White food coloring is one of those things I saw in the bakery supply store for years and thought, "Royal icing is white. Why would I ever need that?"
Then, it happened. My beautiful WHITE outlined cookies turned, well, off-white. The cookies I spent 5 hours decorating. The cookies I needed to mail to a friend THAT morning weren't white. *sob*
I have no idea why royal icing turns off-white sometimes and not others. All I know is, I'm not risking it any longer. I use it EVERY time I need white icing. Just use it like you would any other food color.
Another hint: I put in the amount of AmeriColor Bright White that I think is enough, and then I add a little more. Trust me, more is more here.
It's not only for royal icing and cookies, either. Cheryl used it on her Snowy cupcakes earlier this week....they are so cute!
Where to get it?
or 
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Have YOU ever used WHITE food color?
Thanks. I needed that. ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree........bright white makes your white icing look AMAZING!!!
ReplyDeleteCan't decorate with out it! {wink}...thanks for the shout out too!!
I LOVE white food coloring too!! Because I use all butter in my frosting (usually), I have to add white to it or it's more of an ivory.
ReplyDeleteNever have used it in royal but I will now!! I always do what you say, Bridget ;)
White food coloring? Who knew? That is so kewl! I'm so glad to know super-D-duper bakers like you to enlighten me so! I will never have off-white icing again!
ReplyDeleteI just used it this morning on cookies!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! I never realized why my icing looked more white sometimes than others. Now I know and can prevent it! (I feel like I'm in an infomercial!) ;-)
ReplyDeleteLove it. Off-white cookies are no good. But what did you do with the off-white ones?
ReplyDeleteWow - that is a great tip! I never thought about using white food coloring. But it totally makes sense :) I desperately needed your help today. I made the ugliest cake in the world. I was so excited about it too. It was supposed to be an igloo but turned out more like a big blue blob - LOL!
ReplyDeleteLove ya!
xoxo
Jen
I never knew such a thing existed! Who knew?
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you posted this. I don't make sugar cookies often, but OMG, if my white turned off white I would cry!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you posted this. I don't make sugar cookies often, but OMG, if my white turned off white I would cry!
ReplyDeleteI love white coloring. I have to use it with glaze icing or else the icing that is supposed to be white is transparent when dried, looks awful, I also add white before adding other colors it makes the colors extra bright, not an issue with royal icing as it's opague white to start with.
ReplyDeleteOf course I use white!!! Why? Because you wrote in an earlier post that YOU do! In fact, I just used the white the other day to whiten the ivory-colored vanilla tootsie rolls I'm using as a candy clay and it did a fantastic job.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Does that apply to cream cheese icing as well. My carrot cake cream cheese icing turned yellow in spots for my new year's eve's dinner dessert.
ReplyDeleteIt can't hurt to try the white/white on cream cheese. It definitely won't hurt anything. This is one of the few products in life when it really won't hurt anything and you would have to be using an insane amount to use too much. However I do an orange cream cheese frosting from a carrot cake recipe by John Barricelli of Sono Bakery and after that orange-flavored cream cheese frosting people wouldn't give a hoot WHAT color it would be it's SO yummy! The cake recipe is excellent but that orange/cream cheese frosting just makes it fantastic. In fact, it's so good I've begun making it for other cakes also such as some applesauce cupcakes and a few others.
DeletePam Grove
Smithsburg, MD
I've never used white food colouring before but now that you mentioned it, it does make sense to use it for royal icing. Many times, it does appear off-white, especially when you ice it on cookies!
ReplyDeleteI know who would have thought you needed it but it does make a difference, I have used it in my macarons as well, it's Brilliant literally.
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about white food colouring. I think I'll have to order some off the net. But it makes me sad that my cookies don't look as good as yours in general.
ReplyDeleteWish I'd had some of that when I made the two dozen snowmen and one giant snowman cookies last month. I just giggled and said it was "yellow snow". Eewww, yick! Bought some today. Thanks for the advise
ReplyDeleteI have not used white coloring, but on your recommendation the other week I bought the bright white, red, and black colorings that you recommended. They have shipped and I can't wait to get using them!
ReplyDeleteI have yet to use it!! But definitely will b/c I would be devastated with off white/yellow. Thanks for the tip! By the way, how do you organize/store all of your cookie cutters??? I am struggling with this, and I don't have that many!
ReplyDeleteI use it sometimes...when white is the predominant color. It really works amazingly.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I did not know there was a white food coloring. Thanks for making me aware of it!
ReplyDeleteYes, yes! I have been trying to convince people of this for years.
ReplyDeleteI've been using white food color in my buttercream and royal icing ever since I saw it in Michael's baking section. It works like a dream! Love your site!
ReplyDeleteI have only used white because you've told me I need to use white! And, I thank YOU for that!
ReplyDeleteI used your tip about white food coloring earlier this week when I made wedding cake cookies. They turned out so bright I almost needed to wear shades!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI REALLY need to get some of this! I have had a problem here and there with the white. Thanks, I needed the push:)
ReplyDeleteI used the Americolor for the first time this morning. Wonderful! I will never use another brand again!
ReplyDeleteI had been debating on which food color brand to use, and then last week, you raved about Americolor so I ordered it from Sweet! Baking Supply (super great store,by the way! Very cheap prices and super fast shipping) and I don't think I will ever use any other brand! I loved Americolor colors, they made my rainbow frosting look amazing!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, if I don't add white to the royal icing it will become off white.Thanks for sharing this tip!
ReplyDeleteI used it for the first time about 2 weeks ago on a cake covered with crusting cream-cheese icing! I could DEFINITELY see a difference!
ReplyDeleteI didn't use it... Because I didn't have it when I needed it!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure buying one asap!
People think I'm crazy when I tell them I use white food coloring! My retort is usually, "What, you don't?"
ReplyDeleteI'm super glad I have some Baking Betties to back me up on this one!
I have been meaning to pick up some of this... Adding it to my next order :)
ReplyDeleteYes! Can't agree more with you. I have learned so much from your blog and it has inspired me to decorate cookies more and more! Thanks again <3
ReplyDeleteI never have, but I am just starting to really start baking in a big way. Thanks for your site!!
ReplyDeleteI think I need this is my life! Great tip!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'll confess. I didn't even know a white food coloring was made! I'll have to try it out!
ReplyDelete~Heidi
Would it correct failure to use clear vanilla flavor? I tend to wind up with an off color due to my vanilla when I oops.
ReplyDeleteHI Bridget,
ReplyDeleteFirstly thanks for the sweet comment you left over at Bird's Party Blog! :)
Made me smile as I'm a HUGE fan of yours and have had you on my blogroll for decades it seems! :)
I wish my decorated cookies would turn out as impressive as yours! I'm not a patient person, and I think one needs to be, what do you think?
Anywho, loved that you stopped by!!
Please don't be a stranger, ok?
XOXO
Bird
Wow. I've never even heard of white food coloring! What a great thing to know of, though, and great tip! Thanks!
ReplyDeletethe bomb. seriously, you are the bomb Bridgette! and not that i'm going to run out and buy some of this because you know, like i'd have to actually USE it and since everyone knows i am NOT a baker, i think it's safe to say that there will be enough left on the store shelves for those who DO bake!
ReplyDeleteAfter your last post I went to Hobby Lobby and purchased the Americolor colors you suggested (w/40% off coupon for ea. family member to use for me(-:). I LOVE it! Unfortunately, they were out of white. I also purchased Americolor food writing pens online. They are awesome, too!
ReplyDeleteWould love to see a post about saving colored royal icing from day to day in the piping bags and flooding bottles - how long, watery separation, remixing, etc. Mine seemed to have a lot of breakdown. Even my white (w/no color) separated, and yes, it turned yellow.
Thanks,
Andrea
I just used it on some cookies I decorated last night/this morning, thanks to your advice. ;-)
ReplyDeleteBTW, I want to know how you were able to get your icing so red (for cookies you made for i heart cookies)... I have the super red from Americolor and felt like I couldn't get it as red as I would've liked it. Any suggestions?
I did not know they made white! Thanks for the info. You and your blog are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteu will colour food??
ReplyDeleteI have always been terrified of this stuff! Going to try it again!
ReplyDeleteI have never used white food coloring. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteI use it all the time.....i use it in my corn syrup icing i use on my cookies.....when I bought it I used it for painting on fondant but then read that I needed to add it to my icing to make it white :) I love this stuff!!
ReplyDeleteGot a little bottle, B, wish me luck!
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks for sharing! I had no clue!
ReplyDeleteWow, twisties! Never thought of that. I needed to get some.
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you!! I have a huge cake order coming up this Thursday. My order was to be a black and white cake. I made a huge batch of Buttercream thinking it would be the white part of the cake, I just wouldn't tint it. Then it dawned on me......BUTTERCREAM IS NOT WHITE!!! Oh no what was I going to do!! Then I found White Tint!! Save the day and the cake!!!
ReplyDeleteLife changing! Seriously!
ReplyDeleteJust made big Easter egg cookies, and the white ones turned mottled off white, and ugly! I was shocked! Bought and tried bright white in the small size- my advice is to buy it bigger than that tiny one. The white seemed runnier than other colors are. i don't bake all the time, but still would buy the next size up. Thanks for the blog post about this, as i was one of those who thought buying white coloring was strange,...no more! Luckily I covered those white eggs with lots of pretty lacy white piping patterns, and disco dust, using that brite white!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, I also LOVE this White/White or whatever it is Wilton calls their whitening stuff. And you're right also about the amount, I have NEVER felt I have added too much even when I feel like I'm squirting in half a bottle. I've also used this in icing to take the shock off of a color that is TOO bold and bright such as a pink. I have YET, EVER, to be satisfied with a pink icing. It is ALWAYS too pink for me. So far no color of pink gives me that VERY light, pastel, SOFT pink that I look for so often. It seems no matter how LITTLE I put in I can't get that soft pale, delicate pink, it always seems to be more of the hot pink the teens like so much so I'm always adding in TONS of the Whitening stuff to help it. It's also great on any frosting or icing that you've used butter, a dark vanilla, or for just some crazy reason isn't that white/white you really want. They need to sell this stuff by the pint as far as I'm concerned. I NEVER buy just one bottle any longer. What's nice is this is a product which you can never put too much.
ReplyDeleteI use it all the time. Anytime I need an all white cake when yolks must be used in the batter, in white Rice Krispies Treats, frosting, kneaded into white Tootsie Rolls that are really off white . . . Love that there is a fix for white!
ReplyDeleteI use the white food coloring as "paint" for chalkboard style cookies, usually on cookies with a black royal icing base.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone used it in cake batter to make white sponge cake?
ReplyDeleteLove white food coloring! I use the powder in my candy coating to take away the yellow-y look. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read every comment on here, so I apologize if this is a repeat, but just wanted to say that white food colouring (yes, colouring with a "u" - I'm Canadian!) works great when added to candy apple coating as well. Add white to hot syrup, mix, then add any other colour, and presto! You have a VERY cool looking solid colour apple! Have fun!
ReplyDeleteWhite food coloring has been a my favorite thing since discovering it. Using white chocolate glaze I add white food coloring so it's not a yellowish tinge and for buttercream I use real butter so it's always a cream/ivory color until i add white icing!
ReplyDeleteHey what a brilliant post I have come across and believe me I have been searching out for this similar kind of post for past a week and hardly came across this. Thank you very much and will look for more postings from you. 5productreviews
ReplyDeleteCan I use this white food coloring to make my pancake balls white? I want to make golf ball pancakes for my breakfast theme.
ReplyDeleteHi! I’ve only used it to color icing. Not sure how much you’d have to use to color pancakes. Could you dip them in a white glaze or white chocolate?
DeleteHello! I know this is an older thread but I’m a beginner.I currently am trying to make red icing. Have used lots of tulip red, a little brown and blue and have let it stand for over 24 hours. I now realize I put white into the entire batch when it was in the mixer (hoping to prevent later color bleed, but ought to have waited). Thinking I will need to just make a new batch, but just want to learn . Is this the reason I’m having trouble?
ReplyDeleteHi there!
DeleteI almost always use a “super red.” Both Americolor and Chefmaster make one. See if you can get your hands on a bottle to help. Amazon can sometimes have it to you next day. ❤️