Dye Alternatives for Sensory Activities
Published: May 31, 2023 · Updated: December 24, 2023 by Sacha — This post may contain affiliate links. Read our full disclosure.
Is your home dye-free? Check out these 90+ natural food coloring alternatives that can be used for cooking, crafts or sensory play! These all-natural food coloring substitutes are a great way to replace synthetic dyes in all of your homemade recipes.
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Whether you are concerned about food allergies, health impacts or the possibility that they might cause hypersensitivity in kids, there are lots of reasons why you may want to swap out artificial dyes for more natural food-based dyes.
And if you’ve been wondering what to use instead of food coloring, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve rounded up all of the natural food coloring options that I could find and listed them below in one handy guide!
These dye-free food coloring alternatives can be used in a variety of ways, including to color your food naturally or as an all-natural means to dye your play dough and other sensory materials.
Most of these natural dyes are plant-based and made from fruits and vegetables, meaning they contain none of the artificial ingredients you’re likely trying to avoid. So if you’re ready to start making your own healthy food coloring at home, scroll down to see all the options!
Guidelines for Using Dye-Free Food Coloring
Before you get started with these homemade recipes, here are a few things you may want to bear in mind when replacing artificial food dyes with all-natural food coloring:
- Natural food coloring tends to produce more muted results than its synthetic counterpart, so keep your expectations realistic
- If you are looking to produce really vibrant hues without adding excess liquid, stick with powdered alternatives
- To produce more concentrated food dyes, reduce liquid bases by evaporating some of the water
- Large quantities of natural food coloring can have an impact on flavor, so keep that in mind when choosing which dye to use
- Some plant-based dyes can dull or turn brown when heated (the presence of an acid medium like lemon juice can help prevent this)
Feel free to experiment with several different food coloring alternatives until you find the best one for the particular recipe you’re making—there is no one-size-fits-all approach to replacing artificial dyes!
Natural Substitutes for Pink Food Coloring
If you’d like to produce a pretty pink hue without using artificial ingredients, here are the best dye-free alternatives you can try:
- Cranberries (juice or purée)
- Beets (juice or purée)
- Strawberry purée
- Raspberries (juice or purée)
- Dragonfruit peel
- Dragonfruit powder
- Boiled rose petals
- Rose powder
- Hibiscus flowers
- Hibiscus powder
- Mulberries
Natural Substitutes for Red Food Coloring
Looking to naturally color your food red? Here are some natural ingredients you can use instead of synthetic food coloring:
- Pomegranate juice
- Beet juice
- Beet powder
- Tomato juice
- Cherries (juice or purée)
- Elderberry juice
- Red cabbage + lemon juice or vinegar
- Blood oranges
- Dried hibiscus flowers
- Boiled cranberries
- Freeze-dried berries like strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, or pomegranate juice powder
These red food coloring alternatives can also color food pink when used in smaller quantities!
Natural Substitutes for Orange Food Coloring
As it turns out, there are lots of ways to give your food a natural orange color—without using any artificial ingredients:
- Carrot juice
- Carrot powder
- Paprika
- Sweet potato
- Pumpkins
- Goji berry powder
- Avocado skin and stone
- Red onion skins
Natural Substitutes for Yellow Food Coloring
Looking to color your food yellow? Here are some ingredients you can use to make your own natural yellow food coloring at home:
- Saffron
- Annatto seeds
- Ground turmeric
- Turmeric juice
- Dandelion flowers
- Curry powder
- Yellow onion skins
- Marigold flowers
- Sunflower petals
- Celery leaves
- Safflower
- Lemon peels
- Pineapple powder
Natural Substitutes for Green Food Coloring
If you’re looking for a natural alternative to green food coloring, here are some more natural options for you to try:
- Matcha powder
- Liquid chlorophyll
- Spirulina powder
- Spinach juice
- Spinach powder
- Wheatgrass juice
- Wheatgrass powder
- Parsley juice
- Parsley powder
- Kale juice
- Kale powder
- Peppermint leaves
- Basil leaves
- Celery juice powder
- Kelp powder
- Broccoli powder
Natural Substitutes for Blue Food Coloring
Blue is probably the most difficult hue to replicate using natural ingredients, so make sure to keep your expectations realistic. But if you’re feeling up to the challenge, here are some good alternatives:
- Red cabbage + baking soda
- Blue butterfly pea flowers
- Butterfly pea powder
- Blue spirulina
- Blue corn
- Indigo powder
- Cornflowers
Natural Substitutes for Purple Food Coloring
Looking for a more natural way to color your food purple? Here are some all-natural ingredients to help you achieve that:
- Blueberries (purée or juice)
- Blueberry powder
- Blackberry powder
- Purple carrots
- Purple sweet potatoes
- Grape juice
- Red cabbage
- Elderberry powder
- Blue butterfly pea flowers + lemon juice or vinegar
- Butterfly pea powder + lemon juice or vinegar
- Blackcurrant powder
- Acai juice
- Acai powder
Natural Substitutes for Black Food Coloring
This one can be a little tricky, but thankfully, there are some all-natural alternatives to black food dye:
- Activated charcoal (don’t go overboard with this one as it shouldn’t be consumed in large amounts)
- Squid ink
- Black cocoa powder
- Blackberries
- Blackcurrant
Natural Substitutes for Brown Food Coloring
Finally, if you’re looking for natural brown food coloring alternatives, here are some ingredients you can use instead of reaching for artificial dyes:
- Coffee
- Espresso powder
- Cocoa powder
- Instant coffee granules
- Cinnamon
- Black tea (strongly brewed)
Can you think of any ingredients that haven’t been listed here? Let me know in the comments!
Related Sensory Recipes with No Artificial Dyes
Looking for sensory activities that contain only natural food dyes? Check out these articles:
- Naturally Dyed Dandelion Play Dough
- Easy Chocolate Play Dough
- 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Play Dough
- No-Cook Pumpkin Play Dough with Pumpkin Purée
- Homemade Cinnamon Vanilla Play Dough
