How to Double a Recipe

Reviewed by Ashley Crawford

Last Updated: September 21, 2024 References

It may seem like a simple task to double a recipe by multiplying all the ingredients by 2. Most cooks suggest batch cooking the original recipe or carefully adjusting seasonings, rising agents and alcohol to keep a flavor balance. In fact, when you learn how to double a recipe, you will need to use a few different ratios to make it taste just right.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Separating the Ingredients

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Write each of the ingredients on a piece of paper.^{[1]
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Research source} Chefs don’t recommend scaling a recipe in your head. You should write out the amounts you need ahead of time.
- If you have a copier, you may want to copy the original recipe and write in the margins, so that you have the instructions next to the ingredients.
Write down the seasonings in another column and the liquid ingredients in another column. Lastly, write down rising agents and alcohol in the last column.

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Write “Times 1.5” above the seasonings” column, excluding hot peppers. Place them in the last column with the exacting ingredients, such as rising agents and alcohol.
Finish the calculations below, then double check your ingredients list on the original recipe to make sure you’ve included everything. Rewrite your ingredients in list form according to the “double” measure you have calculated.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Doubling Main Ingredients

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This will provide the bulk of your recipe. Write down the new amount in your first column.
You will change your rising agent later on, according to the amount of flour you are using. Write down the new amount of flour you need.
^{[2]
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Research source} Remember that cooking larger chunks of meat may require increased cooking time. Write down the new lb. or g measurement.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Doubling Liquids

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^{[4]
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Research source} Write this down in the liquids column. If you need 2 cups of water, you now need 4.
^{[5]
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Research source} Write this number down in the liquids column.
Alcohol has a stronger flavor and will become too concentrated if doubled.
You will use a different ratio with these in order to get the measurements right.
However, don’t double the amount of olive oil or butter you use in the pan with sautéing. The aim should be to use enough to cover the pan you are using, so if you use a bigger pan, you use as much as you need to cover the pan.^{[6]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Increasing Seasonings

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5 times the original recipe.^{[7]
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Research source} If your recipe calls for 2 tsp. (12.2 g) of salt, you now need 3 tsp. (18.3 g) of salt. You may need to use a calculator to write down an accurate measurement.
25 times the original recipe. This includes curry powders, garlic powders and fresh hot peppers.^{[8]
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5 times the original amount. If a sauce has alcohol in it, you may want to only increase it by 1.25 times.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Increasing Special Ingredients (The Exceptions)

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5 times the amount of alcohol in the recipe.^{[9]
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Research source} Try to avoid “eyeing it” and pouring based on instinct, if you are doubling the recipe for the first time.
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Recalculate your baking soda quantity. To rise properly, you need 1/4 tsp. (1.15 g) of baking soda per cup (125 g) of all-purpose flour. If you now need 4 cups (500 g) of all-purpose flour, your baking soda measurement should be 1 tsp. (4.6 g).
- Include extra baking soda, approximately 1/4 tsp. to 1/2 tsp. per cup of acidic ingredient. If your recipe calls for yogurt, buttermilk, vinegar or lemon juice, you will need slightly more baking soda to neutralize the acidity.
- If both baking powder and baking soda are in the recipe, it usually means there is an acidic ingredient that needs to be neutralized.
To rise, you need 1.25 tsp. (4.44 g) of baking powder per cup (125 g) of all-purpose flour. If you have 4 cups of flour (500 g), you need 5 tsp. (17.77 g) of baking powder. ^{[10]
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Question

Do you double the baking time when you double a recipe?

Community Answer

If you double the time, it will most likely burn. A suggestion is to cook for the time the recipe suggests, then check it, and if it doesn't look done, cook it for another 5 minutes or so until fully cooked.

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If there are no acidic ingredients in banana bread, why would I need to increase the baking soda and powder when doubling the recipe?

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Interestingly, bananas contain a large amount of potassium, which has been know to act as a cation in chemistry. Its ion would give off electrons. Thus when you add baking soda and powder, it actually works to minimize the ionization, which leads to a slightly acidic taste. Hydrogen will bond with potassium after losing two electrons and will result in a slightly acidic molecule. So when you increase the number for ions available, you must also increase the differential changes in the balancing elements.

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If I want to double a recipe that calls for a 9" baking pan, what size pan should I use?

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The formula for the area of a cylinder (which is the volume of the cake) is (r^2)πh. 9^2 * π = 254.469. then you double this and reverse this equation. (r^2)π = 508.938, then r = 12.728, so use a baking pan with 12.5" diameter, and add 5 - 10 minutes to the cooking time.

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Tips

Increase the oven temperature by 25 °F (10 °C), when you double the recipe. Use a Fahrenheit to Celsius converter to calculate the equivalent in Celsius.

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Warnings

Avoid doubling batches of canned goods. Products like jam and pickles use exact ingredients and cooking times to get the product to the right consistency and flavor. Cook in batches with the original recipe.^{[11]
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