Dyeing hard boiled Easter eggs is a lot of fun, but it can get a little messy. If you have a lot of little helpers around, dealing with boiling water on the stove is not always the greatest idea. Why not get your slow cooker out of the cabinet and dye your Easter eggs in it this year?
Before you get started, do yourself a favor and grab a package of crockpot liners. They are fairly inexpensive (you can get four liners for under $2 on Amazon) and will prevent the dye from discoloring your crock. Even though we’re dealing with food safe ingredients here, it won’t harm you to skip this step, but if you do, don’t be surprised if your slow cooker insert ends up being some funky shade of whatever.
Dyeing Easter Eggs with Kool-Aid
A fun and easy way to start coloring Easter eggs is with packets of Kool-Aid. Grab a few bright colors and think about how you want to go about dyeing your eggs.
Start with the lightest color and then mix to your heart’s desire. For example, you could go from yellow to orange, to red and finally to purple. If you have more than one slow cooker, or spread your dying out over two or three days, you’ll have even more coloring options available.
Directions
- Start by lining your slow cooker and adding just enough water to cover your hard boiled eggs — but don’t put your eggs in just yet. Turn your slow cooker on high and allow the water to heat up for about 2 hours.
- Add enough Kool-Aid packets to get a nice, deep color, and then carefully dip your eggs into the slow cooker.
Note: There’s no need to add vinegar since the drink mix has citric acid in it. Dye the eggs as you would with commercial Easter egg dyes.
Natural Dyes in The Slow Cooker
Another fun option is to use things like onion skin and red cabbage to dye your eggs. You’ll end up with some lovely natural shades.
Cook up the dye stock in your slow cooker, then carefully ladle it into cups or glass jars and dip your eggs in for dyeing. You’ll still want to add a liner before you start cooking to prevent discoloration of your crock.
In each case, fill your slow cooker about half full with water. Add plenty of the plant material suggested below and allow it to cook on high for 3 to 4 hours until your dye liquid is fairly dark.
Here are some ideas for making the dyes:
- Several big handfuls of dry onion skins (I save them ahead of time)
- 1 small head of red cabbage, sliced
- 6 beets, quartered
- 1 to 2 cups of coffee grounds
- 8 to 10 tea bags – more for deeper colors.
Allow the dye to cook, then carefully ladle some of the liquid in jars and allow your hard boiled eggs to sit in the mixture for several minutes. The longer they sit, the darker the color. You’ll end up with pretty soft shades of yellow, purple, red, brown, and green. All will have earthy, subtle tones.
Planning an Easter Meal at Home?
Make it a relaxing, easy event with the tips, suggestions and recipes included in Easy Easter at Home, Carma’s Cookery’s latest report. Take a sneak peak at the Table of Contents, then grab a copy of your own!
- Introduction
- Planning Ahead: Easter Activities & Decorations
- Hosting Easter Without the Stress
- Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner?
- Share The Joy – You Don’t Have To Do Everything Yourself
- It’s Not Just About the Easter Bunny – A Short History of Easter
- Getting Creative with Leftovers
- Closing Words
- Recipes
- Crafting Ideas
Let’s not forget about the 
Start with the basic recipe. Be sure to use rolled oats in this recipe, for the finished oatmeal will turn out much better than if you use quick cooking oats.
