Natural Plating Colors For Sweet Boxed Mixes
The Role of Color in Sweet Boxed Mixes
Trends toward in-home dining and creating delicious foods at home with less effort make boxed mixes increasingly appealing to shoppers. The “In Control” trend encapsulates this observation and points brands towards developing products that meet consumer demands for comfortable solutions that put them in the driver’s seat for delicious food experiences.
Dry mixes for sweet goods like cookies, pancakes, cakes, muffins, and waffles are rising in popularity as consumers look for experiential offerings and indulgent treats.
Mintel data from 2023 indicates that 41% of consumers agree that indulgent foods are good for the soul, and over 80% of consumers enjoy baking with their kids.
Color enhances flavor perception +15%
Sensient Consumer Research 2019
Children are attracted to colorful, exciting products, and baking mixes can capture this attention with bold natural colors. Flavor is also a key driver in the bakery space, and color substantially influences flavor perception.
As you develop your next baking mix, color should be a key consideration throughout the process to increase purchase intent, amplify flavor perception, and boost consumer liking.
Expert Advice: What Should I Think About When Adding Color to Sweet Boxed Mixes?
When developers are creating sweet boxed mixes, there are several stages of the product to consider.First, consumers will encounter the dry powder mix straight out of the box. Then, they will add other ingredients like water, oil, or eggs to create the liquid batter. Finally, they’ll bake the product and enjoy the finished baked good.
When working with dry boxed mixes, it’s important to select a color solution that colors the powder, rather than specking throughout. That fully incorporated color will carry through to the hydrated batter and to the baked good, so color solutions also need to be both water-soluble and heat-stable.
Color can be used at each stage to amplify flavor and enhance the consumer’s experience. With multiple processes applied separately, color changing is an exciting opportunity to consider as well. Color experts can help you select natural or synthetic solutions that will change color when hydrated or heated.
Natural Color Solutions for Cake Mix, Waffle Mix, Pancake Mix, and More!
Powdered colors can be used in dry mix applications, but they won’t incorporate fully or evenly, leaving specking and uncolored portions of the powder no matter how much you mix. To fully color a powder, you’ll need Sensient’s Microfine™ technology.
Without Microfine™
With Microfine™
If your product needs to comply with a strict ingredient list prohibiting preservatives, Sensient’s
Simplifine™ technology is a sister line to Microfine™ that meets this need!
Sample Microfine™ Solutions Here
Choosing the right color for the dry mix is only half the battle: Make sure your chosen color solution is heat-stable to last through the baking process, whether that’s in an oven or on a waffle iron. Nature’s rainbow offers a wide range of heat-stable solutions and Sensient’s extensive R&D efforts create even more stable natural colors for baked goods.
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Heat-Stable Reds and Pinks
Carmine is a naturally heat-stable solution for bold pinks and reds. For a beet-based solution that meets mainline Kosher standards, look to Sensient’s heat-stable SupraRed™ and other UberBeet™ options.
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Heat-Stable Browns
For heat-stable natural browns, Sensient’s Sienna™ fruit juice offers a caramel-free alternative to shades from Class I to IV.
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Heat-Stable Blues, Purples, Greens
Sensient’s proprietary natural blue vegetable juice enables bold blues that survive the baking process and add green and purple to the rainbow through blends.
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Heat-Stable Oranges & Yellows
Natural orange and yellow botanicals are typically relatively heat-stable, so developers can use solutions like annatto, paprika, beta carotene, and turmeric.
To achieve a colored dry mix AND finished good, multiple solutions may be needed addressing each stage of the product. Sensient’s color experts have deep experience formulating against these unique challenges and can help you choose the right solution for your project. Reach out with any questions here!
Many sweet boxed mixes include other elements, such as morsels, sprinkles, frostings, or icings. Learn more about related bakery ingredients here to unleash nature’s rainbow in any application:
