Pillsbury vs Betty Crocker Frosting: Colors and Sugar

Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Vanilla lists Color (beta-carotene) and high fructose corn syrup on its product page, while Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Vanilla lists Artificial Color and corn syrup on its product page. Per 2 tbsp, Betty Crocker lists 19 g of added sugars (38% DV) and Pillsbury 21 g (41% DV). Open Food Facts label records name Yellows 5 & 6 on an older Betty Crocker tub and Yellow 5 and Red 40 on the Pillsbury tub, so this guide shows which source says what and names no winner.

Key takeaways

• Betty Crocker's product page lists Color (beta-carotene) and High Fructose Corn Syrup. An older Open Food Facts label for the same UPC lists Yellows 5 & 6 and corn syrup, so tubs on shelves may differ.
• Pillsbury's product page lists Artificial Color and Corn Syrup but does not name the color. A crowd-sourced Open Food Facts transcription of the tub label names Yellow 5 and Red 40.
• Per serving, added sugars are 19 g (38% DV) for Betty Crocker and 21 g (41% DV) for Pillsbury, against an FDA Daily Value of 50 g per day.

Pillsbury vs Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting: Which Colorants Are on the Label?

The two brand pages describe colorants differently. Betty Crocker's current page lists Color (beta-carotene), while Pillsbury's page lists Artificial Color without naming a specific dye. The table below sets the label facts side by side.

Label factor	Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Vanilla (16 oz)	Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Vanilla
Serving size	2 Tbsp (34 g)	2 tbsp (gram weight not disclosed)
Servings per container	Not disclosed	13
Calories	140	140
Total fat	6 g (7% DV)	5 g (7% DV)
Saturated fat	2.5 g (14% DV)	2.5 g (13% DV)
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Sodium	65 mg (3% DV)	70 mg (3% DV)
Total carbohydrate	23 g (8% DV)	23 g (8% DV)
Dietary fiber	Not disclosed	0 g (0% DV)
Total sugars	21 g	19 g
Added sugars	21 g (41% DV)	19 g (38% DV)
Colorant on brand page	Artificial Color (dye not named)	Color (beta-carotene)
Sweetener on brand page	Corn Syrup	High Fructose Corn Syrup
Preservative	Potassium Sorbate	Potassium Sorbate
Emulsifier	Polysorbate 60	Polysorbate 60
Allergen statement	CONTAINS SOYBEAN INGREDIENTS	MAY CONTAIN MILK INGREDIENTS

FDA says the label must list the names of any FDA-certified color additive, such as Blue 1. Color additives exempt from certification can be listed collectively as artificial colors or color added. FD&C Yellow No. 5 and Red No. 40 are among the certified colors approved for food, so a label that names either one is naming a certified dye.

Is Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Vanilla Artificially Colored, and What Does the Label Say?

The brand page lists Artificial Color but does not name the dye. The full ingredient text ends with "Natural and Artificial Flavor, Citric Acid, Antioxidants (Ascorbyl Palmitate, Mixed Tocopherols, Chamomile And Rosemary Extracts), Artificial Color, Ascorbic Acid."

A crowd-sourced Open Food Facts entry for UPC 0013300760802 transcribes the tub label as "artificial color including yellow 5 and red 40." That entry is not the brand's own wording, and it cannot confirm the batch in your hand. The brand page and the database describe the same product in different terms, so the tub itself is the reference that applies.

Does Pillsbury frosting have Red 40?

The Pillsbury brand page does not name Red 40. The Open Food Facts transcription names it alongside Yellow 5, so the tub you buy is the place to confirm. Candy labels often pair these same dyes as well. For a comparison of how two candies list them, see Skittles vs M&M's: Which Has More Dyes? Both Use the Same 5.

Is Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Vanilla Frosting Colored With Beta-Carotene?

Yes, the current Betty Crocker product page lists Color (beta-carotene) in its ingredient statement. FDA names beta-carotene as an example of an exempt color from natural sources.

An older Open Food Facts entry for UPC 0016000458307 shows a previous label with "yellows 5 & 6" in the ingredients and a 2 tbsp (33 g) serving. Shelf tubs may still carry that recipe. The date Betty Crocker changed its vanilla frosting to beta-carotene is not stated on the current brand page.

Does Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting Use High Fructose Corn Syrup or Corn Syrup?

The current Betty Crocker ingredient list names High Fructose Corn Syrup directly after Sugar. The older Open Food Facts label lists corn syrup instead, so the name can differ between tubs.

Both are counted as added sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel, which shows Added Sugars in grams and as a percent Daily Value.

Does Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Vanilla Frosting Use High Fructose Corn Syrup or Corn Syrup?

The Pillsbury brand page lists Corn Syrup, not High Fructose Corn Syrup. The ingredient statement begins with Sugar, Palm Oil, Water, Corn Syrup, Corn Starch, and Canola Oil.

Whether every tub uses the same wording is not disclosed. Because the brand page and the tub label can differ for colorants, the physical ingredient list is the practical reference for sweetener wording as well.

How Much Added Sugar Is in Pillsbury vs Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting Per Serving?

Betty Crocker lists 19 g of added sugars per 2 tbsp, which is 38% of the Daily Value. Pillsbury lists 21 g of added sugars per 2 Tbsp (34 g), which is 41% of the Daily Value.

FDA's Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g per day, so 19 g is 38% DV and 21 g is 41% DV. Total sugars are 19 g for Betty Crocker and 21 g for Pillsbury. The gram weight of Betty Crocker's current serving is not disclosed, so a per-gram comparison is not possible here.

For another pair where dye wording is the main label difference, see Frosted Flakes vs Froot Loops: Same 12 g Sugar, 4 Dyes vs 0.

What Do the Calories, Fat, and Sodium Look Like Side by Side for Each Frosting?

Both list 140 calories per 2 Tbsp serving. Both frostings also list 0 g trans fat and 23 g total carbohydrate (8% DV), and their fat and sodium differ slightly.

• Total fat: Betty Crocker 5 g (7% DV); Pillsbury 6 g (7% DV)
• Saturated fat: Betty Crocker 2.5 g (13% DV); Pillsbury 2.5 g (14% DV)
• Sodium: Betty Crocker 70 mg (3% DV); Pillsbury 65 mg (3% DV)

Readers should compare these figures with the Nutrition Facts panel on the tub they buy, since package sizes and label versions can differ.

How Can You Check the Colorant on the Tub You Are Buying?

Read the ingredient list and Nutrition Facts panel on the physical package, since brand websites and crowd-sourced databases can describe different recipes.

• Look for named certified colors such as Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Red No. 40, or Blue No. 1.
• Look for wording such as artificial colors, color added, or Color (beta-carotene).
• Confirm whether the sweetener is listed as corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup.
• Check the Added Sugars line in grams and percent Daily Value for the serving size shown.

The physical package is the reference for the product you hold.