How to work out the cost of an ingredient
Divide what you paid by the package size, then multiply by the amount the recipe uses. A 1 kg bag of flour that cost 2.40 works out to 0.0024 per gram, so the 500 g in a recipe cost 1.20. Add up every ingredient to get the cost of the batch, then divide by the number of pieces it makes.
Recipe cost = the sum of all ingredient costs
Cost per piece = recipe cost ÷ pieces the recipe makes
The package size and the amount used must be in the same kind of unit. The calculator converts between g, kg, oz and lb, between ml, l, tsp, tbsp, cup and fl oz, and between single items and dozens.
Worked example: 24 chocolate chip cookies
These are the fictional numbers the calculator starts with, the same recipe used in the guide on how to price cookies.
| Ingredient | Package | Price paid | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 kg | 2.40 | 500 g | 1.20 |
| Butter | 500 g | 6.00 | 200 g | 2.40 |
| Sugar | 2 kg | 4.00 | 200 g | 0.40 |
| Eggs | 1 dozen | 3.60 | 2 | 0.60 |
| Chocolate chips | 400 g | 7.60 | 200 g | 3.80 |
| Whole recipe | 24 cookies | 8.40 |
8.40 ÷ 24 = 0.35 per cookie, or 4.20 per dozen in ingredients alone.
Small amounts still count
Vanilla, spices, sprinkles and food coloring are easy to leave out because each batch uses so little. A 2 fl oz bottle of vanilla holds 12 teaspoons, so if the bottle cost 6.00, every teaspoon costs 0.50. Enter the bottle size in fl oz and the amount used in tsp and the calculator converts it.
Cups or grams?
Cups measure volume, while flour, sugar and butter are usually sold by weight. A cup of flour can't be turned into grams without knowing how much that cup weighs, so the calculator only converts within the same kind of unit. For ingredients you measure in cups, weigh one cup on a kitchen scale once and enter the amount in grams or ounces.
What counts as an ingredient
- Everything that goes into the batch: flour, butter, sugar, eggs, leavening, salt, vanilla and add-ins.
- Decoration that goes on the product: icing, sprinkles, food coloring and toppings.
- Not packaging: boxes, bags, labels and ribbon are counted per box in the cookie pricing calculator, because they change with the box size.
Keep your costs up to date
Ingredient prices change. When you buy a new bag at a different price, update that row and the recipe cost follows. Doing that by hand for every recipe is the slow part of pricing.
Free recipe cost calculator or Bakery Pricing Studio?
| Free recipe cost calculator | Bakery Pricing Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Recipes | One recipe at a time; only the last one is remembered, in this browser | Up to 20 recipes, each on its own card in your Google Sheet |
| Ingredient prices | Typed again for every recipe | Each purchase saved once and reused in every recipe |
| When a price goes up | Update each recipe by hand | Every recipe that uses it updates automatically |
| Selling price | Send the cost to the pricing calculator | Cost, minimum price and target price on the same card |
| Cost | Free | USD 3.50 once, instant download on Etsy |
Turn this cost into a price
The free cookie pricing calculator adds your time, packaging, payment fees and margin to find a minimum price and a price for your target margin.
Prefer a spreadsheet? Bakery Pricing Studio is a recipe cost and pricing template for Google Sheets: save each ingredient purchase once, and up to 20 recipe cards update when a price changes.
Questions
How do I calculate the cost of a recipe?
For each ingredient, divide the price you paid by the package size and multiply by the amount the recipe uses. Add up all the ingredients. In the example above the batch costs 8.40.
How do I find the cost per cookie or cupcake?
Divide the recipe cost by the number of pieces the recipe makes. 8.40 for 24 cookies is 0.35 per cookie.
Can I enter flour in cups?
Only if the package size is in a volume unit too. Flour is usually sold by weight, so weigh one cup once and use grams or ounces instead.
Does the recipe cost include my time and packaging?
No, it covers ingredients only. Send the result to the cookie pricing calculator to add your time, packaging, payment fees and margin.
Which currency does it use?
Any. Enter prices in your own currency and the results come out in the same currency.
Are my numbers saved or sent anywhere?
The calculator runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere. Your ingredients stay in this browser for next time; "Reset example" clears them.
Next: price a box with the free cookie pricing calculator or read how to price cookies step by step.