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Scale any recipe to any serving count
Set the servings, list the ingredients, and every amount below rewrites itself.
FREE CALCULATOR · EVERYDAY
Recipe scaling calculator
Cooking for two instead of eight, or feeding a crowd from a family-size recipe? Enter the original servings, the servings you want, and your ingredient list — the calculator finds the scale factor, rewrites every amount in kitchen fractions like 1¾ cups, and flags the parts of a recipe that should never be multiplied blindly.
How recipe scaling works
Scaling a recipe is one division and a round of multiplication. The scale factor is the servings you want divided by the servings the recipe makes. A recipe for 4 scaled to 6 servings has a factor of 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5 — every ingredient gets 1.5 times its original amount. Scaling down works the same way: 4 servings to 2 is a factor of 0.5, so every amount halves. The factor is the only number you ever need; the rest is bookkeeping.
The formula
Scale factor = desired servings ÷ original servings · Scaled amount = original amount × scale factor.
Worked example: pancakes for 4, feeding 6
A pancake recipe serves 4; you need 6. Factor = 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5. Scale each line: 2 cups flour → 3 cups; 1 cup milk → 1½ cups; 2 eggs → 3 eggs; 2 tbsp melted butter → 3 tbsp; 2 tsp baking powder → 3 tsp — but hold the leavening back a touch, because leavening does not scale cleanly (about 1.5× is already the conservative move when doubling). Salt stays at a pinch either way: scale it to 1.5×, then season the finished batter to taste.
Cook the same way you always do — the pan is the same size, the pancakes are the same size, so the time barely changes. You are just cooking more batches.
Where this comes in handy
- Halving a family recipe: a 12-cookie batch becomes 6 — no more stale leftovers.
- Cooking for a crowd: stretch a dinner-party recipe from 4 to 10 with one factor.
- Meal prep for one: scale a 6-serving stew down to 2 for the week.
- Baking math: flour, sugar, and butter scale cleanly by weight or volume.
- Tasting without committing: scale an untested recipe to a quarter batch first.
For the full story — what never scales linearly, how to adjust for different pan sizes, and the timing rules — see the guide How to scale a recipe up or down.
Recipe scaling — frequently asked questions
Does the scale factor work for baking?
Yes for the ratios — flour, sugar, fat, and liquid scale cleanly. The one line to treat with care is the leavening: when doubling a cake or bread recipe, use about 1.5× the baking powder or soda rather than a full 2×. Over-leavened batter rises fast and then collapses. Everything else in baking scales linearly.
Should I double the salt when I double a recipe?
No — seasonings are the classic exception. Salt, spices, and strong flavorings intensify faster than they dilute, so start with about 70% of the scaled amount and taste at the end. It is easy to add more salt to a finished dish; it is nearly impossible to take it out.
How do I scale the eggs?
Round to whole eggs — you cannot measure 1.37 eggs. If the scaled count lands on a half egg and it matters (custards, delicate cakes), beat one egg and measure out half by volume, about 1½ tablespoons. For everyday cooking, just round to the nearest whole egg.
Does the cooking time double when the recipe doubles?
No. Cooking time barely changes with quantity — it changes with thickness, pan size, and heat. A doubled soup in a wider pot simmers in about the same time; a doubled cake in a deeper pan needs a bit more time and a slightly lower temperature. Always go by doneness cues (color, internal temperature, a clean toothpick), not by a multiplied timer.
What do I do with awkward amounts like 0.37 cups?
Round to the nearest measurable amount. The calculator prints kitchen fractions (1¾ cups, ½ tsp) so most scaled volumes land on something you can actually measure. For the leftovers, remember that small measuring errors disappear in most cooking — only precise baking (macarons, meringues) punishes them.
Do grams scale better than cups?
Yes. Weight is exact: 200 grams doubled is exactly 400 grams, while 1 cup of flour can vary by 20% depending on how it was scooped. If your recipe lists gram weights, scale those numbers and ignore the volume equivalents. Weighing is the single best upgrade for scaling baked goods.
Can I scale a recipe and change the pan size too?
Yes, but that is a second calculation: pan changes scale by area, not servings. An 8×8-inch pan holds 64 square inches; a 9×13 holds 117 — a factor of about 1.83 for the same batter depth. The recipe scaling guide walks through the area math step by step.