How to Make Edible Glitter

Edible glitter is a fun way to dress up your cupcakes, donuts, cookies, and other baked goods. Although you can also purchase it pre-made, making your own edible glitter at home can be easy and fun. Different methods will yield different results in terms of glitter size, sparkle, and color, so experiment with different types to find what’s best for your project.

Ingredients

Simple Edible Glitter with Raw Sugar

¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of raw or cane sugar
Liquid, gel, or natural food coloring

Fine-Grained Shimmer with Gum-Tex or Tylose Powder

1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of Gum-Tex or tylose powder
At least ¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 mL) of luster dust or airbrush food coloring
4 tablespoons (59 mL) of boiling water

Richly Colored Sparkles with Gum Arabic

¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) of gum arabic
¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) of hot water
Airbrush food coloring or luster dust (at least ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL))

Extra Shiny Gelatin-Based Glitter

1 tablespoon (15 mL) of unflavored gelatin powder
3 tablespoons (44 mL) of water
At least ¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 mL)) of luster dust or airbrush food coloring
Liquid food coloring (optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Simple Glitter Using Raw Sugar

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You can also use a silicone baking mat if you have one, but do not use plastic wrap since it’s not oven safe.^{[1]XResearch source}
2
Measure out ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of raw or cane sugar. Look for large grained sugar, usually labeled as “raw” or “cane.” Granulated sugar has much finer grains and will yield less sparkly results.^{[2]XResearch source}
- If your goal is to add color rather than shine, granulated sugar will work fine.
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3
Mix sugar with a few drops of food coloring in a small bowl. You can use either gel paste or liquid food coloring. You can also make your own food dyes out of natural ingredients like vegetables, fruit juices, and spices. Continue to mix until the color is fully and evenly incorporated into the sugar.^{[3]XResearch source}
- To create new hues, try mixing different food colorings. Green glitter, for example, can be made with 1 drop of blue and 2 drop of yellow food coloring.
Use an offset spatula or spoon to make sure the sugar is evenly distributed. The thinner you spread the sugar, the more quickly it will bake.
Once it’s fully dried out, remove the tray from the oven right away: if you over-bake the sugar, it will melt and create a sticky mess!^{[4]XResearch source}
After giving the sugar about one hour to cool fully, it should be ready to work with. If there are any clumps, simply use your hands to break them up.^{[5]XResearch source}
The color and sparkle may fade significantly over time, so try to keep the containers away from direct light.^{[6]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Fine-Grained Shimmer Glitter

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You can also use a silicone baking mat if you have one, but do not use plastic wrap since it’s not oven safe.^{[7]XResearch source}
Gum-Tex and tylose powder are fine white powders used to strengthen fondants and gum pastes. You can purchase them at bakery specialty stores, craft shops, or online.^{[8]XResearch source}
3
Mix the powder with luster dust food coloring powder in a small bowl. Start with about ¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 mL) of luster dust food coloring and slowly add more until you achieve your desired intensity of color.^{[9]XResearch source}
- You can also use airbrush food coloring instead of luster dust if you have it available.
4
Stir 4 tablespoons (59 mL) of boiling water into the ingredients in the bowl. The mixture will get chunky, so try to smooth out as many clumps as you can. Mix until all the water is incorporated. Eventually, the gum-tex or tylose will thicken the water into a paste-like texture.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Try adding the water 1 tablespoon (15 mL) at a time to help minimize clumpiness.
The thinner you spread the gum mixture, the quicker it will bake, but be careful to make an even layer so everything cooks at the same rate. A pastry or food brush can help.
The exact timing will depend on how thick you spread the glitter, but should be around 30 minutes. Once it’s done, the mixture should be fully hardened and will peel away from the tray.^{[11]XResearch source}
Once the glitter has fully cooled, use your hands or a pair of scissors to break the large sheet into pieces small enough to fit into your coffee grinder or food processor.
8
Use a coffee grinder or food processor to further crumble the glitter. Place the larger pieces of glitter into the bowl of the grinder or processor. Put on the lid and grind until your glitter has fine grains.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Try using the spice grinder attachment for your coffee grinder if you have one.
Re-grind these larger pieces for a more uniformly fine-grained glitter. However, if you're okay with more variety in glitter sizes, you can skip this step altogether.^{[13]XResearch source}
Your edible glitter should last for months, but may lose some sparkle over time. Be sure to store it away from water and sunlight to prolong its shelf life.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Richly Colored Sparkles

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You can use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to line your tray, but skip plastic wrap since it's not oven-safe.
Gum arabic is a thickening agent used frequently in icings and fillings when baking. It has the properties of a glue or binder and can be found at bakery specialty stores, well-stocked craft shops, and online.
3
Mix in hot water and a few drops of airbrush food coloring. Start with ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) of hot water and add more a drop at a time if needed. Gum arabic picks up color well, so add your color in slowly: a little will go a long way. Whisk until the color and water are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
- Don’t have airbrush food color? You can use luster dust instead. Start with ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) and add more if needed.^{[14]XResearch source}
The mixture will not be a solid sheet, but try to spread it evenly over the tray to ensure even baking times.
When it’s fully baked, the glitter should be dry and will start to peel away from the baking tray.^{[15]XResearch source}
Once everything has fully cooled, use a wooden spoon or simply your hands to create smaller pieces of glitter. For a finer grain, you can run the glitter through a mesh sieve or tea strainer.^{[16]XResearch source}
Your edible glitter should last for months, but may lose some sparkle over time. Be sure to keep away from water and sunlight to prolong its shelf life.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Extra Shiny Glitter

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Avoid flavored gelatin powder, which is usually colored. This can mix unfavorably with your dye and dampen the sparkle needed to create glitter.
Using a spoon or small spatula, stir well the mixture until it thickens up. This could take up to 5 minutes. If any white foam appears, skim off with a spoon and discard.^{[17]XResearch source}
3
Add luster dust or airbrush food color. Start with a small amount (roughly ¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 mL)) and mix in more until you achieve the color you want. For an extra shiny glitter, look for airbrush food coloring with a pearl sheen.
- For a more intense hue, add a few drops of gel paste food coloring in a matching shade.^{[18]XResearch source}
4
Pour the gelatin mixture onto a large sheet of plastic or acetate. A plastic cutting board or baking sheet lined with plastic wrap would also work perfectly. Aim to pour the gelatin onto the center of the plastic so it doesn’t spill off the sides.
- If the mixture doesn’t naturally spread across the plastic, use an offset spatula to even it out.^{[19]XResearch source}
If you’re in a hurry, you can speed things along by placing it in front of a dehumidifier or fan on a low setting. Once the gelatin is fully dried, it will curl up and peel away from the plastic sheet.^{[20]XResearch source}
6
Use a coffee grinder or food processor to break up the glitter. You may need to break up the sheet into smaller pieces so that it fits in the bowl of the grinder or processor. Put on the lid and grind until your glitter has fine grains.^{[21]XResearch source}
- Try using the spice grinder attachment for your coffee grinder if you have one.
Re-grind these larger pieces for a more uniformly fine-grained glitter. However, if you're okay with more variety in glitter sizes, you can skip this step altogether.^{[22]XResearch source}
Your edible glitter should last for months, but may lose some sparkle over time. Be sure to keep away from water and sunlight to prolong its shelf life.

Community Q&A

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Question
If I mix colors, will it look better?
Community Answer
It probably will, depending on how you want it to look. Adding one color will make it a solid color, but mixing can make it rainbow-ish. Mixing it too well might make the colors mix.
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Does aluminum foil work instead of parchment paper
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No, it won't.
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How can I make brown sugar glitter?
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Caramelize it slightly like you were making cinder toffee. Make sure you take it out before it gets too runny. Crush up any hard parts and use them.
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Tips

It is also possible to make edible glitter using salt. The problem with this is that few people enjoy eating anything that would be heavily salted enough to look glittery!^{[23]XResearch source}
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Edible glitter is a great addition to baked goods, but can also be used to dress up drinks. Try rimming the edge of your next cocktail with edible glitter for a fun, sparkly treat.
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Things You'll Need

Simple Glitter Using Raw Sugar

Baking tray
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Small bowl
Offset spatula or spoon
Airtight container for storage (optional)

Fine-Grained Shimmer Glitter

Baking tray
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Small bowl
Fork or whisk
Pastry or food brush (optional)
Coffee grinder or food processor
Sieve
Airtight container for storage (optional)

Richly Colored Sparkles

Baking tray
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Small bowl
Fork or whisk
Pastry brush or a small, clean paintbrush
Mesh sieve or tea strainer (optional)
Airtight container for storage (optional)

Extra Shiny Glitter

Small bowl
Spoon or spatula
Large sheet of plastic, such as a plastic cutting board or baking sheet lined with plastic wrap.
Offset spatula (optional)
Coffee grinder or food processor
Sieve
Airtight container for storage (optional)