Recipe scaler
Skill openagentskills/betterskills/skills/lifestyle/recipe-scaler
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Scales recipes up or down for any serving count and suggests practical substitutions for missing ingredients. Use when the user wants to resize a recipe or asks what to use instead of an ingredient.
SKILL.md
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Recipe Scaler & Substitutions
Quick start
- Get the recipe (user pastes it or describes it).
- Get the target serving count (or the ingredient they're missing).
- Scale or substitute, then note any technique adjustments.
Scaling a recipe
Steps
- Identify original serving count.
- Compute multiplier:
target ÷ original. - Scale every ingredient by the multiplier.
- Apply technique adjustments (see below).
Ingredient table format
| Ingredient | Original | × Multiplier | Scaled |
|---|---|---|---|
| flour | 2 cups | × 2.5 | 5 cups |
| eggs | 2 | × 2.5 | 5 |
| butter | 100 g | × 2.5 | 250 g |
Round to the nearest practical unit (e.g. 2.5 tsp not 2.47 tsp). Flag when an ingredient doesn't scale linearly (salt, leavening, spices).
Technique adjustments
| Factor | Rule |
|---|---|
| Baking time | Same temperature; check doneness 10–15 % earlier when scaling down, allow extra time when scaling up. Toothpick/internal-temp test beats the clock. |
| Pan size | Doubling a recipe ≠ doubling pan area. Suggest equivalent pan (e.g. two 9″ rounds instead of one 18″). |
| Salt & spices | Start at 75 % of scaled amount; taste and adjust. Avoid linear scaling for strong spices (cayenne, fish sauce). |
| Leavening | Scale at ~75 % when multiplier > 3×; too much baking powder causes collapse. |
| Cooking fat | Can reduce slightly when scaling up; pans retain more residual heat. |
Substitutions
Format
Missing: [ingredient] Substitutes:
- [Best sub] — [ratio] — [caveat]
- [Second option] — [ratio] — [caveat]
Common substitutions
| Missing | Sub | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttermilk (1 cup) | Milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar | 1:1 | Let sit 5 min to curdle |
| Buttermilk (1 cup) | Plain yogurt thinned with milk | 1:1 | Works well in baking |
| Eggs (1 large) | Flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water) | 1:1 | Vegan; best in muffins/pancakes |
| Eggs (1 large) | ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce | 1:1 | Adds slight sweetness |
| Butter (1 cup) | Neutral oil | ¾ cup oil | Texture slightly denser |
| Butter (1 cup) | Coconut oil (solid) | 1:1 | Adds faint coconut flavour |
| All-purpose flour (1 cup) | Bread flour | 1:1 | Chewier result |
| All-purpose flour (1 cup) | Cake flour | 1 cup + 2 tbsp | Lighter, more tender |
| All-purpose flour (1 cup) | GF blend | 1:1 | Add ¼ tsp xanthan if blend lacks it |
| Heavy cream (1 cup) | Whole milk + 1 tbsp butter | 1:1 | Lower fat; won't whip |
| Sour cream (1 cup) | Plain Greek yogurt | 1:1 | Works in most baking and dips |
| Brown sugar (1 cup) | White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses | 1:1 | Mix well |
| Baking powder (1 tsp) | ¼ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar | 1:1 | Use immediately |
| Fresh herbs (1 tbsp) | Dried herbs | 1 tsp | Dried is more concentrated |
Output format
## Scaled recipe: [Name] — [original] → [target] servings
**Multiplier:** [n]×
### Ingredients
| Ingredient | Original | Scaled |
|------------|----------|--------|
| … | … | … |
### Technique notes
- [Any pan, time, or leavening adjustments]
---
## Substitutions
**Missing:** [ingredient]
1. [Sub 1] — [ratio] — [caveat]
2. [Sub 2] — [ratio] — [caveat]
Example
Input: Pasta carbonara for 4 → scale to 10 servings.
Multiplier: 10 ÷ 4 = 2.5×
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Original | Scaled |
|---|---|---|
| Spaghetti | 400 g | 1 kg |
| Eggs | 4 | 10 |
| Guanciale / pancetta | 150 g | 375 g |
| Pecorino Romano | 80 g | 200 g |
| Black pepper | 1 tsp | 2 tsp (taste first) |
| Salt (pasta water) | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
Technique notes
- Cook pasta in two large pots to maintain a rolling boil.
- Work in batches when tossing off heat — carbonara seizes if the pan cools too fast.
- Salt at 75 % of scaled amount and adjust.