The Best Gel-Based Food Coloring

Wilton Icing Colors, 12-Count Gel-Based Food Color

Looks as good as it tastes

You can’t go wrong with this classic option.

Best Overall

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This kit of gel-based food coloring comes with 12 pots all in different colors. With a great selection of shades, you’ll be able to create foods in all the colors of the rainbow (and more). You can also mix the different colors to create new, more complex ones. This gel-based formula is very concentrated, so you can add beautiful colors to your cake batters and icings without thinning them out. This is great for recipes that require a specific consistency. If you’re looking for a great, standard kit of gel-based food coloring with a broad variety of colors, then look no further.

Pros:

• Good color variety
• Vibrant colors
• Flavorless
• A little goes a long way

Cons:

• The red coloring is not as pigmented

Jelife Gel Food Coloring 10 Colors Set

Drip drop delicious

Make beautiful food creations with this easy-to-use food coloring.

Runner Up

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With this gel-based food coloring set, you’ll get 10 bottles of fun colors. This set comes with all your primary colors, secondary colors, black, white, and teal. With all the basic colors you need, you’ll be able to create vibrant foods and baked goods. The food coloring’s formula is water-based and will give you vibrant shades. The coloring comes in a convenient dropper design, so you won’t have to worry about leaks and messes. With this easy-to-use design, you’ll be able to effortlessly add the coloring drop by drop until you achieve the perfect color. Another all-around great product, we highly recommend this gel-based food coloring set as well.

Pros:

• Good color variety
• Easy to use design
• Flavorless

Cons:

• Colors are not super pigmented

AmeriColor Food Coloring Student Kit, 12 0.75oz Bottles

Quality and quantity

This set of food coloring is both pigmented and plentiful.

Biggest Bottles

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You’ll receive 12 beautiful shades of food coloring with this set by AmeriColor. Included are the primary colors, secondary colors, some tertiary colors, brown, and black. The colors are all very pigmented and true, even the red. The food coloring bottles in this set are also larger than average. If you’re an avid baker or chef, then this is the perfect kit for you. You’ll be able to get a lot of use out of these bottles. If you’re looking for a kit of gel-based food coloring that doesn’t sacrifice quality for quantity, then this is the option for you.

Pros:

• Good color variety
• Vivid colors
• Flavorless

Cons:

• Some colors may fade over time

U.S. Art Supply 30 Color Food Coloring Liqua-Gel Kit

Taste the rainbow

You’ll get a whopping 30 colors with this pack.

Most Colors

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This pack of gel-based food coloring comes with 30 bottles all in different colors. Because the coloring comes in so many shades already, you probably will find the color you desire without having to mix it yourself. You’ll be able to make food creations in so many different shades and tones with this pack. The food coloring comes in squeeze bottles for easy use. The colors are easy to mix and will disperse instantly. Add fun and flair to your recipes with this large pack of food coloring.

Pros:

• Huge color variety
• Vivid colors
• Easy to use design

Cons:

• Bottles may have leaked during delivery

Wilton Primary Icing Colors, 4-Piece, Gel Icing Colors

Bang for your buck

This is a great basic kit with unbeatable prices.

Best Value

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This kit by Wilton comes with four bottles of highly concentrated gel icing colors. The four included colors are blue, red, yellow, and green. Each bottle is 1.2 fluid ounces, so you’ll get a good amount of product for each color. Because you’ll have the three primary colors, you’ll be able to mix the shades to create secondary and tertiary tones as well. This gel icing color is great for tinting cake batter, buttercream, and royal icing. You can do all of this and get great quality all for an amazing value. If you’re looking to buy a great basic set of gel-based food coloring without breaking the bank, then this option is for you.

Pros:

• Great value
• Vibrant colors
• Easy to use design

Cons:

• Consistency is quite liquid for a gel

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between liquid gel and gel paste?

Liquid gel will usually come in dropper bottles. The consistency will be thick and gel-like, but it’ll still be more liquid. Liquid gel food coloring is much more concentrated than traditional food coloring. However, it’s less concentrated than gel paste. Gel paste typically has a very concentrated color. It’s also thicker and less liquid, so it usually comes packaged in small pots. To use, rather than using a dropper, you should dip a toothpick into the pot and add the paste to your recipe. This works because you need very little of the paste to achieve a bright color.

What projects are gel-based food coloring good for?

Gel-based food coloring is great for projects where you don’t want to add too much additional product. This means that it’s great for coloring candy or icing, both of which need to stay a particular consistency. It’s also great for coloring big batches, such as with cake batter. You can also use gel-based food coloring to color non-edible projects, such as play dough, slime, or dyed eggs.