There are a few things to keep in mind before you start painting on royal icing with food coloring. See below for my tips along with the full tutorial and supply list. After the video, check out my friend Haniela's gorgeous cake decorated with meringue pansies!
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When painting on with food coloring, it's very important that you start with a smooth royal icing surface. If the icing is porous, the paint will be absorbed and it will look blotchy.
To prevent porous royal icing, follow these tips:
- Don't over-mix your icing. Mix it on medium-low speed for no more than 5 minutes. I use speed 2 on my stand mixer.
- Don't thin your icing too much. When thinning your icing to flood consistency, add the water a tablespoon at a time until you reach 15-20 second count. See my video on royal icing consistencies in the Premium Video Tutorials for detailed instructions.
- Dry the cookies in front of a fan and let the icing dry completely before painting. The faster the icing dries, the better. Try not to use a dehydrator as the heat can cause the butter in the cookie to melt and stain the icing.
See my Ultimate Guide To Royal Icing for more tips.
Supplies for painting on royal icing with food coloring
- Chilled sheet of cookie dough
- Ann Clark 4.25" Square Plaque Cookie Cutter
- Flood consistency royal icing in white
- 12" decorating bag
- Coupler
- Decorating tip 3
- Bag tie
- Scribe tool
- Food coloring (I used Chefmaster Violet, Royal Blue, Leaf Green, Forest Green, Golden Yellow, and Buckeye Brown)
- Strong vodka or grain alcohol (I used Devil's Spring 151 proof vodka)
- Paint palette or small dishes for mixing paint
- Round decorator brush (I used one from the Wilton 5 piece set)
- Thin artist brush
- Paper towel to blot brushes
- Dish of water to rinse brushes in between colors
Instructions
- Begin by icing a cookie with flood consistency royal icing and a decorating tip 3.
- Use a scribe tool to help shape the icing. Allow the icing to dry completely (overnight is best).
- Mix food coloring with vodka or grain alcohol (Alcohol is used for painting on royal icing because it evaporates very quickly, which means that the liquid won’t dissolve the icing as you are applying the paint. The stronger the alcohol, the better!)
- Lightly dip the brush into the paint and blot it on a paper towel.
- Apply the paint in layers, starting with a very light layer of color. Keep a photo of the flowers nearby to refer to as you paint.
- Use the thin brush to paint fine details.
- Use a damp brush to remove the paint if necessary.
Print it or Pin it!
Painting on Royal Icing with Food Coloring
Learn to paint on royal icing with food coloring. These supplies are in my Amazon Store unless otherwise noted.
Materials
- Chilled sheet of cookie dough
- Ann Clark 4.25" Square Plaque Cookie Cutter
- Flood consistency royal icing in white
- 12" decorating bag
- Coupler
- Decorating tip 3
- Bag tie
- Scribe tool
- Food coloring (I used Chefmaster Violet, Royal Blue, Leaf Green, Forest Green, Golden Yellow, and Buckeye Brown)
- Strong vodka or grain alcohol (I used Devil's Spring 151 proof vodka)
- Paint palette or small dishes for mixing paint
- Round decorator brush (I used one from the Wilton 5 piece set)
- Thin artist brush
- Paper towel to blot brushes
- Dish of water to rinse brushes in between colors
Instructions
- Begin by icing a cookie with flood consistency royal icing and a decorating tip 3.
- Use a scribe tool to help shape the icing. Allow the icing to dry completely (overnight is best).
- Mix food coloring with vodka or grain alcohol (Alcohol is used for painting on royal icing because it evaporates very quickly, which means that the liquid won’t dissolve the icing as you are applying the paint. The stronger the alcohol, the better!)
- Lightly dip the brush into the paint and blot it on a paper towel.
- Apply the paint in layers, starting with a very light layer of color. Keep a photo of the flowers nearby to refer to as you paint.
- Use the thin brush to paint fine details.
- Use a damp brush to remove the paint if necessary.
Notes
It's very important that you start with a smooth icing base. If your icing is porous, the paint will be absorbed and look blotchy.
Head over to Haniela's to see her tutorial on how to create meringue pansies!
Click on the images below for more cookie projects.
Why does my coloring get lumpy when I add the alcohol?
That is a gorgeous cookie!!!!!
Thank you, June!!
Hi Amber. Wondering what the problem is with Black food coloring for painting? I tried 2 different brands and when I mixed w/ Everclear black turns to an ugly blue. I thought it was my brush having leftover coloring in it so got out a new brush and another brand of food coloring.
Trying to paint a grey gingham check.
Thank you for all your videos. Love them.
Hi Marian! This is a common issue when painting with black food coloring. I would recommend using a black powder rather than gel or liquid. I use Crystal Colors in Charcoal for painting: https://sugarpaste.com/catalog/orderColors.htm
I'm so glad you're enjoying my videos. Thank you! 🙂
Hello!
Are you using gel or water-based food coloring?
Hi Antonietta! I'm using gel food coloring 🙂
Can I use a liquid other than Vodka? I don't have any in the house, the cookies are for children . . . and if I do have to use Vodka, how little can I use to get good results?
Thank you.
Fern
Hi Fern! You need very little vodka for this technique. I use about 1/4 teaspoon for each color and I add a few drops as needed. It's possible to use water, although you have to be careful because it can dissolve the icing as you're painting. This post has more info: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/gold-royal-icing-alternatives-to-alcohol/
Hi Amber!
Love this technique! I’ve been trying out the water coloring as well and can’t seem to get it to dry. I’ve left cookies overnight to dry. I’ve used a fan and some parts of the watercolor are still sticky! I am using 151 proof as well. Any tips on this? Thanks!
Thank you, Ashley! I could be that there's just too much food coloring on the cookie. If you don't dilute it enough, it will be difficult to get it too dry. If you want to send a photo of the cookie to me I'll be happy to take a look! Send it to info[at]sweetambs[dot]com
When I use vodka to paint my cookies it leaves dents or makes holes. Please advise me, what am I doing wrong?
Hi Cordia! This could be happening because the alcohol you are using is too watery. I use 151 proof vodka, so you can try using a stronger alcohol. It might also be happening because the icing is too porous. You can follow the tips above to make sure that your icing surface is not porous 🙂