Recipe cost calculator: cost it, price it, label it
One recipe in, a cost per unit, a price that pays you, and a label your state accepts out. Free in your browser, for home bakers, caterers and food trucks.
You are looking at sample recipes with illustrative prices. Change anything and it is saved in this browser only; replace the prices with your receipts, or start clean under Business & backup.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Qty | Unit | Cost | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — browned | $2.49226 g | |||
| $0.77213 g | ||||
| $0.2499 g | ||||
| $0.70100 g | ||||
| $1.089.33 g | ||||
| $0.51270 g | ||||
| $0.026 g | ||||
| $0.014 g | ||||
| $4.29340 g | ||||
| $1.1357 g | ||||
| Ingredients for this batch + 4% waste | $11.71 | |||
Scale this batch
Yield
Time, waste and overhead
Price
- Ingredients
- $11.71
- Labour
- $15.00
- Overhead
- $2.67
- Batch cost
- $29.38
- Cost per pack of 2
- $2.73
- Food cost
- 22%
- Margin at your price is 39%, below your 40% target. Suggested: $4.75.
Compare margins and markups
| Margin | Same as markup | Price | Rounded (up to $0.25) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | 43% | $3.90 | $4.00 |
| 40% | 67% | $4.55 | $4.75 |
| 50% | 100% | $5.46 | $5.50 |
| 60% | 150% | $6.82 | $7.00 |
| 70% | 233% | $9.09 | $9.25 |
How the numbers work
Ingredients you actually bought
Enter the price and pack size from your receipt, a 25 lb sack or a dozen eggs, and use any unit in the recipe. Cups become grams through a density table of 146 baking ingredients; paste a supplier price list to update dozens at once.
Your time is a cost
Batch cost is ingredients plus waste, hands-on minutes at your hourly rate, overhead and packaging. The suggested price is cost ÷ (1 − margin), rounded up to a price point so the margin never slips below target.
A label for your state
The ingredient statement is ordered by weight from the recipe itself, frostings included. The “Contains” line, net weight and your state’s home-kitchen statement are added, then printed true to size on Avery sheets or a thermal roll.
Nutrition Facts estimates and supplier imports are Free during beta. Prefer a single number? Try the bakery pricing calculator, recipe cost calculator or cups-to-grams converter.
Cottage food label rules, state by state
Required statement wording, label elements, sales caps and permits for all 50 states, each with its sources and the date we checked them.
- No permit for most baked goods
- Registration or permit
- License (some with inspection)
- Varies by county or tier
Frequently asked questions
How do I price baked goods?
Add up ingredients (including waste), your hands-on time at an hourly rate, overhead and packaging to get the cost of one unit, then divide by (1 − your target margin). A cookie bag that costs $2.73 to make sells for $4.55 at a 40% margin, which Proofsheet rounds up to $4.75.
What has to be on a cottage food label?
Most states require the product name, the name and address of the operation, ingredients in descending order by weight, the major food allergens, net quantity, and a statement that the food was made in a home kitchen that is not inspected. The exact wording and extra items differ by state; each state page lists them with sources.
Which allergens must a US label declare?
The nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame (sesame since January 1, 2023 under the FASTER Act). Tree nuts, fish and shellfish must be named by type, for example “Contains: Almonds”.
Do I need a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food?
Usually not. 21 CFR 101.9(j)(1) exempts retailers with up to $500,000 in annual sales or up to $50,000 in food sales, as long as the label makes no nutrition claim. Adding a panel or a claim such as “low fat” removes the exemption, so Proofsheet’s panel is an estimate for your own use.
How does Proofsheet convert cups to grams?
Each ingredient carries a grams-per-cup figure from King Arthur Baking’s ingredient weight chart or USDA FoodData Central portion weights (all-purpose flour is 120 g per cup, granulated sugar 198 g). Weight and volume units convert exactly; you can override any density with your own scale reading.
What happens when my flour or butter price goes up?
Save the new price on the ingredient and Proofsheet lists every recipe and open catering quote that uses it, directly or inside a frosting or filling, with the old and new margin and a suggested new price.
Where is my data stored?
In your browser only (IndexedDB). Nothing you type is sent to a server. Download a JSON backup from Business & backup to move it to another device.
Guides
- How to Price Baked Goods: The Cost-Plus Method How to price baked goods step by step: cost ingredients, waste, labor, overhead and packaging, then set a margin and round up to a clean price.
- Cottage Food Label Requirements: A Checklist Cottage food label requirements explained: the elements most states ask for, the exact Texas and Florida statements, and how to lay out a compliant label.
- Allergen Labeling: Writing a Contains Statement Allergen labeling for baked goods: the 9 major food allergens, how to write a Contains statement, naming tree nuts, and where may-contain fits.
- Recipe Costing for Caterers: Cost Per Guest How caterers cost recipes per guest: yields, sub-recipes, waste, labor and overhead, with a worked 120-guest wedding menu priced to a 60% margin.
- Food Truck Menu Pricing: Cost Each Plate First Price a food truck menu from plate cost: ingredients, packaging, shift labor, daily overhead, card and event fees, with a worked taco plate example.
- Cake Pricing: How to Price Custom Cakes Cake pricing for custom orders: cost ingredients, design hours, overhead, boxes and delivery, then set a margin. Worked example of a $235 cake.
- Food Cost Percentage Formula and How to Use It The food cost percentage formula, worked for one item and a whole month, plus how it converts to markup and margin and why bakers should not price by it alone.
- Home Bakery Startup Costs: A Real Budget What starting a bakery from home costs: one-time and monthly costs, an editable $1,705 example budget, break-even math, and IRS start-up deduction rules.
- Nutrition Label Generator From Recipe: A Guide How a nutrition label generator from recipe works for baked goods, when small bakers are exempt, FDA rounding rules, and a worked cookie example.
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