Half Recipe Calculator

Halve a recipe — apply 0.5× to every ingredient, with notes for items that don't halve cleanly.

Inputs

Result

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General calculation reads

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How Not to Be Wrong
Jordan Ellenberg - math thinking
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The Joy of X
Steven Strogatz - accessible math
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Scientific calculator (Casio fx-991EX)
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How to use this calculator

  • Enter an original ingredient amount and unit.
  • Read the halved amount, with fraction notation when possible.

About this calculator

Halving a recipe is straightforward arithmetic — divide every ingredient by 2 — but eggs and tablespoons-of-leavening don't always halve cleanly. Half an egg means beating one and weighing out 25 g; half a teaspoon of baking soda is fine. Cooking time barely changes (≤10%) for most recipes.

Frequently asked

How do I halve an egg?+
Crack one egg, beat thoroughly, and weigh out half (≈25 g). Save the rest in a sealed container for up to 2 days, or use in scrambled eggs.
Does cook time halve?+
No — cooking time depends on thickness more than volume. Reducing volume by half typically only shortens time by 10-20%.
Will halving change the texture?+
For most recipes no. Bread doughs that rely on critical mass for fermentation may behave slightly differently.
Should I halve the salt and baking soda?+
Yes — halve everything linearly. Leavening doesn't need adjusting at the half-recipe scale.
Can I just halve the pan size?+
Approximately — see pan-size-converter. A 9×13 pan recipe doesn't halve to 4.5×13; use an 8×8 or 8×11 for half.

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