Which food colouring should I use?
Gel Food Colours vs Liquid Food Colours – Which Should I Use?
Whether you're colouring buttercream, fondant, cake batter or chocolate, choosing the right food colouring can make all the difference.
One of the most common questions we hear at Kiwicakes is, "Do I need gel food colouring or liquid food colouring?" While both have their place, they behave quite differently and are designed for different applications. And then there is oil based colouring too.
In this guide we'll explain the differences, when to use each type, and help you choose the right colouring for your next baking project.
Find colouring at Kiwicakes here
What Is Gel Food Colouring?
Gel food colouring is a highly concentrated colouring with a thick, gel-like consistency. Because it contains very little liquid, it provides vibrant colour without significantly changing the texture of your mixture.
A tiny amount goes a long way, making gel colours economical as well as easy to use.
Gel colours are the first choice for most cake decorators.
They are ideal for:
- Buttercream
- Fondant
- Royal icing
- Cake batter
- Cookie dough
- Macarons
- Gum paste
- Modelling paste
DO NOT USE for chocolate - the water component will cause chocolate to seize
Advantages of Gel Food Colours
- Highly concentrated
- Vibrant colours
- Won't water down your icing
- Easy to build from pastel to deep shades
- A bottle lasts a long time
Things to Remember
Because gel colours are concentrated, always start with a small amount. You can easily add more colour, but it's much harder to lighten an icing once too much has been added.
What Is Liquid Food Colouring?
Liquid food colouring is thinner and contains much more water than gel colouring.
It is often found in supermarkets and works well when only a small amount of colour is required.
However, because it contains more liquid, adding enough to achieve deep colours can change the consistency of buttercream or icing.
Best Uses for Liquid Food Colours
Liquid colours work well for:
- Sponge cakes
- Pancake batter
- Drinks
- Jellies
- Light pastel colouring
They are generally less suitable when rich, vibrant colours are required.
What Is Oil-Based Food Colouring?
At Kiwicakes we stock Colour Mill Oil-based food colouring, which is specially formulated for colouring ingredients that contain fat rather than water. Unlike gel and liquid food colours, oil-based colours blend smoothly into chocolate, candy melts and other fat-based products without causing them to seize.
Because chocolate naturally contains cocoa butter or other fats, standard water-based food colours (including most gel and liquid colours) should not be added directly to melted chocolate. Even a small amount of water can cause chocolate to become thick, grainy and difficult to work with.
Oil-based food colours are the perfect choice for:
- Chocolate
- Candy melts
- Cocoa butter
- Chocolate decorations
- Chocolate moulds
- Ganache (in some applications)
- Swiss meringue butetrcream
- Buttercream
Advantages of Oil-Based Food Colours
- Specifically designed for chocolate and fat-based products
- Won't cause chocolate to seize
- Produces vibrant, even colour
- Available in a wide range of shades
- Only a small amount is needed
- Can be mixed to create new colours (white makes colours in to pastels)
Why Gel Colours Are Better for Buttercream
Buttercream is one of the most common decorating mediums, and gel colours really shine here.
Adding large amounts of liquid colouring can make buttercream softer and more difficult to pipe. Gel colours allow you to achieve rich colours while keeping your buttercream smooth and stable.
If you're decorating celebration cakes or cupcakes, gel colours are usually the best option.
Can You Use Gel Colours in Chocolate?
This is where many decorators come unstuck.
Standard gel food colours are water-based, and water is the enemy of chocolate.
Adding ordinary gel or liquid food colouring directly to melted chocolate can cause it to seize, becoming thick, grainy and unusable.
If you want to colour chocolate, use oil-based chocolate colours specifically designed for chocolate and candy melts.
Can You Use Liquid Colours in Buttercream?
Yes, but you'll often need much more colouring to achieve darker shades.
For pale pastel colours this usually isn't a problem.
For black, navy, red or deep green, liquid colours become much less practical because so much has to be added. So liquid colours are best avoided for dark and vibrant colours.
Which Colouring Should Beginners Buy?
If you're just starting your cake decorating journey, gel food colouring is usually the most versatile choice.
One small bottle can colour many batches of icing and works well across a wide range of decorating projects.
Many decorators gradually build their collection as they need additional colours.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Gel Food Colour | Liquid Food Colour |
|---|---|---|
| Colour strength | Excellent | Moderate |
| Consistency | Thick gel | Thin liquid |
| Best for buttercream | ✔ Excellent | Suitable for lighter colours |
| Best for fondant | ✔ Excellent | Not recommended |
| Best for royal icing | ✔ Excellent | Acceptable for small amounts |
| Suitable for chocolate | ✘ No (use oil-based colours instead) | ✘ No |
| Amount needed | Small | Larger |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my colours become darker overnight?
Many gel colours continue developing after mixing. For darker shades like red, navy and black, the final colour often becomes richer after several hours or overnight.
Can I mix gel & oil based colours together?
Absolutely.
Mixing colours allows you to create custom shades and often produces more natural-looking colours than using a single bottle. However in my experience, purples do not mix well. I recommend purchasing purple ready made. If you would like to make the colour grey, it is best purchased as it's own colour, as a small amount of black makes a licorice greeny colour, not the desired grey.
Can I use supermarket food colouring?
For everyday baking, yes.
For cake decorating, most decorators find concentrated gel colours produce brighter colours with better consistency and require much less product.
Which colours are hardest to achieve?
Black, bright red and deep navy blue are generally the most challenging because they require a large amount of pigment.
Fortunately, there are a few tricks that make these colours much easier.
(We'll cover those in our upcoming guides on making black buttercream and bright red buttercream.)
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right food colouring doesn't have to be complicated.
For most cake decorating projects, concentrated gel food colours provide the brightest colours while keeping your buttercream, fondant and icing at the correct consistency. Liquid colours still have their place for general baking and lighter colouring, while chocolate requires specially formulated oil-based colours.
Once you understand which colouring suits each application, you'll achieve better results with less product and much less frustration.
Find your colours at Kiwicakes here
About the author
Sandra Boston has been helping Kiwi cake decorators since 2006 through Kiwicakes. With 20 years of experience testing cake decorating products, ingredients and tools, Sandra shares practical tips based on real-world use.
