How to Develop Recipes (2024)

Are you a blogger who wants to learn how to develop recipes better? Or maybe you’re a food science student who wants to learn the ins and outs of professional recipe development. Whatever it may be, I’m here to take you through the process of how to develop a recipe like a professional recipe developer.

How to Develop Recipes (1)
Developing a recipe can be a well choreographed dance between research, testing and tasting. Other times it can feel as though there’s no possible way to create the desired end goal.

The process can feel incredibly creative but can also feel very defeating.

Are you interested yet?! For the most part it’s a very positive process, so don’t turn away already!

I often talk about the importance of mastering the classics—techniques and recipes—but I also want to instill the idea that everything should be up for interpretation. However, to successfully interpret something or creating something new, you must first understand what make a technique or recipe so classic. Once you have a grasp on that, it’s much easier to create something that’s unique and different while also maintaining the integral components of what makes classics, well, classic.

If you’re curious to learn what it’s like to work in a professional test kitchen, check out part 1 of this “test kitchen series.” I chat all about day-to-day tasks, the similarities and differences between kitchens, taste panels and so much more!

How to Develop Recipes (2)
The Recipe Development Process

As a general overview, here’s the process of developing a recipe.

Step 1: Ideation & research

Step 2: Draft a preliminary recipe

Step 3: Initial recipe test

Step 4: Taste panel

Step 5: Additional recipe tests

Step 6: Final recipe write up

You can refer back to this as a quick guide or reminder. But let’s dive into each step to help you grasp each concept.

How to Develop Recipes (3)
Ideation & Research

This first step is a really important part of the development process. It begins with ideation. Whether you’re coming up with a unique and creative take on a classic recipe, want to recreate a dish you had at a restaurant or are looking to make something healthier, it all starts with an idea.

From there it’s on to research. It’s essential to research and reference a variety of sources. The goal with research is to take note of ingredient ratios, cooking techniques, times and temperatures.

I recommend looking at a few reputable test kitchens in addition to cookbooks and blogs. This variety will work as a guideline and will also encourage you to think creatively. The research step is not meant to drive your development, it’s meant to inform and lay the groundwork for it.

If you’re struggling to find ways to make a recipe your own think of ingredients that you always enjoy cooking with and take note of what’s in season. Can you make the recipe using whole-wheat flour? Or maybe try a marinade that’s more citrus-forward instead of herb-forward.

The key takeaway: get creative, think outside of the box, and don’t be tempted to copy (not cool!).

How to Develop Recipes (4)
Draft a Preliminary Recipe

Once you have done your research it’s on to culling through the recipes. Notice which cooking techniques stand out to you, take note of the ratios of ingredients, and compare cooking times and temperatures.

Some test cooks like to utilize charts for this, I’m more of a chicken-scratch-it-out kind of person. I write and rewrite my preliminary recipes a couple of times before I think it feels right. Find what works for you!

I also find it incredibly helpful to use a recipe testing template when writing up and testing recipes. Sometimes I print off the recipe and make handwritten notes and other times I work digitally and make changes right to the document. Again, do what works for you. Just be vigilant about taking notes!

The key takeaway: writing a preliminary recipe will keep you focused and organized.

How to Develop Recipes (5)
Initial Test

The initial test is where things get fun! You may have a plan written out, but be prepared for that to change. The ingredient amounts in my initial recipes always change, even if just slightly.

Ingredients may be increased, decreased or taken out altogether on the spot. Ingredients might even be added! Techniques (searing, sautéing, roasting, etc.) or ingredient applications (peeled, diced, sliced, minced etc.) may be altered during the initial test as well. This is where you work out the kinks! The takeaway—you may have a plan, but listen to your instincts and change it as needed.

The initial test is also the time to get weight measurements of ingredients (having a digital food scale is essentialHow to Develop Recipes (6)). It’s really helpful to have measurement options when it comes to writing up the final recipe. Cup measurements are often just fine, but weight measurement are incredibly helpful for baking recipes and make it easier for cooks to purchase ingredients sold by pound.

Don’t forget to record times and temperatures! I recommend you get yourself a Polder Kitchen TimerHow to Develop Recipes (7). It works as a regular kitchen timer and also counts time up, which is a great for recording cook times of various steps in the recipe. As for a kitchen thermometer…absolutely essential. The ThermoWorks Thermapen is my favorite by far but their budget option, the ThermoPop is also wonderful.

Check out my 15 Essential Kitchen Gadgets Every Cook Should Have

Accurate cook times are important to creating a successful recipe. But I would argue that visual cues are just as important, if not more. Cook times are largely dependent upon the cooks’ interpretation of recipe instructions. Their medium heat might look like your medium-high heat and visa versa. Some ovens just run hotter than others, which can completely change the outcome of a baked good. This is why visual cues are essential.

In your initial test, be vigilant about taking notes on what is happening to the food at certain steps in the cooking process.

  • Has the liquid just come to a simmer before you added the pasta? Or was it a rolling boil?
  • Did you mix the dough just until it came together? Or did you mix it until everything was thoroughly incorporated?
  • Did you pull the cookies from the oven when their edges were just set and their tops were still soft or did you pull them when their edges were pretty dry and their tops yielded to pressure?
  • How has the smell changed? Is it toasty? Or “fragrant” (often used to describe when garlic and dried herbs are done cooking)?
  • Has the color changed? Are the tops golden or deep brown?

All of the in-depth descriptors will not make it into the final written recipe, but they will help you write clear and concise instructions. They’ll also be a great reference for the additional recipe tests to come.

The key takeaway: a good recipe offers both cooking times and visual cues.

How to Develop Recipes (8)
Taste Panel

This is where you evaluate whether or not the recipe was a success. This can include everything from process and timing to ingredient amounts, when ingredients are added, and what may be missing from the recipes.

Recipe Characteristics to Evaluate (this is just a starting point):

  • Seasoning
    • Is there enough salt?
    • Does it need more acid?
    • Or a dash of sweet to offset the savory?
  • Balance of flavors
    • Is there one flavor taking over the dish?
    • Or is a spice not coming through enough?
    • Could something be enhanced by an additional ingredient that’s currently not in the recipe?
  • Texture
    • Is the product cooked through?
    • Over cooked?
    • Is it too grainy
    • Too greasy?
    • Is it smooth where it should be chunky?
    • Maybe it’s too dense or too airy?
  • Amounts
    • Is there enough sauce for each serving?
    • Are the serving sizes big enough or maybe too big?
    • How are the ratios of ingredients? For example, too many noodles to sauce? Maybe you have too much sauce?
  • Process
    • Could this recipe benefit from broiling at the end?
    • Maybe sautéing would be better than steaming?
    • Should the garlic be added earlier? Or maybe it should be added later so it doesn’t burn and become bitter.

The key takeaway: something might taste good but that doesn’t mean it can’t be better. Ask yourself inquiring questions about the taste and texture of a recipe but also the process and ingredient list.

How to Develop Recipes (9)
Additional Recipe Tests

Keep testing until the recipe passes taste panel! A few tricks of the trade—half batches are magic and testing multiple variables in one test can save time and cost.

Testing a half batch is pretty self-explanatory. So how do you test multiple variables? Here are a few examples.

  • When testing muffins:
    • Test a quarter of the batch with paper lines, another with nonstick spray, some with nonstick spray plus flour, and some just bare.
  • When testing cookies:
    • Split a batch of cookies in half and bake at different times or temperatures. For example, bake half the batch at 12 minutes and the other half at 15. Or try baking half at 325-degrees and the other half at 350-degrees.
  • When cooking individual pieces of meat (chicken breast, pork chops, steak etc.)
    • Pull pieces of meat at different time intervals. Let’s say you’re testing baked chicken breasts. Pull one out at 20 minutes, another at 25, and another at 30.
  • When deciding between garnishes or “finishing” ingredients such as cheese, nuts or herbs.
    • Prepare dish as directed. Top one half of the dish with one type of cheese and the other with a different type of cheese (I recently did this with green beans).

How does the recipe “pass” taste panel?

Most of the things that were mentioned at previous taste panels have been acknowledged and/or tested.

The key takeaway: a recipe “passes taste panel” when there isn’t anything you would change about the recipe.

Final Recipe Write Up

This step is where it all comes together. If you have taken good notes during testing this should be fairly easy!

How to Develop Recipes (11)

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About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

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How to Develop Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you develop your own recipes? ›

Tips for recipe writing
  1. Write ingredients in the order in which they'll be used! ...
  2. Write the directions in an order that makes sense. ...
  3. If your recipe has multiple "recipes" within it, separate the ingredients and step for each. ...
  4. Offer additional methods or substitutions. ...
  5. Share when to know a recipe is ready.
May 4, 2022

What are the steps of recipe development? ›

Coming up with ideas. Selecting and sourcing ingredients. Testing and adjusting the recipe. Documenting the final product.

How are food recipes developed? ›

At a high level, recipe development requires two distinct processes:
  1. Exploration: The process wherein a chef explores varying techniques, food genres, ingredients, and influences. ...
  2. Exploitation: The process wherein a chef hones the particular techniques, ingredients, and flavor profiles that define a final dish.
Feb 18, 2021

How do you come up with a good recipe? ›

Tips to keep in mind when writing recipes:
  1. List ingredients in chronological order. ...
  2. Separate ingredients for major steps in a recipe. ...
  3. List steps in order, keeping instructions short and to the point. ...
  4. Give specifics about doneness. ...
  5. Include storage suggestions. ...
  6. Offer extra methods or substitutions (when tested).
Nov 19, 2020

How do chefs create their own recipes? ›

Every chef has their own creative process and preferred method for documenting their ideas — ideas which eventually morph into recipes. This can range from notebooks, scrap paper and post-it notes, to note apps like Evernote and Apple Note, Google Docs and countless other ways.

How do people come up with recipes? ›

Many recipe developers find ideas:
  1. In cookbooks or magazines.
  2. Through recipes on other food blogs.
  3. From family recipes.
  4. At local restaurants or bakeries.
  5. While traveling.
  6. From new ingredients or seasonal produce at a farmers market.
  7. On Pinterest.
  8. While watching cooking shows.
Jun 9, 2022

How are recipes organized? ›

One of the most common ways of keeping recipes organized is with recipe binders. Rather than keeping recipe books to flick through for recipe referencing, chefs will have the recipes they need collated in binders. This means that they can quickly and easily find necessary items without other recipes getting in the way.

What to charge for recipe development? ›

For recipe development without a photo, half the people charge at least $250 per recipe and a great majority charge at least $200. The maximum most developers have made per recipe is between $300 and $400 but a significant number have made over $700 per recipe.

How do I discover new recipes? ›

Fortunately, there are many ways you can discover new recipes. This process can involve subscribing to a food magazine, following another food blogger, or eating at restaurants.

What is the most important part of a recipe? ›

Ingredient List - The ingredient list is one of the most critical parts of a recipe. The ingredients should be listed in chronological order, with the ingredient used first at the very top of the list (Palmer, 2020).

What is a recipe developer? ›

A recipe developer is a member of the food service industry with extensive culinary arts knowledge and training. They create new and inventive recipes to improve customer appeal and aid business success. Learning more about how to develop your culinary expertise can help prepare you for this career.

What are 2 qualities of a good recipe? ›

My Cheat Sheet for Identifying a Good Recipe

Look for recipes that have the following: Ingredient measurements in multiple formats (weight, volume, size). Context clues for timing of each relevant piece of cooking instruction.

How can I improve my recipe? ›

10 ways to immediately improve your cooking
  1. Mis-en-place. 'Mis-en-place' is a fancy French culinary phrase that means 'putting in place'. ...
  2. Read through the entire recipe. ...
  3. Season your food, early on and often. ...
  4. Balance flavors. ...
  5. Combine different textures. ...
  6. Use your senses – all of them! ...
  7. Hot pan! ...
  8. Start with Quality Ingredients.

What is the first thing you should do with every recipe? ›

Read it and make certain that you understand it. Read it a second time. You have heard the adage “Measure twice, cut once” - this is the cooking equivalent to that. Then make certain that you have all the ingredients and tools that you need to make the recipe.

At what point does a recipe become your own? ›

A general rule of thumb is: if you change three or more ingredients in the recipe, and rewrite the recipe instructions in your own voice, you can consider it your own. Even so, stating that the recipe was “adapted from” or “inspired by” the original recipe is a good idea.

Is there an app to write your own recipes? ›

Recipe Keeper is the easy to use, all-in-one recipe organizer, shopping list and meal planner available across all of your devices. Enter your recipes with as much or as little information as you like. Copy and paste recipes from your existing documents or apps. Categorize your recipes by course and category.

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