Have you ever been in a restaurant and wondered how you could possibly replicate the delicious goodness in your mouth? This happens to me just about every time I go out to eat.
Related storyThe Food Trends That Will Be Huge in 2022Luckily for people like us, there’s a little internet trend called “copycat recipes.” What this means is that there are whole online communities dedicated to knocking off popular restaurant recipes, making them easy to make at home. What this really means is that you don’t have to spend $20 or more every time you want high-quality restaurant food.
If you happen to be a Pinterest user, you already know what I’m talking about —these Pinterest copycat favorites are being repinned like crazy.
Related storyThe Food Trends That Will Be Huge in 2022
1. Cheesecake Factory red velvet cheesecake recipe
Image: Domesticated duch*ess
Yes, there is a god, and he wants to bless you with a delectable Cheesecake Factory cheesecake recipe you can make at home. The Domesticated duch*ess simplifies this diner favorite by incorporating a box of Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix. Genius.
2. Chick-fil-A nuggets recipe
Image: Damn Delicious
Have you seen the line that wraps around Chick-fil-A every time they open a new one in a neighborhood? I rest my case. These copycat Chick-fil-A nuggets can save you the drive-thru headache with a total cook time of just 30 minutes.
3. Chili’s Southwestern egg rolls recipe
Image: Cake & Allie
For all the times when you want to feed your Chili’s addiction but don’t want to admit you eat at a popular restaurant chain way more often than you should. Cake & Allie’s ingenious Chili’s hack yields 48 mini or 24 regular Southwestern egg rolls with a side of blended avocado ranch dip.
4. IHOP buttermilk pancakes recipe
Image: Cookin Up North
Way back in high school, my husband and I both worked at trusty ole IHOP, and we still never figured out their fluffy pancake recipe. (Thank you, internet.) For being one of “America’s Most Wanted Recipes,” IHOP’s signature pancakes are easy to re-create with just a few key ingredients.
5. Olive Garden salad dressing recipe
Image: Family Fresh Meals
You may not be human if you don’t inhale Olive Garden’s salad. Keep this quickie copycat salad dressing recipe on hand to make your own bottomless salad at home when you don’t feel like schlepping the entire family to the OG.
6. Panera Bread broccoli cheese soup recipe
Image: The Recipe Critic
While I cannot confirm or deny, I am fairly certain people have killed for Panera’s broccoli cheese soup before —or at least thought about it. Save all that cheesy goodness for yourself with a perfect Panera copycat that takes only 45 minutes.
7. P.F. Chang’s sesame chicken recipe
Image: Baked in the South
P.F. Chang’s is one of my all-time favorite restaurants, but dining there seven nights a week can get a wee bit pricy. Mouthwatering P.F. Chang’s sesame chicken may require a little extra prep work at home, but as Rhiannon of Baked in the South says, it’s more than worth it.
8. Red Lobster shrimp scampi recipe
Image: Food.com
Just when I thought life couldn’t get any better, I find out that Red Lobster’s unreasonably delicious shrimp scampi recipe has been leaked online. For such a rich dish, the recipe is surprisingly simple —it requires only nine ingredients.
9. Starbucks frozen caramel macchiato recipe
Image: Around My Family Table
Well, now I can die happy —or at least die caffeinated —drinking my lifelong Starbucks favorite. Master this Starbucks drink at home, made with espresso or strong coffee, and save yourself $5 a day on your latte habit.
10. T.G.I. Friday’s baked potato skins recipe
Image: CopyKat
Kitschy as it is, T.G.I. Friday’s will always hold a special place in my heart because their food is so consistently delicious. Get down on one of Friday’s most popular appetizers (without leaving the house) with just 10 minutes of prep time and six ingredients.
11. Wendy’s Frosty recipe
Image: Creations by Kara
Take a moment to collect yourself, because this is some next-level Frosty hacking right here. DIY blogger Kara’s copycat recipe looks and tastes just like the Wendy’s original, made by churning sweetened condensed milk, Cool Whip and chocolate milk in an ice cream maker.
More copycat recipes
Copycat Reese’s peanut butter eggsHomemade copycat candy barsCopycat Chipotle Sofritas are so easy to make at home
FAQs
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.
Is it illegal to use someone else's recipe? ›
They are also independently created by a human author — usually someone's grandma, it would seem. However, despite meeting most of the requirements, standing alone, recipes are usually not protected by copyright.
Why can't recipes be copyrighted? ›
Likewise, recipes are considered "ideas" because they are simply a set of instructions for creating something. Ideas are also ineligible for copyright or trademark protection under U.S. law.
Can you legally protect a recipe? ›
(An unpublished recipe can be protected under trade secret law, but that means all the chefs using it would have to sign nondisclosure agreements or noncompetition agreements, which are not always enforceable). A collection of recipes, as in a cookbook, can be protected.
When can you claim a recipe as your own? ›
It is an interesting question. Whereas food can be patented, this is much more difficult and very rare for recipes. As soon as a chef publishes a book, you can copy the recipe. If the recipe is secret, you'll have to steal it and stealing is illegal.
How much of a recipe do you need to change to make it yours? ›
Here in the food writing world, many of us follow an informal standard that you need to make at least three changes before you can claim credit for a recipe. Those changes need to be more substantial than changing 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1/4 teaspoon, although the changes don't have to just be in the ingredients.
What are two things that Cannot be copyrighted? ›
Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases. In some cases, these things may be protected as trademarks.
Can you sue someone for stealing a recipe? ›
Finally, recipes themselves typically aren't protected by copyright, but their expression in written form can be, meaning that if a recipe is copied verbatim, or nearly so, it may constitute copyright infringement. However, merely listing ingredients is likely not enough to obtain copyright protection.
Can you post other people's recipes? ›
You send people to the original recipe site for directions. While it's okay to share the list of ingredients, it's considered polite to simply share the photo with a link to the recipe. You can introduce the recipe in your own words and then just send people to the original site/recipe.
Can I copy recipes to my blog? ›
You can adapt a previously published recipe and republish it, as long as you give attribution. But it should not be a word-for-word republication without permission. When it doubt, ask, then get it in writing. As many bloggers have unfortunately learned, content theft is rampant, as well as infuriating.
Patents, as a legal safeguard for intellectual property, are designed to protect inventors of new, useful, and non-obvious creations. This protection, however, is not extended to recipes.
Can you make a cookbook with other people's recipes? ›
Attributing a Cookbook Recipe
Authors who use lines from another author's work have to cite, or attribute, the content to the original author's work. And cookbook recipes can also be attributed to their original or known author so that a cookbook writer can use them in their book in the same way.
At what point does a recipe become your own? ›
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.
What makes a recipe your own? ›
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.
How much does it cost to trademark a recipe? ›
The filing fee is $275. You can mail in the application or submit it online. Include a description and personal contact information with your application. An additional fee of $400-$500 will be required if the trademark is approved.
How do I give credit for a recipe? ›
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.
