Tie-Dyed Sweets

Give your favorite sweets a retro makeover with these simple recipes inspired by Roy G. Biv.

By: Heather Baird

Related To:

Roy G. Biv

If you’d like to bring fun, retro fashion to your sweets, tie-dye them! In just minutes, cakes, marshmallows and even waffles can get groovy with eye-popping color. You’ll need a few prepackaged ingredients and an assortment of food color to get started. A good way to choose your colors is to remember the acronym ROYGBIV: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Use all the colors of the rainbow! Disposable cups and bowls will make mixing colors and cleanup a breeze; just be sure to use biodegradables to keep these projects eco-friendly.

Tie-Dyed Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are so easy to make: Just add an extra egg to a standard box of cake mix. Divide the batter into 4 to 6 even portions, then tint each batter with a food color. Drop a spoonful of each color batter into the cavities of a greased whoopie pie pan and use a skewer to swirl the colors. When the pies are baked and cooled, fill them with whipped topping or homemade whipped cream.

Tie-Dyed Marshmallows

To make these groovy marshmallows, grab a bag of extra-large puffs and dip the tines of a fork into undiluted liquid food color. Press the tines randomly onto the surface of the marshmallows, then place them on a wire rack to dry. Display them on skewers, or pile them high on a plate; they’ll become part of the table decor!

Tie-Dyed Birthday Cake

Tie-dyed birthday cake will always be welcome at a party. To make this single-layer cake, you’ll need 1 box of white cake mix and as many different food colors as you can handle. Divide and tint the batter with the colors, then spoon the colors randomly into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Use a butter knife to swirl the colors together before baking. When the cake is cool, top with ready-made vanilla frosting and sprinkles.

Tie-Dyed Waffle

Who knew breakfast could be so fun? Shake-and-pour waffle mix makes this project a snap. Prepare the waffle mix as directed, then pour the batter into 4 to 6 separate bowls. Tint each bowl a different color, then spoon the colorful batter into a preheated waffle iron. You’re just five minutes away from a piping-hot psychedelic waffle — far out!

Tie-Dyed Cupcakes

These cupcakes are so pretty and colorful that I decided they didn’t need any frosting. Follow the same instructions for making Tie-Dyed Birthday Cake, except spoon the different colors of batter into a lined cupcake pan. Cake mixes that are lighter in color, such as white and yellow, will yield the most-colorful result.

Tie-Dyed Candy Pops

These pops were made using an assortment of bright-colored candy wafers. Candy wafers (sometimes labeled as Candy Melts) can be found in the baking aisle at craft stores and at some of the larger discount stores. As the name indicates, they melt easily in the microwave in about 1 minute (at 100 percent power) and can be swirled together to create gorgeous eye-catching sweets. You’ll need a lollipop mold and sticks, which can also be found at craft stores.

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