When recipes aren’t easy to follow, it’s not because the food isn’t good. It’s usually because the recipe format makes things unclear. And when your formatting confuses your readers, they might get frustrated. Or, worse, give up.
The exact opposite of what you want.
That’s why your recipe card format and how you present your recipe inside a blog post matter more than you might think. So, in this post, I’ll walk through the most useful ways to format recipes and show you how to pick the right one for your blog. Plus, I'll share a few common mistakes to skip.
Ultimately, this guide is here to help you understand what recipe formatting is and how to format your blog recipes so they're easy to read, cook from, and share.
What is recipe formatting?
Recipe formatting is how your recipe is structured in your blog post and inside the recipe card.
It’s what helps your readers actually cook your recipe without confusion. It’s also what helps Google understand your post (hello, recipe SEO!) and what makes your recipes easy to print, pin, or save.
When your recipe is clear and organized, it helps:
- Readers follow steps in order without getting overwhelmed
- Make your recipes easier to use on phones and tablets
- Raise your chances of showing up in Google search results
A consistent recipe post structure and recipe card format shows your readers you care about their experience on your site. It builds trust and helps them feel confident cooking your recipes from the first ingredient to the final step.
The 3 most common recipe format types (with examples)
Let’s look at the three most common recipe format types and when they work best. They are
- Narrative format
- Ingredient first format
- Action first format
Each one is a little different depending on how you write your blog, who your readers are, and what kind of recipes you love to share.
The goal?
Pick a format that fits your style AND makes cooking easier for your audience. Now, let's dive deeper into each way to format recipes for your blog.
1. Narrative recipe format (Telling a story)
This style feels like sitting down with a friend who’s walking you through their favorite dish, step by step, while telling you why they love it.
It’s cozy, personal, and perfect for recipes that match a memory or a moment.
Lori, from The Kitchen Whisperer (TKW) embodies this by blending her personal story with helpful tips in her posts. Take her mom’s classic stuffed cabbage rolls as an example. You get her full story, plus lots of details about cabbage rolls that you probably didn’t even know you needed! 🥬
Then, when you scroll down, you find a well-formatted Tasty Recipes recipe card with the ingredient list and step-by-step instructions ready to go.
We also featured Lori in this WP Tasty interview, where she shares more about how she formats recipes and connects with her readers. Or, as she says her, “TKW Family.”
⭐️ Why this recipe format shines:
- Great for sharing authentic memories or family recipes
- Feels personal, conversational, and relaxed
🧠 A few things to keep in mind:
- Not as easy to scan
- Readers who do scan may miss key ingredients or steps
Interested in trying Tasty Recipes?
With our easy-to-use, customizable recipe card plugin, Tasty Recipes helps you look good — and your recipes look even better.
Take a look at all Tasty Recipes has to offer.
Also, don’t forget about our 14-day money-back guarantee! Trying Tasty Recipes is risk-free!
2. Standard recipe format (Ingredient first)
This is the most common recipe format in cookbooks and food blogs.
Each step starts with the ingredient, then the action. It gives readers a clear picture of what’s needed and when. That, in turn, helps with prep and can make recipes easier to scale.
It’s also the structure used inside the Tasty Recipes card, so even if your blog post includes a bit of story or extra tips, the recipe itself stays clean and easy to follow.
A great example of this is Cookie + Kate.
Her posts often start with a quick personal intro or quick tips. Then, she jumps right into the ingredient list and steps using our WordPress recipe plugin, Tasty Recipes.
Take a look at her Thai Green Curry with Spring Vegetables recipe as an example.
This standard recipe card format respects the reader’s time while feeling warm and personal.
⭐️ Why this recipe format shines:
- Super user-friendly
- Ideal for baking or recipes with lots of ingredients
🧠 A few things to keep in mind:
- Can feel repetitive for long recipes
- Leaves less room for lots of storytelling and extra info
3. Action-first recipe format (Everything all at once)
This format is fast, flexible, and straight to the point.
Each step starts with the action and then includes the ingredient. It’s a great match for quick meals, one-pan dishes, or anything you'd cook on autopilot.
It’s a bit of an “everywhere, everything, all at once” approach. It speeds things up. But, it can also be a little overwhelming for beginners or readers who prep everything ahead of time.
⭐️ Why this recipe format shines:
- Clean and simple
- Best for kitchen busybodies and mobile readers
- Makes step-by-step instructions flow easily
🧠 A few things to keep in mind:
- Not ideal if readers haven’t prepped everything beforehand
- Makes it more challenging for quick recipe references
What's the best recipe format for your food blog?
That depends on you, your readers, and the kind of recipes you love to share.
But, you don’t have to overthink it. It’s all about how your readers like to cook, how you write, and where the recipe fits in your overall post.
⁉️ Here are a few quick questions to help you choose:
- Are your readers newer home cooks who need more structure?
- Do you write lots of story-based posts with personal notes?
- Is this recipe fast and flexible, or more detailed on key steps?
- Will your reader be cooking from a phone, a printout, or something like a recipe binder or recipe book?
Remember, narrative works well for personal or seasonal stories. Standard is ideal for most recipes, especially baking or multi-step dishes. And action is great for quick dinners and hands-on cooking.
Easily format recipe cards on your food blog with Tasty Recipes
Formatting your recipes should be just as smooth as the cooking process.
With Tasty Recipes, you get a clean, easy-to-use, editable recipe template built into WordPress.
Once you add the Tasty Recipes block to your post, you’ll fill out the recipe card template and give readers everything they need:
- Ingredients with optional checkboxes ✅
- Step-by-step instructions 📝
- Cook/prep times and servings ⏱️
- Notes, equipment, nutrition facts, and more
Remember to add as many details about your recipe as you can in the template spots.
You can also turn on cook mode, which keeps your reader’s screen awake while they follow the recipe. And we're sure you have readers who want to print your recipes. That's built in too!
Behind the scenes, Tasty Recipes adds structured data (recipe schema), which helps Google show your recipe with rich snippets in search results, star ratings, total time, and ingredients.
▶️ Want to see how it works?
Watch our video tutorial to learn how to add a Tasty Recipes card to your blog and explore some of the styling options available.
Format Your Recipes with Tasty Recipes
Common recipe formatting mistakes
Even seasoned food bloggers run into these now and then.
Here are some common formatting hiccups and how to fix them. 👇🛠️
❌ Giant walls of text – Break long instructions into short, scannable steps.
❌ Ingredients hidden in paragraphs – Always have a clear ingredient list and repeat key items in each step.
❌ Missing cooking times – Help readers plan with clear prep, cook, and total time fields.
❌ Instructions out of order – Keep it chronological so readers don’t get lost.
❌ No print option – A clean, printer-friendly layout makes your recipe more useful (and shareable).
Make your recipe format work for you (and your readers)
You’ve already poured love into testing, tweaking, and tasting. So when it comes time to write your recipe post and hit publish, your recipe format should reflect that same care.
High-quality formatting makes your content easier to read, cook from, and come back to.
Whether you're sharing a cozy classic or a fresh new favorite recipe, Tasty Recipes helps you plate it beautifully on your blog (instead of scribbling on index cards). 🍽️
✨ So, why not grab Tasty Recipes and give your recipes the format they deserve?
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