Lately I’ve been loving palettes that feel less bright and saturated and more earthy, airy, and collected — almost like something you’d find tucked inside a little bakery near the sea.
This Mediterranean-inspired royal icing palette combines soft coastal blues, muted greens, warm creams, and sandy neutrals that work beautifully together for:
- wedding cookies
- summer sets
- lemon themes
- coastal cookies
- vintage tile designs
- florals
- baby showers
- and elevated everyday sets
Below you’ll find the color formulas I used for each shade using approximately 1/2 cup of royal icing.
Mediterranean Royal Icing Color Formulas
Aegean Blue
Deep muted navy-blue inspired by the Mediterranean Sea.
Formula:
- 2 drops Navy gel
- 1 tiny toothpick dip of Black
- 1 drop Brown
Coastal Blue
A softer dusty blue with a relaxed coastal feel.
Formula:
- 2 drops Sky Blue
- 1 tiny toothpick dip of Navy
- 1 toothpick dip of Brown
Seafoam Mist
Soft muted green-blue.
Formula:
- 1 drop Teal
- 1 drop Leaf Green
- extra white icing to soften
Olive Grove
Earthy olive green with warm undertones.
Formula:
- 2 drops Moss Green
- 1 tiny toothpick dip Brown
- 1 tiny toothpick dip Yellow
Sage Leaf
Muted calming sage green.
Formula:
- 1 drop Leaf Green
- 1 tiny dip Brown
- tiny dip Ivory
Sunlit Cream
Soft warm ivory cream.
Formula:
- 1 tiny toothpick dip Ivory
- 1 tiny toothpick dip Golden Yellow
Sandstone Beige
Warm sandy neutral.
Formula:
- 1 drop Ivory
- 1 tiny dip Brown
- 1 tiny dip Golden Yellow
My Favorite Gel Food Colorings
I personally prefer concentrated gel food colors because they:
- keep royal icing consistency stable
- create richer tones
- blend beautifully into muted palettes like this one
I especially love using:
For Mediterranean palettes specifically, muted tones are key. I usually avoid overly bright primary colors and soften everything with tiny touches of:
Those little adjustments make SUCH a difference.
Tips for Mixing Darker Royal Icing Colors
Darker colors can be tricky at first, especially blues and greens. Here are a few things that help me every time:
Let your icing rest
Dark colors deepen over time. What looks too light at first may become perfect after sitting for a few hours.
Use a toothpick for dark pigments
Especially with black, navy, and brown. A tiny amount goes a VERY long way.
Add ivory or brown to soften bright colors
This is one of my favorite tricks for achieving muted Mediterranean tones instead of bright cartoon colors.
Start lighter than you think
You can always darken icing — but fixing overly dark icing takes much longer.
Use white food coloring if needed
A touch of white can soften overly saturated icing and help create those dusty, airy tones.
Looking for My Sugar Cookie Recipe? 🤍
After years of decorating cookies and countless requests, I finally decided to share the sugar cookie recipe I’ve used and loved for over 15 years. Soft, buttery, beginner friendly, and perfect for decorating.
You can find the downloadable recipe here: Downloadable Sugar Cookie Recipe
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These colors have quickly become one of my favorite palettes for elevated cookie decorating. They feel soft, timeless, and just a little bit coastal — which honestly might be my favorite combination.
If you try this palette, I’d love to see what you create 🤍
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