Adding food coloring to a recipe is a great way to add a pop of color to a dish. But buying the right bottle of food coloring isn’t black and white. From thick varieties of this colored paste to thinner liquids there are so many different types of food coloring to choose from. Luckily most can be divided into two distinct categories: gel or liquid. So when it comes time to bake cookies which is best for your batch? To understand that we need to take a closer look at the makeup of both gel and liquid food colorings.
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Liquid vs. Gel vs. Oil Food Coloring [Cake Decorating for Beginners]
Both types of this food coloring come from synthetic colors (which is why you shouldn’t eat too much food coloring). Only the base of each food coloring is different. Liquid food coloring is made from a water base while gel is made from glycerin or corn syrup. Liquid food coloring is much thinner and produces a lighter color than gel while gel food coloring is much thicker and more concentrated. For this reason it’s best to use liquid food coloring if you want a lighter more pastel-colored cookie like a soft lemon shortbread and gel if you want something more vibrant like a red velvet cookie or a vibrant macaroon. Wait a little longer before adding this to your shopping list because color isn’t the only factor to consider here.
Color differences aside let’s talk about the individual benefits of both liquid and gel food colorings so you can decide which one to add to your cookies. In terms of availability liquid food colorings tend to be much more prominent in grocery stores. As a result liquid food colorings tend to be less expensive than gel food colorings. However because gel food colorings are more concentrated than liquid food colorings they can be more cost-effective in the long run as you’ll need to use fewer drops to get a more colorful final product.
Now let’s talk about the cons. Since liquid food coloring generally produces lighter shades than gel you may need to use more of it to get the color you want. This makes it a weak choice if you want vibrant colors in your cookies especially since using too much dye can also affect the taste or texture of the recipe. However gel food coloring is a little harder to find than liquid. Additionally some gel food colorings are hyper-concentrated meaning it’s really easy to add too much. It’s a little harder to work with so you really have to be careful when dropping the dye in.
