Last Updated on March 8, 2023
If you are desperately looking for an answer on how to make gold food coloring, this in-depth guide is for you. And, you only need 2 basic ingredients!
The recipe we have provided today is more of a guideline than a set-in-stone ratio. Because at the end of the day, the shade of gold you want differs from the shade of gold we need. So, it is flexible and we will guide you through exactly what changes create which results.
What Exactly is Gold Food Coloring? Is It Real Gold?
This may seem like a very stupid question, but hear us out first. When people ask us what gold food coloring is, we soon realize that what they actually want to know is what is it made of. Is it made from real edible gold, gold leaves, golden glitter, or golden paints? What creates that beautiful golden color?
Well, it depends entirely on the type of product you buy. There are many different options out there, and some may be made with gold leaf, while others are made by simply blending colors together.
Either way, all of these edible gold food coloring products should be completely edible if you want to use them in food. The product will always say something like “food-safe”.
Different types of gold food coloring
There are a few different gold food color options available. Naturally, they do come in different shades and some even have special features like glitter or a metallic finish.
Now, most of these coloring products come in a gel or paste form. Some are even labeled as being a “gel paste”. The colors are generally thicker because they are made using other gel products.
If you simply were to mix liquid food coloring, it would never give you the deep golden color that you need. It also won’t be able to accurately translate into your food.
Then, you also do get gold food coloring powder. This powder often needs to be dissolved in water first before it is used to color other foods. Otherwise, the powder particles will simply be mixed into the batter or frosting without actually coloring it.
Knowing how to make gold food coloring is a great way to take your baking skills to the next level.
How to Make Gold Food Coloring
Making gold food coloring isn’t very difficult, but you will need a good eye. It all comes down to color mixing – just like you learned in school. Red and blue make green, yellow and red make orange – you get the picture.
For a golden color, you must mix two colors – yellow and red. You can also use some orange if you’d like to and see what the results are. Many people also like to mix yellow and brown.
So, it sounds easy enough, right? Well, unfortunately, it isn’t. You will need to play around with the ratios of these colors to get the exact shade of gold that you want. And this process can be a little bit frustrating.
However, a trick we always use when mixing colors is to make notes. Every time you add a color of this or that, write down more or less the shade of gold you are seeing. If it is a color you don’t like, write down “looks dull and pale” or compare it to something you know “like Aladdin’s lamp”. Something like that.
This might just make it easy for you to get a very specific shade in the future without having to experiment all over again.
Now, if you thought that is all there is to how to make gold food color, you were wrong. The mixing of gel colors won’t give you a shimmering gold gel. Unfortunately, it will look more yellow than anything else. So, you will need to add a gold luster or powder to give it a more metallic look.
Now that we have covered exactly why you are using our technique below, let’s have a look at how to make gold food color the most effective way.
What You Will Need – How to Make Gold Food Coloring Gel
Ingredients
- Yellow gel color
- Red gel coloring
- Edible gold luster dust
Equipment
- Small glass mixing bowl
- Toothpick or metal spoon
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Add yellow to a bowl
First, you need to add about 5 drops of yellow to a stain-proof mixing bowl.
Always start with a smaller amount and keep adding colors until you get the correct ratio. Then, you can make a larger batch of the amount that you need.
Step 2: Add red gel coloring
Then add one drop of red gel coloring to the yellow mix. Using a toothpick or metal spoon, mix the two ingredients until you have a uniform color.
Once you have mixed these two colors, you should get some shade of gold.
Step 3: Adjust the shade of gold
Now, here comes the tricky part. You have to adjust the color to get the exact shade of gold that you’d like. So far, we have used a 5:1 ratio of yellow to red.
By adding more drops of red food color, you will get a more orange-like golden color. The color will also become darker.
And, by adding more yellow gel color, the gold will become a lighter and brighter shade. But, if you add too much yellow, it will just become yellow.
Step 4: Add the gold luster
Once you have the color of your choice, you can add the luster powder. Just add a 1/4 teaspoon of powder at a time, mix it well, and see if you like the final results.
Tips and Tricks On How to Make Gold Food Coloring
- We prefer using a toothpick over a metal spoon. A metal spoon “grabs” too much gel coloring making it impossible to mix everything properly. A toothpick has a smaller surface area, so less color will be wasted.
- Do not mix the color directly into the frosting. You may end up over-mixing the icing which will cause it to get a toffee-like consistency instead of a fluffy one.
What Colors Do You Mix to Get Gold?
There are a couple of different ways you can make gold. Gold is an elegant color that is great for special occasions.
One option to create gold is to combine yellow and brown to achieve gold. It is best to start with equal parts yellow and brown. Adding more yellow will give it a shinier gold whereas adding browner will give it a softer shade.
Red and yellow can also be combined to make a shade of gold. You may need to add some brown or even a small amount of black to bring out the gold-tone more.
Yellow and orange can also be combined to make gold. You can combine two parts yellow with one part orange to make your gold. You can also add some red to the mixture to help you adjust the shade of gold to your liking.
To help make the gold color shine through more, you can add some luster dust to your gold. This will help bring out the gold coloring and give it more sheen.
What to Use Gold Food Coloring For?
Making gold-colored foods has become a popular trend. You can make many gold-colored foods by making gold food coloring. You can use gold food coloring to make the gold frosting, gold cakes, gold macarons, and even cookies. It can also be added to glazes to make gold toppings for donuts, cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and more.
You can also add gold food coloring to white candy melts. This can allow you to create different gold desserts such as cake pops, dipped pretzels, candies, candy strawberries, and more.
Gold desserts are great for serving at anniversary parties, weddings, and New Year’s Eve celebrations. They can also be great for graduations and birthday parties.
A gold frosting color may take a few tries to get just right. If you are having trouble creating your own gold food coloring you can also buy your own. Store-bought gold food coloring can make it easier to achieve the exact shade of gold you want and will have that nice sheen. While it may be hard to find gold food coloring in grocery stores, you can find it online.
Gold Food Coloring Vs Edible Gold: How to Make Gold Food Coloring
Gold food coloring is typically made by combining different food colorings until a shade of gold is reached. Sometimes, edible gold luster dust is used to enhance the gold coloring. However, it does not contain real gold in it.
Edible gold is made from real gold and is used to decorate desserts and other foods. It typically comes in sheets or flakes and is added to the tops of food. Edible gold does not have any taste and is simply used for decorative purposes.
Since edible gold is solid, it can’t be used to dye different foods such as frosting or macarons. However, it does add a touch of elegance to any dish you make.
Find great ideas for decorating with gold food coloring here
Final Words Of Wisdom: How to Make Gold Food Coloring
As you can see, how to make gold food coloring is much easier than you may have thought initially It just takes a bit of time and experimenting. But, once you get your golden ratio, you can make a note and have it on hand forever!
If you enjoyed this informative article, go check out some others we have available on our website.
Read more about How To Make Silver Fondant?
Easy Guide - How To Make Gold Food Color With 2 Basic Colors
Equipment
- small glass mixing bowl
- Toothpick or metal spoon
Ingredients
- Yellow gel color
- Red gel coloring
- Edible gold luster dust
Instructions
- Add yellow to a bowlFirst, you need to add about 5 drops of yellow to a stain-proof mixing bowl.Always start with a smaller amount and keep adding colors until you get the correct ratio. Then, you can make a larger batch of the amount that you need.Yellow gel color
- Add red gel coloringThen add one drop of red gel coloring to the yellow mix. Using a toothpick or metal spoon, mix the two ingredients together until you have a uniform color.Once you have mixed there two colors, you should get some shade of gold.Red gel coloring
- Adjust the shade of goldNow, here comes the tricky part. You have to adjust the color to get the exact shade of gold that you'd like. So far, we have used a 5:1 ratio of yellow to red.By adding more drops of red food color, you will get a more orange-like golden color. The color will also become darker.And, by adding more yellow gel color, the gold will become a lighter and brighter shade. But, if you add too much yellow, it will just become yellow.
- Add the gold lusterOnce you have the color of your choice, you can add the luster powder. Just add a 1/4 teaspoon of powder at a time, mix it in well, and see if you like the final results.Edible gold luster dust
Notes
FAQs
How do you make gold edible color?
You will need to use edible gel food coloring to make golden food coloring. You can simply use 5 parts of yellow and 1 part of red. This will give you a good starting point. Then, add more red for a more orange-like gold, or more yellow for a brighter lighter gold. Finally, add gold luster powder to give it a metallic finish.
How do you make gold color with royal icing?
You have to mix the gel coloring separately before adding it to your frosting (or royal icing) recipe. If you experiment with the color on the icing, it may change its consistency completely, ruining the icing. So, mix the gel before adding it to your products.
How do you make a golden color cake?
You can color your frosting with your homemade gold food color. This way, you will be able to easily color the entire cake with gold frosting. Alternatively, you can color fondant with your gold food gel for a cleaner look.
Is there such thing as gold food coloring?
Yes, if you don't want to make gold food color at home, you can buy pre-made gold color. In fact, you are likely to get a much better-saturated color than when making it yourself. And, you know the exact shade you get as well as the finish on the product.
Lindy Van Schalkwyk is a culinary specialist with a background in Advanced Cooking, Advanced Pâtisserie, Media Communications and Nutrition. She has gained invaluable experience in the culinary industry having worked in some of the top restaurants in Africa in 2016 and 2017. Her expertise in nutrition has enabled her to develop recipes for special dietary needs. In 2018, Lindy began working in the Food Media industry, focusing on recipe development, recipe writing, food writing and food styling.