Cookbook Template
Make a printable family cookbook from your own recipes. Type or paste them in a simple plain-text form, and the page builds the whole book: a cover with your title, a contents page made from the section and recipe titles with page numbers, a divider page for each section, a page for each recipe with ingredients, numbered steps, a notes box and space for a photo, and an index of the recipes from A to Z. Long recipes run on to a second page by themselves. Print it as a folded booklet on half-letter or A5 pages (the pages come out in the right order for double-sided printing, so you fold and staple) or as single pages on Letter or A4. Add your own photos and they are cropped to the photo box. Download a PDF, 300 DPI PNGs or an SVG. Nothing is uploaded.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Booklet: print double-sided at 100% (Actual size), flipping on the short edge, keep the sheets in order, fold them in half together and staple twice on the fold. Single pages: print at 100% and bind or hole-punch.
Book
Letter and A4 pages print as single pages.
Recipes
# starts a recipe, == starts a section. Then Serves:, Prep:, Cook:, From:, a line saying Ingredients, a line saying Steps, and Notes:.
Pages
Runs in your browser with our own code: your recipes and photos are read on your device and never uploaded, and nothing is saved. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to make a family cookbook
- Type your recipes: a line starting with # is a recipe title, == starts a section.
- Under each title add Serves:, Prep: or Cook: lines, a line saying Ingredients with one ingredient per line, and a line saying Steps with one step per line.
- Choose the page size and whether to print a folded booklet or single pages, then the title, colour and photo space.
- Add photos if you like: they go to the recipes in order.
- Download the PDF and print at 100%: booklets double-sided, flipping on the short edge, then fold and staple.
What you can use it for
- A family recipe book of grandparents’ recipes
- A class or school cookbook fundraiser
- Wedding, shower or holiday gift books
- A church or club cookbook from members’ recipes
- Keeping your own tried-and-tested recipes in one place
- A child’s first cookbook of easy recipes
Page sizes
| Page size | Page | Prints as | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half letter 5.5 × 8.5 in | 139.7 × 215.9 mm | Booklet (2 pages on a landscape US Letter sheet) or single pages | 10 mm |
| A5 148 × 210 mm | 148 × 210 mm | Booklet (2 pages on a landscape A4 sheet) or single pages | 10 mm |
| US Letter 8.5 × 11 in | 215.9 × 279.4 mm | Single pages | 14 mm |
| A4 210 × 297 mm | 210 × 297 mm | Single pages | 14 mm |
Booklet pages are imposed for saddle stitching: print double-sided, fold the stack in half and staple on the fold. Our tests fold the sheets in software and check that the pages read in order for every booklet length.
What is in the book
| Page | What is on it |
|---|---|
| Cover | Your title in the chosen colour, a small ornament and the line under the title, inside a frame |
| Inside cover | Your dedication or note (blank if you leave it empty) |
| Contents | Each section and its recipes with dotted leaders and page numbers |
| Section divider | The section name and the recipes in it |
| Recipe | Title, serves / prep / cook / from line, photo box, ingredients, numbered steps, notes box, page number |
| Index | Every recipe A to Z under its first letter, with page numbers |
| Notes | Lined pages that fill a booklet to a multiple of 4 pages |
| Back cover | A small ornament |
Printing order for a 16-page booklet
| Side | Pages (left | right) |
|---|---|
| Sheet 1 front | 16 | 1 |
| Sheet 1 back | 2 | 15 |
| Sheet 2 front | 14 | 3 |
| Sheet 2 back | 4 | 13 |
| Sheet 3 front | 12 | 5 |
| Sheet 3 back | 6 | 11 |
| Sheet 4 front | 10 | 7 |
| Sheet 4 back | 8 | 9 |
Folded and nested, the sheets read 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
The example book
| Recipe | Section | Starts on page | Ingredients | Steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banana Pancakes | Breakfast | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Overnight Oats | Breakfast | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| Tomato Soup | Mains | 8 | 6 | 3 |
| Sheet Pan Chicken | Mains | 9 | 7 | 3 |
| Chocolate Chip Cookies | Baking | 11 | 8 | 4 |
| Lemon Drizzle Cake | Baking | 12 | 6 | 4 |
The example has 6 recipes in three sections and prints as a 16-page half-letter booklet, with 2 lined Notes pages at the end.
Recipe text
| Line | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| == name | Starts a section (and its divider page) | == Baking |
| # name | Starts a recipe | # Lemon Drizzle Cake |
| Serves: / Makes: / Prep: / Cook: / From: | The line under the title | Prep: 20 min |
| Ingredients | The lines after it are ingredients | 2 lemons, zest and juice |
| Steps (or Method) | The lines after it are numbered steps | Fold in the flour. |
| Notes: | Text for the notes box | Notes: Freezes well. |
For a single recipe on a card, use the Recipe Card Template; to plan the week’s meals and shopping, the Meal Planner; to turn an existing PDF into a booklet, the PDF Booklet Maker.
Which tool to use
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| A whole recipe book with contents and index | Cookbook Template (this page) |
| One recipe on an index card | Recipe Card Template |
| A café or restaurant menu with prices | Menu Maker |
| A book cover for a printed cookbook | Book Cover Maker |
Also handy: the Menu Maker, the Book Cover Maker for a printed cover and Book Sizes for print-shop trims.
More free tools
Books, booklets and printables?
Printable pages that run privately in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a cookbook from my recipes?
Type or paste your recipes into the Recipes box. Start each recipe with a line beginning with #, add a line saying Ingredients followed by the ingredients, and a line saying Steps followed by the steps. The contents, page numbers and index are made for you.
How are the contents and index made?
From your titles. The contents lists each section and the recipes in it in book order, with the page each recipe starts on. The index lists every recipe from A to Z under its first letter (a leading The or A is skipped), with the same page numbers.
How do I print the booklet so the pages are in order?
Choose Folded booklet, print the PDF double-sided at 100%, flipping on the short edge, keep the sheets in order, fold them in half together and staple on the fold. A 16-page booklet is 4 sheets; the pages read 1 to 16 when folded. Lined Notes pages fill any spare pages before the back cover.
What sizes can I print?
Half letter (5.5 × 8.5 in) and A5 pages print two to a landscape Letter or A4 sheet as a booklet, or one per page. Letter and A4 pages print one per page for a binder or a print shop.
What happens if a recipe is too long for one page?
It runs on to a second page headed with the recipe name and (continued). The notes box goes on the last page of the recipe.
Can I add photos of the dishes?
Yes. Add one photo per recipe, in recipe order; each is cropped to fill the photo box. Choose Only where I add a photo to leave the box off the other recipes, or None for text only.
Is this the same as the Recipe Card Template?
No. The Recipe Card Template prints one recipe on 3 × 5 or 4 × 6 in cards. This page makes a whole book with a cover, contents, sections, an index and page numbers.
Does it add nutrition or allergy information?
No. It prints only what you type. If you want to note an allergen or a swap, write it in the recipe’s Notes line.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The book is drawn by JavaScript in your browser, and your recipes and photos are read on your device. Nothing is saved when you close the page.