Recipe cost calculator
Pick each ingredient, enter the pack price and size you buy, and how much the recipe uses. Cups and spoons convert to weight automatically for 146 common baking ingredients.
| Ingredient | Pack price | Pack size | Used in recipe | Cost | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick an ingredient so cups can be converted to weight | — | ||||
| Pick an ingredient so cups can be converted to weight | — | ||||
| Pick an ingredient so cups can be converted to weight | — | ||||
| $0.70 |
Recipe cost
$0.70
Cost per serving
$0.03
Cups and spoons are converted to weight with King Arthur Baking and USDA figures for the chosen ingredient. This page does not save anything; the workbench keeps your prices, adds labour, packaging and margin, and makes the label.
How it is calculated
Line cost = recipe amount (converted to the pack’s unit) ÷ pack size × pack price. Cost per serving = sum of the lines ÷ servings.
Weight and volume units convert exactly (1 lb = 453.59 g, 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 236.6 mL). Volume to weight uses the ingredient’s grams per cup from King Arthur Baking’s ingredient weight chart, or USDA FoodData Central portion weights where the chart has no entry.
Worked example: 1 cup of butter is 226 g = 0.498 lb; at $4.99 a pound that is $2.49. Two large eggs from a $4.19 dozen cost 2 ÷ 12 × $4.19 = $0.70.
To include labour, overhead and packaging, and to get a suggested price, save the recipe in the workbench. Read recipe costing for caterers for scaling to events.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the cost of a recipe?
For each ingredient, divide the pack price by the pack size to get a price per unit, convert the recipe amount into the same unit, and multiply. Add every line to get the recipe cost, then divide by the number of servings or pieces.
How do I cost ingredients measured in cups when I buy them by the pound?
Convert cups to weight with the ingredient’s density. All-purpose flour is 120 g per cup on King Arthur Baking’s chart, so 2¼ cups is 270 g, or 0.595 lb; from a $4.29 five-pound bag that costs $0.51.
Should recipe cost include waste?
Yes for selling prices. Broken cookies, trimmed cake tops and tasting spoons are part of what a sellable batch costs. Proofsheet’s workbench adds a waste percentage on top of the ingredient total.