As vegans, we often find ourselves reading labels because animal-derived ingredients can appear in unexpected products.
Vegan sprinkles — really?
BONUS: It costs roughly $1 to make over 2 cups of vegan sprinkles.
Yes — and here’s why it matters
Confectioners’ glaze (also called confectioner’s polish or shellac) is commonly used on candies and confections to give them a durable, shiny sheen.
What is shellac?
Shellac is a resin secreted by certain female Asian beetles after feeding on tree bark. The resin is harvested, processed, and purified for commercial use. India is the main producer, while markets in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere are major consumers. Though its origin is similar in nature to other insect-derived foods like honey, many vegans avoid shellac to minimize animal and insect exploitation.
If you prefer to avoid insect products
Confectioners’ glaze is a clear no for those who want to minimize animal and insect use. Whether you’re strictly vegan or simply curious about alternatives, this homemade sprinkle recipe is simple, inexpensive, and fun to make.
Allow about an hour for a single batch — double the time for larger batches
Most of the time is spent piping long strings of icing and letting them dry. If you double the recipe to make about 4 cups, plan for more piping and drying space and additional sheet pans. Vegan food coloring is another consideration: you can use commercial vegan colors or natural options like turmeric for yellow, beet juice for pinks and purples, and spinach or kale juice for green. When using natural juices, reduce other liquid because the juices add water to the mix.
Tip on using natural colorings
Because juices contain water, you’ll need far less aquafaba or water than the basic recipe specifies. Mix carefully to reach the desired consistency.
Watch the video tutorial for a visual guide to making these sprinkles.
Notes for Success:
Aquafaba and vanilla will give the icing a slightly off-white tone. If you want very bright white sprinkles, use water instead of aquafaba in the same measurement and omit the vanilla or use clear vanilla flavoring.
These sprinkles need several hours to dry — preferably overnight — in a cool, dry (not humid) place. If you plan to make a large batch, have multiple sheet pans ready. I used six sheet pans when I doubled the recipe.
Because you’ll work with small portions of icing for each color, parchment paper cones are handy for piping. They’re cleaner and easier to handle than large pastry bags. Also, canvas or plastic pastry bags sometimes retain grease, which can compromise the icing.
Vegan Sprinkles
Ingredients
- 3 cups Sifted confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 4-5 Tbs Aquafaba or water
- Food coloring, as needed (use vegan or natural colors)
Instructions
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In a large bowl or with an electric mixer, combine sifted confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt. Add vanilla extract, then add about half the aquafaba or water to start.
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Stir or beat to form a thick paste, adding more liquid a little at a time until you reach a pipeable but not runny consistency. If using liquid natural colors, reduce additional liquid accordingly.
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Divide the icing into bowls for each color you plan to make.
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Add food coloring to each bowl and mix until evenly colored. Cover bowls with plastic wrap while you work to prevent skinning.
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Fill small parchment cones or small piping bags with each color. Parchment cones are convenient for small batches and reduce the risk of residual grease from other bags affecting the icing.
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Pipe long strings of icing onto parchment-lined sheet pans. Strings can break while piping — that’s fine, since you’ll break them up later. You can also pipe small dots for a different sprinkle size.
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Let the piped icing dry for at least 4 hours in a cool, dry place, ideally overnight. Avoid humid areas to ensure proper drying.
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Once fully dry, roll up the parchment paper and allow the sprinkles to fall into a bowl. Break apart any larger pieces as needed to achieve the desired sprinkle size.
Notes