Zucchini Bread
Moist Cinnamon Walnut Zucchini Bread
Cinnamon WalnuteasyCleanup score 2 of 5
Cheap eats
184 recipes that come to about $2 a serving or less, worked out from each recipe's own ingredient list and U.S. average grocery prices. Cheapest first.
Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data and USDA ERS Purchase to Plate prices updated with the BLS Consumer Price Index. A recipe shows a figure only when we can price at least 85% of its ingredients by weight; salt, spices and anything we can't match aren't in the total.
184 recipes in every course
Breakfast & Brunch (29)
About $0.30 a serving (estimate)
French Toast
Freezer French Toast Sticks for Kids
Sticks (Freezer-Friendly)easyCleanup score 5 of 5
About $0.30 a serving (estimate)
Scones
Classic Cream Scones
Classic CreameasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $0.35 a serving (estimate)
Pumpkin Bread
Spiced Pumpkin Bread
SpicedeasyCleanup score 3 of 5
About $0.35 a serving (estimate)
Lunch (6)
Egg Salad Sandwich
Classic Creamy Egg Salad Sandwich
ClassiceasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $0.85 a serving (estimate)
Tortilla Pinwheels
Rainbow Veggie Cream Cheese Pinwheels
Rainbow VeggieeasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.00 a serving (estimate)
Quesadillas
Easy Cheese Quesadillas for Kids
Cheese (Kid-Friendly)easyCleanup score 5 of 5
About $1.05 a serving (estimate)
Grilled Cheese
The Perfect Classic Grilled Cheese
ClassiceasyCleanup score 5 of 5
About $1.20 a serving (estimate)
Dinner (35)
Red Lentil Dal
Everyday Red Lentil Dal
Everyday with Spiced OileasyCleanup score 3 of 5
About $0.55 a serving (estimate)
Black Bean Burgers
Smoky Black Bean Burgers
Smoky SkilleteasyCleanup score 2 of 5
About $0.95 a serving (estimate)
Mac and Cheese
Baked Mac and Cheese with Crispy Topping
Baked with Crumb ToppingmediumCleanup score 2 of 5
About $1.10 a serving (estimate)
Fried Rice
Vegetable and Egg Fried Rice
Vegetable and EggeasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $1.20 a serving (estimate)
Appetizers & Snacks (15)
Deviled Eggs
Classic Deviled Eggs
ClassiceasyCleanup score 4 of 5
About $0.25 a serving (estimate)
Crispy Chickpeas
Air Fryer Crispy Chickpeas
Air FryereasyCleanup score 3 of 5
About $0.30 a serving (estimate)
Salsa
Five-Minute Blender Salsa
Blender Restaurant-StyleeasyCleanup score 5 of 5
About $0.30 a serving (estimate)
No-Bake Energy Bites
No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
Peanut Butter Chocolate ChipeasyCleanup score 5 of 5
About $0.40 a serving (estimate)
Side Dishes (46)
No-Knead Crusty Bread
No-Knead Crusty Dutch Oven Bread
ClassicmediumCleanup score 4 of 5
About $0.05 a serving (estimate)
Sandwich Bread
Soft Classic White Sandwich Bread
Classic WhitemediumCleanup score 3 of 5
About $0.10 a serving (estimate)
Dinner Rolls
Garlic Parmesan Knots
Garlic Parmesan KnotsmediumCleanup score 3 of 5
About $0.15 a serving (estimate)
Dinner Rolls
Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls
Soft Pull-ApartmediumCleanup score 3 of 5
About $0.15 a serving (estimate)
Desserts (43)
Fudge
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
Old-Fashioned Peanut ButtermediumCleanup score 3 of 5
About $0.10 a serving (estimate)
Snickerdoodles
Soft and Puffy Cinnamon Sugar Snickerdoodles
ClassiceasyCleanup score 2 of 5
About $0.10 a serving (estimate)
Thumbprint Cookies
Buttery Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Jam-FilledeasyCleanup score 2 of 5
About $0.10 a serving (estimate)
Molasses Cookies
Chewy Ginger Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Chewy Ginger CrinkleeasyCleanup score 2 of 5
About $0.10 a serving (estimate)
Beverages & Cocktails (10)
Horchata
Homemade Cinnamon Rice Horchata
Cinnamon RiceeasyCleanup score 2 of 5
About $0.15 a serving (estimate)
Lemonade
Fresh-Squeezed Classic Lemonade
ClassiceasyCleanup score 3 of 5
About $0.20 a serving (estimate)
Hot Chocolate
Cinnamon Spiced Hot Chocolate
Cinnamon SpiceeasyCleanup score 5 of 5
About $0.40 a serving (estimate)
Smoothie
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Peanut Butter BananaeasyCleanup score 5 of 5
About $0.55 a serving (estimate)
How we work it out
Every measured ingredient is weighed the way our nutrition estimate weighs it, then priced with an official U.S. average: the Bureau of Labor Statistics' average price for the month where BLS publishes that food (flour, eggs, milk, butter, chicken, ground beef...), and otherwise the USDA Economic Research Service's Purchase to Plate national average price for 2017-18, raised to September 2026 with the BLS Consumer Price Index for that food group. Bone-in cuts are priced with the bone. Tap water is free.
No store's prices and no affiliate prices. You'll pay for whole packages, and store brands, sales, stores and regions all change the real cost, so treat each figure as a ballpark for comparing recipes.
On search and category pages, pick a Cost per serving filter to find these anywhere.