Rainbow sprinkles make everyone happy.

It’s a verifiable fact.

Don’t believe me? Just go ahead and give the grumpiest person you know a bowl of (organic) ice cream covered in rainbow sprinkles. You’ll get a GIANT smile in response.

So like I said, verifiable. 🙂

BUT WAIT! Those typical rainbow sprinkles that you buy at the store are chock-full-o’-nasties.

Here are the ingredients of a well-known brand:

Sugar, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, corn syrup, cornstarch, red 40, soy lecithin, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1, carnauba wax.

Oy oy oy!

We’ve got some ingredients that are likely made from genetically modified crops (corn syrup, cornstarch, and soy lecithin), HYDROGENATED palm kernel oil (I just can’t even go there), and artificial colors galore (which are derived from coal tar — a known carcinogen — have been linked to behavioral issues in children, and have been banned for use in some countries).

Beautiful… but lethal.

Luckily, you can make your own naturally colored rainbow sprinkles with coconut!

What you’ll need:

• Unsweetened coconut shreds
• Natural food coloring (this set is made from vegetables and comes in red, yellow, and blue)
• Water
• Bowls and spoons
• Parchment paper
• An oven

Directions:

Add one teaspoon of water to small bowl or glass. Add the following dyes and amounts for each color:

• Red: 7 drops red
• Bluish purple: 10 drops blue (I was really hoping for a brighter blue here, but it’s more of a lavender)
• Yellow: 7 drops yellow
• Orange: 3 drops red, 4 drops yellow
• Green: 3 drops yellow, 5 drops blue

Mix the dye into the water, then add a tablespoon of shredded coconut. Mix the coconut with the dye until it is evenly covered in color.

Now, you’ll need to dehydrate the coconut. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the coconut over the paper. Set your oven at the lowest temperature (mine is 200°F) and place the baking sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes. You may need more or less time so occasionally check on the coconut — leaving it in for too long after it’s dehydrated will toast it and make it brown (not what we’re going for!).

Now you can add more rainbow goodness to your life!