Recipe Converter

Scale any recipe up or down — automatically adjusts all ingredient amounts

Recipe Converter

Original Servings

Desired Servings

Ingredients

Ingredient Name

Amount

Unit

Converted

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Quick summary

Enter the Original Servings and Desired Servings, then list each ingredient with its amount and unit. The calculator finds the scale factor (desired ÷ original) and multiplies every amount by it, showing results as kitchen-friendly fractions like ½ and ¾. Doubling a 4-serving recipe to 8 gives a factor of 2×; going from 4 to 6 gives 1.5×, so 2 cups of flour becomes 3 cups. It scales amounts in the unit you entered — it doesn't convert cups to grams.

Reviewed by Simple Calculators TeamLast reviewed July 10, 2026

How to use this calculator

Enter the Original Servings the recipe makes as written.
Enter the Desired Servings you want to make; the Scale Factor appears below.
Under Ingredients, type each Ingredient Name, its Amount, and choose its Unit. Click Add Ingredient for more rows.
Choose 'to taste' as the unit for seasonings you'd rather adjust by hand; those amounts are left unscaled.
Read the Converted column for each scaled amount, and round to the nearest measure you have in your kitchen.

Recipe Scaling Formula

Recipe Scale Factor

\text{Scale factor} = \frac{\text{Desired servings}}{\text{Original servings}}, \qquad \text{New amount} = \text{Original amount} \times \text{Scale factor}

Desired servings: How many servings you want to make
Original servings: How many servings the recipe makes as written
Original amount: Each ingredient's amount in the original recipe (in any unit)

Worked example

Scaling the sample 4-serving recipe (2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup butter) up to 6 servings

Given: Original servings = 4
Desired servings = 6
Flour = 2 cups
Sugar = 1 cup
Butter = ½ cup
Calculation: $\frac{6}{4} = 1.5; \quad 2 \times 1.5 = 3, \quad 1 \times 1.5 = 1.5, \quad 0.5 \times 1.5 = 0.75$
Result: Scale factor 1.5×: 3 cups flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, ¾ cup butter

Frequently asked questions

How does the recipe scaler work?

It divides the desired servings by the original servings to get a scale factor, then multiplies every ingredient amount by that factor. Going from 4 to 6 servings gives a factor of 1.5, so 1 cup of sugar becomes 1 ½ cups. Ingredients with the unit 'to taste' are left as they are, since seasoning is best adjusted by tasting as you cook.

How do I halve a recipe?

Enter the recipe's original servings and half that number as the desired servings — for example 4 and 2 — for a scale factor of 0.5×. Every amount is cut in half: 1 cup becomes ½ cup and ½ cup becomes ¼ cup. Awkward results such as half an egg are easiest to handle by beating the egg and using about half of it.

Does scaling always work perfectly?

Scaling the amounts is simple math, but cooking isn't always linear. Pan size, baking time, and evaporation change when you make much more or much less, and many bakers adjust leavening, salt, and strong spices with care rather than scaling them blindly. For big changes, test a batch first and check for doneness instead of relying on the original cooking time.

Why does the converted amount show a decimal instead of a fraction?

The calculator rounds to a common kitchen fraction (⅛, ¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔, or ¾) when the result is within 0.04 of one; otherwise it shows a decimal rounded to two places, or one place for amounts of 10 or more. For example, scaling 1 cup from 5 servings to 3 gives 0.6, which isn't close to a fraction, so it appears as 0.6 cup. Round it to the nearest measuring tool you own.

What units are supported?

Cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, ounces, pounds, grams, kilograms, milliliters, liters, fluid ounces, pints, quarts, gallons, pieces, cloves, and 'to taste'. Each ingredient keeps the unit you choose: the calculator scales the amount but doesn't convert between units, so cups stay cups and grams stay grams.

Can I convert cups to grams?

Not with this tool. It scales amounts within the unit you entered. Converting volume to weight depends on the ingredient — a cup of flour weighs much less than a cup of sugar — so use an ingredient-specific conversion chart or a kitchen scale for that step. Many bakers prefer weighing ingredients because it's more consistent than measuring by volume.

Key terms

Scale Factor: The multiplier applied to each ingredient — calculated as desired servings ÷ original servings.
Serving: One portion of the recipe as defined by the original recipe author.
To Taste: An amount left to the cook's judgment; the calculator does not scale it.

Methodology, sources & limitations

This page shows the formula, assumptions, and limitations used for this estimate. Rates, thresholds, and other time-sensitive inputs can change, so verify them against the relevant official source before relying on a result.

For our review approach and the primary sources we consult, see the methodology and source policy. If you spot an outdated figure or formula, please contact us with a correction.

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