Cooking

Recipe scaling calculator

From 4 to 6 servings, or 12 down to 2: everything recalculated.

Reviewed September 19, 2026FreeNo sign-up≈ 2 minutes

Your inputs

Servings in the recipe The servings the original recipe makes.

Servings you want The servings you want it to make.

Ingredient	Amount	Unit	Row actions

Your inputs are processed on your device and are not sent to a server.

Your result will appear here

There is no figure yet: nothing is calculated until you ask for it.

Enter your measurements.
Check the units and the assumptions.
Press Calculate, or load the example.

Rather see a worked case? Press “Load example” and change any value afterwards.

Next step

Baking pan size converter

Once you scale the recipe the tin stops working: the batter rises differently.

Open the calculator

Where each number comes from Conversion constants are exact; densities and coverage rates come from cited sources; everything else is an assumption you can change. Methodology · Sources and updates

How to use it

Enter the servings in the original recipe and the servings you want.
Type the ingredients with their amount and unit.
Add as many rows as you need.
The result gives the factor and every quantity recalculated.

How it is calculated

The arithmetic is a simple ratio, but it is worth writing down:

factor = servings wanted / servings in the recipe new amount = original amount x factor

What matters is not the formula but knowing that not everything scales the same way. The main quantities (flour, liquids, meat, vegetables) scale linearly without trouble. These do not:

Salt and spices: scale below the factor. When doubling, start at 1.5x and taste your way up.
Yeast: doubling a dough does not need exactly double; slightly less ferments just as well, only a little slower.
Baking time: does not scale at all. It follows the tin and the depth, not the total amount.

Worked example

A recipe for 4 that you want to make for 6:

Factor: 6 / 4 = 1.5
200 g flour → 300 g
100 g sugar → 150 g
250 ml milk → 375 ml
2 eggs → 3 eggs (round here; when it is not, beat one and weigh)

Good to know

Eggs do not halve. Beat a whole one and weigh half: a large egg is about 50 g without the shell.
Change the tin, change the time. More batter needs a bigger tin, and that alters the baking time. Use the pan size converter.
Scaling down, watch the pan. Half a recipe in the same pan cooks differently: the layer is thinner and evaporates faster.
Tripling does not always work. Above about 2.5x many recipes behave differently. Two batches usually turn out better.

Frequently asked questions

How do I double a recipe?

Multiply the main quantities by 2. For salt and spices start at 1.5x and adjust to taste; for yeast, slightly less than double is enough.

How do I halve a recipe?

Multiply everything by 0.5. The classic problem is the egg: beat one and weigh 25 g, which is roughly half a large egg.

Can any recipe be scaled?

Almost all, within a sensible range. Above 3x or below 0.3x, check the pan and the timings, because the cooking conditions change.

Does the baking time scale too?

No. Time depends on the depth of the batter and the tin, not the total quantity. A bigger tin with the same batter depth takes a similar time.

What should I do about spices?

Scale them below the factor and taste. Chilli and garlic in particular concentrate more than the ratio suggests.

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