Are you looking for ways to let your little one safely explore painting? This big collection of taste-safe and edible paint recipes is perfect for babies and toddlers who like to put everything in their mouths. Who knew there were so many ways to make homemade paint from food ingredients?
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Even as a baby, our eldest was never really one to put everything in her mouth—but boy, did that change when her little sister was born!
Soap, sand, bubble liquid… everything had to be tasted. So when it came to activities, we had to get creative to find activities that were both engaging and not harmful to her if swallowed.
Taste-safe sensory activities are always a huge hit in our house, and we love that they allow our kids to safely explore different textures. But sometimes, you just have to go with tried-and-true classics like painting.
And as it turns out, making edible paint for your kids couldn’t be easier—and there are dozens of different recipes you can use to do it!
Yogurt, applesauce, frosting, marshmallows… there are so many things you can use to make edible paint for babies and toddlers, and they all have unique textures (and scents) for your little ones to explore.
Since you control the ingredients, you can choose to make your edible paint gluten-free, dairy-free, or free of any other foods that your child is sensitive to. You can also choose a different recipe depending on which ingredients you happen to have in your pantry.
So if you have a baby or toddler at home who is forever eating every activity you prepare for them, and you’d like them to experience painting in a way that is safe and non-toxic, this big list of edible paint recipes is a great place to start!
(You can also try painting in a bag on days where you’re looking for something low-mess.)
1. Yogurt Finger Paint
Yogurt paint is perhaps one of the most popular edible paint recipes for babies… and for good reason. This simple paint recipe only requires two ingredients, and it makes a great edible sensory activity for babies and younger toddlers! (Use Greek yogurt for a thicker consistency.)
Read the full tutorial: Edible Yogurt Finger Paint
2. Froot Loop Paint
Want to make edible paint for babies without food colouring? This recipe is also yogurt-based, but its colour comes from crushed Froot Loops, which, according to Kellogg’s website, contain no artificial colours. This one could be a good option for kids who are sensitive to food dyes! (You can also use Kool-Aid or sprinkle colouring if ever you don’t have Froot Loops.)
Read the full tutorial: Taste-Safe Froot Loop Paint
3. Cornstarch Finger Paint
Want to make edible paint with cornstarch? This super simple finger paint recipe calls for ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry… all of them taste-safe, of course! And since this recipe doesn’t call for flour, you can even use it for kids who can’t consume gluten.
Read the full tutorial: Edible Cornstarch Finger Paint
4. Real Fruit Finger Paint
If you’re looking for a more natural edible paint recipe, this fruit purée paint could be it! This natural finger paint recipe is made from real fruit, and it would make a great sensory activity for little ones who are just starting to familiarize themselves with solids.
Read the full tutorial: Fruit Purée Finger Paint
5. Applesauce Paint
…And as far as fruit paint goes, this one is great for days where you don’t have much time to prep activities, since unlike the previous recipe, it won’t require you to use a blender!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Applesauce Paint
6. Chia Pudding Finger Paint
Are healthy, natural ingredients important to you? This lovely chia seed pudding paint is naturally dyed with fresh fruits and vegetables, and it’s totally free of processed ingredients and artificial colouring.
Read the full tutorial: Healthy Chia Pudding Finger Paint
7. Marshmallow Paint
Who would have known that you can make edible paint with marshmallows? I was a little sceptical at first, but this taste-safe paint recipe made from melted marshmallows was a HUGE hit with our kids! (I wouldn’t recommend saving their artwork though, as the paint is a big sticky even once it’s dry.)
Read the full tutorial: Edible Melted Marshmallow Paint
8. Marshmallow Fluff Paint
Do your kids love marshmallow paint? If so, they’ll love this homemade marshmallow fluff paint—and so will you, because it just so happens that this recipe is no-cook and super simple to make!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Marshmallow Fluff Paint
9. Peeps Puffy Paint
…Or, if you’re looking for a fun Easter twist on marshmallow paint, try using Peeps instead of regular marshmallows! This taste-safe paint recipe is SO simple to make and only calls for one ingredient. Don’t you love the three-dimensional effect?
Read the full tutorial: Melted Peeps Puffy Paint
10. Frosting Paint
This fun edible paint recipe is also super simple to make, and it’s a great way to use up whatever frosting is left at the bottom of the container when you finish frosting a cake… or whipping up a batch of Edible Frosting Play Dough.
All you’ll need to do is add some food colouring to frosting and give it to your chid to paint with. I chose to use fluffy white frosting because I wanted the colour to be as vibrant as possible… but you can even skip the food colouring entirely and use chocolate or butterscotch frosting instead since they already have a colour built-in!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Frosting Paint (Coming Soon!)
11. Icing Sugar/Coconut Paint
You can also skip the pre-made frosting and simply use icing sugar to make your own edible paint for baby. Or, if you’re not a fan of giving your child sugar, the recipe also shows you how to make edible paint using desiccated coconut!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Icing Sugar/Coconut Paint
12. Jell-O Paint
We’ve made Jell-O Play Dough and Jell-O Slime for the kids before… so why not Jell-O paint? This edible finger paint recipe for babies only requires two simple ingredients, and it smells AMAZING!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Jell-O Finger Paint
13. Baby Cereal Paint
If you’re exploring different paint textures with your little ones, you’ll love this simple edible paint recipe made from baby cereal!
To make it, simply pour some of your favourite baby cereal into a small bowl and stir in water until you’re satisfied with the texture (we used about 3 tablespoons of water per 4 tablespoons of baby cereal). Then, add in whichever colour of food colouring you like and having fun spreading it around on paper!
Read the full tutorial: Taste-Safe Baby Cereal Paint (Coming Soon!)
14. Pudding Paint
…Or, if you’re looking for something even simpler, simply grab a cup of vanilla pudding and stir in some food colouring to make some instant baby-safe and toddler-safe edible paint!
Because the pudding already has a paint-like consistency, you won’t need to bother with any measurements and you’ll be able to start the activity more quickly. (You can also use instant pudding mix, but if you do, you’ll need to measure out quantities… which is why I prefer to simply use pudding cups.)
Read the full tutorial: Edible Pudding Paint (Coming Soon!)
15. Sweetened Condensed Milk Paint
This recipe is also super simple to make! It will only require two ingredients and two minutes of your time, which makes it perfect for busy days. And the best part? This homemade edible paint can also be used to paint designs onto cookies!
Read the full tutorial: Sweetened Condensed Milk Paint
16. Sugar Paint for Bread
And speaking of painting on food, did you know you could use sugar to make DIY paint that can be used to paint designs onto sliced bread? I will definitely be trying this bread painting activity with my kids!
Read the full tutorial: How to Paint Rainbow Bread
17. Frozen Whipped Topping Paint
Do you have some frozen whipped topping in your freezer? We had some left over from the Whipped Cream Dyed Easter Eggs that we made last month, so we decided to try using it as paint… and it worked out perfectly!
You may need to let it thaw for a couple minutes before you can use it since it tends to be pretty solid when frozen. But as soon as it is soft enough for food colouring to be mixed in, it is ready to use. Our kids loved this fluffy whipped topping paint!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Whipped Topping Paint (Coming Soon!)
18. Whipped Cream Paint
Whipped cream doesn’t have to be frozen to be turned into taste-safe paint. Whether you have a can of Cool Whip in your fridge or even some leftover whipping cream (which has the advantage of not tasting sweet), you can easily use it to set up this toddler-safe paint station—and it doubles as a sensory activity!
For added fun, consider placing your coloured whipped cream in silicone trays and freezing it to create frozen whipped cream painting blocks. So fun!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Whipped Cream Paint
19. Frozen Ice Cube Paint
…And if your child enjoys frozen painting activities, you may want to try these super simple—and taste-safe—ice cube paint blocks that would make a great outdoor painting activity on a hot summer day! (You can even colour them with Kool-Aid powder if you would rather not use food colouring.)
Read the full tutorial: Frozen Ice Paint (Taste-Safe!)
20. Freeze Pop Paint
Looking for something even simpler? Instead of filling an ice cube tray and waiting for the water to freeze, simply grab an ice pop out of the freezer and cut it open for a cool sensory painting experience!
I don’t recommend keeping the artwork as it will feel a little sticky and may attract insects… but in this case, the process matters more than the end result anyway, and the goal is simply for your kids to have fun!
21. Spice Paints
I would never have thought to do this, but I will definitely be trying it. We have a TON of spices in our pantry and I’m sure our kids would have lots of fun smelling them all and choosing which ones to turn into taste-safe paint.
This activity provides a full sensory experience, and unlike some of the other recipes in this article, it isn’t sugary, and therefore its taste won’t actively encourage infants to eat it. (Not that there’s anything wrong with sweet-tasting recipes… but it’s always good to have options!)
Read the full tutorial: Taste-Safe Spice Paints
22. Kool-Aid Finger Paint
And speaking of taste-safe activities that smell good, but don’t taste good, this edible Kool-Aid finger paint comes with all the fruity scent of Kool-Aid, but none of the sugar! While this homemade finger paint is technically edible, your toddler probably won’t want to eat a whole bunch of it after tasting it—and I don’t know about you, but that’s always a plus in my book!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Kool-Aid Finger Paint
23. Kool-Aid Watercolour Paint
Love Kool-Aid? You may also want to try this super simple liquid watercolour paint made from unsweetened Kool-Aid powder! This one also smells amazing, and you can adjust the amount of water to make the colours lighter or darker. Such a fun and easy activity for kids!
Read the full tutorial: Kool-Aid Liquid Watercolour Paint
24. Liquid Watercolour Paint with Food Colouring
No Kool-Aid? No problem! Making your own taste-safe watercolour paints from food colouring is SO easy, and once again, you’re free to make the colours as concentrated as you like. For added fun, you can even use it to paint designs on tortillas!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Liquid Watercolour Paint
25. DIY Watercolour Paint Pucks
I tried this project a few months ago and couldn’t believe how easy it was! Liquid watercolour paint seems like an obvious choice if you have food colouring lying around, but did you know you could make homemade watercolour paint pucks at home using just a few simple kitchen ingredients?
Read the full tutorial: Homemade Watercolour Paint Pucks
26. Homemade Flour Paint
I’ve shared lots of unique ways to make homemade paint in this article, but what if you’re just looking for a basic replacement for washable kids’ paint? This DIY flour paint recipe is a great one to keep on hand in case you run out of paint during craft time!
Read the full tutorial: Taste-Safe Flour Paint
27. Microwave Puffy Paint
Since we’re on the topic of flour paint, did you know you could use flour to make homemade paint that puffs up in the microwave? We’ve made puffy paint with glue and shaving cream before, but never with taste-safe ingredients. So cool!
Read the full tutorial: Edible Microwave Puffy Paint
28. Taste-Safe Chalk Paint
It’s almost summer, which means it’s almost to take out our bubble rocket, water table and sidewalk chalk… unless we decide to make it ourselves! As it turns out, making your own sidewalk paint couldn’t be easier, and it also happens to be made from edible ingredients.
Read the full tutorial: Taste-Safe Sidewalk Chalk Paint
29. Fizzy Sidewalk Chalk Paint
If you tried the previous recipe and loved it, try kicking it up a notch by adding some baking soda to create FIZZY sidewalk paint for your kids to play with!
Read the full tutorial: Fizzy Sidewalk Chalk Paint
30. Fizzing Baking Soda Paint
And finally, which kid doesn’t love a good baking soda and vinegar reaction? We had lots of fun turning regular kids’ paint into fizzy baking soda paint to make a Fizzing Baking Soda Paint Volcano, but if you’re crafting with younger toddlers, why not go a step further and create the paint from scratch to make this activity taste-safe!
Read the full tutorial: Fizzy Baking Soda Paint
Related Taste-Safe Activities for Kids
Looking for more fun activities to do at home with your baby or toddler? Check out these articles:
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