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Recipe Scaler

Paste an ingredient list, say how many it makes and how many you need. Every line is scaled at once, with cups and spoons kept as fractions you can actually measure.

Scaled × 1.5

  • 3⅜ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp baking soda
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1½ cups butter, softened
  • 1⅛ cups granulated sugar
  • 1⅛ cups packed brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups chocolate chips

Lines without a number (like "pinch of salt") are left as written. Leavening and seasoning don't always scale perfectly in big batches; see the notes below.

How the recipe scaler works

It reads each line for a number, a unit and the ingredient, multiplies the number, and writes the line back. It understands whole numbers, decimals, written fractions like 2 1/4, symbols like ½, ranges like 2–3 tbsp, and the usual abbreviations (cup, tbsp, T, tsp, t, oz, lb, g, ml, stick).

Cups and spoons are rounded to the nearest common kitchen fraction (⅛, ¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔, ¾). When a result doesn't land close to one, you get a decimal instead, which is a sign that weighing in grams will be more accurate.

Scaling by volume vs by weight

Scaling cups works, but each conversion adds a little rounding, and three-quarters of a third of a cup is hard to measure. Weights scale cleanly: 340 g × 1.5 is 510 g, with nothing to round. If your recipe is in cups, convert it to grams first with the recipe converter, then scale.

What doesn't scale simply

  • Eggs. Beat and weigh part eggs rather than rounding to a whole one.
  • Pan and bake time. More batter in the same pan bakes deeper and slower.
  • Salt and spices in very large batches: add most, taste where you can, then the rest.
  • Mixing. A doubled dough may not fit your mixer bowl; mix two batches if needed.

Frequently asked questions

How do I scale a recipe?

Divide the servings you want by the servings the recipe makes, and multiply every ingredient by that number. Going from 24 cookies to 36 is a factor of 1.5. Paste the list above and the scaler does every line at once.

How do I halve a recipe with 3 eggs?

Beat the eggs together and weigh out half. A large egg is roughly 50 g without its shell, so half of three is about 75 g. The scaler marks any line where you end up with part of an egg.

Does baking soda or baking powder scale the same way?

For halving, doubling or anything in between, scale them like everything else. For very large batches some bakers reduce leavening slightly, but that varies by recipe; if you're making a big batch for the first time, try one tray before committing the rest.

Should I change the pan or bake time when I scale?

If you scale to fit a different pan, use the cake pan converter to find the factor, and the batter depth stays the same. If you put more batter in the same pan, it will be deeper and need longer in the oven.

Can it convert the scaled recipe to grams?

Use the recipe converter for that: paste the scaled list and it turns cups and spoons into grams with US, UK or Australian measures.

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