Recipe Scaler

Scale a recipe up or down — multiply every ingredient by the ratio of target servings to original servings.

Inputs

Apply the multiplier yourself to all your ingredients; this row shows the math for one example.

Result

Loading calculator…
—

General calculation reads

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

As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases. This does not add cost for you.

How to use this calculator

  • Enter the original recipe yield and your target yield.
  • Read the multiplier; multiply every ingredient by it.
  • Use the sample row to sanity-check.

About this calculator

Scaling a recipe is just multiplying every ingredient by the ratio of target servings over original servings. Most home recipes scale linearly except for very small components (yeast, baking powder, salt) where doubling can produce off-flavor. For 4×+ scale-ups, reduce leavening by 10-20%.

Frequently asked

Does everything scale linearly?+
Most things do — flour, sugar, butter, milk, oil, etc. Salt, baking soda/powder, yeast, and strong spices may need adjusting if you scale up 3×+ to avoid bitterness.
Will the cooking time change?+
Slightly — larger volumes take longer to come to temp but the same total cook time at temp. Plan to add 5-15 minutes when doubling, more for big roasts.
Should I use weight or volume?+
Weight is more accurate for baking, especially flour. If your original recipe is in cups, scaling stays the same; converting to grams takes a separate step (use cups-to-grams).
Can I scale a recipe by ¼ or ½?+
Yes — set target = original/4 or original/2. Egg fractions get tricky; round to whole eggs and adjust other liquids slightly.
How do I scale baking-powder-leavened recipes?+
For 2× or less, scale linearly. For 3×+ use 80-90% of the linear-scaled leavening to avoid metallic taste.

Related calculators

Half Recipe Calculator
Halve a recipe — apply 0.5× to every ingredient, with notes for items that don't halve cleanly.
Double Recipe Calculator
Double a recipe — multiply every ingredient by 2, with notes on leavening, salt, and bake time.
Quarter Recipe Calculator
Quarter a recipe — divide everything by 4, with notes for fractional eggs and small-batch limits.
Recipe Serving Converter
Convert a recipe between any two serving sizes with examples for common ingredients.
Batch Baker Calculator
Recipe yields N items but you want M — find the batch multiplier.
Cups to Grams Converter (Ingredient-Specific)
Cups → grams for flour, sugar, butter, oil, milk, water, brown sugar, oats, cocoa, and more — ingredient density matters.

More tools you might like

Hand-picked tools that pair well with this one — same audience, same intent.

Half Recipe Calculator
Calc

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

Double Recipe Calculator
Calc

Double a recipe — multiply every ingredient by 2, with notes on leavening, salt, and bake time.

Recipe Serving Converter
Calc

Convert a recipe between any two serving sizes with examples for common ingredients.

Quarter Recipe Calculator
Calc

Quarter a recipe — divide everything by 4, with notes for fractional eggs and small-batch limits.

Batch Baker Calculator
Calc

Recipe yields N items but you want M — find the batch multiplier.

Recipe Card Generator
PDF

Generate a printable recipe card PDF — title, servings, prep / cook time, ingredients list, step-by-step instructions, optional notes.