Recipe Scaler
Scale any recipe up or down by servings. Load a FoodsLiver recipe or enter ingredients yourself — then learn the formula, worked examples, and what not to scale blindly.
Quick scale
| Ingredient | Original | Scaled | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
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— | |||
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Add ingredients or load a recipe to see scaled amounts.
How it works
Set servings
Enter the original number of servings and the number you want to cook for.
Add ingredients
Type amounts manually or load a FoodsLiver recipe to fill the list automatically.
Use presets or fine-tune
Hit ½×, 2×, or 3× for common batch sizes, or type any target serving count.
Copy and cook
Copy the scaled list for shopping. Remember: cook time is not linear.
What is recipe scaling?
Recipe scaling means changing ingredient amounts so a dish still works when you cook for fewer or more people. If a FoodsLiver recipe is written for 4 servings and you need 8, you roughly double each measurable ingredient. If you need 2 servings, you cut amounts in half.
Home cooks scale recipes constantly: dinner for two instead of a family of six, meal prep for the week, or a party platter. Doing the math by hand is easy to mess up — especially with fractions like ⅓ cup or mixed lists of grams and tablespoons. A recipe scaler keeps the ratio consistent so flavor balance stays closer to the original.
What scaling actually does
Original
4 servings
Half batch
2 servings
Double batch
8 servings
Ingredient amounts move with servings. Oven time usually does not.
Recipe scaling formula
Formula
New amount = Original × (Target ÷ Original servings)
- OriginalAmount written in the recipe (e.g. ½ cup oil)
- TargetHow many servings you want to cook
- Original servingsYield printed on the recipe card
- New amountScaled quantity for your batch size
Phrases like “to taste” or “for garnish” cannot be scaled mathematically — leave them as written and adjust by eye.
How to scale a recipe (step by step)
- Note the recipe’s original servings (or set them in the tool above).
- Enter the servings you actually need.
- Load a FoodsLiver recipe or type each ingredient amount.
- Read the Scaled column — or copy the list for shopping and cooking.
- For spices, salt, yeast, and eggs, use judgment after the math (see tips below).
Worked example
A soup calls for 2 cups broth and serves 4. You want 6 servings.
Scale factor = 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5
New broth = 2 × 1.5 = 3 cups
Use the presets (½×, 2×, 3×) when you want common batch sizes without typing the target servings by hand.
What does not scale linearly
Scale with care
Liquids & flours
Linear
Usually scale cleanly
Salt & spices
Gentle
Often less than full factor
Cook time
Not linear
Check doneness instead
Baking is less forgiving than stews. Leaveners (baking powder, yeast) and eggs may need rounding to whole units. Very large pans change how heat moves through food, so a doubled casserole can need more time in the oven even when ingredients are scaled correctly.
Scaling vs unit converting
Scaling changes how much of each ingredient you use. Unit converting changes how you measure the same amount (cups ↔ milliliters, °C ↔ °F). Use this Recipe Scaler for servings, then the Cooking Unit Converter when a recipe mixes metric and US measures.