Recipes · 3 min read
How to save TikTok and Instagram recipes in one place
Simon Coker, founder of Foray
Updated
Quick answer
Saving a video in TikTok or Instagram keeps it in that app only, and the recipe usually lives in a caption, a voiceover or a link. To keep recipes you will actually cook, get the ingredients and method into one place: a notes app, a recipe manager, or an app like Foray that reads a screenshot and turns it into a recipe and a shopping list.
Why saved recipe videos don't get cooked
- They are scattered. Some are in TikTok favourites, some in Instagram saved posts, some are screenshots in your camera roll.
- The recipe is hard to find. Ingredients are spread across the caption, the comments, a voiceover or a link in the creator's bio.
- There are no quantities. "A splash of soy" is fine to watch and harder to shop for.
- You can't shop from a video. Turning three videos into one shopping list means pausing, scrolling and typing.
Option 1: in-app collections
TikTok lets you add videos to favourites and sort them into collections, and Instagram lets you save posts and Reels into named collections. It takes one tap and keeps the original video, which is handy for technique.
The downside is that each app keeps its own pile, nothing turns into a shopping list, and if a creator deletes a post the recipe goes with it.
Option 2: screenshots and a notes app
Screenshot the ingredients and method, or type them into a note, with the creator's name and a link. Notes work across every source, including cookbooks and recipe websites, and they don't disappear if the post does.
It is free, but it is manual: you still have to read each note, work out quantities for your household and write a separate shopping list.
Option 3: a recipe app that imports from a screenshot
Recipe apps can do the reading for you. Take a screenshot or a photo of the recipe, import it, and the app pulls out a title, ingredient list and steps you can edit. From there the recipe sits alongside everything else you cook and can go straight onto a meal plan.
If you write recipes down by hand
Capture these seven things and you will be able to cook it months later:
- 1Recipe name and the creator's handle or link
- 2How many people it serves
- 3Every ingredient with a quantity (estimate if the video doesn't say)
- 4Steps in order, one action per line
- 5Oven temperature and timings
- 6Any swaps the creator mentions
- 7Your own notes after you cook it
Look after the creators you cook from
Saving a recipe for your own kitchen is what creators hope for. Keep their name and link with the recipe, follow them, and don't repost their photos or videos as your own.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn a TikTok recipe into a shopping list?
Yes. Write the ingredients down, or import a screenshot of the recipe into an app that builds shopping lists. In Foray the imported recipe's ingredients are merged with the rest of your week's meals into one aisle-sorted list.
Where do saved TikTok videos go?
Saved TikTok videos appear in the Favourites tab on your profile, where you can sort them into collections. They stay inside TikTok, so they are not available in other apps.
What is the best way to organise recipes from social media?
Keep every recipe in one place you already open when planning meals, with the ingredients written out rather than inside a video. A recipe app that imports screenshots is quickest; a single notes folder works if you prefer to do it by hand.
Plan your week with Foray
Choose meals, get one aisle-sorted list priced at real supermarkets, and cook step by step. Free to start on iPhone.
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