How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs | Mollie in Montana~*

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. See privacy policy for more details. Thank you!

Dyeing Easter Eggs has become one of the fun traditions associated with the Easter holiday. During the Spring season you can easily purchase brightly colored plastic eggs, but I am going to show you how you can easily create your own beautiful naturally dyed Easter Eggs from foods you might already have on hand!

Naturally dyed Easter eggs on a cake stand.

Tips for Naturally Dyeing Easter Eggs

Dyeing Easter eggs naturally is such a fun project because not only do you magically create beautiful colored eggs, but you can get so creative with the materials! There are so many different foods and spices you can use, but today I am going to show you how I created beautiful Green, Yellow, Pink, Blue and Creamy Tan Eggs.

To start, you will want to hard boil the eggs. This makes them a little less likely to crack and make a mess. Plus, when you are done with them you can continue the fun by making these cute, Deviled Egg Chicks! Use as many eggs as you would like, but if you use 15 here, you will have 3 of each color!

To boil your eggs, place them in a pot with water so that the water covers them completely. Cover the pot and turn the burner onto high. Once the water begins to boil, remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium high. Let it boil gently for 9 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the water and set them aside.

5 Bowls with different colored liquid and a few eggs. Bowls are sitting on a white counter in front of a blue tiled wall.

What you will Need for these Easter Eggs

Eggs
1 Artichoke
2 Lemons
1 Orange
1 Jar of Marinated Beets
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
4 Tablespoons White Vinegar
4 Bowls large enough to accommodate 3 eggs fully submerged in liquid.

Green

The other night we steamed a beautiful Artichoke for dinner. When I was doing dishes at the end of the night, I found the pot of brilliant green water from the Artichoke. My mind went instantly to Easter Eggs. As it turns out, the green water from that Artichoke became the darkest dye! The Green Eggs came out a gorgeous mossy Green color. They are my favorite!

To create the water for the green eggs, simply steam, or boil an artichoke. To do this, cut your artichoke in half and place cut sides down in the water, or steamer basket and boil or steam for about 30 minutes. Once it is done, follow this recipe for Grilled Artichokes with Sriracha Aioli!

Now for the eggs...! Reserve the green water and add it to a bowl with the eggs and 1 Tablespoon of White Vinegar. Vinegar helps the brilliance of the color adhere to the eggs.

Yellow

To create a yellow dye, simply peel 2 lemons and one orange. The orange adds a little more depth to the color. I found that the yellow eggs were the lightest, but they were so still so dainty and lovely.

Add the Peel and Eggs to a bowl. Fill the bowl with hot water so that the eggs are submerged. Add 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar.

Pink

This is the easiest color to create! By using the juice from marinated beets, you are getting not only the color, but the vinegar. Add about ½ cup of Beet Juice and a couple of the marinated beets to the bowl. Use a fork to gently mash the beets. Add the eggs to the bowl and then fill the remaining space with hot water until the eggs are fully submerged.

Creamy Tan

This idea was given to me by my beautiful and creative friend, Abby. Don't throw away your morning coffee grounds! Add these to your bowl and then fill the bowl with hot water. If you have coffee left, feel free to use that as well. Add a bit of vinegar to the water. I submerged the eggs, but left a little sticking out and covered the exposed side with coffee grounds. This created an uneven speckled look that I loved!

Blue

The Blue Eggs turned out to be my second favorite after the green. They turned out kind of swirly in different shades of blue and purple! Add your cup of frozen blueberries and mash them gently. Add a Tablespoon of vinegar and then fill the bowl to cover the eggs, with hot water.

How Long to let them Soak

This is another part where you can choose your own adventure! I let my eggs sit for about 24 hours, checking them periodically, and swirling them around in the liquid to make sure all sides were coated. I wasn't in any hurry, so I let them keep soaking. However, they were all lightly colored within a couple of hours. If you prefer to have them light, you won't have to wait long! Otherwise, it is fun to keep checking their progress until you are happy with the color.

Once you are happy, remove the eggs from the liquid and you can dry them on a cooling rack placed on a baking sheet. Place a paper towel on the baking sheet to catch the drips for easy clean up. Or, you can place the eggs back in their egg carton, or in individual mini muffin tins to dry. Finally, you can simply wipe each egg dry, individually and use them right away!

Carton of freshly colored Easter eggs sitting on a wooden butcher block.

Colorful eggs sitting in a muffin tin on a white counter

Other Materials you Can Use for Dyeing Easter Eggs

There are so many colors found in foods that can be used! My dear friend Abby used Purple cabbage to create beautiful purple eggs! With the materials in this recipe, you can add a little beet juice to your blueberries to also create purple. Turmeric can be used to create a more vibrant yellow egg. I am sure if you look around your kitchen, you will find even more ways to create naturally beautiful colored Easter eggs!

Now what to do with them?

Oh my gosh...what to do with them!!!! So many possibilities. Of course you could always use them for an Easter Egg hunt. However, these eggs are so pretty, I think they are better used as a table centerpiece for beautiful Easter Brunch tablescape.

If you used this Pinecone Garland tutorial to make a garland, you can add a few eggs to that and place it on your mantle, or table. Or, if you used this Pinecone Wreath tutorial and made a Pinecone wreath, then you can add a couple of eggs to add a touch of spring! Whatever you do, have fun and get creative!

Easter eggs surrounded by pinecones with a candle in the center.

Cake stand fille with colorful Eggs, sitting on a white counter in front of a blue tiled wall.

Why are Colorful Eggs Associated with Easter?

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, so how in the world did eggs become one of the most recognized symbols of Easter? In today's commercialized world it seems like it could simply be a symbol that large corporations took and ran with to make a few (billion!) bucks. But, it turns out that there are several very meaningful reasons behind the colorful Easter egg tradition.

Early Christians had very strict rules when it came to Lent. During this time that led up to Easter, they were not allowed to eat meat or eggs. So, they would give their Eggs away to those who weren't bound by the rules of Lent. At the end of Lent, when they could enjoy the treat of eating eggs, they would dye them red to symbolize Jesus's blood. The egg shell would symbolize the tomb, and cracking it symbolized the resurrection.

Later on, Christian missionaries would use the eggs to spread the message of the joy and reason for celebrating Easter. They would color the eggs not only red, but yellow to symbolize the resurrection and blue to symbolize love, etc. Eventually, Chocolatiers embraced the tradition of the Easter egg and began creating them with chocolate. They rest is delicious history!

Green Cabbage leaf bowl overflowing with colorful eggs. Sitting on a white counter in front of a blue wall.

Which Came First, the Christian or the (Pagan) Egg...?

There are many different Pagan associations with Easter Eggs and they also symbolize rebirth, but of a season instead of a soul. Anglo-Saxon England celebrated, "Oestre", the Pagan Goddess of growth and fertility during the beginning of Spring. Bunnies were a symbol of fertility (ha!) and eggs as rebirth. In celebration, they would bury eggs and then eat them during the festival. I don't know about you, but I am very happy that the chocolatiers got in on that tradition! Ha!

More Creative and Festive Ideas

Deviled Egg Chicks- So cute and perfect for an Easter brunch, or baby shower!
Ladybug Caprese- I mean, how cute are these little ladybugs!? And tasty too! Another simple idea perfect for a ladies lunch, brunch idea, or baby shower food!
Strawberry Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing- A refreshing and beautiful salad for spring or summer!
Lavender Simple Syrup- Add this to your lemonade, sparkling water, or cocktail for a lovely and unique twist!
DIY Pumpkin Candles- A beautiful idea for Fall! Pin this to come back to in a few months! 🙂
Almond Paste Pinecones- These are as delicious as they are beautiful! Add them to a charcuterie board, or dessert board, or cake for a beautiful extra touch!

If you had fun Naturally Dyeing Easter Eggs, I would love to hear from you in the comments below! How did they turn out? How did you use them? Thank you and thank you for visiting Mollie in Montana~*!♥️