Blank Books to Write Recipes In (And What To Look For)

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive compensation at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

While I refer to my cookbook collection often, I have blank books made for handwritten recipes. There are a ton of blank recipe books to choose from, unfortunately, many of those options suck. I don’t want some cheap, no-name product that falls apart in record time and won’t meet my long-term needs (I’ve learned my lesson).

If I’m going to take the time to write down my recipes, a lined blank book needs to meet certain basic guidelines. There are specific things you might also want in a blank book to write recipes in:

• Trusted Brand
• Heavy Paper
• Made for Recipes
• Space for Photos, Drawings, or Stickers
• Tabbed Dividers

Now, I’m saving our favorite recipes for my oldest son. This isn’t the first time I’ve copied down recipes into a blank book. I started saving family recipes as a young adult. While visiting my parents, I browsed through my mother’s cookbooks, too. I wasn’t a super big home cook or baker yet, but I thought it could be useful in the future.

I was right.

Before you dive in, buy a blank book to write your favorite family recipes in (so you don’t lose your favorite Malted Milk Cookie Recipe), and start jotting them down, I have a few helpful tips — so you won’t regret your purchase later and have to mess with it all over again.

Look at my suggested key points for each category to better choose the right blank notebook for your recipes below.

Table of Contents

• How To Choose a Blank Recipe Book
  • Book Size
  • Prewritten Categories
  • Handwriting Size
  • Artistic Styling
  • Book Covers
  • Paper Weight
  • DIY Books
• What Makes the Best Recipe Blank Book?
• Clever Fox Recipe Book
  • Clever Fox Recipe Book Facts
  • Clever Fox Recipe Book Sizing
  • Clever Fox Recipe Book Pros
  • Clever Fox Recipe Book Cons
• Erin Condren Blank Recipe Book
  • Erin Condren Cookbook Sizing
  • Erin Condren Cookbook Pros
  • Erin Condren Cookbook Cons
• Lamare Blank Recipe Book
  • Lamare Blank Cookbook Pros
  • Lamare Blank Cookbook Cons
• Other Ways to Save Your Favorite Recipes
• Related Resources

How To Choose a Blank Recipe Book

Consider your recipes and the purpose of your hunt for the right recipe book. Do you have a heap of excellent brownie recipes (scroll down on that page for my favorites) and need somewhere to save them?

I know. It seems simple, but you’re about to enter a lifelong relationship with this book. You are looking for more than a pretty face. There’s more to choosing a book to hold your recipes than finding an attractive cover (although that’s certainly part of it).

• Are you cooking or baking or both?
• Do your recipes fit into neat and tidy categories?
• Are you copying down recipes you’ve saved digitally elsewhere so you have a paper copy?
• Are you saving a family member’s recipes?
• Have you made everything you’re writing down or are some things “to try?”
• Do you require blank space to add photos, illustrations, or stickers?
• Is your handwriting large or small?
• Are you making this DIY recipe book for yourself or is this a cookbook gift for newlyweds or another occasion?
• Will this book be used and accessed often or is it something you’re going to complete “just in case” you need it?

Why do these things matter? Let’s dive in below.

Book Sizing

Book sizing varies between companies. Some of these companies offer more than one size. I thought it might help to look at it a different way (I know I get confused about A5 sizing). This is the difference in sizing between the typical 7×9, 8.5 x 11, and A5 book sizes.

Prewritten Categories

Do you need a book with prewritten categories? If you only want to save your grandmother’s recipes, you may not want a book with specific food categories. A fill-in-the-blank table of contents at the front of the book may suffice.

Some people may find specific written categories frustrating.

For example, if you want to jot down your favorite lunch items, which include everything from salads to sandwiches to wraps and soup, you may prefer to write in your own “lunch” category, instead of flipping between tabs.

Or, if you never bake (gasp!), then a book offering pre-filled categories may not work as well for you (if you don’t want to cross out those labels).

Handwriting Size

Some blank recipe books have a narrow width between lines. For people with large or loopy handwriting, it may not be as good a fit as blank recipe books offering greater space between the lines. It’s the difference between college-ruled and wide-ruled notebook paper.

I print in large letters. Tiny lines aren’t a great fit. The smaller the space I have to write, the worse it looks (and that’s saying something).

Although cute, a small DIY recipe book won’t offer enough space for your large handwriting. You’re better off looking for a bigger book or larger lines.

Artistic Styling

I sort of draw three things: pumpkins, cats, and trees. I’m not looking for space to illustrate a still-life kitchen scene. But if you want to include images, you’ll require a book offering up space for it (unless you don’t mind attaching them wherever you want).

Some of you go beyond that. You want to treat your recipe book like a canvas — and paint or glitter glue it up. There are options for you, too. Thicker, durable paper is one answer.

Or, look for books with a pocket. If you don’t want to add an image to each and every recipe page, you could use a blank recipe book with a pocket to hold related images.

Book Covers

Some companies offer a larger variety of cover art than others. If you’re looking for customizable cover art, that option may help you narrow down the list.

Then there’s the type of cover. Do you want a paperback or hardcover book? Do you prefer notebook-style binding or the type of binding you get with a hardback book?

What’s the cover made of? PU leather isn’t leather at all, but plastic made from polyurethane (that’s where the PU comes from). PU leather is waterproof (especially compared to leather).

Paper Weight

Head to your local dollar store and feel the type of paper used in a blank book. Then, browse your bookshelves at home. Pull a book or two off the shelf, flip through pages, and what do you notice? A huge difference in the quality of the paper.

When you see a package of paper marked with a weight measured in pounds, that doesn’t mean the actual weight of the package if you were to weigh it on your bathroom scale. Rather, it refers to the weight of a 500-sheet stack of the paper at its original, uncut size (or “basic size”).

Paper manufacturers measure the weight in its basic sheet size before cutting the paper into smaller pieces for consumer use.

Where this gets a bit tricky is, different paper grades (book, bond, cover, vellum, index, etc.) have different basic sheet sizes. 

For example: Cover Stock has a basis size of 20×26 inches, which at 500 sheets gives us 65 lbs.

On the other hand, Vellum has a basis size of 22 ½ x 28 ½ inches, which at 500 sheets gives us 67 lbs. Although the weight in pounds is higher, it doesn’t mean the paper is thicker, because the basis size is not the same.

Just a bit confusing, isn’t it?!

So if you’re trying to decide between two types of paper with the same basis weight and you want to choose the one that is heavier, check the GSM. This stands for “grams per square meter,” and means precisely what the name suggests.

The paper weight is determined by one sheet of paper at a size of 1 meter by 1 meter. The weight of that sheet is then measured in grams. Because all different grades of paper are measured at the same size (1 square meter), it provides a more intuitive system of measurement. 

The higher the GSM value, the heavier the paper weight.

Paper Weight Guide, Paris Corporation, Accessed March 27, 2024.

If you’re comparing blank books to write your personal recipes in, consider the GSM. The heavier the paper, the less likely it will be to tear when you turn the page. You want your handwritten recipe book to last, so choose products that list the GSM.

If your book doesn’t include the GSM, it’s likely not the quality item you’re looking for. Quality blank books share the GSM. It’s something they boast loudly and often in the product description.

DIY Books

I’m all for saving a couple of bucks, but I don’t think a DIY recipe book is a project you want to lug out the ol’ home printer for. Printable recipe pages have their place, but when you are talking forever, forever, I don’t expect your typical printer ink to last without fading or generic copier paper to hold up to long-term use.

What Makes the Best Recipe Blank Book?

My oldest son headed to Drexel University in September 2024 for mechanical engineering. While he doesn’t need a recipe book of favorite recipes now, when he visits, he tends to make some of his favorite things.

Rather than spend my days instructing him where to find whatever recipe he was hunting for, I decided it was time to create a book for him. This would have made a thoughtful high school graduation present. I won’t wait until his college graduation to gift this one — he’ll likely live in a dry fraternity on campus next year and will certainly need it by then.

That’s where the idea for this article originated. I decided to conduct a test. I ordered blank books specifically for recipes from the companies below. This list will be updated as I test more recipe cookbooks. Take the above factors into account when choosing among the brands featured here.

Clever Fox Recipe Book

Clever Fox Recipe Book Facts

This Clever Fox book is designed for your favorite “keepers.” I’m happy with the quality of this recipe book to write your own recipes in. If you want a blank recipe book with pockets, this one feels and looks nice, and arrives with a separate sample page if you need help getting started.

The cookbook includes all of the items below, according to the Clever Fox website:

• Vegan leather hardcover
• Thick 120gsm paper
• 2 or 3 sheets of colorful stickers (depends on which size book you choose)
• 3 ribbon bookmarks
• Inner pocket for notes
• Pen loop
• Elastic closure

As you can see, Clever Fox products use 120gsm paper. But the nice Clever Fox support rep shared the following important info regarding your pen or marker choices:

As for the ink type, we use 120 GSM paper for our planners, so they are quite thick and are suitable for most pen brands.

However, we usually recommend avoiding multi-purpose or alcohol-based marker-type ones as they tend to bleed through the thickest of papers. 

Sophie, Clever Fox Customer Support

Clever Fox Cookbook Sizing

• The Clever Fox Recipe Book is 8.3 (length) x 5.8 (width) with room for up to 60 recipes.
• The Clever Fox Recipe Book Large is 8.5 x 11 inches and can hold up to 60 recipes. 
• The Clever Fox Recipe Book Spiral Medium is 8.3 x 6.3 inches and can handle up to 60 recipes.
• The Clever Fox Recipe Book Spiral Large is 9.3 by 11.2 inches and has space for up to 100 recipes.
• The Clever Fox Recipe Book Binder with Tabs is 12.6 x 9.4 and has 220 pages.

Clever Fox offers a kitchen-themed pattern in the following recipe book colors (the colors are not available in every size), but the color choices may include:

• Rose Gold
• Amber Yellow
• Purple
• Hot Pink
• Black
• Turquoise
• Gray
• Lavender
• Burgundy
• Royal Blue
• Orange
• Dark Blue

Clever Fox Recipe Book Pros

• Room for up to 60 recipes or 100 recipes depending on your selection
• Measuring Equivalents located at the front of the book
• 60-day satisfaction guarantee
• Every book size includes a pocket

Clever Fox Recipe Book Cons

• Cooking Bucket List section may be unnecessary (you could repurpose the pages for notes)
• Cover choice is limited to the colors listed above (the style remains the same) but not necessarily every color listed above. It depends on the size of the book

Definitely choose the Clever Fox large versions if you have big handwriting (like mine). Although the lines are the same space apart, there will be more of them, so you can fit your large writing.

Erin Condren Blank Recipe Book

Hunting for a blank cookbook to write your personal recipes in? Eric Condren offers an assortment. I’ve looked at the cover customizable Recipe Book, the Colorblock Recipe Notebook, and the Horizontal Recipe Notebook.

The 9 (length) by 7 (width) style empty recipe books for recipes offer some personalization. Add a first and last name to the front of the book and a photo to the front and back of the book. I ignored the name suggestion and used the date, “2024,” since this was a gift to tie in with my oldest son leaving for college.

• 7 x 9 inches or 8.2 by 5.8 inches
• 160 pages
• 5 tabs: appetizers, sides, mains, dessert, more recipes
• Favorite recipe section
• Sturdy laminate cover or hardback depending on your selection
• 118 gsm
• Perforated pages
• Includes two-sided pocket folder
• Plated aluminum coil (platinum)
• Made in USA

These blank cookbooks offer five tabs:

• Appetizers
• Sides
• Mains
• Dessert
• More recipes

The tabs don’t offer customization (no color, font, or text changes are available). Use the “More Recipes” tab for overflow if you have a more popular section and need the room or for those random recipes that don’t fit anywhere else.

Erin Condren Cookbook Sizing

• The Erin Condren Recipe Notebook is 9 (length) by 7 (width) inches has 160 pages.
• The Erin Condren Colorful Plaid Recipe Notebook is also 9 x 7 with 160 pages.
• The Erin Condren Horizontal Notebook is ‎8.2 x 5.8 inches and has 200 pages.

Erin Condren Recipe Book Pros

• 118.4 GSM
• Laminated cover
• Two-sided pocket folder
• Exterior customization

Erin Condren Recipe Book Cons

• Laminate cover
• Most of the recipe books use spiral binding
• The interior and exterior may not have as much customization as you’d like (the tab colors and horizontal book don’t have options)
• Offers five tabs: appetizers, sides, mains, dessert, more recipes

Lamare Blank Recipe Book

Lamare offers a blank recipe book, hardcover, providing a more minimalist approach than other brands. There aren’t tabs or spiral binding. Flip open the book for a fill-in-the-blank index. Write your recipes down without being constrained to specific categories. Liberating, isn’t it?

This DIY recipe book will not stay open on its own (you’ll need a book stand). If you are someone with a smattering of recipes in one category, and a lot in another, this could be the DIY style you’re looking for. The book includes a ribbon bookmark.

Lamare Blank Recipe Book Sizing

Choose among three cover styles of the Lamare Blank Recipe Book, at the time of this writing:

• Retro
• Sage
• Stone Red

The book cover color you see above (the one I own) is no longer available. The stone red and sage options read, “Recipe Journal” and not “Friday Food Time Recipe Book.” The retro style reads, “Friday Food Time Recipe Book.”

There are 122 pages in the 6 (length) inch by 8 (width) inch book (their website states the book is A5 sizing: 8.3 x 5.8). The page numbers begin after the index. Every recipe receives a two-page spread.

The pages in the DIY Lamare recipe cookbook include the following:

• Prep Time
• Cook Time
• Servings
• Best Served With
• Ingredients
• Notes
• Directions

Lamare Blank Cookbook Pros

• No tabbed sections or premade categories
• Notes section located with each recipe
• No bleed-through pages (but the company doesn’t list the gsm)

Lamare Blank Cookbook Cons

• Hardcover book that won’t stay open without a book stand
• Limited cover options
• No personalization offered

Choose this cookbook if you want to write down your recipes without worrying about getting the category or type correct. The minimalist approach is great for someone with a lot of different recipes or whomever wants to jot them down as they go.

Other Ways to Save Your Favorite Recipes

Blank books you can write recipes in are awesome — if you have beautiful, legible, clear handwriting. I don’t. 

A writer with horrible handwriting is an unfortunate quirk of the universe. My oldest son’s high school teachers told him that they thought he forged my note. He’s asked me to rewrite notes on occasion.

Look, it is what it is. My mind moves faster than my hand. Plus, I’m left-handed, so sometimes there’s that smear factor in there, too.

Yes, there are free recipe printables out there. You could find a template, download it, print it out, and get started, but I’d suggest a little caution. You want this thing to last.

When I started filling my first blank cookbook with recipes back in 2002 or 2003, my life looked incredibly different — I wasn’t married (now I’m divorced), I didn’t have kids (I have two sons), and I didn’t do a ton of cooking or baking (um, see also this website). I kept it super simple then.

Fortunately, I chose a book with sturdy pages. The cover has long since come apart on one of my books (as you saw in the first image way up at the top of this page), but it’s otherwise intact. No fading. Unless you have fancy paper and archival-quality printer ink, I’d suggest you turn to a book that’s ready to go.

Is there a blank recipe book I missed — and you believe I should add it to this list? Please let me know.

Related Resources