25 Restaurant Copycat Recipes That Are More Delicious Than the Originals (2024)

FAQs

How much do you have to change a recipe to claim it as your own? ›

The general rule [...] is that three major [emphasis added] changes are required to make a recipe "yours." However, even if you make such changes, it is a professional courtesy to acknowledge the source of or inspiration for the recipe.

A recipe can usually be considered “original” if you have changed three or more major ingredients, or three or more steps in the recipe process, and have written everything in your own words.

Name the recipe source and provide some sort of link – to the recipe if it is already on the internet; to the author / publisher if they have a website.

Recipes can be protected under copyright law if they are accompanied by “substantial literary expression.” This expression can be an explanation or detailed directions, which is likely why food and recipe bloggers often share stories and personal anecdotes alongside a recipe's ingredients.

The first thing to understand is that recipes are not copyrightable. Copyright law protects original works of authorship, and while a recipe may be original, it is not an "original work of authorship." This means that anyone can freely copy and use a recipe without fear of infringement.

Whether or not you own exclusive intellectual property on the recipe depends on whether you qualify for one of the four legal areas of intellectual property protection: copyright, trademark, patent, or trade secret. While some limited protections may apply, food recipes are actually rather difficult to protect.

Food is delicious because of three main things: flavor, salt, and heat. If you know what to look for regarding these three components, you'll have a decent idea if a new recipe is worth a go.

The earliest known written recipes date to 1730 BC and were recorded on cuneiform tablets found in Mesopotamia. Other early written recipes date from approximately 1600 BC and come from an Akkadian tablet from southern Babylonia. There are also works in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting the preparation of food.

Before converting a recipe, express the original ingredients by weight whenever possible. Converting to weight is particularly important for dry ingredients. Most recipes in commercial kitchens express the ingredients by weight, while most recipes intended for home cooks express the ingredients by volume.

No matter where you get the recipes, review each one, rewrite all the copy, test them to see that they work, adjust the language to account for regional differences (i.e. I hate it when a recipe calls for, eg, a stick of butter... I have never seen butter sold in sticks.)

Can you get paid for recipes? ›

Submit Your Recipes to Magazines

You can actually submit your recipes to magazines that will pay you upon publication. A couple of magazines that are currently buying recipes: Cuisine at Home will pay you up to $50 for your cooking tips and recipes. EatingWell pays up to $1 per word for articles and recipes.

Some of the best selling cottage foods are baked goods such as cakes, cookies, pies, and breads. But today, many people have artisan sauces and spreads that can also be safely prepared and sold.

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.

He or she can claim a recipe or dish was their invention but there is little they can legally do to protect it.

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.

The short answer is yes – but it must be unique! Several conditions must be met for an invention to be patentable. Importantly, the recipe must be novel, involve an inventive step, and produce a useful result. It should also be non-obvious to someone with skill in the art.

How do I sell my recipes? Sellfy is a great platform to sell your recipes online. It is a user-friendly platform that allows you to create an online store and sell your digital products, including recipes, with ease. You can upload your recipes as a PDF or other digital formats, set a price, and start selling.