How To Use Edible Glitter Dust

Slofoodgroup Team August 31, 2023

Edible glitter dust, otherwise known as luster dust, adds a fascinating element of shimmer to culinary creations, making even the simplest of dishes exude extravagance. Unlike Tinker Bell's magic dust, these edible glitters won’t make your creations fly to Neverland, but it certainly uplifts their aesthetic appeal! This is your guide to using edible glitter dust, with practical tips for application and ideas for what to use it on.

Make Your Culinary Creations Shine with Edible Luster Dust: A Guide To Using and Understanding The Art of Edible Glitter

What Is Edible Glitter Dust?

Edible glitter is a powder that adds sparkle and shine to edible creations. It can be made of many materials, most of which are biologically inert. These ingredients often include food grade mica powder. Learn more about what these fantastic edible pearlescent powders are made of here.

How to Apply Edible Glitter Powder:

Edible glitters can be brushed onto your culinary creations using a application brush or clean paint brush. There are two methods for doing this. The first is a dry application, which appears to be a bit more rustic. The second method involves turning your luster dust into a “paint”, by mixing it into an alcohol-based liquid (such as vanilla extract or vodka). Painting the wet luster dust on produces a sleeker look, with even tone throughout. The alcohol will evaporate, leaving only the shimmer behind. 

Tips for Effectively Using Edible Glitter Powder: 

While using edible glitter dust is a fun and creative process, there are a few essential tips to keep in mind to ensure your culinary creations turn out as dazzling as you envision and don’t result in “Pinterest Fails”. Here are our top four tips to keep in mind when applying luster dust. 

1. Don’t be heavy handed. With edible glitter, less really is more. Start with a small amount and build from there if needed. A small amount of pearlescent goes a long way in creating a striking effect. 
2. Pay attention to color combinations. There are many edible glitter hues available. Make sure you are choosing ones that complement the overall color scheme of your dish 
3. Consider whether stencils or free form are better for your creation. Cut-outs are perfect for when you want to create a design with hard edges, but there is a time and place for that and sometimes free-form designs appear to have an elevated level of elegance. 
4. Check the label. Not all glitter sold in the baking sections of stores is safe for consumption. The label should clearly state that it is either “edible” or “food grade”. 

Creative Uses for Edible Glitter Dust:

Half of the fun of using edible glitter is deciding what you are going to do with it! Of course, desserts like frosted cakes, cookies, macarons, ganaches, truffles, and more are always welcoming to a little sparkle, but it doesn’t need to end there. Here are our top 4 non-traditional uses for edible glitter:

1. Add shimmer to your beverages. Glitter dust is beautiful as it rises and falls in the bubbles of champagne, it looks phenomenal swirled into light colored cocktails and mocktails, and a dusting on the whipped cream or frothed egg whites atop a glass will mesmerize those partaking in your craft beverages. 
2. Sprinkle it on fresh fruit and fruit dips. Strawberries with a bit of gold, blackberries with a pearl shimmer, dragon fruit with a dusting of rose gold, apple slices dipped in diamond—there’s no fruit that isn’t aesthetically uplifted using edible glitter. This will become your new favorite way to create dazzling, edible displays. 
3. Sprinkle it on party snacks. Add a sprinkle of glitter to popcorn, pretzels, or even roasted nuts to make ordinary snacks extraordinary. Your guests will be amazed by the unexpected touch of glamour.
4. Brush it over sushi. We’ve all seen sushi rolled in edible gold leaf, but a streak of sparkle can be equally as impressive. With a rainbow of color to choose from, you’ll have so much fun designing edible works of art for your next dinner party. Want more than a streak of shimmer? Feel free to paint it over the entire roll. 

Edible glitter dust will add elements of magic and allure to your culinary toolbox, enabling you to transform ordinary dishes into glamorous works of gastronomic art. We’ve provided some ideas for using luster dust in this guide, but we recommend experimenting and letting your imagination run wild! Take your first step by checking out our line of exceptional culinary shimmers in our online shop.