Enter the total ingredient cost, the number of servings and an overhead allowance in percent. Add up every ingredient at its purchase price, prorated to the amount you use: a $4 bottle of oil used at a tenth counts as 40 cents. Overhead covers energy, packaging, waste and labor when the recipe is sold.
Leave it at zero for a home cost comparison.
Recipe Cost Per Serving: worked example
| Total ingredient cost | $25 |
|---|---|
| Servings | 6 |
| Overhead added | 0.000% |
| Cost per serving | $4.08 |
| Total cost including overhead | $25 |
Recipe Cost Per Serving: formula
Ingredient prices vary by store and season, and waste from trimming, spoilage and overcooking raises the real cost. Bulk purchases have a lower unit price but may go unused. Equipment, time and labor are not counted unless you add overhead.
Portion sizes vary.
Common error: Dividing by the servings you hope to sell instead of the servings you can make. Leftovers and spoilage cost the same money, and they raise the real cost per serving.
Recipe Cost Per Serving: changing Total ingredient cost
| Total ingredient cost | Cost per serving | Total cost including overhead |
|---|---|---|
| $20 | $3.33 | $20 |
| $22 | $3.67 | $22 |
| $25 | $4.17 | $25 |
| $27 | $4.50 | $27 |
| $29 | $4.83 | $29 |
Recipe Cost Per Serving: compare input ranges
| Input | Tested from | To | Cost per serving: low input | Cost per serving: high input | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Servings | 4 | 8 | $6.13 | $3.06 | $3.06 (75%) |
| Total ingredient cost | $22 | $27 | $3.67 | $4.50 | $0.83 (20%) |
| Overhead added | -0.250% | 0.250% | $4.07 | $4.09 | $0.02 (0.5%) |
Recipe Cost Per Serving: individual input comparisons
| Input | Value | Cost per serving | Total cost including overhead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total ingredient cost | $20 | $3.33 | $20 |
| $22 | $3.67 | $22 | |
| $25 | $4.17 | $25 | |
| $27 | $4.50 | $27 | |
| $29 | $4.83 | $29 | |
| Servings | 2 | $12 | $25 |
| 4 | $6.13 | $25 | |
| 6 | $4.08 | $25 | |
| 8 | $3.06 | $25 | |
| 10 | $2.45 | $25 | |
| Overhead added | -0.500% | $4.06 | $24 |
| -0.250% | $4.07 | $24 | |
| 0.000% | $4.08 | $25 | |
| 0.250% | $4.09 | $25 | |
| 0.500% | $4.10 | $25 |
Recipe Cost Per Serving: combined input changes
| Total ingredient cost / Servings | 2 | 6 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | $10 | $3.33 | $2.00 |
| $22 | $11 | $3.67 | $2.20 |
| $25 | $13 | $4.17 | $2.50 |
| $27 | $14 | $4.50 | $2.70 |
| $29 | $15 | $4.83 | $2.90 |
Recipe Cost Per Serving: which assumptions move the result?
Recipe Cost Per Serving: values and definitions
| Quantity and definition | Value used |
|---|---|
| Total ingredient cost | $25 |
| Servings | 6 |
| Overhead added — Optional. Energy, packaging or waste, as a percent of ingredient cost. | 0.000% |
| Cost per serving | $4.08 |
| Total cost including overhead | $25 |
Recipe Cost Per Serving: half and double Servings
| Servings | Cost per serving |
|---|---|
| 3 | $8.17 |
| 6 | $4.08 |
| 12 | $2.04 |
Cooking & Kitchen calculators: Recipe Scaling Calculator, Baking Pan Size Calculator, Coffee to Water Ratio Calculator.
The cost of a dish is the money spent on the ingredients spread across the portions they make. A $24.50 shopping bill that makes six servings costs about $4.08 a serving. The overhead field lets you add a share for energy, packaging or waste, which matters when the price you charge has to cover more than the groceries.
Count only what the recipe uses. If you buy a whole bag of flour, price the cups that go in, not the bag.
Scale the amounts on the recipe scaling calculator, size the pan on the baking pan size calculator and compare prices on the unit price calculator. The percentage and markup calculators help set a selling price, and the coffee ratio page covers brewing.
Does an entered 20% overhead create a 20% profit margin?
No. It raises modeled cost from $24.50 to $29.40. A selling price and all relevant costs are still needed to calculate profit margin.
How is a partial package counted?
Allocate only the amount used. An assumed $4 bottle with one tenth used contributes $0.40 to the ingredient cost.
How do I calculate the cost per serving of a recipe?
Add up the cost of every ingredient used, add any overhead and divide by the number of servings.
What food cost percentage should a restaurant target?
A 28% or 35% food-cost share is an entered pricing scenario. It is not a universal restaurant target. Compare the ingredient calculation with actual portions, waste, labor, occupancy and other operating costs; a menu price that covers ingredients can still fail to cover the business’s total expenses.
Should I include partial packages in the cost?
Yes, prorate them by the share used, so a bottle of oil used at a tenth counts for a tenth of its price.