It’s very easy to colour white fondant to any shade you’d like allowing you to really get creative with your baking.

The team at Milly’s have been working with fondant for years and we have a host of tips and tricks to get you off to the right start. Let’s get started …

What do you need?

You should almost always start with white fondant* – and we always recommend gel colours rather than fluids as adding fluid to your fondant can water down your fondant making it sticky and difficult to roll.

It all starts with a little kneading ...

Start by kneading your fondant into a pliable, workable ball. This can cake a few minutes depending on the ambient temperature.

Add your colour …

Gel colours are very strongly coloured and you only need to add a drop at a time. Begin by dipping a clean toothpick into your colour and dotting it into your fondant a few times. We recommend Wilton Gel Colours as they are true to the colour on the top of the tub, last for absolutely ages, can be easily incorporated into your fondant, and can be endlessly mixed to form other colours.B

Blend the colour through your fondant.

Again, this will take a little time and patience. If you are using a strong colour you may wish to don food safe gloves to save your hands 😉

Keep kneading and blending until you have an even colour right through your ball of fondant. Once you’re happy that your colour is evenly dispersed through your fondant, you’re ready to move onto rolling out your fondant or shaping your accents. We recommend that you use your fondant straight way or immediately wrap in plastic wrap to prevent it drying out and discolouring.

Other notes:

Make as much as you need:

Always colour as much fondant as you’ll need for your entire project in one go. It’s almost impossible to colour match fondant a second time (actually, let’s remove that word ‘actually’ – it’s definitely impossible!).

Add flavours:

Use this same method (little additions, knead through, add more if needed) to add flavour to your fondant.

Hygiene is paramount:

Always use a clean toothpick each time you want to add more colour. This prevents cross-contamination which will shorten the life of your colours. Food hygiene is important here.

How to make dark colours:

*For deep colours, it can be better to start with a base of a similar colour ie start with a chocolate icing which you then tint to black, or start with a pink fondant which you then tint to red. This gives a better result that trying to tint white fondant to black etc.

What are gel colours:

Gel colours are very strong – use a little and view the effect (thoroughly mixed through) before adding more. It can be very easy to go overboard – and there’s no way back from there! Gel colours will also stain when spilled on clothes, stone benches etc so make sure you’re careful to prevent spills, drips, etc.

For more help with fondant: see our Fondant Tips and Tricks.