How to Use Cool Whip to Dye Easter Eggs

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Looking for a taste safe way to dye Easter eggs with your kids this year? If so, the whipped topping method is the way to go! Dyeing Easter eggs with my grandma is a memory I will always cherish. I wanted to continue the tradition with my kids, but the traditional way is a bit too messy (and stressful on my part) to do with my small kids.

I have seen this method done with shaving cream before, however I found some flaws with that idea. If you have toddlers who tend to put things in their mouth, shaving cream isn’t ideal. Not to mention shaving cream has a pretty strong odor that I just don’t love, so shaving cream was a no for me.

Not only is it a fun activity, but it is also a great sensory experience for kids too. My kids absolutely loved dyeing eggs this way, and I wasn’t worried when my young toddler decided to lick the whipped topping off her egg. Ha!

Tips For Dyeing Easter Eggs With Whipped Topping

• If weather permits, dye your Easter eggs outside. This will make things less stressful for you as you won’t have to worry as much about the mess.
• If you don’t want your kid’s hands to be temporarily stained, have them wear rubber gloves. However, it really doesn’t hang around long.
• Keep some baby wipes or washcloths ready for spot clean up! You know, so they aren’t running their hands down the hallway wall to the bathroom. Resulting in whipped topping smeared everywhere. Ha!
• Save your whipped topping container! You can wash it, and use it later to store your eggs in.
• Don’t just let those eggs go bad after you’ve dyed them. Eat them for breakfast, use them for egg salad, deviled eggs, etc. When we were kids, I always thought it was so fun to eat the colorful eggs. With the traditional way of dying, I find the dye will seep through the shell and color the inside of the eggs too. This method doesn’t really do that.

Tips For Boiling Eggs for Dyeing

• Use a thumb tack or push pin to poke a small hole in the bottom of the egg before dying. This helps make it easier to peel later!
• Bring your water to a boil, then gently add the eggs. Boil for 12 minutes. (They come out perfect every time!)
• Once your eggs are done boiling, put them in a bowl of ice water for at 5-10 minutes. This will also help make your eggs easier to peel later.

Ok! Enough Chit Chat! Lets Dye Some Easter Eggs!

Step One: Gather Supplies for Dyeing Easter eggs

You will need…

• Cake Pan – I use a disposable cake pan for easier clean up.
• Chopstick or Butter knife
• Rubber Spatula
• Bowl – For soaking eggs, size will depend on the amount of eggs you have
• Boiled Eggs
• 1 Tub of Whipped Topping
• Distilled White Vinegar
• Food Coloring

Step One: Soak Boiled Eggs in Vinegar

Place the boiled eggs in a bowl, and cover with the vinegar.

Allow the boiled eggs to soak for at least 20 minutes. This will make is so that the dye can stick to the egg shell. If you don’t soak the eggs in vinegar, the dye will not stay on the egg after you rinse them.

Step Two: Prepare the Whipped Topping

First, take your rubber spatula and use it to empty the tub of whipped topping into the cake pan. Then spread the whipped topping evenly in the cake pan.

Second, place drops of the food dye throughout the whipped topping.

Once you have all the dye you want in your pan, use a chopstick or butter knife to swirl the color throughout the whipped topping.

Step Three: Dyeing Easter Eggs

Now on to the fun part! Take one of your boiled eggs, and roll it around in the colored whipped topping. Roll your egg around until it is covered in dye, and you’ve achieved the look you want.

After you’ve finished dyeing your egg, set it aside in another container to dry while you dye the other eggs. As a matter of fact, the empty cool whip tub is great for this!

Alternatively, you can do single colored containers or sections of whipped topping, and dye them this way. This is a great way if you don’t want the colors to really mix, or to create a different kind of look.

My kids rolled their eggs around so much, all the colors combined and blue became the dominate color. But they loved them!

Step Four: Rinse The Excess Whipped Topping Off the Dyed Eggs

After you have dyed all your eggs, let them dry for 5-10 minutes.

Once they have dried, rinse the excess whipped topping off the eggs. Then place them on a towel to finish drying.

Lastly, if you so desire, you can roll the eggs in the cool whip dye a second time to add more color. The repeat steps three and four.

Dyeing Easter Eggs With Cool Whip is a Fun Alternative to Other Dyeing Methods

I thought this was a really fun alternative to the vinegar dipping method. While I do think that method gives you the most vibrant dye job on your eggs, it isn’t ideal with small kids. I have avoided dyeing Easter eggs with my kids because I imagined them knocking over cups of heavily dyed vinegar mixture and staining pretty much everything…

But, discovering the whipped topping dye method has been a game changer. It is definitely not totally mess free, but it’s a lot of fun! And great for small kids. My youngest elected to eat large amount of the whipped topping, and that’s ok!

What do you think about this way of dyeing Easter eggs? Have you tried doing it this way? What are some ways you use the eggs when you are done? I would love to hear all about it in the comments below! And don’t forget to share with a mom friend!

You are doing amazing!