One of my friend’s has just gotten into baking and wanted a way to organize her recipes. I suggested a binder but she thought this would be too bulky and doesn’t have a lot of recipes (binders can hold 200+ recipes). So I made some printables and turned them into a recipe book for her!

I made the recipe book at A4 (the page size we use here in Australia). However, you can print printables at any size you like including A5, half letter size, US page size etc.

If you want more flexibility in the order of the pages as well as the ability to add more and remove them later, use a discbound system such as Arc or the MAMBI Happy Planner – both brands sell the discs separate to their planners.

Related: How to choose a binding system for your planner (comparison and which one I like the most) 

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Tips for making a recipe book:

• To make the rainbow colors POP, see this post with printing tips: 7 Ways to make colors POP when printing using an Inkjet printer 
• Print the front and back covers onto cardstock (I used 280GSM) from Officeworks. eBay is a good place to start for smaller quantities
• The clear cover I used was from Officeworks in the binding section
• I have a GBC comb binding machine but you could also take the pages to your local office supply store and have them spiral bind it for you, or use a discbound system such as the ARC or MAMBI

The printables can be printed at any size you like including: A5, half letter size, 7 x 9″ etc.: step by step printing instructions.

Click the image below to download the recipe book printables. If you’re an existing subscriber, you can login here (the password was sent in the initial subscription confirmation email).

This recipe book is in a similar style to the meal planning and planner covers I shared previously.

Other pages you may want to add to your recipe book:

• Kitchen conversions & cooking tips
• Print 2 recipes per page (see this page for printing tips)
• Pages with space for a photo (these are included in the recipe binder printables in my shop
• Favorite recipe websites
• Recipe index
• Recipes to try
• Family favorites
• 30 minute meals
• 60 minute meals

Because tabs / divider can get damaged in a recipe book if you put it on a shelf, here are a couple of ideas for keeping your recipes organized:

1. Write each recipe category in a different color (you may want to add an index to the front of the recipe book) e.g. cake recipes in pink, slices in blue, cookies in green etc. I previously shared my favorite pen brands (and which colors I recommend using if you want to color code).

Related: Ultimate list of the best planner pen brands and how to choose colors for color coding 

2. If you have a lot of recipes, make a different recipe book for each category and use a different color/and or pattern for each recipe book. I have tons of printable recipe sheets and planner covers in my shop!

3. Add a colored dot or a small page flag to the top or bottom corner of the recipe book for each category (chicken recipes, slow cooker, cupcakes, 30 minute meals etc.)- you may want to add a legend/key/index to the front of the recipe book. Then when you’re flipping through your recipes it’ll make it easier to find the one you’re looking for

4. Add a strip of washi tape to the side of the recipe pages – sticking with the same color scheme and use all different types of patterns – or using the same pattern in different colors (I recommend the Doodlebug washi collections for this – they’re my favorite type of washi!)

Related post: Planner Organization: How to color-code your planner (so you’ll actually use it effectively)

Want recipe pages in rainbow that match this cover? I shared some in this post.

Don’t forget to download the recipe printables here.

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