Recipe cost calculator
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Free tool · no signup · runs in your browser · Last updated: · By the Varastiq team
Key takeaway: Line cost = quantity used × (pack price ÷ pack size) ÷ yield %. Add every line, divide by portions, and you have cost per portion. This calculator converts units for you (ounces from a pound case, cups from a gallon jug), adjusts for trim yield, and lets you build sauces and other preps as sub-recipes that roll into the main dish.
Recipe cost calculator
Recipe lines
| Item | Type | Qty used | Unit | Pack price $ | Pack size | Pack unit | Yield % | Line cost | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.39 | |||||||||
| $0.21 | |||||||||
| Costed from the sub-recipe below | $0.45 | ||||||||
- Recipe cost
- $3.05
- Cost per portion
- $3.05
- Food cost
- 16.1%
- Contribution margin
- $15.95
Formula: line cost = qty (in pack units) × pack price ÷ pack size ÷ yield %. Sub-recipe cost per unit = batch cost ÷ batch yield. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
How do you use the recipe cost calculator?
- Add each ingredient as a line. Enter how much the recipe uses and in what unit (oz, lb, g, kg, tsp, tbsp, cup, fl oz, qt, gal, l, ml, each, dozen).
- Enter how you buy it. Pack price, pack size and pack unit, straight from the invoice: $42 for a 10 lb case, $38 for a 1 gal jug.
- Set the yield. 100% for anything used whole. Lower for anything trimmed, peeled or boned. Not sure? Run a test with the yield calculator.
- Build preps as sub-recipes. A sauce, stock or dressing gets its own ingredient list and a batch yield (for example, 1 qt). Then add it to the main recipe by choosing "Sub:" in the type column and entering how much the dish uses.
- Enter portions and price. Portions the recipe makes, and the menu price per portion if you want food cost % and margin.
Weight converts to weight, volume to volume and count to count. If you enter cups for something bought by the pound, the calculator will tell you, because the density of every ingredient is different. Weigh it once and use weight.
What is the recipe costing formula?
Unit price = Pack price ÷ Pack size
Usable unit cost = Unit price ÷ (Yield % ÷ 100)
Line cost = Quantity used (in pack units) × Usable unit cost
Sub-recipe cost per unit = Batch cost ÷ Batch yield
Sub-recipe line cost = Quantity used (in batch-yield units) × Cost per unit
Recipe cost = Sum of all line costs
Cost per portion = Recipe cost ÷ Portions
Food cost % = Cost per portion ÷ Menu price × 100
What does a worked example look like?
A chicken rice bowl with salsa verde, one portion, sold at $19.
Sub-recipe: salsa verde, yields 1 qt
| Ingredient | Used | Bought as | Yield | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parsley | 6 oz | $2.40 per 1 lb | 70% | $1.29 |
| Olive oil | 2 cups | $38.00 per 1 gal | 100% | $4.75 |
| Capers | 4 oz | $9.80 per 32 oz | 100% | $1.23 |
| Batch | $7.26 per qt |
Main recipe
| Line | Used | Bought as | Yield | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken thighs, boneless | 8 oz | $42.00 per 10 lb | 88% | $2.39 |
| Jasmine rice | 3 oz | $28.00 per 25 lb | 100% | $0.21 |
| Salsa verde (sub-recipe) | 2 fl oz | $7.26 per qt | n/a | $0.45 |
| Recipe cost | $3.05 |
- Cost per portion = $3.05
- Food cost % at $19 = 16.1%
- Contribution margin = $15.95
A real bowl would add garnish, a sauce cup or a container. That's plate cost. Illustrative example; your prices will differ. Line costs are rounded to the cent, so columns may not add exactly.
Why do recipe costs come out wrong?
- Costing at invoice weight. Trim and bone are paid for too. Yield fixes it.
- Unit mix-ups. A "case" in the recipe and a "pound" on the invoice.
- Ignoring preps. The sauce used in six dishes is often never costed at all.
- Old prices. One price increase on a high-use ingredient moves dozens of recipes.
- Volume for solids. A cup of chopped parsley weighs very different amounts depending on who chops it.
How does Varastiq cost recipes?
The same way, without the retyping. In Varastiq you connect the pack you buy to the unit you use once. Yield and prep recipes are part of each recipe. Prices come from captured invoices, so when olive oil goes up, the salsa verde, and every dish that uses it, re-costs. See recipe costing. Want a head start? Upload your menu on See your menu and Vara drafts recipes for you to correct.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the cost of a recipe?
For each ingredient, divide the pack price by the pack size to get a unit price, adjust for yield, and multiply by the quantity used. Add all the lines for the recipe cost, then divide by the number of portions.
How do I include yield in recipe costing?
Divide the unit price by the yield as a decimal. An ingredient that costs $4.20 per pound with an 88% yield really costs about $4.77 per usable pound.
What is a sub-recipe?
A sub-recipe is a prep, such as a sauce, stock or dressing, costed as its own batch. Its cost per unit is then used in every dish that includes it.
Can I convert cups to pounds?
Not reliably, because every ingredient has a different density. Weigh the ingredient once and cost it by weight.
What is the difference between recipe cost and plate cost?
Recipe cost covers one recipe. Plate cost covers everything on the plate as served, which may include several recipes plus garnish and packaging.
Does this calculator save my recipes?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Varastiq saves and re-costs recipes for you.
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Varastiq keeps every recipe, prep and plate current from your invoices. Varastiq Pro: $149/month for your first location, plus $99/month for each additional location, or $1,639/year (1 month free). Optional $299 guided setup. Money-back guarantee on the software: 14 days on monthly plans, 30 days on annual.