How to Cut Recipes in Half

How to Divide Measurements

It’s all about fractions! But really, it is. Unless you know the secrets to measurement equivalency:

If you’re not great at fractions, you can work in tablespoons.

1 cup = 16 tablespoons

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons

That makes things much easier to cut in half. For example:

1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons, so half of that would be 4 tablespoons!

What is half of 1/8 teaspoon?

Half of 1/8 teaspoon is what we call a dash.

How to cut an Egg in Half

The biggest issue when cutting a recipe in half is the egg. I typically only cut recipes in half when they have 2 eggs, so it’s easy to divide in half. However, if you’re cutting a recipe in half that only calls for 1 egg (or an odd number) you have a few choices:

1. Crack the egg into a measuring cup, whisk it, and see how much it is (usually about 3 tablespoons) and you can then eyeball it to cut in half.
2. Use egg substitute. 1 large egg = 4 tablespoons egg substitute. That makes it easier to cut in half.
3. To cut an egg in half for cookies: use just the yolk. This won’t work for every recipe, but often using just the yolk and discarding the white will work.

Use a Scale for Measuring

The easiest way to cut any recipe in half is by using a scale. If a recipe calls for 124 grams of flour, it’s easy to cut that in half and measure only 62 grams. A scale is not only more precise but it’s much easier to cut in half.