How to Save a Recipe From TikTok, Instagram or YouTube
Four ways to turn a recipe video into a recipe you can actually cook from, including the caption, pinned comment and screenshot tricks that work on every app.
You watch a 40 second video of someone making creamy garlic pasta, you save it, and three weeks later you cannot find it. Or you find it, and the quantities flash past too fast to copy down. Recipe videos are great at making food look easy and terrible at being something you can cook from.
The good news is that most creators put the actual recipe somewhere in writing. You just need to know where to look. Here are four ways to turn a recipe video into a recipe card, from the simplest to the most reliable.
1. Read the caption or description first
On TikTok and Instagram, the recipe is often written in the caption. Tap "more" to expand it, because the ingredients are usually hidden below the first line or two.
On YouTube, open the description (tap the text under the video title). Long-form cooking channels almost always list the full ingredients and method there, and often link to a written version on their own site.
If the caption has the recipe, copy it into your notes app, or save the link into a recipe app so it is turned into a tidy list for you. This single step covers a large share of recipe videos.
2. Check the pinned comment
When the caption is too short, creators often pin a comment that holds the full recipe. On YouTube Shorts and regular YouTube videos, the pinned comment sits at the top of the comments with a small pin icon. On TikTok and Instagram, scroll the comments for a reply from the creator, or for a comment that starts with "Recipe:" or "Ingredients:".
Two things worth knowing:
- Searching the comments for "recipe", "ingredients" or "grams" often finds a helpful viewer who has typed it out.
- A pinned comment is easy for you to read but harder for apps to read, especially on Instagram, where comments are hidden behind a login. If your app misses the recipe, copy the comment text yourself.
3. Follow the link in the bio or description
Many creators publish the full recipe on a blog, a newsletter or a link-in-bio page, and the video is just the teaser. Look for:
- "Full recipe on my website" in the caption
- A link in the creator's profile bio
- A link at the top of a YouTube description
A recipe on a website can then be saved like any other web recipe. See our guide to saving recipes from websites without the clutter.
4. Screenshot the ingredients as they appear
If the quantities only appear as text overlaid on the video, pause on that frame and take a screenshot. Do the same for the method if the steps are shown on screen.
You can then either read from the screenshots while you cook, or let an app read them for you. CopyCook can import a recipe from a screenshot or photo, which is handy when the recipe only exists as text on a video.
A simple routine that works
Next time you see a recipe video you like, run through this in order. It takes under a minute.
- Expand the caption or description. Is the recipe there?
- Look at the pinned comment.
- Check the profile bio and description for a link.
- If none of that works, screenshot the on-screen text.
Then save it straight away. A recipe you plan to "find later" is a recipe you will not find.
What an app can and cannot do
We make CopyCook, so here is exactly what it does with a social link. When you paste a TikTok, Instagram or YouTube link, it reads the written text attached to the post: the caption, and for YouTube the description and the pinned or creator comment. It then turns that text into an ingredient list and steps.
It does not watch the video or listen to the audio. If the recipe is only spoken, or Instagram keeps it in a pinned comment that needs a login, the app tells you it could not find a recipe and offers to import from a screenshot instead. That is a limit of the approach, and it is better to say so than to guess at quantities.
Common questions
Can an app write down a recipe that is only spoken in the video?
Not reliably. Many apps, including CopyCook, read the written caption, description and comments rather than transcribing the audio. If the quantities are only said out loud, the quickest fix is to pause the video and screenshot the ingredients as they appear on screen, or to write them down yourself.
Why does the caption sometimes have no recipe?
Creators often put the full recipe in a pinned comment, a link in their bio, or on their own website to keep the caption short. Check all three before giving up.
Do I need an account to save recipes from these apps?
You do not need to be logged in to a social app to copy a link from a post you can already see. Some details, such as pinned comments on Instagram, are only visible when you are logged in, which is why they are harder for third-party tools to read.
Is it okay to save someone else's recipe?
Saving a recipe for your own cooking is fine. If you share or republish a creator's recipe, link back to their original post and give them credit.
Your recipes, pantry and macros in one place
- Import any recipe from a link or a photo of a cookbook page
- Browse a new themed Recipe Library every week
- Cook Mode shows one step at a time, with only the ingredients you need
- Check products for pesticides and seed oils before they reach your trolley
- Snap your plate to estimate calories and macros
