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25+ Colorful Desserts without Food Dye

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Colorful desserts are the perfect addition to any occasion! To help you plan your colorful treats, here are 25+ Colorful Desserts, all made without food dye!

Collage of Colorful Desserts.

Whether it's a holiday, birthday, or just a day that needs a little more color, these 25+ Colorful Desserts are just what you need! The bonus: not a single one of these colorful recipes uses food color!

If you enjoy this post, check out my posts with 40+ Unique Desserts, 40+ Fancy Desserts, and 30+ Birthday Brunch Ideas!

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Closeup view of a rainbow fruit tart.

What are Food Dyes?

Food dyes are substances added to foods to enhance their appearance by giving them vibrant color. Food colorings have been added to food for centuries, but the first artificial food colorings were created in 1856 from coal tar. Today, food dyes are largely petroleum-based.

The consumption of artificial food dye has increased by 500% in the past 50 years, with children as the biggest consumers of these dyes.

Why Avoid Food Dyes?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that food dyes do not pose significant health risks, but this conclusion is highly controversial. Some food dyes are deemed safe in the US, but banned in other countries, making it extremely confusing for people to determine if they're safe.

I pull out the colorful sprinkles and food dyes occasionally on holidays and birthdays, but on the whole I avoid them. Small amounts are unlikely to impact your health, but studies show that avoiding them is wise.

Some food dyes have been found to:

  • Cause cancer in animals and/or contain known carcinogens.
  • Cause hyperactivity reactions in sensitive children.
  • Cause allergic reactions in sensitive people.

For me, the bottom line is that food dyes don't improve the safety or nutritional quality of food, and I can easily avoid them with all these wonderful recipes using the beautiful colors from fruit!

Collage of Fall Desserts.

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Colorful Dessert Recipes

So here they are--all my most colorful dessert recipes! With the rainbow of colors you see here, you won't miss food dyes in the least!

Cakes and Cupcakes

Strawberry Filled Cupcakes with fresh strawberries on top.
Strawberry Filled Cupcakes
Blueberry Angel Food Cake
This Blueberry Angel Food Cake is light and fluffy with serious blueberry flavor thanks to freeze-dried berries! And can we talk about that color??
Check out this recipe!
Slice of Blueberry Angel Food Cake with whipped cream and blueberries on a plate with a fork alongside.
Lavender Pound Cake with Strawberry Glaze
This Strawberry Lavender Pound Cake is so tender thanks to kefir (or buttermilk!), delicately flavored with lavender, and topped with strawberry-vanilla bean glaze! Pound cake perfection!
Check out this recipe!
Sliced Lavender Pound Cake with Strawberry Glaze on a white plate.
Strawberry Filled Cupcakes
These Strawberry Filled Cupcakes are soft & fluffy vanilla bean cakes with homemade honey-strawberry filling, topped with strawberry cream cheese frosting!
Check out this recipe!
Strawberry Filled Cupcakes with fresh strawberries on top.
Raspberry White Chocolate Loaf Cake
This Raspberry White Chocolate Loaf Cake is a tender white chocolate pound cake topped with a scrumptious raspberry glaze! The flavors are so amazing you'll find yourself taking seconds!
Check out this recipe!
Closeup of Raspberry and White Chocolate Loaf Cake on a tray.
Neapolitan Cake
The classic flavors of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate combine in this Neapolitan Cake! This three-layer beauty is a celebration cake!
Check out this recipe!
Neapolitan Cake with graham bunnies on a white cake stand.
Cornmeal Pound Cake with Blueberry Whipped Cream
This Blueberry Cornmeal Pound Cake is a slightly sweet cornmeal buttermilk pound cake topped with blueberry crème fraîche whipped cream!
Check out this recipe!
Closeup of sliced Cornmeal Poun
Orange Upside Down Cake
A just-sweet-enough orange olive oil cake topped with candied navel, cara cara, and blood oranges! Served with a sweetened sour cream, you can definitely sneak this one in as breakfast!
Check out this recipe!

Cookies and Bars

Stack of Orange Shortbread Cookies with Cranberry Glaze.
Orange Shortbread Cookies with Cranberry Glaze
Strawberry Thyme Blondies
These Strawberry Thyme Blondies are a dream combination oftextures and flavors! The browned-butter blondies are topped with astrawberry-thyme mascarpone mousse that is *almost* too pretty to eat!
Check out this recipe!
Top view of sliced Strawberry Thyme Blondies with cut strawberries and sprigs of thyme on top.
Sage Cookies with Cranberry Buttercream
These Sage Cookies with Cranberry Buttercream are an unexpected treat! The sage sugar cookies are sandwiched with cranberry buttercream, for an outstanding combination of flavors and textures!
Check out this recipe!
Stack of three Cranberry Sage Cookies on parchment paper with a candied sage leaf on top.
Orange Shortbread Cookies with Cranberry Glaze
These Orange Shortbread Cookies are the most flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread you've ever tasted! Flavored with orange zest and orange oil, with a beautiful glaze made from fresh cranberries, you'll want make these beauties for the holidays and all winter long!
Check out this recipe!
Stack of Orange Shortbread Cookies with Cranberry Glaze.
Lemon Curd Cookies
These Lemon Curd Cookies are soft, chewy lemon cookies topped with homemade lemon curd! The mix of textures and the sweet-tart lemon flavor will make these a new favorite!
Check out this recipe!
Lemon Curd Cookies on a silver cooling rack with a jar of lemon curd in the background.
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
These Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies are cream cheese sugar cookies sandwiched with swirls of strawberry cream cheese frosting!
Check out this recipe!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Cookies on white plate.
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
These Strawberry Shortbread Cookies have fantastic strawberry flavor thanks to freeze-dried strawberries in both the cookies and the strawberry glaze! With these cookies you can have a taste of summer year-round! Recipe can be used to make slice-and-bake shortbread or cut-outs--it's up to you!
Check out this recipe!
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies with Strawberry Glaze on a cooling rack, one with a bite missing.

Pies and Tarts

Slice of Blueberry Curd Tart on a white plate.
Blueberry Curd Tart
Mango Tart
This summery Mango Tart has a chocolate pastry crust that's brushed with melted chocolate before being filled with mango curd and topped with fresh whipped cream and cocoa nibs! Oh, and the prettiest chocolate leaves ever!
Check out this recipe!
Champagne Citrus Tart
This Champagne Citrus Tart has an orange-scented sweet pastry crust filled with champagne pastry cream and topped with champagne-glazed citrus! A mimosa in dessert form!
Check out this recipe!
Champagne Citrus Tart on a white stand with flutes of champagne nearby.
Blackberry Lavender Brownie Pie
The crust of this beauty is a fudgy brownie swirled with blackberry jam. The filling is a lavender-infused dark chocolate icebox pie, all topped with blackberry meringue. The flavors and textures are outstanding!
Check out this recipe!
Apricot Tart
This Apricot Tart is a sweet pastry crust filled with apricot preserves and a no-bake cheesecake filling, topped with fresh apricots! Cool, creamy, and delicious, it's a fantastic Summer treat!
Check out this recipe!
Apricot Tart on a white plate with a slice missing.
Chocolate Cherry Pie
This Chocolate Cherry Pie has juicy, fresh cherries and chopped dark chocolate in a crisp, flaky chocolate pie crust! I think the two-tone lattice gives it a little pizazz, too! 🙂
Check out this recipe!
Slice of Chocolate Cherry Pie on a white plate with a bowl of cherries in the background.
Strawberry Pastry Cream
This Strawberry Pastry Cream is a delicious twist on a classic! The rich flavor, creamy texture, and beautiful color will make you swoon!
Check out this recipe!
White Bowl of Strawberry Pastry Cream with fresh strawberries.
Rosemary Almond Apple Galette
This Rosemary Almond Apple Galette is a rustic beauty! Its sweet pastry is filled with homemade almond paste, apples, and rosemary sugar!
Check out this recipe!
Top view of Rosemary Almond Apple Galette with two scoops of ice cream and chopped almonds on top.
Blueberry Curd Tart
This Blueberry Curd Tart is a sweet pastry crust filled with homemade blueberry curd! You'll fall in love with both the flavor and that gorgeous color!!
Check out this recipe!
Slice of Blueberry Curd Tart on a white plate.
Blackberry Cream Pie
A classic graham cracker crust filled with light-as-air blackberry cream, topped with fresh vanilla bean whipped cream and blackberries!
Check out this recipe!
Slice of Blackberry Cream Pie on a white plate with fresh blackberries on top.

More Colorful Recipes

Blackberry Lemon Bread on a white tray.
Blackberry Lemon Bread
Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake
This No Bake Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake is layers of strawberry and vanilla bean cheesecake in a graham cracker crust, topped with strawberry crunch topping! Completely no bake and delicious, you'll want this beauty on repeat in your kitchen!
Check out this recipe!
Slice of Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake on white plate.
Blackberry Lemon Bread
This Blackberry Lemon Bread is a moist, flavorful lemon bread studded with fresh blackberries and topped with the most gorgeous blackberry glaze!
Check out this recipe!
Blackberry Lemon Bread on a white tray.
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake
This Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake is a dream of textures and flavors! The lemon cheesecake is swirled with a homemade raspberry sauce, all in a classic graham cracker crust!
Check out this recipe!
Slice of Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake.
Blueberry Sugar
This Homemade Blueberry Sugar combines sweet blueberries with granulated sugar for a taste of summer no matter the season! Add it to baked goods, flavor butter, use it to rim cocktail glasses, and more!
Check out this recipe!
Top view of jar of Blueberry Sugar.
Almond Rolls with Cherry Glaze
Filled with homemade almond filling and topped with a gorgeous cherry glaze, you need these Almond Rolls with Cherry Glaze at your next brunch! Or...anytime, really. 😀
Check out this recipe!
Closeup of Almond Roll with Cherry Glaze on a white plate with a bite missing.
Strawberry Sugar
This Homemade Strawberry Sugar combines sweet strawberries with granulated sugar for the ultimate flavor enhancer! Add it to baked goods, flavor butter, use it to rim cocktail glasses, and more!
Check out this recipe!
Glass jar of Strawberry Sugar with cork in top and gift tag on front.
Blueberry Buttercream
This Blueberry Buttercream is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more! The bright blueberry flavor and color (without a drop of food dye) are irresistible!
Check out this recipe!
Blueberry Buttercream in a white cup with fresh blueberries on top.

Updated 7/5/2023

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