Halve a recipe

Halving is where kitchen maths gets awkward. Half of ⅓ cup is 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons; half of 3 eggs is 1 ½ eggs. RecipeScale does the arithmetic and switches to the spoon or cup size that makes the amount easy to measure.

→
Scale by pan size instead
Recipe pan
Your pan

Inches or cm, as long as both pans use the same unit.

Scaled recipe

    Cups-to-grams uses typical weights for spooned and levelled ingredients. Eggs and spices may need judgement when halving.

    Saved you some time? Leave a tip, entirely optional.

    This page opens set to half. Use the quick buttons to try other sizes, and check off each ingredient as you measure it.

    How scaling works

    RecipeScale reads each line of your ingredient list and looks for a quantity at the start: a whole number, a decimal, a fraction like 3/4, a mixed number like 1 1/2, a Unicode fraction like ½, or a range like 2–3. It then looks for a unit, recognising common spellings and abbreviations such as cups, c, tablespoons, tbsp, T, teaspoons, tsp, t, ounces, pounds, grams, millilitres, cloves, cans and sticks. Everything after that is the ingredient. Lines without a quantity, such as headings or “salt to taste”, are copied through unchanged.

    The scale factor is simply the servings you want divided by the servings the recipe makes. Each quantity is multiplied, then rewritten so it is easy to measure. US volumes are converted to the friendliest spoon or cup: anything under a tablespoon stays in teaspoons, anything under a quarter cup is shown in tablespoons, and larger amounts in cups. Results are rounded to the nearest eighth, the smallest fraction most measuring sets include.

    Converting to metric

    Liquids are converted by volume, with one US cup equal to about 237 millilitres. Dry ingredients are better weighed, so when RecipeScale recognises an ingredient it converts by weight using typical reference values: 120 grams per cup of all-purpose flour, 127 for bread flour, 200 for granulated sugar, 213 for packed brown sugar, 120 for powdered sugar, 227 for butter, 85 for cocoa, 90 for rolled oats and 340 for honey. Weights depend on how the cup is filled, so treat them as a reliable starting point and adjust to your own measuring style.

    Pan sizes

    When you change pan size, the right factor is the ratio of the pan areas, so the batter fills the new pan to the same depth. Round pans use π × radius², square pans side², and rectangular pans length × width. Open the pan section, enter both pans in the same unit, and apply the ratio to the whole recipe. Your last recipe and settings are saved only in this browser.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do I halve an egg?

    Beat the egg and use about 25 g, or roughly 1 ½ tablespoons of beaten egg.

    What is half of ¾ cup?

    ⅜ cup, which is 6 tablespoons.

    Should baking time be halved too?

    No. Use a smaller pan and keep a similar time, checking a few minutes early.

    Is RecipeScale free?

    Yes, with no sign-up.

    Is my recipe saved?

    Your last recipe is saved only in this browser so it is there next time. Nothing is uploaded.

    More tools