Water-Based vs Oil-Based Food Colouring

One question we get all the time is "should I use water-based or oil-based food colouring?". It's a great question, and it can sometimes make or break your baking project. It all depends on what you're using it for. So we thought we'd give you a quick rundown on both options to help you choose the right one every time.

Chef Master (water based) on the Left - Colour Mill (oil based) on the Right

Water-Based 

Water-based food colourings are the most common type you'll find, and they're incredibly versatile. These colours work perfectly in frostings, royal icing, cake batters, cookie dough, meringues, and anything with a water or sugar base. They dissolve easily, blend smoothly, and give you vibrant, consistent colour throughout your mixture.

But, if you try mixing water-based colours with chocolate, candy melts, or any fat-based recipe, you'll run into trouble. The water content will cause the fats to seize up—it'll become thick, grainy, and unworkable. The colour won't blend in properly either, it'll separate and create streaks or clumps. Not the look you're going for!

Oil-Based 

On the other hand, oil-based food colourings are specifically designed to mix seamlessly into chocolate, candy melts, buttercream and anything else where fat is the main component. Because they're oil-soluble rather than water-soluble, they blend beautifully without causing any seizing or separation.

However, if you try using them in royal icing, meringue, or anything without a high fat content, you'll run into the same blending issues. The oil won't incorporate properly into a water-based mixture, and you'll end up with a streaky, uneven colour.

The key to getting perfect results is knowing which base—water or oil—you're working with, and matching your food colouring accordingly. Most everyday baking projects like cakes, cookies, and icings will be fine for water-based colours. But if you're tempering chocolate, making candy, or working with anything particularly rich and fatty, the oil-based option will be better.

Most recipes will be fine with either, but the main ones to note are when you’re working with either Royal Icing or Chocolate. 

Royal icing? Make sure it’s a water based colour! Chocolate? Make sure it’s oil-based!

We're always happy to help you figure out which option will give you the best results, so you can always just ask us in-store.