How to Make Colored Cookie Dough (Fun Activity and Fun Snack!)

Making colored cookie dough is a fun and simple way to enjoy a snack and an activity all at once. Whether you have kids or simply feel like getting creative, colored dough only requires a few simple supplies to make fun-looking and yummy-tasting cookie dough everyone can enjoy. So, how do you make it? Allow me to lead the way!

Table of Contents

• Can You Put Food Coloring in Cookie Dough?
  • What Can I Use to Color Cookie Dough?
• How to Color Cookie Dough
  • How Much Food Coloring to Add to Cookie Dough?
• Tips for Using Food Coloring in Cookie Dough
• How to Color Cookie Dough Without Food Coloring
• Colored Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Note
• Colored Cookie Dough: A Fun and Edible Activity!
• FAQs

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Can You Put Food Coloring in Cookie Dough?

Yes, you can absolutely color cookie dough. Whether you plan to bake the cookies or eat the dough straight (do this only for an edible cookie dough recipe) coloring the dough is safe and easy.

What Can I Use to Color Cookie Dough?

Of course, when coloring your cookie dough, you’ll want to do so with liquid food coloring. This can be in the form of traditional edible liquid dye or even gel food coloring. All you need to do is add a few drops of the food dye to the center of the dough before rolling and mixing it all in. Control the hue of your cookies by adjusting the number of drops of food coloring you add to your cookie dough.

Want tie dye colors? Don’t worry, we’ll get to all of that. Stay tuned!

How to Color Cookie Dough

When adding food coloring to dough, there are multiple ways I’ve seen people do it. Some smash the dough into tiny flat circles before putting horizontal lines of food coloring across each and squishing it all in with gloved hands.

While this method is fine and all, I much prefer the ball method.

1. Portion your cookie dough into equally sized balls (or one large ball if you aren’t using different colors).
2. Make a well in the middle of each dough ball using your finger.
3. Add color by dropping food coloring in the center of the well before smooshing the ball with gloved hands, working the dye throughout the dough ball.

That’s it! From here, you can flatten the balls with a rolling pin for cookie cut outs or use wax paper to form your cookie dough into a log for slice and bake.

How Much Food Coloring to Add to Cookie Dough?

When adding food coloring to the dough, two to three drops should do the trick. You really don’t want to use too much, as certain dyes can contribute to health risks if consumed high amounts. Conversely, if you’d like lighter pastel colors, you may wish to start with only one to two drops of food coloring and try mixing it through before adding more color.

Tips for Using Food Coloring in Cookie Dough

The following ar ea few tips to help you achieve the most successful outcome when making colored sugar cookie dough:

• It’s usually best to use cookie dough that is white colored as opposed to brown.
• While I generally recommend you portion each colored dough ball the same size, some have found success making colored dough portions different sizes. This makes for especially interesting cookie dough for when you’re making tie dye style treats like the recipe below.
• It’s generally best to use food coloring for sugar cookie dough. However, it isn’t a must. Coloring cookie dough for chocolate chip cookies might be unusual, but I’m sure it’d be delicious, nonetheless!
• If attempting to add multiple types of colors to cookie dough, make sure you portion your dough ahead of time. Never add color to cookie dough all at once. It’ll all blend together and look like a swirly hot mess.
• Once you’ve colored your cookie dough, feel free to go crazy with decorating afterwards. Add a simple glaze to the cookies once they’re baked or douse them in sprinkles prior to baking. It’s really up to you – create something that looks just as good as it tastes!
• Feel free to add coloring to premade dough. It makes things so much easier without needing to bust out all your baking ingredients. But if you want something homemade no worries…we’ve got a great recipe lined up for you already below!

How to Color Cookie Dough Without Food Coloring

There are a multitude of ways you can color cookie dough without the use of food coloring. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Brown – Use cocoa powder
• Pink- Use strawberries or raspberries
• Purple- Use blueberries
• Green- Use spinach or matcha powder

Colored Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• liquid food coloring (or gel coloring) of your choice
• disposable gloves

Instructions

1. Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine your sugar and butter in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes or until fluffy and pale.
3. Stir in your egg, vanilla, and salt.
4. Sift your flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the mixture.
5. Stir until well combined.
6. Portion your dough in accordance with how many colors you choose to use. For example, if you only want to use two colors, you should divide your dough into two equally sized balls.
7. Make a well inside each cookie dough ball formed and place a few drops of food coloring in each, depending on the amount of color you want.
8. Using a gloved hand, smoosh the cookie dough until the color is evenly incorporated within the dough. Do this for each of your colored dough balls.
9. From here, you can pinch off pieces of your dough and layer them until you come up with a cookie dough log. Slice and bake the cookies according to the directions below. Alternatively, you can piece the colored pieces together before rolling it flat to make cut out cookies.
10. Bake the cookies for 7-9 minutes checking the edges for doneness. The amount of time required may change depending on your oven and the thickness of your cookies.
11. Decorate and enjoy!

Note

• If you choose to form a log with your colored cookie dough, know that you can totally roll the log in sprinkles before slicing and baking it for a bit of pizzazz on the exterior portion of the dough.

Colored Cookie Dough: A Fun and Edible Activity!

Adding color to cookies is a unique way to put a twist on usual at home sugar cookie dough. Whether you plan to use one color or want to combine a variety of colors, you can create a cookie dough that is all your own using just a few basic ingredients along with traditional liquid or gel food dye.

Remember, it is never a good idea to eat raw dough. If you plan to take a lick of cookie dough from your spoon as you make these colored creations, make sure that your recipe is an eggless edible cookie dough recipe that utilizes heat treated flour to prevent harmful germs from entering your body.

I hope this helps! Until next time.

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