How it works: Every amount is multiplied by the factor (new servings ÷ original servings). US spoons and cups are added up in teaspoons (1 tbsp = 3 tsp, 1 cup = 48 tsp) and shown in the largest practical measure: cups in ¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔ and ¾, then whole tablespoons, then teaspoons in eighths. Grams and millilitres keep whole numbers above 10. Part eggs are converted to a weight, using about 50 g for a large egg out of its shell, 17 g for a yolk and 33 g for a white. Bracketed amounts with a unit, like (113 g), are scaled too; a package size after a count, like 1 (14 oz) can, is kept as written.

On this page

Bigger batch, smaller batch

Multiplying a recipe sounds easy until you meet 1¼ cups times 1.5, or three eggs divided by two. The arithmetic is fine; turning the answers into amounts you can actually measure is the hard part. This scaler takes a pasted ingredient list, multiplies every line and then rounds each amount to something a normal kitchen can measure.

It suits anyone doubling cookies for a bake sale, halving a cake for two, or making 24 brownies from a recipe for 16.

How it thinks about measures

Amounts in cups and spoons are added up in teaspoons first, then shown in the largest measure that makes sense: cups in ¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔ and ¾, then whole tablespoons, then teaspoons down to ⅛. So six tablespoons becomes “¼ cup + 2 tbsp” rather than a number you would have to count out. Grams, millilitres, ounces and pounds are simply multiplied and rounded sensibly.

Eggs get special treatment. When a scaled amount is not close to a whole egg, the scaler suggests beating whole eggs and weighing what you need, using about 50 g for a large egg out of its shell.

Amounts in brackets follow along when they have a unit, so “1 cup (227 g) butter” keeps its gram weight in step. A package size after a count, like “1 (14 oz) can”, stays as written, since you still buy the same cans.

Scaling a recipe

Paste your list into Ingredients, one per line, with the amount at the start of each line, such as 2 cups flour or 250 g butter. Lines without an amount stay as written.
Under Scale, choose By servings or By a factor.
By servings, enter Recipe makes and You want. By factor, enter Multiply by; fractions like 1/2 work.

The result shows the Scale factor and the scaled list, with each original amount underneath so you can check it.

Brownies for 24 instead of 16

The recipe makes 16 brownies:

1 cup (227 g) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

With Recipe makes 16 and You want 24, the Scale factor is × 1.5 and the list becomes:

1½ cups (341 g) butter
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1¾ cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder
1½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp salt

Notice the flour: 1¼ × 1.5 is 1⅞ cups, which few measuring sets include, so the scaler writes it as 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons.

Halving to 8 gives ½ cup (114 g) butter, 2 large eggs and ½ cup + 2 tbsp flour. A third of the recipe, using Multiply by 1/3, turns the eggs into “1⅓ large eggs (beat 2 and use 67 g)”.

Where scaling needs judgement

Most home recipes scale cleanly between about half and double. Beyond that, a few things change that arithmetic cannot see.

Pan size. More batter needs a bigger pan at the same depth. The cake pan size converter finds the right one or the right factor.
Baking time. Bigger pans and thicker cakes need longer; smaller ones less.
Mixing. A double batch may overload a small mixer, so mix in two rounds if needed.
Yeast in large batches. Big doughs hold heat and can ferment faster, so watch the dough rather than the clock.

Tips for tidy results

Put the amount first. “Flour, 2 cups” will not scale; “2 cups flour” will.
Use weights where you can. They scale exactly, and the cups to grams converter converts most baking ingredients.
Check butter in sticks. The butter converter shows sticks, cups and grams side by side.
For bread, think in percentages. The baker’s percentage calculator scales a dough to any flour or dough weight.
Round eggs sensibly. For a small difference, a whole egg is fine in most cakes; in custards, weigh.

Scaling questions

Why does the scaler show “1 cup + 2 tbsp” instead of a decimal?

Because you can measure it. A decimal like 1.13 cups is exact but useless with a cup set, so the scaler shows the nearest combination of standard measures.

Can I scale by weight instead of servings?

Yes. Work out the ratio you want, for example 750 g of dough instead of 500 g, choose By a factor and enter 1.5 under Multiply by.

What happens to lines like “salt to taste”?

They have no amount at the start, so they stay exactly as written, and the scaler counts them under Lines kept as written.

Does the scaler convert between cups and grams?

No. It keeps each line in the units you wrote. For a recipe entirely in grams, convert the cup lines before scaling.

Yes. Share link saves your list and factor in the link, so the same scaled recipe opens for whoever you send it to.