Sixth Grade, Cooking & Food Science Science Projects (47 results)

Who doesn't love food? It's fun to make, it's fun to eat, it's fun to ...study? That's right! There is a lot of science that goes into the everyday foods that you love. Explore questions such as how baking ingredients work, how and why certain ingredients mix well together, and why people's tastes differ.

Make Popping Boba Balls Out of Your Drinks

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Forget drinking your juice. Instead, try snacking on it! Use the steps and recipes in this food science project to transform drinks into semi-solid balls that pop in your mouth. The technique is called spherification and it is part of a larger food science trend called molecular gastronomy— but we just call it yummy science! Read more

Make Yogurt Spheres Using Molecular Gastronomy

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Imagine if instead of spooning up a bowl of soup, a container of yogurt, or a cup of pudding you could just pick up and pop in your mouth a round, mess-free, ball-like blob of one of those. It might feel like snacking rather than eating a meal! In this food science project you can try exactly that. The simple step-by-step directions will lead you through trying a fun cooking technique called reverse spherification to turn yogurt into semi-solid balls, which are called "raviolis." How do you… Read more

Candy Chromatography: What Makes Those Colors?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Quick, what is your favorite color of M&Ms® candy? Do you want to know what dyes were used to make that color? Check out this science project to find out how you can do some scientific detective work to find out for yourself. Read more

How Sweet It Is! Measuring Glucose in Your Food

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You know that sugar makes food sweet, but did you know that there are different kinds of sugar? Sucrose is the granulated sugar that you usually use for baking. Another kind of sugar, which is found in honey and in many fruits, is glucose. In this science project, you will measure the concentration of glucose in a variety of foods. You will use special test strips that change color in response to glucose to measure the glucose concentration in different foods. Read more

Mixing Your Own Marshmallows: Finding the Right Ratio of Sugar to Corn Syrup

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Whether you are sitting around a campfire, or drinking hot chocolate after a day in the snow, nothing says fun quite like a marshmallow! Even its name is soft and spongy! In this cooking and food science fair project, you will make your own marshmallows several different ways, and discover the three special ingredients that give marshmallows their unique texture. You will also find out why they melt so quickly. Explore the science of these sticky, spongy sweets! Read more

Temper, Temper, Temper! The Science of Tempering Chocolate

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Nut clusters, chocolate-dipped candies, and chocolate-dipped strawberries are just some of the delicious goodies that have a thin, rich layer of chocolate wrapped around them. But how do pastry and candy chefs make these delectable treats? The first step is to melt and temper chocolate. Tempering is a process in which the cocoa butter in chocolate is hardened into a specific crystalline pattern. When the cocoa butter molecules are in this pattern, the chocolate is shiny and breaks with a sharp… Read more

Which Fruits Can Ruin Your Gelatin Dessert?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Why are some fruits, like pineapple, not recommended for adding to gelatin? It is because the gelatin may not solidify well if it has these fruits in it. In this science project you will determine whether certain enzymes in some fruits are preventing gelatin from solidifying, and whether there is a way to still include these fruits without ruining your gelatin dessert. It is an experiment with edible results! Read more

Is Plant-Based Milk as Protein-Packed as Dairy Milk?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What kind of milk do you drink in your household? Do you drink 2% dairy milk, whole dairy milk, or plant-based milk like almond milk or soy milk? Have you ever considered why you drink it? As more sustainable and alternative food options become increasingly available, people are interested in the nutritional value of plant-based foods. The US government dietary guidelines state that dairy milk is a good source of protein. Are plant-based milk sources also a good source of protein? In this… Read more

Which Cheesecake Baking Method is the Best?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Since ancient times, nothing has said "special" and "dessert" quite like cheesecake! The Romans even sacrificed their form of cheesecake, called libum, in religious ceremonies. Modern cheesecakes are more likely to be eaten at parties and at restaurants than used as sacrificial offerings, but no matter how they're enjoyed, all cheesecakes require some finesse in their baking and mixing to avoid common cheesecake faults, like cracking, collapsing, or failure to rise. In this cooking and food… Read more

Comparing the Sweetness of Sugar & Sugar Substitutes

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Cake, cookies, pie, ice cream, hot chocolate, lemonade... Yum! What do all these delicious treats have in common? Sugar. In addition to providing sweetness, sugar adds bulk, flavor, and structure to foods. But is it necessary to add sugar to achieve sweetness? Can the same sweetness be achieved using sugar substitutes like artificial or natural sweeteners? In this project, you will test sugar and sugar substitutes and compare the sweetness of each in relation to sugar. In the end, your day will… Read more

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