– Bakell makes solid edible glitter — decent color range, widely available, but smaller jars and less shimmer intensity than you’d expect at that price
– Bakell’s “Super Gold” is their most popular product; our Gold outperforms it on shimmer depth, especially in drinks
– Luster Dust uses German mica pigments; Bakell uses mica too, but the grade difference shows up on camera and in person
– If you’re ordering anyway, our 10g jars start at $9.98 and go up to 1kg — better value the more you use it
Bakell has been around long enough to build a real following. People know the brand, trust it, and use it for everything from wedding cakes to holiday cocktails. That’s legitimate. They’re not a bad company.
But “not bad” is doing a lot of work there. We’ve tested Bakell luster dust side-by-side with ours more times than we can count — on buttercream, in champagne, on chocolate, under event lighting. And there are real differences worth knowing about before you spend money on either.
What Bakell Gets Right
Their color range is extensive. We’re talking hundreds of shades, including some pretty niche specialty options you won’t find everywhere. For professional cake decorators who need an exact dusty mauve or a very specific coral, Bakell’s library is genuinely useful.
Availability is another point in their favor. Bakell is on Amazon, in various cake supply shops, and their own site. If you need something fast and don’t want to wait on shipping, they’re accessible.
Bakell Edible Glitter
Pros
- ✓ Large color selection
- ✓ Widely available online
- ✓ Established brand with tutorials and community
- ✓ FDA compliant
Cons
- ✗ 5g jars are small for the price
- ✗ Shimmer intensity is softer than advertised
- ✗ Super Gold looks more yellow than gold in certain lighting
- ✗ Fewer size options for bulk buyers
Bakell Super Gold Luster Dust — Specifically
Bakell Super Gold is their flagship. It’s the one people search for by name, and it’s the one we get asked about most. Here’s an honest take.
It works. You put it on fondant, you get shimmer. Put it in a cocktail, you get sparkle. Nobody’s going to complain. But “Super Gold” sets an expectation of intensity, and the actual product is more of a soft gold — warm, but not deep. Under bright overhead lighting or on camera, it reads as slightly washed out compared to what the product photos suggest.
Our Gold Luster Dust uses German mica pigments that produce a noticeably richer, more saturated shimmer. The warmth is there, but so is the depth. Side by side on the same piece of chocolate, the difference is visible — ours catches light at more angles and holds its color instead of fading into pale yellow.
For drinks specifically, that depth matters a lot. The particles need to catch light as they move through liquid, which requires a certain reflectivity that softer pigments just don’t deliver at the same level. Our gold in a champagne flute is the difference between “oh that’s pretty” and “wait, how did you do that.” The Gold Shimmer Champagne Cocktail we’ve made with it gets comments every single time.
The Actual Side-by-Side
| Feature | Luster Dust | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Jar Size | Bakell: 4g–5g standard | Luster Dust: 10g standard |
| Pigment Source | Bakell: Mica (grade unspecified) | Luster Dust: German mica pigments |
| FDA Compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Vegan & Gluten-Free | Yes | Yes |
| Shimmer Intensity | Soft to medium | Medium to high |
| Gold in Drinks | Visible but soft | Rich, catches light as it moves |
| Color Accuracy vs. Photos | Inconsistent — some colors photograph better than they perform | Consistent — what you see is what you get |
| Bulk Options | Limited | Up to 1kg per color |
| Price per gram | ~$1.80–$2.50/g | ~$1.00/g (10g jar) |
| Free Shipping | Varies | Orders over $50 |
The Jar Size Thing Is a Real Issue
Bakell’s standard jars run 4–5 grams. Ours are 10 grams. That might sound like a small difference but it adds up fast. A single cocktail takes about 1/8 teaspoon — roughly 0.3–0.4 grams. A 5g jar gets you around 12–15 drinks. A 10g jar gets you 25+. And if you’re doing cakes or events, a 5g jar disappears in a single session.
The price-per-gram gap is significant too. Bakell’s jars land at roughly $1.80–2.50 per gram depending on where you buy. Ours come in around $1.00 per gram at the 10g size, and better than that at larger quantities. For anyone using luster dust regularly, that math matters.
Luster Dust Edible Glitter
Pros
- ✓ 10g standard jar — more than double the product
- ✓ German mica pigments for deeper shimmer
- ✓ Consistent color accuracy
- ✓ Up to 1kg bulk options for professionals
- ✓ Free shipping over $50
Cons
- ✗ Smaller color range than Bakell
- ✗ Not available in physical retail stores
- ✗ Fewer niche/specialty shades
Who Should Buy Bakell
Honestly? If you’re a professional cake decorator who needs a very specific shade that’s not in our catalog — something unusual, a custom match — Bakell’s breadth is worth it. Their library is genuinely bigger. And if you need something today and can grab it from a local supplier, that’s a real advantage we can’t compete with on shipping time.
They’re also fine for occasional use. If you’re decorating once a year for a birthday party and want a basic gold shimmer on a cake, either brand will do the job.
Who Should Buy Luster Dust
Anyone who cares about intensity. Cocktails and drinks especially — the German mica pigments just perform differently in liquid, and once you’ve seen what our Gold Luster Dust does in a champagne flute, it’s hard to go back. Same with our Silver Luster Dust on dark chocolate — it looks absurdly expensive and you need almost nothing to get there.
For anyone baking or mixing regularly — home or professional — the value math is just better. More product, richer results, and the bulk tiers mean the per-gram price keeps dropping the more you use.
The Verdict
Bakell isn’t a bad choice. But for shimmer depth, value per gram, and performance in drinks, we’re better. That’s not trash-talk — it’s just what the side-by-side testing shows, consistently.
If you’re replacing Bakell Super Gold specifically, our gold is the direct upgrade. Deeper color, more reflective, and you’ll get twice the product in the jar. Try the champagne cocktail with it. The difference is obvious after one pour.
Yes — Bakell’s luster dust products are FDA compliant, made with mica-based pigments that are approved for food use. “Non-toxic” and “edible” aren’t the same thing, and Bakell’s products do clear that bar. Same as ours. The difference between them is performance, not safety.
Not exactly. “Super Gold” is Bakell’s name for their most intense gold shade — it’s positioned as their premium option. In practice it performs like a standard mid-range gold dust. The shimmer is real but softer than the name implies, especially in drinks or under strong lighting.
About 1/8 teaspoon — that’s roughly 0.3–0.4 grams. Go over that and your drink goes cloudy instead of shimmery. A 10g jar covers 25+ cocktails. A 5g jar is closer to 12.
Bakell ships from their own warehouse and through Amazon, so Prime members can get next-day in many cases. Our shipping is fast but we don’t have Amazon fulfillment. If you need it tomorrow, Bakell or Amazon Prime has the edge. If you’re planning ahead, order from us and get more product for less.
