Natural Things · Journal

How to get the best red from natural food colouring.

Natural red behaves differently from synthetic dye. A few simple rules get you a strong, clear red out of it.

Hopper's natural food colouring is leaving our shelves. Only Red is left. 25% off while the last stock lasts with code HOPPER25. The Rainbow sprinkles are staying.

Natural food colouring does not always turn out the way you expect. You add the red, and the cake can come out pink, orange, or a dull brown instead. It looks nothing like the colour in the bottle.

That is not a faulty product. Natural red behaves differently from synthetic dye, and there is not much on the label telling you how to use it. Once you know a few simple rules, you can get a strong, clear red out of it. That is what this guide covers.

Highlighter vs watercolour

Why natural red behaves differently

Synthetic dye is made in a lab to be as bright and stable as it can be. Natural colour comes from plants, fruit, and vegetables, and those pigments have limits.

Think of the difference between a highlighter pen and a watercolour pencil. The highlighter is loud neon. The watercolour is softer, more natural, and a little less predictable. Both add colour. They just do it in different ways.

Three things change how natural red turns out: heat, the pH of your mix, and fat. Heat is the big one. Red pigment fades fast in a hot oven. An alkaline batter can push red towards brown. And a yellow base, like butter or egg yolk, pulls red towards orange.

The five rules

How to get the best red from natural food colouring

1. Use it in icing, not batter. Heat is the biggest enemy of natural red, so keep it out of the oven. Add Hopper Red to white icing, frosting, cream cheese topping, or royal icing after baking. It also works in drizzles, glazes, and yoghurt.
2. Start with a white base. White icing gives you the truest red. A yellow buttercream will pull it towards orange. If your buttercream is yellow from butter, use more icing sugar and less butter, or switch to a white shortening-based frosting.
3. Shake the bottle every time. Natural pigment settles at the bottom. Skip the shake and your first squeeze comes out pale, your last squeeze comes out strong. Give it a good shake before each use.
4. Add a little at a time. Start small and build up. You can always add more, but you cannot take it out. Natural colour is gentler than synthetic dye, so you may need a bit more to get a red you can see.
5. Store it cold. Keep the bottle in the fridge or freezer once it is open. Natural colour does not last as long on the shelf as synthetic dye, and the cold helps it keep.

Shop Hopper Red while it is still here →

The honest bit

What natural red will and will not do

Here is the honest bit. Natural red will not give you a fire-engine, glow-in-the-dark red. It gives you a warm, deep red that looks like it came from real food, because it did.

If your child has their heart set on a bright fluorescent red cake, this is not the product for that. But for a proper, good-looking red in white icing, Hopper Red does the job.

Why go natural

Why some people choose natural food colouring

Some people would rather not use artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives in what they bake. Natural colour is how they keep a bright cake or a bowl of sprinkles without them.

Two Hopper customers put it like this:

“I love that these have no artificial colours. Artificial colours tend to set off my asthma, but now I can enjoy the fun of rainbow sprinkles without wheezing afterwards.”

“My children love them, these taste the same as regular sprinkles, and I love that I am making a better choice for my children's health.”

Hopper's range is dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, and nut-free, with no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. It is also low in glutamates and salicylates.

Final stock

Hopper's food colouring is leaving our shelves

We are selling the last of Hopper's natural food colouring at Natural Things. Blue, Green, and Pink have already sold out. Red is the only colour left, and once it is gone, we will not be restocking the food colouring range.

The last of the Hopper Red is 25% off while it lasts.

Red is one of the handiest colours to keep in the cupboard: red velvet icing, Valentine's baking, Christmas cakes, superhero birthday cakes, and cupcakes in your team's colours. If you have been meaning to try natural food colouring, this is the time.

Shop Hopper Red, 25% off final stock →

Not going anywhere

The Rainbow sprinkles are staying

The food colouring is going, but Hopper's Rainbow 100s and 1000s are staying right where they are. Same range: dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, and nut-free, with no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives, and low in glutamates and salicylates. Good for weekend pancakes, fairy bread, cupcakes, and ice cream toppers. Those are not going anywhere.

Shop Hopper Rainbow 100s and 1000s →Browse all Hopper products →

General information only, not medical or dietary advice. Customer comments reflect individual experiences. Always check the product label for current ingredient and allergen information.