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!
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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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!
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
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Blueberry Chocolate Cake
This Blueberry Chocolate Cake is a decadent dark chocolate cake topped with blueberry buttercream! This one-layer cake is simple, delicious, and you can't beat the color of that blueberry frosting!
Check out this recipe!
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
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!
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!
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!
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!
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 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!
Pies and Tarts
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!
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!
Lilac Strawberry Galette
This Lilac Strawberry Galette is sweet pastry filled with juicy fresh strawberries and lilac sugar! Baked to perfection, you'll love the sweet floral flavor of this beauty! No lilac sugar? Use lavender sugar, vanilla sugar, or regular granulated sugar instead!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
More Colorful Recipes
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Strawberry Biscuit Shortcake
This Strawberry Biscuit Shortcake has tender strawberry biscuits topped with vanilla bean whipped cream and juicy strawberries! This recipe is easy to whip up, and the perfect way to enjoy berry season!
Check out this recipe!
Lemon Curd Cheesecake with Lemon Cookie Crust
This Lemon Curd Cheesecake is a lemon lover's dream! This beauty has a lemon sugar cookie crust topped with no-bake lemon cheesecake, homemade lemon curd, and whipped cream!
Check out this recipe!
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!
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!
Cherry Glaze
This Cherry Glaze is a simple and delicious treat! Bursting with cherry flavor, and without a drop of food color, you'll find yourself adding it to cakes, cookies, scones, and more!
Check out this recipe!
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Updated 4/2/2024
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