Dye-free snacks
Every product in this category we have reviewed, and where each one stands with us. We don’t sell anything: add the ones you want to a list, then send them all to your Amazon cart or buy each one where it’s sold. In a hurry? The cheat sheet below is the short list.
- Reviewed
- 38
- On a cheat sheet
- 8
- Brands
- 26
Red Dye 3, on one page
A winner for each way people buy it, then what to skip. Read the colors line for "FD&C Red No.
5 winners1 thing to skip8 of these products are on it
- Candy and gummies
YumEarthColored with a named concentrate blend of carrot, blackcurrant, apple, pumpkin, radish, lemon and paprika (assorted-flavor bears); contains gelatin, so not vegetarian. - Red velvet cake and cupcakes
ColorKitchen Natural Red Velvet Food Coloring Powder fo…Red color for a cake mix from vegetable juice and turmeric on maltodextrin, five 13-gram packets, each enough for about a pound of mix. The panel does not name which vegetable. - Frosting and icing color
Color Kitchen Food Coloring Vibrant PacksPowder packets colored with spirulina extract, beet juice concentrate and turmeric, which the maker says to mix in directly or as a paste with a very small amount of water. - Frozen desserts
GoodPop Organic Freezer PopsEvery flavor we read declares "fruit and vegetable juice (color)" as its only colorant. - Cookies
Partake Foods Gluten Free Partake Crunchy Chocolate Chi…No FD&C color on the panel; the chocolate and molasses supply the color. The maker says it is free of the top nine allergens; we do not verify allergen status.
SkipCandy with a cherry-red color
What to know about dye-free snacks
The full guide →Read the ingredient panel, not the front of the box. FD&C Red No. 3 is leaving because the FDA revoked it — food and beverage makers have until January 15, 2027 to comply. The other six petroleum-based dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3) are leaving only as fast as individual brands choose to reformulate, because that phase-out is a request, not a rule. Until a product's label changes, assume the old formulation is still on the shelf.
Common risks
- FD&C Red No. 3 — banned by rule, on a deadline
- FD&C Red No. 40
- FD&C Yellow No. 5 & 6
- FD&C Blue No. 1 & 2
- FD&C Green No. 3 — voluntary phase-out, no deadline
What to look for
- Color from fruit, vegetable, or spice (annatto, beet juice, turmeric, spirulina)
- A short ingredient list you can read in one breath
- "No artificial colors" claims that match what's actually on the panel
The free change
Read the ingredient panel, not the front of the box.
Red 3 is leaving because it's the law. The other six are leaving only as fast as a brand chooses to reformulate — the ingredient panel is what's true today, not the front of the box.
Brands in this category
26 brands. The ones with a product on a cheat sheet come first.Every brand, A–Z →- COLOR KITCHENOn a cheat sheet
- YumEarthOn a cheat sheet
GoodPopOn a cheat sheet
Partake FoodsOn a cheat sheet- Surf SweetsOn a cheat sheet
- UNREALOn a cheat sheet
Supernatural4 products- Torie & Howard3 products
- Annie's Homegrown2 products
- Made Good2 products
Miss Jones Baking2 products- 365 by Whole Foods Market1 product
38 reviewed dye-free snacks, treats & baking colors
Cheat sheet winners first- YumEarth, Gummy Bears Snack Pack Organic★ Candy and gummiesColored with a named concentrate blend of carrot, blackcurrant, apple, pumpkin, radish, lemon and paprika (assorted-flavor bears); contains gelatin, so not vegetarian.Why it won, on the cheat sheet →Amazon
- COLOR KITCHEN · ColorKitchen Natural Red Velvet Food Coloring Powder for Baking★ Red velvet cake and cupcakesRed color for a cake mix from vegetable juice and turmeric on maltodextrin, five 13-gram packets, each enough for about a pound of mix. The panel does not name which vegetable.Why it won, on the cheat sheet →Amazon
- Color Kitchen Food Coloring Vibrant Packs★ Frosting and icing colorPowder packets colored with spirulina extract, beet juice concentrate and turmeric, which the maker says to mix in directly or as a paste with a very small amount of water.Why it won, on the cheat sheet →Amazon
- GoodPop Organic Freezer Pops★ Frozen dessertsEvery flavor we read declares "fruit and vegetable juice (color)" as its only colorant.Why it won, on the cheat sheet →Amazon GoodPop site
- Partake Foods · Gluten Free Partake Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies★ CookiesNo FD&C color on the panel; the chocolate and molasses supply the color. The maker says it is free of the top nine allergens; we do not verify allergen status.Why it won, on the cheat sheet →Amazon Partake Foods site
- Color Kitchen Natural Food Coloring For BakingOn a cheat sheetRed Dye 3Amazon
Surf Sweets Gummy Worms CandyOn a cheat sheetRed Dye 3Amazon Surf Sweets site 
UNREAL Milk Chocolate GemsOn a cheat sheetRed Dye 3Amazon 
365 by Whole Foods MarketA pick in our guideNatural food coloringAmazon 
Annie's Homegrown · Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Flavored SnacksA pick in our guideSnacks without Red Dye 40Amazon 
bare Baked Crunchy Apple ChipsA pick in our guideSnacks without Red Dye 40Amazon Bare site 
Color Kitchen Dye Free Sprinkles Rainbow JimmiesA pick in our guideDye-Free SprinklesAmazon 
Hint Flavored Water Zero Sugar 0 CaloriesA pick in our guideThe best dye-free water flavorsAmazon 
Hippeas Chickpea Puffs, Groovy White CheddarA pick in our guideDye-free snacks that your kids will loveAmazon 
Late July, Organic Snacks Nacho Cheese Tortilla ChipsA pick in our guideSnacks without Red Dye 40Amazon 
LesserEvil Himalayan Pink Salt Organic PopcornA pick in our guideSnacks without Red Dye 40Amazon 
Made Good · MadeGood Granola Variety Pack 37-Count Chewy Breakfast Snack BarsA pick in our guideSnacks without Red Dye 40Amazon 
Miss Jones Baking Organic Buttercream FrostingA pick in our guideDye-free snacks that your kids will loveAmazon Miss Jones Baking site 
Simple Mills Almond Flour CrackersA pick in our guideDye-free snacks that your kids will loveAmazon 
Stur Liquid Water EnhancerA pick in our guideThe best dye-free water flavorsAmazon Stur site 
Supernatural Rainbow Softies SprinklesA pick in our guideDye-Free SprinklesAmazon Supernatural site 
Supernatural Rainbow Starfetti SprinklesA pick in our guideNatural food coloringAmazon Supernatural site 
Three Wishes Grain-Free & Protein CerealA pick in our guideSnacks without Red Dye 40Amazon 
Torie & Howard · Torie and Howard Organic Hard Candy Lemon and RaspberryA pick in our guideCandy without Red Dye 40Amazon Torie & Howard site 
True Lemon Sugar Free Drink Mix PacketsA pick in our guideThe best dye-free water flavorsAmazon 
Annie's Homegrown · Annie's White Cheddar Shells Macaroni and Cheese with Organic PastaReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Amazon 
Doritos Simply NKD Tortilla ChipsReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.
India Tree Nature's Colors Natural Rainbow Nonpareils SprinklesReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Amazon 
Made Good · MadeGood Chewy Granola Bites Variety PackReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Amazon 
Miss Jones Baking CoReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Miss Jones Baking site 
Siete Grain Free Tortilla ChipsReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.
SmartSweets Sourmelon Bites, Low Sugar Sour GummyReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Amazon 
Supernatural Chocolate Softies, Dye-Free Fair Trade Dessert SprinklesReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Amazon Supernatural site 
Supernatural Rainbow Nonpareils, Dye-Free Vegan Dessert Sprinkles MixReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Amazon Supernatural site 
Torie & Howard Natural Fruits Organic Hard CandyReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Amazon Torie & Howard site 
Torie & Howard · Torie and Howard Organic Hard Candy TinReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Amazon Torie & Howard site 
Watkins Rainbow Decorating SprinklesReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.Amazon 
YumEarth Organic Gummy BearsReviewedWe looked at it; it is not one of our current picks.
Dye-free snacks: common questions
Is Red Dye 3 actually banned?
Yes — the FDA revoked its authorization on January 15, 2025. Food and beverage makers have until January 15, 2027 to comply; makers of ingested drugs have until January 18, 2028. Until those dates pass, a product can still legally contain it.
Are Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 banned too?
No. Those six are the subject of a voluntary request from HHS and the FDA, announced April 22, 2025, not a legal ban. There is no compliance deadline — a brand can keep using any of them.
How do I know if a product still has one of these dyes?
Check the ingredient panel, not the front-of-box claims. "Natural" or "no artificial flavors" language doesn't tell you anything about color — look specifically at the colors listed near the end of the ingredient list.
If a brand announced it's reformulating, is the version on the shelf already updated?
Not necessarily. Announcements have lead times measured in years, and the previous formulation stays on shelves until existing inventory sells through. The only way to know for a specific product is to read its current panel.