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How to Dye Easter Eggs with Food Coloring

Forget the store-bought kits and learn How to Dye Easter Eggs with Food Coloring for the most vibrant colors ever. It is such an easy way to make beautiful eggs at home.

top view of brightly dyed easter eggs in egg carton

Dyeing Eggs With Food Coloring

If you are looking for a Homemade Easter Egg Dye look no further!

Not only is food coloring an easy way to dye Easter eggs, but it’s relatively inexpensive (Dollar Tree sells boxes of food coloring) and you probably already have everything you need at home. Plus, since you know food coloring is edible, the dyed eggs are entirely safe to eat.

Making your own Easter egg dye is cost effective and a fun way to color eggs with the whole family.

More Creative Ways to Dye Easter Eggs

top view of brightly dyed easter eggs in egg carton

Do I Need Vinegar To Dye Easter Eggs?

Yes. If you want vibrant colored easter eggs or darker colors, you do need vinegar. If you want more dull or pastel colors, you can use water.

Alternatives To Vinegar for Egg Dying

You can use lemon juice or lime juice as a replacement for vinegar in egg dye recipes. This is a 1:1 ratio meaning if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of vinegar, use 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice instead.

hard boiled egg being dyed in cup of food coloring

How To Make The Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

I have several methods for making hard boiled eggs and each one is a personal preference.

My personal favorite is the Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs Method because you can have the perfect hard boiled eggs with the 5-5-5 method. I also love the Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs method too!

If you don’t have an Instant Pot or Air Fryer, here are some other ways to make the best hard boiled eggs to dye at Easter…

How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs In The Oven:

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place one egg in each cup of a muffin tin, then carefully pour water into each cup until it is full to the brim.
  • Cook for 30 mins.
  • Immediately remove them from the tins, to stop the cooking process.
  • Place eggs into an ice bath for five minutes. Some brown spots may appear on the shell, the eggs will be fine.
  • Peel, Dye or prepare as desired.

How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs On The Stove Top:

  • Place the eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water.
  • Add in 1 tablespoon or more of salt (depending on the number of eggs)
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Boil for 8-10 mins, remove now for creamy yolk or turn off the heat and let them sit in the hot water an additional 3-5 mins for a paler and opaque color often used for deviled eggs.
  • Move eggs to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let sit 5-6 mins if serving immediately. Let sit 10 mins if using later on.

Notes:

  • Adding salt to the water prior to boiling helps remove the shell without it breaking into a lot of pieces.
  • Using an ice bath can help prevent the greenish color around the yolk that over cooked hard-boiled eggs sometimes present.

What you need to dye Easter eggs with food coloring

  • Hard Boiled Eggs – Make sure to have white eggs so the colors will be more vibrant and colorful. Brown eggs will not show up as well.
  • Food Dye – You can use regular food coloring (water based) or gel food coloring (oil based) and you can use regular or neon colors (your choice)
  • Vinegar – Distilled white vinegar works best

You Will Also Need:

  • Tablecloth or some covering to avoid getting dye on the table
  • Paper Towel
  • A Plastic Cup for each color (do not use styrofoam or the vinegar will eat through it)
  • Slotted spoons, metal spoon, egg dippers or tongs
easter egg dying ingredients on table

Helpful Tips:

  • The key to properly dyed eggs is taking your time throughout this process.
  • Cover your work surface with towels or newspapers to protect them being stained.
  • Each color will need enough boiling water to cover the egg completely once submerged.
  • Using liquid colors will require 10-20 drops of food coloring for a richer color. Using gel colors requires 1-3 drops depending on depth of color.
  • Store dyed eggs in the fridge for several days prior to consuming.
bright pink easter dyed egg

How To Dye Eggs With Food Coloring

Fill cups, bowls or containers with the enough water to cover the egg (about 1/2 cup), add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and food coloring (see amount of drops in note above).

Place the egg on a slotted or regular spoon and dunk into the mixture, turning occasionally so both sides are colored.

Keep in the liquid up to 5 mins or longer for darker colors. Carefully remove the egg and set it aside to dry.

Repeat with additional eggs until you have all of your Easter eggs dyed.

When ready, remove the shells and enjoy. You can also use these in Easter baskets or an Easter egg hunt!

bright colored easter eggs in a basket

Easter Egg Dye Color Chart

If you want to achieve different colors with your food coloring, this handy chart below is the perfect way to do it. Just follow the chart and use the amount of food coloring it recommends to acheive that specific color.

easter egg dyeing guide
Courtesy of McCormick
How To Dye Eggs With Food Coloring

How To Dye Eggs With Food Coloring

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

How To Dye Eggs With Food Coloring and other pantry items. The perfect alternative to using Easter decorating kits.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
  • 1 Teaspoon Vinegar
  • Food Coloring

Instructions

  1. Fill cups, bowls or containers with the enough water to cover the egg (about 1/2 cup), add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and food coloring (see amount of drops in note above).
  2. Place the egg on a slotted or regular spoon and dunk into the mixture, turning occasionally so both sides are colored.
  3. Keep in the liquid up to 5 mins or longer for darker colors. Carefully remove the egg and set it aside to dry.
  4. Repeat with additional eggs until you have all of your Easter eggs dyed.

Notes

Cover your work surface with towels or newspapers to protect them being stained.

Each color will need enough boiling water to cover the egg completely once submerged.

Using liquid colors will require up to 20 drops, using gel colors requires 1-3 drops depending on depth of color.

Peeled or unpeeled eggs will keep in a fridge for up to 5 days. If unpeeled, keep in an airtight container.

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Did you make this recipe?

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Aimee

Sunday 9th of April 2023

Just an idea that has worked for me... you can also use a whisk to remove the eggs from the cup when you're done coloring! It works great!

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