Brown is made by mixing multiple colors together, usually complements or all three primaries. In food coloring, there are a few common combinations that work well.
Basic color mixes
- Equal parts red and green liquid food coloring make a standard medium brown.
- Red + yellow + blue (the three primaries) also make brown; start with equal parts and then tweak (more yellow for warmer brown, more blue for cooler/greyer brown).
- Orange + a little blue can give a warm brown; add blue slowly so it doesn’t go too dark.
Simple ratio ideas
- For a medium brown: try about 1 drop red, 1 drop yellow, 1 drop blue, then adjust.
- For chocolate‑like brown: use more red than green or blue (for example roughly 2 parts red to 1 part green, or a red‑heavy red/yellow/blue mix).
- To darken any brown, add a tiny bit of blue or even a trace of black food coloring; to lighten, mix in more plain white icing or batter.
Natural brown “coloring”
- Cocoa powder mixed into icing or batter tints it brown and also adds chocolate flavor.
- Strong brewed coffee or espresso, reduced a bit, can tint glazes, syrups, or cake batters light to medium brown.
- Molasses or dark caramel (cooked sugar) also give a deep brown color along with a richer flavor.