19 Brilliant Rainbow-Inspired Recipes

Want to brighten someone’s day? Make them one of these vibrant recipes. From a spectrum of sweet treats to savory dishes that incorporate every color of the rainbow, you’re sure to find something special with these fun ideas.

May 22, 2023

By: Food Network Kitchen

Photo By: Heather Baird SprinkleBakes.com

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Photograph by Yunhee Kim

Photo By: Heather Baird SprinkleBakes.com

Photo By: Ryan Dausch

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Vu Ong

Rainbow Jell-O Shot Cups

These eye-popping, multilayered rainbow treats are spiked with a little vodka but you could substitute water to make them alcohol-free. ROY G. BIV Jell-O colors are layered diagonally with creamy panna cotta to give this dessert a gravity-defying appearance. (The technique may look complicated, but it’s easy using an empty egg carton!) Once assembled, these cups keep well in the refrigerator, so they can be made ahead for convenience.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Jell-O Shot Cups

Rainbow Cinnamon Rolls

We’ve taken everything you love about traditional cinnamon rolls and added the colors of the rainbow—using gel coloring for the most vibrant and cheery hues. Top these fluffy treats with a generous smear of homemade cream cheese glaze and a sprinkle of crunchy rainbow nonpareils for an adorable sweet you can serve for any happy occasion.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Cinnamon Rolls

Rainbow Pride Pops

Recipe developer Khalil Hymore says, "For many people in the LGBTQIA+ community, Pride is practically a national holiday. For me, it’s a time to gather with my friends and chosen family to celebrate queer culture, and to connect with other gay parents. (As a dad, I always make sure to participate in Family Pride Days.) When we decided to include rainbow ice pops for Pride in the June issue of Food Network Magazine, I jumped at the opportunity to create them. I considered many different types of ingredients, like fruit juices or purees, but the colors weren’t bright enough. Then it hit me: Fruit-flavored Jell-O would be perfect! The colors turn out super vibrant — just like the Pride Flag."

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Pride Pops

Rainbow Sprinkles Layer Cake

Serve up little slices of happiness with this towering, confetti-coated confection. The key to the uniform rainbow interior is to trim the domed top off of each cake before stacking. If you don't have a cake leveler, use a serrated knife. The trick is to keep your eye on the blade and ensure that it remains level the entire way across the cake.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Sprinkles Layer Cake

Rainbow Brioche

This rainbow brioche will be the star of your next meal, thanks to the rich, buttery flavor, airy texture and vibrant layers. Enjoy thick slices of this bread in a colorful sandwich, as French toast or simply on its own.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Brioche

Rainbow Cupcakes

These colorful cupcakes are easier than you might think. They start with one basic batter that's divided evenly into six separate bowls. Each bowl gets a a bit of food coloring, creating all the colors of the rainbow.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Cupcakes

Rainbow Cottage Pie

Cottage pie (also known as shepherd's pie) gets a colorful makeover with the addition of some leafy greens and a topping made from purple potatoes.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Cottage Pie

Tie-Dye Cake Roll

This colorful jelly roll-inspired cake features a groovy tie-dye design that’s easy to achieve and sure to impress. The trick to creating a clean cake spiral is to "train" the cake by tightly rolling it while still warm in a kitchen towel, which prevents cracking and makes it easy to re-roll once cooled. Kids can help with swirling together the colorful batter with a toothpick to create a marbled effect and rolling up the vanilla frosting-filled cake. Frosting roses and a shower of colorful rainbow sprinkles are the perfect finishing touches for this beautiful and festive dessert.

Get the Recipe: Tie-Dye Cake Roll

Rainbow Fruit Skewers with Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

"Eat the rainbow" has become a popular bit of advice for healthy eating — a reminder to include a wide variety of fruits and veggies into your diet. We've never been so excited to do just that! These good-for-you skewers are loaded with colorful fruit — and even include a dark chocolate-dipped strawberry!

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Fruit Skewers with Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Rainbow Bundt Cake

This whimsical rainbow cake doesn't require any special equipment — just a simple Bundt pan. Dyed shredded coconut achieves those iconic ROYGBIV blocks of color — so no painstaking decorating necessary.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Bundt Cake

Rainbow Smoothies

Brighten your day with a wholesome and delicious smoothie — in any color of the rainbow!

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Smoothie

Rainbow Crispy Treats

Worried you don't have the pastry decorating skills to pull off a rainbow-inspired treat? Try this easy spin on classic crispy rice cereal treats. Simply use colorful cereal, like Fruity Pebbles, to create a sweet treat you can be proud of.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Crispy Treats

Rainbow Unicorn Brownies

Duff says, "All brownies are magical" because they spread smiles. And we couldn't agree more. He takes the enchantment to the next level with these sweet treats; they feature swirls of bright rainbow colors and a dusting of edible glitter.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Unicorn Brownies

Six-Foot Nachos

Hosting a crowd of family and friends? Treat them to this amazing, rainbow-inspired spread. You can prep most of the toppings a day ahead which makes assembly a breeze on the day of. Our recipe feeds up to 30 (and spans an impressive 6 feet) but you could easily halve it if you're entertaining a smaller group or have less space.

Get the Recipe: Six-Foot Nachos

Rainbow Slice-and-Bake Cookies

The key to these cookies is making sure the dough is very solid before you slice through it, so that the colorful arches keep their shape. We reccomend freezing the log of dough for at least an hour, until very firm, for perfect rainbows.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Slice-and-Bake Cookies

Rainbow Vertical Cake

Not only does this cake get flipped on its side and rolled up for a surprising interior but it also gets the dizzying effect of rainbow colored frosting. This is sure to delight the inner child in anyone.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Vertical Cake

Rainbow Chicken Salad

This simple salad is a cinch to make — and every bit as delicious as it is eye-catching. The subtle sweetness of the corn and tomatoes works surprisingly well with the sweet-tart berries, balancing out the bite of the dark greens.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Chicken Salad

Rainbow Layer Cake

This version of the rainbow layer cake opts for pastel hues — to match the nonpareils that cover the ousdie of the cake.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Layer Cake

Rainbow Deviled Eggs

It's hard to upgrade a classic like deviled eggs but we think we've done it here by giving them the ROYGBIV treatment (and an extra pop of flavor). It takes a bit of time and effort to make all the colors of the rainbow but isn't difficult to do. You'll just need a handful of extra ingredients like bell peppers, carrots, avocado and beets.

Get the Recipe: Rainbow Deviled Eggs