This recipe comes in handy when wanting to add a little colorful decoration to your desserts without compromising with dangerous food dyes and corn syrup candies.
With desiccated (shredded and dried) coconut being so white, it can be colored with the juice of vibrant colored fruits and vegetables.
I use Coconut Sprinkles mostly for Easter desserts. Here I used coconut sprinkles to make bird’s nests with my Whole Rice Crispy Treats recipe.

- Desiccated coconut, (dried) full fat, grated, shredded or flaked depending on the size and shape you prefer. Never use reduced fat, it doesn't hold the color any better and it taste like shredded cardboard.
- Natural food coloring (Choose from the list below)
- In a mixing bowl much bigger than the amount of dried coconut you are using, add the dried coconut.
- Juice or puree your coloring of choice.
- Mix a tiny amount of lemon juice and stevia together and add it to each batch.
- Add in a little of your coloring at a time and stir together with a spoon until you like the color and there is no excess liquid in the bowl. Use full strength if you want the richest color. If there is excess liquid you can strain out the excess through a strainer. If you want a lighter color, mix the juice or puree with some water before adding to the coconut for even distribution. I found that if it is darker than you want, you can add more water and then strain out the excess coloring through a strainer by pressing the water out with the back of a spoon.
- Pour the damp colored dried coconut onto a baking pan with sides and place in the oven. It should not be so wet that you see water on the pan.
- No need to preheat the oven first. Turn on the oven to 220 and let dry for 15 minutes.
- Stir the coconut around for even drying and reduce oven temperature to 210 and timer for another 15 minutes.
- Stir once again, turn off oven and let it continue to dry in the oven until it is cooled. If it is not completely dry, put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes at 210. I found that you cannot speed it up in the oven by setting the temperature up over 230 because it will toast it and you will loose your color. It tastes great toasted but it's not pretty at all. I tried it in the dehydrator but the fan blows the coconut around too much. If you want you could put them in the oven at 200 degrees F. or less and keep them in all day like a dehydrator (I think, but I haven't tried it).
- Just before sprinkling on your special dessert, consider grinding the coconut up a bit in a small coffee grinder (one not used for coffee). If you do this it not only makes smaller sprinkles but brings out a sweeter taste to your sprinkles and makes it more moist. If you've tasted coconut butter before, this is what it will taste more like. Yummy!
Colorful Coconut Sprinkles work great on my “It’s a Date” Roll recipe.
Store Coconut Sprinkles in a dark cool area and they should last until next Easter.
2nd Photo by: Photographic Sam
Other Photos by: Karly Blair
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