Enter your ingredients, then set the servings the recipe makes and the servings you want, or use a multiplier. Every amount is recalculated, with kitchen fractions for cups and spoons and a list you can copy.
Start from a sample recipe
Ingredients (original: 4 servings)
Recipe multiplier
4 servings → 8 servings
Servings or multiplier
Recipe makes
You want
Rounding
TIP
For salt and strong spices, start with about 75% of the scaled amount and add more as you taste. Cooking time and pan size don't change at the same rate as the ingredients.
How to Scale a Recipe Up or Down
Resizing a recipe by hand means doing the same multiplication for every ingredient, and the numbers get awkward fast once cups and spoons are involved. The method is simple: divide the servings you want by the servings the recipe makes, then multiply every amount by the result. A recipe for 4 that needs to feed 6 uses a multiplier of 1.5.
Enter your ingredients, or load a sample recipe, then set the servings or a multiplier. This calculator recalculates each line at once, keeps the units you typed, and lets you choose how results are rounded.
Fractions mode rounds each amount to the nearest common measuring fraction (such as ⅓ or ¾), so a result reads like a recipe card instead of a long decimal.
When to Resize a Recipe
Cooking for a crowd
A recipe that serves 4 needs to feed 10 at a cookout or family dinner. Enter both numbers and get a full shopping list.
Meal prep and batch cooking
Double or triple a weeknight recipe on Sunday and copy the scaled list straight into your grocery notes.
Cooking for one or two
Shrink a recipe written for 8 down to 2 without leaving yourself with leftovers you did not plan on.
Baking a bigger or smaller batch
Change a cookie, muffin, or pancake recipe to match the number of people or the pans you have on hand.
Steps to Double, Halve, or Resize a Recipe
- Load a sample recipe, or type your own ingredients with an amount and a unit for each.
- Under "By servings", enter how many servings the recipe makes and how many you want. To use a multiplier instead, switch to "By multiplier".
- Pick a rounding style. Fractions suits cups and spoons, and Whole numbers suits eggs and cans.
- Read the Scaled column, or copy the finished list to your clipboard.
Note: You can add or remove ingredients at any time, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
Before You Scale: Time, Pans, and Seasoning
- The calculator scales amounts only. It does not adjust cooking time, oven temperature, or pan size.
- Items you count, such as eggs or garlic cloves, can land on a fraction. Whole numbers mode rounds to the nearest whole number, so you may want to judge those by eye.
- Units stay as typed. The calculator does not convert tablespoons to cups or ounces to grams, so 8 tbsp stays 8 tbsp.
- The math runs in your browser, and the recipe is not saved. Copy the list before you close the page.
Recipe Multiplier Chart (Servings to Multiplier)
For a recipe that makes 4 servings, here is the multiplier for each new serving count and what 1 cup becomes.
| Servings you want | Multiplier | 1 cup becomes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | ×0.25 | ¼ cup |
| 2 servings | ×0.5 | ½ cup |
| 3 servings | ×0.75 | ¾ cup |
| 4 servings (original) | ×1 | 1 cup |
| 6 servings | ×1.5 | 1½ cups |
| 8 servings | ×2 | 2 cups |
| 12 servings | ×3 | 3 cups |
If your recipe makes a different number of servings, enter it under "Recipe makes" and the calculator works out the multiplier for you.
Scaling Math and Kitchen Measurement Basics
The formula behind the calculator, plus a few US measurement facts that help with awkward amounts.
The formula: new servings ÷ original servings
The multiplier is the servings you want divided by the servings the recipe makes. Going from 4 servings to 10 gives 10 ÷ 4 = 2.5, and going from 8 to 2 gives 2 ÷ 8 = 0.25. Multiply every ingredient by that number.
US measurement equivalents for odd amounts
Scaling often produces amounts that are easier to measure in a smaller or larger unit. Standard US equivalents: 3 tsp = 1 tbsp, 4 tbsp = ¼ cup, 16 tbsp = 1 cup, 1 cup = 8 fl oz, 2 cups = 1 pint, and 4 cups = 1 quart. For example, ¼ cup × 1.5 is 6 tbsp.
Salt, spices, and strong flavors
Seasoning does not always need to grow by the full multiplier. When you scale up, add about 75% of the scaled amount of salt, chili, or similar ingredients first, then taste and add more.
Which rounding to use
Fractions fits measuring cups and spoons. Whole numbers fits countable items like eggs, cans, and onions. 1 decimal and 2 decimals suit scales and other precise measures.
Common Mistakes When Doubling or Halving Recipes
Doubling the cooking time along with the ingredients
A double batch is in the oven or on the stove for twice as long, and the food ends up dry or overcooked.
💡 See the solution▼
Multiplying the salt and spices by the full amount
Salt, chili powder, and other strong flavors come out much stronger than expected in a large batch.
💡 See the solution▼
Using a pan that is too small for the bigger batch
The scaled ingredients overflow the pot or crowd the baking sheet, so the food steams instead of browning or cooks unevenly.
💡 See the solution▼
Reading decimals on a measuring cup
A result such as 0.33 cup is hard to measure, and rounding it yourself can be inconsistent.
💡 See the solution▼
Typing servings into the multiplier box
Entering 6 as a multiplier for a recipe that serves 4 produces 24 servings instead of 6.
💡 See the solution▼
Questions About Changing Servings
Q.How do I change a recipe from 4 servings to 6?
A. Divide the servings you want by the servings the recipe makes: 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5. Then multiply every ingredient by 1.5. In this calculator, enter 4 under "Recipe makes" and 6 under "You want", and every amount updates.
Q.How do I double or halve a recipe?
A. Doubling uses a multiplier of 2 and halving uses 0.5. Switch to "By multiplier" and tap ×2 or ×0.5, or enter servings that are twice or half of the original.
Q.Do cooking time and pan size change when I double a recipe?
A. Not at the same rate as the ingredients. A bigger batch can take longer to heat through, but the time does not simply double, and a deeper or crowded pan cooks differently. This calculator only scales ingredient amounts, so check for doneness early and use a pot or pan large enough for the new batch.
Q.How does the calculator handle fractions like 1/3 cup?
A. In Fractions mode, each result is rounded to the nearest of ⅛, ¼, ⅓, ⅜, ½, ⅝, ⅔, ¾, or ⅞, so you can read it straight off a measuring cup or spoon. For example, ⅓ cup × 1.5 shows as ½ cup. Grams, kilograms, milliliters, and liters are not shown as fractions: they show as whole numbers from 10 up and with one decimal below 10.
Q.What do I do when a recipe needs half an egg?
A. Beat the egg and use about half of it. In Fractions mode the calculator shows amounts like 1½ eggs, and Whole numbers mode rounds 1.5 up to 2. Pick whichever suits the recipe.
Q.Does the calculator convert cups to ounces or grams?
A. No. Each ingredient keeps the unit you entered, and only the amount is multiplied. For example, 2 tbsp stays in tbsp. If you want a different unit, change the unit and amount in the row yourself.
Q.Can I use my own recipe instead of the samples?
A. Yes. Every name, amount, and unit can be edited, and you can add or remove rows. The sample recipes are just a starting point.
Q.Is my recipe saved or sent anywhere?
A. No. The math runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to a server. The recipe is not saved either, so reloading the page resets it. Use the copy button to keep the scaled list.
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