Recipe keepers

A recipe keeper is a private cookbook for the recipes you find online. You paste a link or tap a button, and the app pulls out the ingredients and steps, leaving behind the long introduction, the pop-ups and the ads. The recipe then lives in your collection, where you can edit it, tag it and find it again in a few seconds.

That editing part matters more than it sounds. Most cooks change recipes: less sugar, a different pan, ten more minutes in the oven. A keeper lets you write those changes into the recipe so the next time you cook it, you're following your own version.

The import works because most recipe sites mark up their recipes in a standard format that search engines read. When a site does that well, the import is clean. When it doesn't, you may get a jumbled ingredient list or no steps at all, and you'll need to fix it by hand. It's worth checking an imported recipe against the original page the first time you cook it.

Paprika is a long-standing paid app with a built-in browser for saving recipes, a meal planner and a grocery list. Copy Me That is free with a paid tier and works from a browser button. Recipe Keeper covers phones, tablets and the web. Mela and Crouton are made for Apple devices, with cooking views that show one step at a time. Tandoor is open-source and self-hosted, for households that want to keep everything on their own machine.

Featured AI cooking tools: recipe keepers

SponsoredRecipe keepers This position is open Put your tool at the top of the recipe keepers page. Paid spots are always labeled Sponsored. From $99 a month. Get featured

What a featured listing costs ยท from $99 a month

6 AI cooking tools in recipe keepers

Paprika

by Hindsight Labs

Recipe manager that pulls recipes off websites, with a meal planner, grocery list and sync across your devices.

  • Mobile app
  • Imports recipes from websites
  • Builds a shopping list

Copy Me That

Free recipe clipper: one button saves a recipe from almost any site into your collection, with lists and a planner.

  • Free plan or free to use
  • Mobile app
  • Works in a web browser

Recipe Keeper

Recipe organizer for phones, tablets and the web that imports recipes from sites, with a meal planner and shopping list.

  • Mobile app
  • Works in a web browser
  • Imports recipes from websites

Mela

Recipe manager for Apple devices with a clean cooking view, recipe import from sites and a weekly plan.

  • Mobile app
  • Imports recipes from websites

Tandoor Recipes

by Tandoor (open source)

Open-source recipe manager you host yourself, with recipe import, meal plans and shopping lists for the household.

  • Free plan or free to use
  • Works in a web browser
  • Imports recipes from websites

Crouton

Recipe keeper for iPhone and iPad that imports recipes from sites and shows one step at a time while you cook.

  • Mobile app
  • Imports recipes from websites

When choosing, think about the devices you cook with. A keeper that syncs between your phone and a tablet on the counter is more useful than one tied to a laptop. Look at how it handles scaling, timers and a screen that stays awake while you cook. If you share cooking at home, check whether the collection can be shared.

Finally, think about getting your recipes out again. Collections grow over years, so an app that can export your recipes in a common format protects the work you've put in if you ever switch.

It also pays to add your own family recipes, the ones written on cards or in a notebook. Typing them in once, with a photo of the original card if you like, means they survive spills and moves and can be shared with relatives who ask for them every holiday.

Questions about recipe keepers

Why does an imported recipe sometimes come out messy?

Imports rely on the site marking up its recipe in a standard format. When the markup is missing or unusual, steps or ingredients can be lost, so check the first import against the original page.

Can I edit a recipe after saving it?

Yes, every keeper listed here lets you change saved recipes, so you can record your own changes to times, quantities and ingredients.

Is there a free recipe keeper?

Copy Me That has a free version, and Tandoor is free open-source software you host yourself. Paprika is paid per platform, and some others charge for extra features.

Which keepers work on iPhone and iPad?

Paprika, Recipe Keeper, Mela and Crouton all have apps for iPhone and iPad. Mela and Crouton are built mainly for Apple hardware.

Related categories