Every family has that one stained index card with Grandma’s chili recipe on it. A homemade cookbook keeps those recipes safe and puts them all in one place, and with a cookbook template you don’t need design skills to make it look good.
We’ve collected 12 free cookbook and recipe book templates in MS Word. Some are full cookbook layouts with a cover and sections; others are single recipe pages or recipe cards you can print, punch and file in a binder.
Before You Start: What to Gather
- Your recipes, typed or scanned, with ingredient amounts double-checked
- Photos of finished dishes (phone photos taken in daylight work fine)
- A short story or memory for the recipes that matter most
- A plan for sections: breakfast, mains, sides, desserts, holidays
- Who it’s for: yourself, a family gift, a fundraiser or a restaurant
Cookbook and Recipe Book Templates
General Cookbook Template Word
Sample Recipe Card Template
Fillable Kitchen Cookbook Template
Attractive Design Cookbook Template
Restaurant’s Official Cookbook Sample Doc
Recipe Book Format Template
Blank Cookbook Recipe Template
Professional Cookbook Template in MS WORD
Recipe Book Template Free Printable
Customizable Cookbook Template Word
Special Recipe Cookbook Template in MS WORD
Cookbook Recipe Template Doc
Putting Your Cookbook Together in a Weekend
Saturday morning: pick a template and set up your sections. Decide on one font for titles and one for body text, and stick with them.
Saturday afternoon: type in your recipes. Use the same order on every page: title, servings, ingredients, steps, notes.
Sunday: add photos, write a short introduction and build a table of contents. Print one test copy, check it for typos and missing quantities, then print the final version or send it to a print shop.
Making it a gift? A handmade bookmark tucked inside is a nice finishing touch. Planning a big family dinner from the book? Try our party planning checklist. School groups and churches often sell cookbooks to raise money, and a fundraiser order form makes collecting orders easy. For a more polished, magazine-style layout, have a look at our magazine templates.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many recipes should a homemade cookbook have?
Anywhere from 20 to 100 works well. A family gift book often has 30 to 50 favorites; a fundraiser cookbook may collect many more from different contributors.
What size should I print my cookbook?
Letter size (8.5 x 11 in) is the easiest to print at home and fits standard binders. Half-letter is more compact if you plan to bind it like a book.
Can I sell a cookbook I made with these templates?
Yes, the templates are free to use. Just make sure the recipes and photos are your own or that you have permission from the people who contributed them.
How do I keep pages clean in the kitchen?
Slide printed pages into clear sheet protectors and keep them in a ring binder. It also makes adding new recipes later very easy.
