2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
3 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. alum or 3 cream of tartar
2 cups boiling water
food coloring of your (child’s) choice
Mix all ingredients together and you’re done! (You kind of have to be exact in the measurements. If it’s too sticky, I add a little extra oil. If it’s too oily, I add a little extra flour. Too much flour makes it dry out fast.)
No-Cook Apple-Cinnamon Play Dough
1 cup apple cider
1 cup salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups bisquick
1 cup salt
2 cups water
1 TBSP cream of tartar or alum
1 TBSP oil
food coloring or kool aid
or
add cocoa, peppermint what ever strikes your fancy too!
pour ALL into a MICROWAVE safe bowl and microwave for 3 mins stop and scrape and stir the bowl
microwave for another 3 mins scrape and stir it should be ready for kneading now if not cook for another minute or so!
Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups flour
2 cup salt
8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 oz pumpkin pie spice (or your own combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and mace)
4 cups water
Food coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red)
Mix in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until all lumps disappear. As soon as it cools enough to handle, knead on a flour surface until smooth.
Store in air tight container.
This play dough is not edible, just for playing !!!!!
It smells so good. It is a little oily for me, but it makes for easy clean up.
Kathy says
What does the cream of tartar / alum do? I’ve never used them for baking before so I haven’t a clue!
Abbey says
Kathy, I was told that alum is a preservative – also used in pickling. My mom said you can also get it in some pharmacies in bulk for less than McCormicks sells it for in the spice section. Not sure why there would need to be a preservative with all the salt though…
admin says
Yes it is a preservative. Many homemade play dough recipes call for it, many don’t. I got mine at Walmart.
mariss says
I have also heard and observed that the cream of tarter gives the play dough a nicer texture as well. The alum I have used to keep children from trying to eat the playdough, esp. if it smells really good, however at one job I had a group of pre-k’s that would try and eat it no matter how much I put in..That takes sour heads to a new level for me.. : )
meimy says
Does anyone know if cream of tartar and alum can be used interchangeably? I already have some cream of tartar and I haven’t been able to find alum in bulk. Can I just use the cream of tartar instead of alum?
admin says
I do not know, I am so sorry.
Melissa says
This may be a day late and a dollar short, but I have used alum and cream of tartar interchangeably. They just serve as a preservative so you can use whichever you happen to have on hand. May change the texture a little, but the littles have never seemed to notice.
Allison McDonald says
Thank you. Good info is always welcomed!
amy @teachmama says
Allie–hoping I can link back to some of these posts in my ‘new-for-us-friday’ playdoh flop.
If it’s cool, great; if not, shoot me an email, my friend.
xo
amy
admin says
Of course Amy – anything for you <3 !!
Robin E. says
Alum and cream of tartar are acidic compounds in cooking. Alum is a naturally occurring mineral (or refined from a naturally occurring mineral). Cream of tartar is a byproduct of wine production.
Many chemical processes in cooking require acidic environments to work (baking soda, for example) and that acid can come from many forms when cooking depending on the recipe. Cream of tartar, lemon juice, sour cream, and buttermilk seem to be the most common.
I haven’t experimented with playdough recipes so I’m sure what role the acid plays in it. However, knowing the above I have substituted lemon juice in the recipe when I didn’t have cream of tartar or alum. It works fine.
Vanessa Schachter says
Does anyone know how long this playdough lasts? Is it for one time only or can I re-use it?
Allison McDonald says
Reuse for sure. I have had playdough last for 6 months if it’s kept in a sealed bag.