How to Cut a Recipe in Half
Halving a recipe is a common and easy conversion for home cooks to make. Refer to this list of cooking conversions the next time you need to do some fast math:
- Half of ¼ cup is equivalent to 2 tbsp
- Half of ⅓ cup is equivalent to 2 tbsp + 2 tsp
- Half of ½ cup is equivalent to ¼ cup
- Half of ⅔ cup is equivalent to ⅓ cup
- Half of ¾ cup is equivalent to 6 tbsp
- Half of 1 cup is equivalent to ½ cup
- Half of 1 tbsp is equivalent to 1 ½ tsp
- Half of 1 tsp is equivalent to ½ tsp
- Half of ½ tsp is equivalent to ¼ tsp
- Half of ¼ tsp is equivalent to ⅛ tsp
- Half of ⅛ tsp is equivalent to a dash
How to Cut a Recipe in Thirds
Reducing a recipe by one-third can come in handy when halving still yields too much food:
- One-third of ¼ cup is equivalent to 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
- One-third of ⅓ cup is equivalent to 1 tbsp + 2 ¼ tsp
- One-third of ½ cup is equivalent to 2 tbsp + 2 tsp
- One-third of ⅔ cup is equivalent to 3 tbsp + 1 ½ tsp
- One-third of ¾ cup is equivalent to ¼ cup
- One-third of 1 cup is equivalent to ⅓ cup
- One-third of 1 tbsp is equivalent to 1 tsp
- One-third of 1 tsp is equivalent to a heaping ¼ tsp
- One-third of ½ tsp is equivalent to a scant ¼ tsp
- One-third of ¼ tsp is equivalent to a scant ⅛ tsp
- One-third of ⅛ tsp is equivalent to a dash
Converting Dry vs. Wet Ingredients
It’s easier to measure and convert wet ingredients than it is to measure and convert dry ingredients. This is because dry measurements are inherently inaccurate.
• Dry ingredients like flour, brown sugar, and cocoa powder are easily compressible, meaning that their volume can change depending on factors like how compact they are inside the measuring cup or even the humidity in the area.
• Liquid ingredients measure at a consistent volume no matter what. For example, if you fill a measuring cup with flour, tightness of the pack will determine your actual volume of flour. Whereas 10 fluid ounces of water will always be 10 fluid ounces of water.
In order to make your conversions as accurate as possible, it’s best to measure dry ingredients with dry measuring cups and wet ingredients with liquid measuring cups. This allows you to level off the top of a dry measuring cup with a straight edge for a more precise measurement.
4 Tips for Scaling Recipes
Scaling recipes gets easier with practice. Keep these tips in mind as you go:
Make your conversions before you start cooking. Take a moment to convert the numbers and write them down so you don’t forget them—or the fact that you’re using a modified recipe.
Know what ingredients to convert—and what ingredients not to convert. Most everything will need to be converted, but there are some exceptions. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of oil to coat the bottom of the saucepan, you’ll still need that quantity, even if you’re cutting down the recipe. The same goes for buttering and flouring a baking dish. And while you should scale some spice amounts, you shouldn’t cut back too much on seasoning, or else you’ll end up with a dish that’s too bland.
Taste with your recipe as you cook. If reducing the amount of basil makes the dish less aromatic or if the cayenne pepper took away the kick, add some more. Taste as you go and season accordingly.
Use smaller pots and pans. Your converted recipe may also require a different cooking or baking dish. If you cut a brownie recipe in half but pour the batter into the same sized pan, your brownies will come out a lot flatter and crispier than expected.
