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Learn how to double a recipe whether you’re baking or cooking! Most recipes can be doubled easily by just knowing a bit of math – and I’ve done all the calculations for you. Download the free printable and never worry about doubling again!
Table of Contents
Ever wondered how to double a cookie recipe, or a cake, or maybe dinner? I’m going to share my top tips for successfully doubling a recipe today.
1. How do you double when baking?
For most baking recipes, you can simply double the ingredients. Eggs, flour, sugar, butter, even vanilla extract, can be doubled for almost any recipe you make. Just times the amounts by 2 – and be sure to do it for ALL the ingredients (don’t forget!)
Tip: do the calculations (write down the new measurements) before you get started so you don’t accidentally forget to double one of them.
2. Know your fractions
Don’t worry, if that makes you break out into a sweat thinking about 3rd grade. I have a FREE printable for all the fractions, and they’re also listed here. Use this as your guide for doubling any recipe. These are the most popular two questions asked about fractions, so I’ll highlight them:
What is 3/4 cup doubled?
3/4 cup is 1 1/2 or 1.5 cups when doubled.
What is double 2/3 cup?
Double 2/3 cup is 4/3 which is 1 1/3 cups.
| Double Amount | |
| 1/8 tsp | 1/4 tsp |
| 1/4 tsp | 1/2 tsp |
| 1/2 tsp | 1 tsp |
| 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| 1 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp |
| 1/4 cup | 1/2 cup |
| 1/3 cup | 2/3 cup |
| 1/2 cup | 1 cup |
| 2/3 cup | 1 1/3 cups |
| 3/4 cup | 1 1/2 cups |
| 1 cup | 2 cups |
3. Know if your mixer/bowl is big enough
Depending on what you’re doubling make sure your bowl or mixer can hold it all. If not, just make the recipe twice.
4. Working with doubled dough
If you’re making a yeasted dough or a rolled cookie, make sure to divide the dough in half before working with it. A doubled recipe can get pretty big and will be hard to roll out or knead.
5. Don’t double the spices right away
When you’re doubling a baked recipe, you can simply double any cinnamon or spices, even baking soda or powder (more on that later). However, when you’re cooking it’s a different story.
Tip: When doubling spices in a recipe, start by multiplying by 1.5 at first. Things like salt, cayenne, pepper, etc, can get too strong if they’re outright doubled. (For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon salt, add 1 1/2 teaspoons instead of 2 when doubling.)
6. Cooking and baking time will be different
When you double a batch of cookies it doesn’t take double the time to bake them, it just makes more of them. Doubling a cake will make it take longer to bake, but it won’t double the time.
Tip: When doubling a recipe, cook/bake it for the time listed and start watching it after that to see gauge how much more time you’ll need to add.
7. Know the right size pan to use
When doubling a baking recipe, you’ll need to be sure and use the correct pans. Sometimes you can substitute a bigger pan and sometimes you’ll just need additional of the same size pan (i.e. when you’re making a layer cake). Check out my pan size equivalent post to know what size pans to use.
8. Do you double baking powder or baking soda?
For simple doubling of recipes (you’re making two batches of cookies instead of just one) then yes, it’s fine to double the baking powder or soda. But if you’re really scaling up a recipe you’ll need to adjust the amount.
Expert Tips
- Can I just double your cookie recipes? Yes most of them can easily be doubled, no problem at all. Just use the cheat sheet for amounts!
- How much time do you add when doubling a recipe? That really depends on what you’re doubling and how it’s being baked (pans, etc). Cookies will take the same amount of time, you just need more cookie sheets. But if you’re doubling a cake and using a bigger pan, it’ll take longer.
- When doubling a cookie recipe and re-using cookie sheets, be sure to let them cool in between batches!
- Rule of thumb: only double recipes. If you need to do more than that, consider making the recipe more than once to get what you need.
FAQs
Yes, but make sure to use multiple pans, not just a bigger one. Otherwise it might bake unevenly in the center.
While it’s not as easy as just doubling, you can easily figure out how much you need per person and scale things up. (If a batch of cookies makes 24 and you need 96 then you need to 4x the recipe, but that brings it’s own set of challenges.)
Hi There 🙂 What about halving ingredients? For, say, a half batch of something?
Depending on what you’re making, you can just cut everything in half (I always check if there is an even amount of eggs, that makes it easier)
Hi! This is really embarrassing for me but I’m horrible at fractions and I don’t always want to have to pull out a chest sheet!
So for example in my Boston crème recipe it calls for 1/4 cup sugar. If I wanted to double that (and the rest of the recipe.) do I just add another 1/4 cup sugar?
Thank you!!
yes – 2 times 1/4 which is 1/2
I was wondering if I didn’t need to triple dry and wet ingredients for pancake mix, eggs oil water and gluten free baking mix. We also switched gears pancake recipe, wafflemaker heating up.
I have a butter cookie recipe that calls for 2 tbsp of cornstarch. Should I double the amount of cornstarch if I want to double the recipe, or should I reduce it or use the same amount of cornstarch as the original recipe.
I wouldn’t know without seeing and trying the recipe, but usually when I double a recipe I double everything.
Please make a Chart for Triple and Half Recipes. Love All Your Recipes, Mrs. Dorothy!!
Help! Want to double my biscuit recipe. In comments, some say; double all ingredients. In other comments, some say ADJUST baking powder n baking soda.
Don’t know whom to believe. Please clarify. Thank You!
I usually just double everything when I double a recipe.
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