Recipe Scaler
Scale an ingredient up or down for a different number of servings.
Apply the scale factor to every ingredient. Seasonings, leavening and cooking times may need a lighter touch.
Scaling by a single factor
Resizing a recipe comes down to one number: the scale factor, found by dividing the servings you want by the servings the recipe makes. Multiply each ingredient by it and the proportions stay true.
scale factor = desired servings ÷ original servings
The per-serving amount is the same idea seen from the other side — the original quantity split across its servings. It is useful for portioning, or for scaling to an awkward number without doing the division twice.
A recipe for 4 that uses 200 g of an ingredient becomes 300 g for 6 servings — a scale factor of 1.5, or 50 g per serving. Apply the same factor to every ingredient.
When to trust the maths, and when not to
Bulk ingredients — flour, liquids, vegetables — scale cleanly. The exceptions are worth knowing: strong seasonings can overpower if scaled straight up, leavening behaves non-linearly, and a bigger batch in the same pan changes cooking time and browning.
Handy habits
- Season to taste. Scale salt and spice conservatively, then adjust at the end.
- Mind the pan. Doubling a recipe rarely means doubling the tin or the time.
- Round whole items. Eggs and similar do not halve neatly — choose a tidy serving count.