Your very own Google Sheets Recipe Template
For my culture, the Christmas season has come. With it comes all the delightful homemade goodies and snacks you get for over the Christmas season.
I do like to cook and over the years I have either inherited or discovered some great recipes. However, one of the problems I often face is that I need to be able to change the batch size or total ingredient weight of my recipe for when it is just me and Mrs Yagi or when I am hosting a bunch of people for a Christmas party.
So rather than try and calculate the changes each time, I put our recipes into a Google Sheet and set it up so that I could plug in a number of batches or a total ingredient weight and then head out and do my shopping accordingly.
Ugh…but recipes in Google Sheets is ugly, Yagi!!!
I am no design genius, but you might be surprised. Take a look at my example Christmas Recipe Google Sheet below:

Or this print view:

We’ve even got a linked up list of all of our recipes:

Clicking the link will take you straight to the recipe.
Table of Contents
Features
This Google Sheet Recipe template allows you to:
- Automatically get ingredients by the batch amount or the total weight of ingredients.
- You can set it to display in Imperial (ounces) or Metric (grams).
- There is a print page that allows you to print your selected recipe in Portrait by:
- The original recipe.
- The batch amount.
- The total weight of ingredients.
- You can easily share this template for others to view by family member emails or the whole world.
- You can make a trusted friend a co-editor.
- Find a custom template Sheet Tab for you to update for your own recipe.
- There is a short guide in the Instructions Sheet Tab for you to create your own Recipe Google Sheet or create a new recipe in a sheet tab.
- There is a link to this post with step-by-step instructions and links to mini videos and tutorials on anything you need a little help with.
Now let’s get your first recipe Google Sheet underway…
Instructions
Creating your first Recipe Google Sheet
To create your first Recipe Google Sheet, click on the link below to access my copy. Here is the link:
You’ll only be able to view my version of this Google Sheet, so you will need to make a copy. Go to File > Make a copy. You’ll get a popup window that will ask you to rename the file and put it somewhere in your Google Drive.
Once you have completed this step, your very own copy of the Recipe Google Sheet will appear. You can go ahead and close my copy so you don’t get confused (I do this all the time).
Sheets (The little TAbs down the bottom)
When you open your Recipe Google Sheet for the first time you should be automatically navigated to Recipe List sheet tab.
In Google Sheets, there are a bunch of tabs down the bottom. You can navigate to different tabs inside the one Google Sheet file by clicking on them.
Your copy of the Recipe Google Sheet should contain the following tabs:
- Instructions – A simple set of instructions for you along with a link to this post if you need a bit more detail.
- Print – This will allow you to print your selected recipe by your chosen ingredient list.
- Recipe List – This is your custom list of recipes in your current Google Sheet.
- Template – You will duplicate this to create your recipes.
- Rumballs – An example recipe from me to you so you can see what your own recipe tabs should look like. You can delete this at any time by right-clicking the tab and selecting Delete.
- Notes (hidden) – this is a hidden sheet that has some working and formulas to help operate the sheet. You really don’t need to open this and editing it, may break the sheet.
Get your Recipe List
I’ve written a Google Apps Script code for you that produces a list of all the recipes in the Recipe List tab. It updates the list if you click a button in the Instructions tab or each time your sheet opens. This is helpful for when you are creating new recipes that you want added to your Google Sheet.
Google is exceptional a protecting your data. Because of this, you will need to go through a warning process the first time you click the button to run the code.
Navigate to the Instructions tab. Then go to cell C9. You will see a button called: Create Recipe List.

You will get a popup window with an Authorisation Request to run the code. Click continue and follow the steps. If you need a hand with this check out the short video guide below:
What measure do you use?
Next, you need to choose if you use Metric (kilograms and grams) or Imperial (pounds and ounces) measure. You will only need to make this selection once for your Google Sheet. Your selection will update all the recipe sheets you generate alone with the template sheet.
It will also change the formulas that convert grams to kilograms and ounces to pounds.
Note: Changing your measure will not automatically convert your recipe ingredients to the alternate measure.
Below the Create Recipe List button in the Instructions sheet tab, you will see a dropdown menu in cell C10. Choose your preferred measure.
The example Recipe
You can go ahead and delete the example Rum Ball recipe if you wish. Right-click the tab and select Delete.
Alternatively, if you would prefer to use it as a template instead of the Template file, then you could hide it. Right-click the tab and select Hide sheet.
That’s it for setting up your Recipe Google Sheet. It should only take you a minute or two.
Add a recipe
Make a copy of the template sheet tab
To add a new recipe, right-click the Template sheet tab and select Duplicate. A copy of the sheet will appear. Double-click on the new tab to open the rename input and rename your sheet to a short title of your recipe.
A first look at the template
A lot of the template will automatically generate values for you. For example, it will calculate batch amounts and a breakdown of ingredients by total weight.
Pretty much all of your editing will occur in column A. You will also add your ingredient details from columns C to E. That’s all you need to do to get your recipe set up. The rest should autofill.
Click on the tab to open your copy. You will see a lot of helper text there to guide you.
Recipe name
First, add a recipe name. You can type a name in here or, copy and paste one from a file. However, if you are pasting text ensure that you paste as values into your text so that you don’t mess up the fonts. You can do this by copying your text and select the header cell A1, and then Ctrl + Shift + V . Or you can right-click on the cell and select Paste special > Paste as Values only.
Insert image
You can also insert an image of your dish into the sheet in cell A3. This cell is merged all the way down A9 to create a bit of extra space for you to add your picture. You don’t want it to overlap and cover the rest of the sheet so you will need to choose Insert > Image > Image in cell.
You can delete out the instructional text once you are done.
Add your method
Your next step is to add your method, or your preparation instructions. Add this to the merged cell in A12.
You can format your text, create line spaces and add links in this cell. Here are some short guides to help you with this if you need it:
by now you should have something like this:

Measuring your ingredients
As you are making your recipe, make sure that you carefully weigh all of your ingredients. Remember a cup of Rice Rubbles is going to weigh less than a cup of sugar.
Here are some handy charts with some cup conversion measurements:
Adding your measurements
Now that you have your measurements, go ahead and add them to your recipe sheet from C9 across to E9 down. You don’t need to edit column F. It will update automatically as you enter in your data.

In column C, add your ingredient.
Then in column D add the measurement. For example, 1 cup, 3 1/2 tablespoons, 1/3 stone. It can be handy to have a record of the original measurement type.
Next, on column E, add the weight in either grams or ounce depending on what you selected back in the Instructions page.
Rinse and repeat for each ingredient.
Sometimes it can be helpful to batch ingredients into dry and wet or at different stages of the cooking process. To do this, you can simply leave a space in the rows between each section.
Updating your recipe List
Your recipe list won’t update straight away. However, it will update the next time you open your Google Sheet.
Alternatively, if you are super eager to get your latest recipe into your Recipe List, you can head back to your Instructions tab and navigate down to cell C22. There you will find the button: Update Recipe List.

Give it a click and your Recipe List will update.
Don’t worry, you won’t have to worry about more authorization warnings.
Changing Batches and Total Weight of your Recipe
Like we said at the start, you can adjust the batch size or total ingredient weight of each of your recipes.
To do this, navigate to your recipe. You will notice along the top in row 2 there are segments shaded in blue with some black-trimmed grey boxes.

Batches
You can edit the batches cell (I2) by whole or decimal numbers. For example, you could enter 2 for two batches and the ingredients will double. Or you could enter 0.5 and they would halve. Just keep in mind that adding fractions will cause an error here.
Weight
You can add a desired total ingredient weight into cell M2. This will recalculate all the ingredients so that their sum total equals the weight you selected in either grams or ounces depending on your preference.
When you make these changes all your ingredients will change their weight and their batch count (H5 or L5) and total weight (J8 or N8) will change too.
Printing
Print the entire recipe
You can either print the entire recipe sheet tab by selecting it then clicking the Print button (or Ctrl + P). It should already be set for landscape mode and ready to just print the page. So you should just need to click Next.

You’ll then get a standard print screen here where you can print on whatever printer you have or as PDF.
Print the recipe with a selected ingredient type.
Perhaps you only want to print the ingredients of the original recipe, or by your batches or weight.
To do this, navigate to the Print tab. Select your recipe (A3) and then choose one of the following:
- Original Recipe
- Recipe by batches
- Recipe by total weight
Each selection will update the sheet with new data according to your choices. Please, keep in mind that you will need to set either your batch or weight in your recipe sheet so that the update will be displayed in your Print Sheet.
Next, select the range from A7:G38.

Now you can select Print (Ctrl + P).
This time on the right-hand side print menu select the Print as Selected cells. Ensure that the Page orientation is set to Portrait. Finally, the Scale is Fit to width.

Then continue with your printing.
Sharing your Recipes
Some recipes are best-kept secret, but most people love to share. You can easily share your Recipe Google Sheet by clicking on the Share button.
Check out this short guide on sharing if you are interested:
Final Words
I hope you get a kick out of automating and sharing your recipes using this handy Google Sheets template.
Because you are awesome and made it all the way to the end. I have a special Christmas gift for you. Below is my list of favourite Christmas treats. The Rum Ball recipe is one from my mum that I cherish 🎄.
I’ve lived and worked in many countries around the world and have enjoyed and shared recipes on many festive dishes from the feasts of Eid al-Fitr to the revitalizing Osechi Ryori of the Japanese new year. I would really love it if you shared your copy of your own Google Sheet recipe with your very own recipes. Feel free to link in the comments below. 🍽
Hopefully, you have found a helpful tool out of this Google Sheet recipe template, but I also hope I have excited you a little about the power of using Google Sheets and what it can do for you to make your life easier at home and more importantly, in the office.
If you liked this template guide, hit the like button below so that I know if I should create more of these. And if you want some more why not subscript? It’s in the top right-hand sidebar. I write posts regularly on Google Sheets, Google Workspace and Google Apps Script.
Happy holidays!


~Yagi
Thank you! I’ve been looking for something like this for all of my recipes that I save. 🙂
Hi Jay. Glad you found it helpful.
This is fantastic! I’m SO glad I don’t have to figure out how to make all this myself, it’s wonderful. Thank you 🙂
Hey Liz,
Thanks for the kind words. Happy Cooking! 👩🍳
~ Yagi