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Recipe Scaler

Scale any recipe up or down to your target servings. Handles fractions, mixed numbers, and decimals.

Free. No signup. No ads.

Quick scale:Factor: 2×

Supports whole numbers (2 cups), decimals (1.5 tsp), fractions (1/2 cup), mixed numbers (1 1/2 cups), and ranges (2-3 cloves or 2 to 3 cloves). Lines without quantities (like "salt to taste") pass through unchanged.

Scale one recipe. Build the rest of the week free.

Use the no-signup seven-dinner generator for a catalog-based starting week. Review each recipe's authored yield, then scale its ingredients here when you need a different serving count.

Build 7 Dinners Free

No signup or email required · Full recipes, swaps, and a categorized shopping list

Check Personalized Web Trial Eligibility

Eligible direct web accounts may receive one 7-day trial · Payment method required · Then $15/month or $150/year unless canceled

How recipe scaling works

To scale a recipe, you multiply every ingredient quantity by the ratio of your target servings to the original servings. If a recipe makes 4 and you want 6, the ratio is 1.5 and every quantity goes up by 50%.

That part is simple math. The harder part is two things this tool helps with: parsing fractions like "1/2 cup" and "1 1/2 tsp" correctly, and displaying the scaled result in a form that is actually useful in the kitchen (snapping to common fractions when close).

For most recipes, scaling up to 2× or down to 0.5× works without any other changes. Beyond that, a few caveats apply, especially for baking. Cake batter, bread dough, and pastry are sensitive to ratios of leavening agents and the geometry of the pan. Scaling a cake from 8 inches to 12 inches is not the same as just multiplying the recipe.

Cooking time and temperature also do not scale linearly. A doubled stir-fry needs a little more time, but the same heat. A doubled roast might need a slightly larger pan and a few extra minutes, but the oven temperature stays the same. Use the scaled quantities and trust your senses on timing.

Frequently asked questions

How do I scale a recipe to more servings?
Multiply each ingredient quantity by the ratio of new servings to original servings. For example, doubling a 4-serving recipe to 8 servings means multiplying every quantity by 2. This tool does that math automatically and handles fractions cleanly.
Can I scale a recipe with fractions like 1/2 cup?
Yes. Paste lines like "1/2 cup sugar" or "1 1/2 tsp salt" and the tool will parse the fraction, scale it, and display the result back in fraction form when possible.
Does scaling work for baking recipes?
Quantities scale linearly, but baking is sensitive. For cakes, breads, and pastries, large scale changes (like 4× or more) may need adjustments to pan size, baking time, and leavening. For doubling or halving, results are usually fine.
What about cooking time and temperature?
Cooking time and oven temperature do not scale linearly with quantity. For most stovetop recipes, larger batches need a few extra minutes. For oven recipes, keep the temperature the same and check doneness a bit earlier or later than the original recipe states.
Why does the tool show some ingredients without quantities?
Lines without numbers (like "salt to taste" or "olive oil for frying") pass through unchanged because there is no quantity to scale. Adjust those by feel.
Can I use this to halve a recipe?
Yes. Set the target servings to half the original. For example, original 8, target 4. The tool divides every quantity by 2 automatically.

Turn one adjusted recipe into a dinner week.

The standalone generator builds seven dinners from MealThinker's checked-in recipe catalog. Review recipes, swap dinners, print the week, and use its categorized shopping list without creating an account.

Build 7 Dinners Free

No signup or email required · Review every recipe's ingredients and authored yield

Check Personalized Web Trial Eligibility

Eligible direct web accounts may receive one 7-day trial · Payment method required · Then $15/month or $150/year unless canceled

Looking for related tools? Grocery Budget Calculator or Macro Calculator.