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Recipe Scaler
Make a recipe bigger or smaller without the arithmetic. Enter the servings the recipe makes and the servings you want, then list the ingredient amounts in order. Each one comes back multiplied by the right factor, both as a decimal and as the nearest kitchen fraction.
- Scaled amounts
- 5, 3.75, 1.25
- As kitchen fractions
- 5, 3 3/4, 1 1/4
Saved setups
Save a set of inputs you reuse — your usual rate, your loan, your room sizes — and load it back in one tap.
Your recent calculations
Results you calculate here are kept on this device so you can come back to them.
Formula
How to use it
- Enter how many servings the recipe makes as written.
- Enter how many servings you want.
- Type the ingredient amounts separated by commas, in recipe order — fractions such as 1/2 or 1 1/2 are fine.
- Read the scaled amounts in the same order and keep the original units.
Worked examples
A 4-serving recipe with 2 cups, 1.5 cups and 0.5 tsp, scaled to 10 servings
- Multiply everything by
- 2.5 ×
- Scaled amounts
- 5, 3.75, 1.25
- As kitchen fractions
- 5, 3 3/4, 1 1/4
A 12-serving recipe with 3, 1/2 and 2.25 cups, cut down to 8 servings
- Multiply everything by
- 0.667 ×
- Scaled amounts
- 2, 0.33, 1.5
- As kitchen fractions
- 2, 1/3, 1 1/2
Converting awkward amounts
When a scaled amount lands between measures, change units: 3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon, 16 tablespoons make 1 cup, 2 cups make 1 pint and 4 cups make 1 quart. So 0.33 cup is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, and 1.5 tablespoons is 1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons.
Scaling by weight is easier and more accurate than by volume, especially for baking: 187 g is simple on a scale, while 1½ cups plus a bit is not.
What does not scale in a straight line
Salt, spices, chili and leavening are best scaled a little short of the full factor and adjusted to taste — doubled recipes often need only about 1.5 times the seasoning. Eggs do not divide neatly; beat one and use part of it, or round to the nearest whole egg.
Cooking time does not multiply with the recipe. A doubled stew in a bigger pot takes somewhat longer to come to temperature but not twice as long; a cake in a larger pan needs a different time and sometimes a lower temperature. Pan size matters too: doubling a recipe needs double the pan area, not double the diameter.
Questions people ask
How do I double a recipe?
Multiply every ingredient by 2. Check that your pan or pot is large enough, and expect cooking time to rise only modestly.
How do I scale a recipe from 4 servings to 10?
Multiply every ingredient by 10 ÷ 4 = 2.5. Two cups becomes 5 cups; 1.5 cups becomes 3.75 cups (3¾).
How do I halve 3/4 cup?
Half of ¾ cup is ⅜ cup, which is 6 tablespoons.