How to Get a Recipe From a YouTube Video as Text

Cooking along with a YouTube video usually means pausing with flour on your hands, rewinding to catch a quantity, and scrolling through comments for the oven temperature. A written recipe is far easier to follow. This guide shows how to turn almost any cooking video into a clear recipe card using its transcript.

Step 1: Check the description first

Many cooking channels put the full recipe in the video description or link to it on their website. Expand the description and look for an ingredients list or a link before doing anything else. If the creator has published it, use their version: it will be the most accurate, and visiting their site supports their work.

Step 2: Get the transcript

1. Copy the video link.
2. Paste it into our YouTube Video Transcript Generator.
3. Switch to Paragraphs and untick Timestamps.
4. Press Copy.

Want to check a quantity? Search the transcript for “gram”, “cup”, “spoon” or “degrees” and click the result to hear that moment again.

Step 3: Turn the transcript into a recipe

Option A: Ask an AI assistant

Paste the transcript into an AI assistant with a prompt like this:

Turn this cooking video transcript into a recipe.
List ingredients with quantities, then numbered steps.
Include oven temperature, cooking times and serving size if mentioned.
Do not add anything that is not in the transcript; write "not stated" instead.

The last line matters: it stops the AI from inventing quantities the cook never mentioned.

Option B: Do it yourself

• Read through once and underline every ingredient and amount.
• Write the ingredient list in the order they are used.
• Rewrite each action as a short step: “Whisk the eggs and sugar for 3 minutes until pale.”

Step 4: Check against the video

Transcripts capture what is said, not what is shown. Cooks often add an ingredient without naming it or show an amount on screen. Before cooking:

• Skim the video at 2× speed and compare it with your list.
• Look for on-screen text with quantities or temperatures.
• Check the comments for corrections from the creator.

Convert measurements

Recipes from other countries may use cups, grams, Fahrenheit or Celsius. Common conversions:

For baking, weights are more reliable than cups, since a cup of flour can vary a lot depending on how it is scooped.

Save and organise your recipes

• Save each recipe as a document or PDF. See how to save a transcript as PDF or Word.
• Include the video link at the top so you can rewatch tricky steps.
• Keep them in one folder or a recipe app.

A note on credit

Recipes you write down for your own kitchen are fine. If you share the recipe publicly, credit the creator and link to their video.

Frequently Asked Questions