How to cut a recipe in half
Divide every amount by two, then turn the awkward fractions into measures you own. The chart below does that for every common cup and spoon amount.
Half of ¾ cup is ⅜ cup, which is 6 tablespoons. Half of ⅓ cup: 2 tbsp + 2 tsp Half of ⅔ cup: ⅓ cup Half of 1 tbsp: 1 ½ tsp
Halve a recipe in three steps
-
Paste the ingredients into the recipe scaler and choose ½×. Every amount is halved from the original, so nothing is rounded twice.
-
Use the chart to measure amounts like ⅙ cup with the cups and spoons you have: 2 tbsp + 2 tsp.
-
Halve an odd egg by beating it and using half: 25 g of a large egg. Then choose a smaller pan and check for doneness early.
Halving chart
“Half” is the exact amount. “Measure it with” is the same amount in a standard set of US measuring cups (1, ½, ⅓ and ¼ cup) and spoons.
| Recipe says | Half | Measure it with |
|---|---|---|
| 2 ¼ cups | 1 ⅛ cups | 1 cup + 2 tbsp |
| 1 ¾ cups | ⅞ cup | ¾ cup + 2 tbsp |
| 1 ½ cups | ¾ cup | ¾ cup |
| 1 cup | ½ cup | ½ cup |
| ¾ cup | ⅜ cup | ¼ cup + 2 tbsp |
| ⅔ cup | ⅓ cup | ⅓ cup |
| ½ cup | ¼ cup | ¼ cup |
| ⅓ cup | 1/6 cup | 2 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| ¼ cup | ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp |
| 3 tbsp | 1 ½ tbsp | 1 ½ tbsp |
| 2 tbsp | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp |
| 1 tbsp | ½ tbsp | 1 ½ tsp |
| 2 tsp | 1 tsp | 1 tsp |
| 1 tsp | ½ tsp | ½ tsp |
| ½ tsp | ¼ tsp | ¼ tsp |
| ¼ tsp | ⅛ tsp | ⅛ tsp |
Small amounts are where halving goes wrong: a level ⅛ teaspoon is hard to eyeball, and so is half of one. If a recipe also gives grams, weigh instead. The cups to grams pages give the weight of a cup or spoon of 46 ingredients.
Eggs
Halving a recipe with 3 eggs gives 1 ½ eggs. Use one whole egg, then beat a second egg and add half of it: about 25 g of beaten egg for a large egg, or 1 tbsp + 2 tsp if you have no scale. Beat the egg well first, so the half you use has its share of yolk and white. The guide to halving an egg has weights for every egg size and for thirds.
Pan size and baking time
Half the batter needs a pan with about half the area, so it bakes at the same depth:
- A 9 × 13-inch pan (117 square inches) becomes an 8-inch square (64 square inches). The batter is a little shallower, so check it a few minutes early.
- A two-layer cake in 9-inch rounds becomes a single 9-inch layer.
- A 9-inch round (63.6 square inches) becomes a 6-inch round (28.3 square inches), which is a little deeper.
Time and temperature apply to each piece for cookies, muffins and biscuits, so a half batch bakes for the same time. Cakes and breads in a different pan can need more or less time: check early, and go by the recipe's sign of doneness, such as a clean toothpick, rather than the clock. The pan size guide works out the area of other pans.
Cutting a recipe in thirds
In the scaler, choose Multiply and type 1/3 as the custom amount. Thirds of common measures:
| Recipe says | One third | Measure it with |
|---|---|---|
| 2 cups | ⅔ cup | ⅔ cup |
| 1 ½ cups | ½ cup | ½ cup |
| 1 cup | ⅓ cup | ⅓ cup |
| ¾ cup | ¼ cup | ¼ cup |
| ½ cup | 1/6 cup | 2 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| ¼ cup | 1/12 cup | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 3 tbsp | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp |
| 1 tbsp | ⅓ tbsp | 1 tsp |
Questions
What is half of ¾ cup?
⅜ cup, which is 6 tablespoons, or ¼ cup + 2 tbsp.
What is half of ⅓ cup?
1/6 cup, which is 2 tbsp + 2 tsp.
What is half of ⅔ cup?
⅓ cup.
What is half of 1 ¾ cups?
⅞ cup, which is ¾ cup + 2 tbsp.
What is half of a tablespoon?
1 ½ tsp: 1 tablespoon is 3 teaspoons.
Does half a recipe bake in half the time?
No. Cookies and muffins bake for the same time, because time applies to each one. A cake in a smaller pan can bake faster or slower, depending on how deep the batter is, so check it early.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, food 171287 — “Egg, whole, raw, fresh”: 1 large egg = 50 g; 1 cup = 243 g
- America’s Test Kitchen, “No, You Can’t Always Just Double a Recipe” (2024) — baking time applies to each cookie, cupcake or biscuit; pan size changes the time for cakes and breads
Amounts use US cups and spoons (1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons). Checked against these sources on October 23, 2026.