Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs

Colouring Easter eggs naturally is a fun and rewarding experience! As the eggs air dry, beautiful mottled patterns often appear, giving each one a unique look. While you won’t get the vibrant hues from store-bought dye kits, each egg will take on its own natural colour, shaped by your choice of dye, mordant, or modifier.

In this article you will learn:

• Herbal Egg Dyes

• How to Dye Eggs Naturally

• Recipe

Herbal Egg Dyes

Many herbs including flowers and vegetables can be used to naturally colour eggs. Some of the common ones include:

• Red Cabbage

• Red Beets

• Yellow Onion Skins

• Red Onion Skins

• Tea

• Coffee

• Calendula

• Elderberries

• Lavender

• Cayenne

• Turmeric

• Chaga

• Blueberries

• Hibiscus

• Nettles

Each flower and vegetable will produce different colours, for this round we worked with calendula, red cabbage, lavender, elderberries, cayenne, red beets and turmeric.

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs with the Colour Names

While we chose to use vinegar for our mordant, alum may produce different colours than the ones shown above.

How to Dye Eggs Naturally

Herbal Dyes: Center - Turmeric, Left - Cayenne, Upper Left - Elderberries, Upper Right - Calendula, Right - Red Beets, Lower Right - Lavender, Lower Left - Red Cabbage

Mordants, like alum, help the dye penetrate the eggshell, while modifiers, like vinegar, change the color of the dye. For these eggs, I used vinegar as it's easy to work with and readily available in most kitchens.

Step 1: Prepare the Eggs

Before dyeing, I decided to hard boil the eggs first. There are a few ways to do this, but I used my Instant Pot. I filled it with water, pressed the egg button, and set it to cook for 10 minutes. Afterward, I released the steam and placed the eggs in an ice water bath until they were completely cold.

Step 2: Prepare the Dye

Meanwhile, I prepared each jar by adding herbs, spices, beetroot, and cabbage. After boiling water, I added 1 cup of it to each jar and allowed it to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, I strained out the liquids to remove any food or herbs that might be in contact with the eggs.

Step 3: Dye the Eggs

I added 1 tablespoon of vinegar to each jar and carefully lowered a cold egg into the dye pot. I left the eggs in the dye for 2 days to intensify the color, keeping the jars with the eggs in the fridge with lids on.

Step 4: Dry the Eggs

After 2 days, I carefully lifted the eggs out with a spoon and placed them on a rack to air dry. At this point, you’ll see beautiful mottling on some of the eggs. If you plan to eat them, make sure to keep them in the fridge for food safety. Once dry, they are ready to display and enjoy!

Recipe

What You’ll Need (per colour)

¼ cup dried herbs (like elderberries, calendula, or lavender)

½ cup shredded vegetables (like red cabbage or beets)

2 tbsp ground spices (like turmeric or cayenne)

1 cup boiling water

1 tbsp white vinegar

6 or more hard-boiled  (white eggs work best)

Neutral cooking oil (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Steep the colour:

Put your herb, vegetable, or spice into a heat-safe jar or cup.

Pour in 1 cup of boiling water. Let it sit and cool completely.

Tip: Want a stronger colour for a batch? Use ½ cup dried herbs instead of ¼.

2. Strain the liquid:

Once cool, pour the liquid through a strainer to remove the solids.

3. Add vinegar:

Mix in 1 tbsp of vinegar. This helps the colour stick to the eggshell.

4. Dye your eggs:

Gently lower one egg at a time into the dye. Make sure it’s fully covered.

You can also do several eggs at once in a larger jar or bowl.

5. Chill and soak:

Put the jar in the fridge and leave the egg(s) to soak for several hours—or up to 2 days for darker shades.

6. Remove and dry:

Take the eggs out gently.

Pat dry with a towel (some colour may rub off)

Or let them air dry fully in the fridge.

Once fully dry you can polish them up with some cooking oil to give them a nice shine!

Notes & Tips

• Each dye jar can be used more than once - 1 cup of dye will produce 3 coloured eggs.

• Always store dyed eggs in the fridge, even while drying.

• Don’t leave hard-boiled eggs at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Colours will vary depending on the ingredients and how long you soak the eggs—enjoy the surprises!