Have you ever wanted to double a recipe? Maybe you have tried and not had the best results. We used to think that in order to double a recipe that all anyone had to do was double all of the ingredients. Oops. We would highly recommend against doubling the amount of cayenne pepper in a burger recipe, especially if it was spicy to begin with! There are some online calculators for the job too, just make sure you read all the tips first.
How to Double a Recipe
So when you want to double a recipe, there is no single rule that will work. With that being said, here are some tips to make sure your recipe goes as smooth as possible.
- Do the calculations before you begin to cook. Never calculate the doubled measurements while you are preparing the recipe. Always calculate the new measurements and write them down before you start to cook as it can be a tricky and time-consuming task.
- Double the ingredients. If an ingredient is measured in weight, multiply the weight by 2. If an ingredient is measured in measuring spoons or cups, multiply the measurement by 2.
- Be precise. Measurements need to be precise when doubling ingredients. A food scale will give the most precise measurements.
- Meats, produce, eggs, stock/broth, and water. Always multiply by 2 the original amount called for in a recipe to calculate the new amount in the doubled recipe.
- Increasing salt, pepper, dried herbs, and spices. Multiply by 1.5 the original amount called for in a recipe to calculate the new amount in the doubled recipe. Then, adjust to taste and add more, if needed.
- Increasing alcohol. Be sure to measure alcohol when increasing it instead of “eye-balling” in order to achieve an exact amount. As with dried herbs and spices, multiply by 1.5 the original amount called for in a recipe to calculate the new amount in the doubled recipe.
- Be careful with spicy ingredients. Chiles, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, etc. are rarely doubled in recipes. Multiply by 1.25 the original amount in order to calculate the new amount in the doubled recipe. Remember that you can always add more heat, but you cannot take it away once added.
- Fats. When sautéing or searing, use just enough coconut oil, butter, ghee, etc. to just cover the pan’s surface. When fat is an ingredient in the recipe mix, multiply the original amount by 2 to calculate the new amount in the doubled recipe.
- Pan size. Either split the doubled recipe between two pans or use a larger size pan than what is called for in the original recipe. If using one larger pan, use a pan with the same depth as called for in the original recipe.
- Temperature. Use the original cooking temperature called for in the recipe when using one larger pan. When cooking two pans at the same time, raise the temperature by 25 degrees from what was called for in the original recipe.
- Cook Time. Rarely will the cook times be twice that of the original recipe. Check for doneness at the time called for in the original recipe and then check every 5 minutes until the recipe is completely cooked.
- A word about baked goods. Paleo baking is a science, which makes it difficult to double. For this reason, when doubling a baked good recipe, it is best to prepare the recipe one batch at a time.
These are important tips to always have on hand in the kitchen. You never know when you will need to double a recipe, or even cut a recipe in half. With that being said, we made a printable guide for you to hang on your fridge or add to a scrapbook. Once you enter your email address the guide will be delivered to your inbox.
Monday
Paleo Banana Chocolate Pancakes from of A Girl Worth Saving
Spiralised Beetroot Noodle Salad from of The Foodie Teen
Lavender Lamb Loin Chops with Grilled Blood Oranges
Tuesday
Fennel and Spinach Soup from Healing Family Eats
Wednesday
Greek Cauliflower Salad from Paleo Crumbs
Thursday
Beef Noodle Soup with Shitake Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy
Crockpot Hawaiian Pizza from FED + fit
Friday
Kale Banana-Berry Smoothie from Tasty Yummies
Easy Paleo Plantain Chips from Paleo Newbie
Saturday/Sunday
Waffle Cones with Vanilla Ice Cream
Homemade Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping from Delicious Obsessions
Interested in eating more healthy in 2019?
Listen to our friends over at Wellness Force Radio to learn about the “5 Must Have Nutrition Fundamentals”
Weekly Meal Plan – 4/17/15 – Benefits of Chia seeds
Please send me the double recipe guide.
Please email the cutting or doubling a recipe
Nice article
the article gives out information that the everyday cook doesn’t know, very nice.
Hey dear, Thanks a lot for sharing such great stuff on how to double a recipe. I have got some very essential tips and ideas in your post. You have just noted an essential point, “Be careful with spicy ingredients. Chiles, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, etc. are rarely doubled in recipes. Multiply by 1.25 the original amount in order to calculate the new amount in the doubled recipe. Remember that you can always add more heat, but you cannot take it away once added”. I will for sure follow these tips at our world class Arabic Restaurant in Malaysia.
your recipes are the best of all for cooking. love it all the time keep it up.
Your how to double recipes down load is very poor quality for printing do you have another option?
Sorry about the quality. We are looking into a solution for this.