This guide will teach you How to Dye Easter Eggs with food coloring and a few other pantry staples. We’ll show you how to perfectly hard boil eggs and provide you with plenty of decorating tips and Easter egg ideas to have you creating bright and colorful eggs in no time.
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How to Dye Easter Eggs with Food Coloring
This year, skip the egg dyeing kits from the grocery store and learn How to Dye Easter Eggs using food coloring and vinegar. This step-by-step guide will walk you through exactly how to make easy hard boiled eggs, how to prepare the perfect dye bath, and how to dip your Easter eggs like a pro.
We’ve also given you loads of tips and decorating ideas to wow your family and friends. For even more Easter ideas, you can check out our recipes for Hard Boiled Eggs and Deviled Eggs, or our Best Easter Dinner Recipes guide.
Ingredients Needed for Dying Eggs with Food Coloring
- Eggs - you can use any kind of eggs that you’d like. We recommend using older eggs rather than super fresh eggs. Older eggs are easier to peel simply because they have had more water evaporate out through the shell. If you plan on decorating these eggs, you may want to use eggs with a white shell.
- Baking Soda - this is added because it helps raise the pH level of the eggs, making them easier to peel.
- Ice - you will need ice to make an ice bath. This helps to quickly stop the cooking and cool the eggs down. If you don’t have ice on hand, place a metal bowl in the sink with cold running water and add the eggs.
- Food Coloring - you can use any kind of liquid food coloring that you’d like for your Easter egg dye. Gels don’t dissolve in the water as well so I suggest avoiding them for dyeing Easter eggs.
- White Vinegar - white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar works great. Vinegar helps the colors “stick” on the eggs. If you don’t have vinegar, lemon juice will work in a pinch.
How to Dye Easter Eggs with Food Coloring - Step by Step Instructions
- Hard boil eggs. You can see our detailed instructions on making perfect Hard Boiled Eggs here.
- Prepare the dye. In a cup or bowl, mix ½ cup of hot water, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, and several drops of food color drops or liquid food coloring. Use a spoon or whisk to mix the ingredients until the color is evenly distributed. Repeat for as many colors as you want to use.
- Dip the eggs. Carefully place a hard-boiled egg into the cup or bowl with the dye. Use a spoon to submerge the egg fully in the dye. Leave the egg in the dye for about 5 minutes, or until you achieve the desired color.
- Remove the eggs. Use a spoon to carefully remove eggs from the dye. Place the egg on a paper towel or egg carton to dry. Allow the egg to dry completely before handling it.
- Decorate as desired. If you want to create different colors or shades, repeat the process with new cups or bowls and different color combinations. You can use a paintbrush or q-tip to add designs or patterns to the dyed eggs using different colors of dye.
- Dry. Allow them to dry completely before displaying, hiding, or using as desired. Enjoy!
Tips for Dying Easter Eggs
Here are some of my favorite Easter Egg decorating ideas and tips for creating beautiful and colorful Easter eggs that you and your family will love:
- Use white eggs: White eggs will result in brighter and more vibrant colors than brown eggs.
- Easy Hard Boiled Eggs: To dye Easter eggs, you need to use hard-boiled eggs. To make hard-boiled eggs, place the eggs in a pot of cold water, bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10-12 minutes. Drain the hot water and then cool the eggs in cold water before using them for dyeing.
- Protect your workspace: Dyeing eggs can be a messy process, so it's a good idea to protect your work surface with newspapers or a plastic tablecloth.
- Use vinegar: Adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the dye bath can help the color adhere better to the eggshell and make the color brighter and more vibrant.
- Use food color drops: any kind of liquid food coloring works well for dyeing Easter eggs, but food color drops can give you more precise control over the amount of color you use. It’s also helpful if you want to create color recipes for future years.
- Experiment with different dyeing techniques: Try different patterns, designs, colors, and Easter egg decorations by using stickers, rubber bands, or wax crayons to create resist patterns on the eggs before dyeing them.
- Let the eggs dry completely: After dyeing the eggs, place them on paper towels or egg cartons to dry completely. If you handle the eggs while they're still wet, you may smudge or rub off the dye.
- Record your favorite color combinations: while mixing colors to create dyes, record how many drops you are using so that you can replicate them next year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any kind of liquid food coloring will work well for dyeing Easter eggs. Gel colors don’t mix as well with the water so it can be hard to get even colors. I prefer food color drops because they give you more precision and control.
Yes! Just keep in mind that even though they are decoration, they still need to be kept at a safe temperature. Otherwise, you can use Easter eggs for any recipe that you would use hard boiled eggs in. Or, eat whole as a snack or as part of your Easter brunch.
While you can dye any color of egg, including brown eggs, white eggs will show off the dye the best.
Warm water not only mixes better with food coloring than cold water, it also helps the colors absorb onto the shell better.
Storing
- How to Store Unpeeled Eggs: make sure that the eggs are dry and completely cooled then store in an airtight container or an egg carton for up to 1 week.
- How to Store Peeled Eggs: place peeled eggs in an airtight container with enough cold water to cover the eggs. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days making sure to replace the cold water each day.
How to Dye Eggs With Food Coloring
Ingredients
How to Hard Boil Eggs
- 18 large Eggs
- ½ gallon Water
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 8 cups Ice
For Coloring Easter Eggs
- Food Dye various colors
- 1 cup White Vinegar
Instructions
How to Hard Boil Eggs
- Place your raw eggs in a large dutch oven or pot and cover them with water by about 1". Add the baking soda.
- Bring the water to a low boil over medium high heat. Once the water has reached a rapid boil, remove the pot from the heat and cover with a lid. Let the eggs sit for 9-12 minutes, depending on how "done" you want your eggs.
- While the eggs cook, prepare a bowl of ice water. After the desired resting time, use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the hot water and place them in the ice water to stop the cooking and cool completely.
- Let the eggs sit in the ice water for about 5 minutes, then remove and place on a towel to dry.
How to Dye Easter Eggs with Food Coloring
- Prepare the dye: In a cup or bowl, mix ½ cup of hot water, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, and several drops of food color drops or liquid food coloring. Use a spoon or whisk to mix the ingredients until the color is evenly distributed. Repeat for as many colors as you want to use.
- Dip the eggs: Carefully place a hard-boiled egg into the cup or bowl with the dye. Use a spoon to submerge the egg fully in the dye. Leave the egg in the Easter egg dye for about 5 minutes, or until you achieve the desired color.
- Remove the egg: Use a spoon to carefully remove the egg from the dye. Place the egg on a paper towel or egg carton to dry. Allow the egg to dry completely before handling it.
- Repeat: If you want to create different colors or shades, repeat the process with new cups or bowls and different color combinations.
- Optional: You can use a paintbrush or q-tip to add designs or patterns to the dyed eggs using different colors of dye. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Of The Best Easter Recipes
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Coconut Macaroon Easter Nests
- Deviled Eggs
- Honey Glaze for Ham
- Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
- Ham and Cheese Quiche
- Bunny Cinnamon Rolls
- Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies
- Rice Krispy Bird Nests
- Cadbury Cookie Bars
- More Easter Dinner Menu Ideas
- More Easy Appetizers
Learn How to Dye Easter Eggs like a pro with this handy dandy guide. We'll give you step-by-step instructions along with tips and tricks to have you creating beautiful colored Easter Eggs with food coloring.
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