Scale any recipe up or down by servings and instantly convert one ingredient amount.
Usage Tip
Spices and salt often need slightly less than a straight scale-up; taste as you go.
See it in action
Original recipe
Serves 4
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
Scaled recipe× 2
Serves 8
- 4 cups flour
- 2 cups milk
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp salt
Going from 4 to 8 servings is a scale factor of 2, so every ingredient simply doubles. Enter your own serving numbers above to get the factor for any recipe.
How recipe scaling works
Divide the servings you want by the servings the recipe makes to get one scale factor, then multiply every ingredient by it. Four to six servings is ×1.5; doubling is ×2; halving is ×0.5. The arithmetic is exact for ingredients – but a few things do not move on the same straight line.
Popular scaling examples
Double a recipe
Multiply every ingredient by 2. Keep the oven temperature the same and check doneness a little later.
Halve a recipe
Multiply by 0.5. For one egg, beat it and use half by weight, about 25 g.
4 to 6 servings
Multiply by 1.5 – every quantity goes up by half.
6 to 12 servings
Multiply by 2 – a straight double of the recipe.
4 to 8 servings
Multiply by 2; you may need a larger pan or two pans.
Scale for a crowd
Divide your target by the original servings; for big batches ease back on salt and strong spices.
Common scaling table
| Original | Double | Half |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 tsp | 1/2 tsp | 1/8 tsp |
| 1/2 tsp | 1 tsp | 1/4 tsp |
| 1 tsp | 2 tsp | 1/2 tsp |
| 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp | 1 1/2 tsp |
| 1/4 cup | 1/2 cup | 2 tbsp |
| 1/2 cup | 1 cup | 1/4 cup |
| 1 cup | 2 cups | 1/2 cup |
| 2 cups | 4 cups | 1 cup |
Scaling fractions and tricky amounts
Halving or multiplying odd fractions is where recipes get fiddly. Use the calculator for the factor, then this chart to land on a clean measure.
| Amount | × 0.5 | × 1.5 | × 2 | × 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 2 tbsp | 6 tbsp | 1/2 cup | 3/4 cup |
| 1/3 cup | 2 tbsp + 2 tsp | 1/2 cup | 2/3 cup | 1 cup |
| 1/2 cup | 1/4 cup | 3/4 cup | 1 cup | 1 1/2 cups |
| 2/3 cup | 1/3 cup | 1 cup | 1 1/3 cups | 2 cups |
| 3/4 cup | 6 tbsp | 1 1/8 cups | 1 1/2 cups | 2 1/4 cups |
Scaling for a different pan size
When you change pan size, scale the batter by the change in pan area, and expect the bake time to shift because the batter sits at a different depth.
| Pan change | Area change | Multiply batter by |
|---|---|---|
| 8" round → 9" round | +26% | × 1.26 |
| 9" round → 10" round | +23% | × 1.23 |
| 8" round → 10" round | +56% | × 1.56 |
| 8×8 square → 9×13 | +83% | × 1.83 |
| 9×13 → 8×8 square | −45% | × 0.55 |
Recipe scaling tips
Scales easily
- Flour
- Sugar
- Milk and water
- Oil and most liquids
- Dry staples by weight
May need adjustment
- Salt
- Baking powder and soda
- Yeast
- Strong spices
- Alcohol and extracts
When scaling up, start with slightly less salt, leavening, and spice than the exact multiple, then adjust to taste. When scaling down, leavening can be hard to measure accurately – weigh it if you can.
Popular recipe conversions
Double a cookie recipe
Multiply each ingredient by 2 and bake in batches so the trays are not overcrowded.
Half a cake recipe
Multiply by 0.5 and drop to a smaller pan so depth and bake time stay close to the original.
Triple a chili recipe
Multiply by 3, but hold back on the chili and salt, then taste and adjust at the end.
Scale soup for 20
Plan about 350 ml per person as a main, multiply, and use a pot big enough to stir comfortably.