How to Save & Import Recipes from YouTube
Stop scrubbing through a 20-minute video to find the ingredient list. Share any YouTube cooking video or Short to Recipe Notes and get a written recipe with ingredients and steps.
App StoreGoogle PlayQuick Method (3 Taps)
Open the YouTube video or Short with the recipe
Tap Share and select "Recipe Notes"
The ingredients and steps are extracted and synced to all your devices
Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Download Recipe Notes (Free)
First, download the free Recipe Notes app from the App Store or Google Play. Unlike recipe apps that put saving behind a subscription, Recipe Notes has a generous free plan — an unlimited recipe library with 20 free social imports a week (5 a day) and 30 web imports.
Step 2: Add Recipe Notes to Share Sheet
To make importing even faster, add Recipe Notes to your iOS share sheet shortcuts:
- Open any video in the YouTube app and tap Share
- Scroll to the end of the app row and tap "More"
- Find "Recipe Notes" and tap the + button
- Drag it to the top for quick access
On Android there’s nothing to set up: once installed, Recipe Notes shows up in the share menu. If you don’t see it in the first row, tap More.
Step 3: Import YouTube Recipes
Now you're ready to start importing! Here's how:
- Find a cooking video or Short on YouTube
- Tap Share below the video
- Select "Recipe Notes" from the share menu (or copy the link and paste it into Recipe Notes)
- Recipe Notes reads the title, description and captions and pulls out the ingredients and steps
- Review and save - it's now in your collection!
Why Use Recipe Notes for YouTube Recipes?
No More Pausing & Rewinding
Get the ingredient list and steps as text instead of scrubbing back through the video.
Reads Captions & Description
Recipe Notes uses the video’s captions and description, so recipes that are only spoken aloud still come through.
Works with Shorts
Save recipes from YouTube Shorts as well as full-length cooking videos.
Plan & Shop
Scale servings, add the ingredients to your grocery list and plan the recipe into your week.
Free to Use
Unlimited recipe library with 20 free YouTube and social imports a week (5 a day), plus 30 web imports — no ads, no hidden fees.
Common Questions
Yes. Share a Short the same way as a regular video. Shorts that only show the recipe on screen, with music and no captions or description, may not have enough text to extract — in that case you can add the recipe by hand or paste it in with "From Text".
From the video’s title, description and captions, including auto-generated captions. Videos that list the recipe in the description or talk through the steps import best.
Your recipe library is unlimited, and the free plan includes 20 social imports a week (up to 5 a day) from YouTube and other social sources, plus 30 web imports a week. Typing in recipes by hand is always unlimited, and Pro removes the import limits.
Recipe Notes uses AI to extract recipe information. If something doesn’t look right, you can easily edit the recipe after importing. You can also try the "From Text" or "From Scratch" import methods.
Import Recipes from Other Platforms
Import from Instagram
Save Instagram recipe posts and reels with one click
Import from TikTok
Save TikTok cooking videos as organized recipes automatically
Import from Pinterest
Turn Pinterest recipe pins into organized, cookable recipes
Best Free Recipe Manager App
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Start Saving YouTube Recipes Today
Join 50,000+ home cooks using Recipe Notes. Keep your YouTube recipes in one place — unlimited recipes, no subscription required.