Medical Blue Icing Colors

I am so sick of  COVID-19 that I don’t even like typing the word in a post. However, since many of you are using this unprecedented quarantine time to make cookies for the heroic medical personnel on the front lines, I thought now would be a great time to share a few easy formulas for medical blue icing.

I don’t know why I picked this exact color for my nurse cookie set, but I think it’s because I am a turquoise lover. It’s almost impossible for me to not to add yellow when mixing shades of blue. In hindsight, I would probably use one of the other three shades, but since people often ask me about this specific combo, it seems like a good place to begin.

1. Sweet Sugarbelle Medical Blue

Sweet Sugarbelle Medical Blue icing is simple Americolor sky blue with the tiniest touch of Americolor lemon yellow. Adjust the intensity by adjusting the amount of icing and gel color.

2. Americolor Royal Blue

This color is achieved by adding a very small amount of Americolor royal blue to white royal icing. Use a toothpick to add the color because it’s easy to over color icing when using royal blue. It’s also a good idea to stop adding color when the icing is a few shades lighter than you want the final shade to be. Blue icing often darkens significantly over time.

3. Americolor Navy

Honestly, there’s not much difference between this color and the royal blue shade above. It’s a little smokier, but the difference is negligible. I included it the lineup to illustrate that almost any blue color will work for this project, as long as you don’t overdo it. I approached it exactly the same way as the royal blue shade above…with a toothpick. It’s easier than you think to over color, so start small and add color a little at a time until the icing is a few shades lighter than you ultimately want it to be. After a few hours, it will have developed into a deeper, richer blue.

4. Americolor Wedgewood

The last color ended up being my favorite, which is funny, because it was also the one I expected to like the least. The only observation I have about this shade is that it takes quite a bit more color to achieve the desired shade, which can be a good thing OR a bad thing, depending on how heavy-handed you are. I added about eight drops of Ameicolor wedgewood to approximately 2/3 cup of icing, and ended up with this shade. It doesn’t darken as much as the others, which might be good as well. As it develops, it becomes richer, but not significantly darker.

Since the swatches are a little spread out, I added a side-by-side image for reference. The colors, clockwise from top left, are: SSB Medical Blue, Americolor royal blue, Americolor Wedgewood, and Americolor navy.  Today my favorite is wedgewood, but that could easily change by tomorrow.

Remember, these color formulas are just a guide. If you don’t have a specific color, don’t be afraid to try another. You can also ask for alternatives in the comment section or on my social media pages. There are several ways to achieve the perfect shade.

I hope everyone is safe and well. For more medical-themed cookie ideas, be sure to follow out my new Instagram page and check out the links below!