Homemade Edible Playdough recipe makes playtime both exciting and educational for kids of all ages! The 3-ingredient combination creates soft and fluffy play food that’s completely safe to consume in under 15 minutes!

Edible Playdough stacked up on the table.
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How To Make Edible Playdough With Frosting

Our Edible Play Dough recipe is quick and easy to make at home using only powdered sugar and a tub of frosting, then coloring it into a soft and squishy-colored confection.

Kids activities and kitchen crafts can keep kids busy for hours on a rainy day – kids love edible playdough recipes because it’s an excuse to play with their food — they can roll it, mold it, build with it, and best of all, taste it! 

Break out the cookie cutters or send a big batch to school (it’s great for counting, sorting, or any type of math lesson); homemade playdough recipes are perfect for both sensory play and kitchen crafts (and way less messy than homemade slime)!

Why We Love Edible Play Dough Recipes

  • Quick and easy to make.
  • Uses only 2 non-toxic ingredients plus food coloring.
  • It’s a fun way to play with food and help improve fine and gross motor skills at the same time.
  • Suitable for consumption and perfect for sensory play.
  • Perfect for play dates, classroom projects, or kitchen crafts.

Edible Playdough Ingredients

Edible Playdough ingredients.
  • Powdered sugar
  • Vanilla frosting
  • Neon gel food coloring packet (purple, neon green, neon pink, and orange)

Substitutions and Additions

  • Customize Your Colors: You can use a traditional packet of gel food coloring with red, yellow, blue, and green if preferred, or a combination from the two packets. You can even color white frosting with Kool Aid packets too!
  • Use Flavored Or Colored Frosting: Feel free to swap the vanilla frosting for chocolate, strawberry, or even peanut butter flavored frosting and them omit the gel food coloring. This then becomes a 2-ingredient recipe that you can make with your favorite flavors and colors.
colorful playdough cut into different shapes.

How to Make Edible Playdough

  1. Prepare The Playdough: Mix together the vanilla frosting and powdered sugar until thick and slightly sticky. Add a large handful of powdered sugar to the mixture and knead it with your hands.
    Pro Tip: The dough with become less sticky as you knead it. Add more powdered sugar as needed until your dough isn’t sticky, but smooth and “cloud” like. 
  2. Cut And Color: Form the dough into a large ball, then cut it into four even portions. Add food coloring to each portion and knead it in with your hands.
    Pro Tip: Start with about 10-12 inches of food coloring at the beginning. The coloring will start streaky but as you work the dough should blend beautifully and evenly.
  3. Play With Your Playdough: Immediately play with your creation! Have fun!
mix ingredients and roll into a ball. divide into 4 smaller section and place in a bowl. add food coloring into each bowl. different color playdough in different bowls.

Tips For Making Edible Playdough

  • Be sure to use gel food coloring and not drops.
  • When adding powdered sugar to the playdough the first time, you may need to wash your hands before continuing. The sticky dough will stick to your hands a little at first before you add more powdered sugar. Kneading the dough with sticky hands may prevent the playdough from reaching the cloud-like phase sooner.
  • You can add more powdered sugar if your playdough is at all sticky.
  • Powdered sugar also makes for a great “floured surface” when rolling out the playdough, playing, and cutting out shapes.

How to Store Edible Playdough

  • To Store: Store your edible playdough in an airtight container, a ziplock bag, or plastic wrap for 3 or 4 days.
4 colors of Edible Playdough on the table.

More Easy Kids Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

Will additional powdered sugar affect the color of my playdough?

No, adding powdered sugar will not affect the color of the playdough, so add as needed. You will know you need to add more powdered sugar if your playdough is sticky.

How long can I keep my edible playdough?

You should be able to store this play dough for up to 4 days in a ziplock bag or an airtight container, but it’s meant more as an activity that you play with for the day and then throw out once you’re done.

playdough flatten and cut into different shapes with cookie cutter.
5 from 3 votes
4 colors of Edible Playdough on the table.

Edible Playdough

Serves — 4
Edible Playdough makes it acceptable to play with your food! A fun activity for kids of all ages ready in 15 minutes.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 2-4 cups powdered sugar
  • 16 ounces tub of Vanilla frosting
  • Neon gel food coloring packet purple, neon green, neon pink, and orange

Instructions
 

  • Add 2 cups of powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl.
    2-4 cups powdered sugar
  • Add 1 tub of vanilla frosting to the powdered sugar and mix well using an electric hand or stand mixer. Mix for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture is thick and slightly sticky. Remove any excess mixture from the beaters back into the bowl.
    16 ounces tub of Vanilla frosting
  • Add a large handful of powdered sugar (about ½ cup) to the mixture. Using your hands, work the powdered sugar into the dough, kneading the playdough. You will notice the dough get dramatically less sticky as you do this. Add more powdered sugar as needed until your dough isn’t sticky, but smooth and “cloud” like.
  • Remove dough from the bowl and form into a large ball.
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the ball into four even portions, making one cut up and down and one cut side to side.
  • Separate the playdough into four even bowls and add food coloring to each. Start with about 10-12 inches of food coloring at the beginning.
    Neon gel food coloring packet
  • Use your hands to knead the playdough, mixing in the food coloring as you work the dough. The coloring will start streaky but as you work the dough should blend beautifully and evenly. Add more powdered sugar if your playdough is at all sticky, starting with ¼ cup. Repeat for each color.
  • Immediately play with your creation! You can use the playdough to cut out fun shapes and this recipe is completely edible.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:
  • To Store: Store your edible playdough in an airtight container, a ziplock bag, or plastic wrap for 3 or 4 days.
Tips:
  • Be sure to use gel food coloring and not drops.
  • When adding powdered sugar to the playdough the first time, you may need to wash your hands before continuing. The sticky dough will stick to your hands a little at first before you add more powdered sugar. Kneading the dough with sticky hands may prevent the playdough from reaching the cloud-like phase sooner.
  • You can add more powdered sugar if your playdough is at all sticky.
  • Powdered sugar also makes for a great “floured surface” when rolling out the playdough, playing, and cutting out shapes.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 707kcal | Carbohydrates: 137g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 40mg | Sugar: 130g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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  1. 5 stars
    i absolutely love this recipe. we love playing with playdough in our home but couldn’t cause my grandsons love licking it . this recipe is going to be so much fun