How to Color White Chocolate

To color the chocolate, you need to melt it first. This is a difficult task, and even more difficult when you are dealing with white chocolate which is very easy to burn. If possible, you should spend extra time learning the right ingredients and experimenting with small portions.

Table of Contents

Prepare

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Choose white chocolate. The ingredients list will tell you whether white chocolate is made from pure cocoa butter or a cheap vegetable oil. Fake chocolate is less likely to curdle (become hard) than chocolate made with pure cocoa butter. Experts appreciate the taste of real chocolate, but some brands of fake chocolate are no less in terms of taste. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Use newly purchased chocolate. Chocolate often loses flavor and texture when stored for too long, especially when it’s real chocolate.
To create a chocolate work with lots of detail, it’s a good idea to choose diluted dipping or coating chocolate.

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Choose food coloring. A drop of water can also cause melted chocolate to curdle. For best results, you should choose powdered or oil-based food coloring available at grocery stores or online. ^{[2] X Research Source} You can apply the instructions below to regular water-based food coloring, but the process will be more difficult.

Oily food coloring is best for creating pale colors, as too much color can create a bitter taste and stain the mouth. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
These food colorings are denser than water. They cling to clothes, leather and kitchen counters.

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Warm oil food coloring before using. Chocolate is very susceptible to drying and can also curdle when food coloring is at a different temperature than chocolate. If you’re using oil-based food coloring, heat it up to room temperature first. (Other food colorings can be kept at room temperature.)

Place the tightly closed colored bottle in a zippered plastic bag. Push all the air out of the bag, then close the mouth of the bag tightly.
Soak the bag in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes. You only need to use water that is warm enough to put your hands in, instead of hot water.
Shake the colored bottle once or twice during the soaking process to distribute the heat evenly. Change the water when the water has cooled.
Remove the color bottle from the bag and dry the water.

Simmer in a water bath. If you don’t have a water-bath, you can use a large pot and heatproof bowl, or a small pot that can be placed on top of a large pot. First you will prepare a large pot, without a lid. Boil 2.5-7.5cm of water until it comes to a simmer.

Dry the top of the water bath and stirrer while boiling the water, even if they don’t look wet at all. A rubber or silicone stirrer is best, as the wooden spoon may still have some moisture. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Boil and color

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Decide when to add food coloring. The timing will depend on the type of food coloring you use. Please read the detailed instructions below before you begin, as you will need to change the order of the steps:

Add the gouache as soon as the chocolate begins to melt.
You can add oil color after the chocolate has melted, as long as you have warmed the color according to the instructions above.
Watercolors rarely cause clumping if added before the chocolate has melted. ^{[5] X Research Source} (Here’s why you don’t need to warm up your watercolors before applying.)

Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Place the chocolate bowl in the top of the water bath that is still at room temperature. Place this on top of a pot of simmering water. The heat of the steam will slowly warm the chocolate and keep it below the caking temperature.

If you’re using bar chocolate, break the chocolate bar into roughly equal-sized pieces.
Make sure your hands are completely dry. Moisture can damage chocolate.
If using chocolate with pure cocoa butter, you will save ⅓ of the chocolate for later use. This is only necessary when you want the chocolate to look shiny.

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Stir until chocolate is melted. White chocolate is very flammable and should not have a temperature higher than 46ºC. ^{[6] X Research Source} Keep the stove on the lowest setting or turn off the heat if you’re only melting a little chocolate. Stir slowly and continuously until the chocolate is smooth, then remove from the heat.

If the above instructions require adding color before the chocolate melts, you need to see the section below for more details.
If heating large amounts of chocolate (eg several pounds), you should use a chocolate thermometer or an electronic thermometer that increases by 1 degree at a time. ^{[7] X Research Source} Keep the temperature of the chocolate between 37–43ºC. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Mathew Rice

Professional baker and dessert influencer

Mathew Rice has worked for bakeries around the country since the late 1990s. His creations have been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit and Martha Stewart Weddings. In 2016, Eater named Mathew one of the top 18 chefs worthy of following on Instagram.

Mathew Rice
Professional baker and dessert influencer

What the pros do: I like to melt chocolate in a water bath. I would bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and place the chocolate in a pot over the pot of water to let the chocolate melt. This will take longer, but the perfect texture of the chocolate is totally worth it. If I’m in a hurry, I’ll use the halved microwave to melt the chocolate, then stop and stir every 15 seconds.

Add color slowly. Most powdered and oil-based food colors are denser than commonly used watercolors. You should only add a little oil at a time and stir well before deciding to add color.

Shake the bottle of food coloring well before adding to the chocolate.
If the chocolate has curdled (became hard), remove it from the heat and stir in a tablespoon of unflavored vegetable oil one at a time. The chocolate will usually be smooth again, but this will affect the flavor of the finished product. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Give the chocolate a smooth shine (optional). If your white chocolate contains pure cocoa butter, the chocolate will be cloudy and slightly softened after the melting and setting process. This doesn’t affect the taste, but you can restore the shine if you like by “glossing” the chocolate. This is done in several ways. Here is a familiar way of doing it that doesn’t require a lot of tools but only a high-precision thermometer: ^{[10] X Research Source}^{[11] X Research Source}

Remove the bowl of chocolates from the stove and wrap a towel in the bottom of the bowl to keep warm.
Add chopped unmelted chocolate in a ratio of 1 part unmelted chocolate and 2 parts melted chocolate.
Stir continuously until the chocolate reaches a temperature of 27–28ºC, and all the chocolate is melted.

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Wait for the chocolate to freeze. Many chocolatiers let the chocolate cool to room temperature, so the finished product is less likely to crack or “sweat.” Others like to put the chocolate in the fridge for 10-20 minutes – this is better if your kitchen is warm or has high humidity. Store finished chocolate in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.

For best results, place the tissue in the refrigerator to absorb the moisture.
If you want to pour the chocolate into a mold or use it for dipping, keep the chocolate warm until you’re done.

Things you need

Water-proof cooking pot
Rubber or silicone spatula or stirrer
Food coloring – better use powder or oil
Zippered plastic bowls and bags (if using oily food coloring)
Add some white chocolate for a smooth shine (optional)

Advice

When coloring chocolate, you should only use one color at a time. Otherwise, you may accidentally mix the colors together.
You can also try painting chocolate with edible paint.

Warning

Melting chocolate will be extremely difficult when the humidity is above 50%. Use a dehumidifier on humid days.

Steps

Prepare

Boil and color

Things you need

Advice

Warning

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