How much to charge for cookies per dozen
For one batch of King Arthur's classic chocolate chip cookies, the ingredients come to $7.12, or $2.37 a dozen. Add a bag for each cookie, 45 minutes of your time at an example rate of $15 an hour (change it to yours) and 10% overhead, and a dozen costs $8.72 to make. At a 40% margin that is $14.53 a dozen. Here is how each number is built, so you can swap in your own.
The recipe and what it costs
The recipe makes 36 cookies and takes about 12 minutes of hands-on work plus 11 to 12 minutes in the oven per tray. Amounts are King Arthur's own gram weights where the recipe gives them. Flour, sugar, butter and eggs are priced at the September 2026 U.S. averages from the BLS; rows with a star use my own store-brand guess.
| Ingredient | Used | Package | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light brown sugar | 142 | $2.99 / 2 * | $0.47 |
| Granulated sugar | 131 | $1.02 / 1 | $0.29 |
| Butter | 113 | $3.96 / 1 | $0.99 |
| Vegetable shortening | 92 | $5.49 / 48 * | $0.37 |
| Table salt | 0.75 | $1.29 / 26 * | $0.01 |
| Vanilla extract | 2 | $5.99 / 2 * | $1.00 |
| White vinegar | 1 | $1.99 / 32 * | $0.01 |
| Baking soda | 1 | $1.29 / 1 * | $0.02 |
| Large eggs | 1 | $2.27 / 1 | $0.19 |
| All-purpose flour | 240 | $0.55 / 1 | $0.29 |
| Semisweet chocolate chips | 340 | $3.49 / 12 * | $3.49 |
| Ingredients for the batch | $7.12 | ||
The chocolate chips are 49% of the ingredient bill, and the vanilla another 14%. Flour, granulated sugar and the egg together are under a dollar. The chips are about half the ingredient bill, so if chocolate gets more expensive, it is worth checking your receipt for it before a big holiday order. Open this batch in the calculator and change the chip price to see it.
The costs that are easy to leave out
- Packaging: a 15-cent cello bag per cookie is $5.40 a batch, close to the cost of the ingredients.
- Your time: 45 minutes covers mixing, a few trays and the dishes. At $15 an hour that is $11.25, the largest single cost.
- Overhead: 10% on top of everything ($2.38) for oven power, parchment, card fees and the drive to the market.
Priced on ingredients alone at the same 40% margin, a dozen would sell for $3.96. That price leaves nothing for the bags or your time.
Price per dozen at different margins
| Margin | Same as markup | Per cookie | Per dozen | Profit per batch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 0% | $0.73 | $8.72 | $0.00 |
| 30% | 42.9% | $1.04 | $12.45 | $11.21 |
| 40% | 66.7% | $1.21 | $14.53 | $17.43 |
| 50% | 100% | $1.45 | $17.43 | $26.15 |
| 60% | 150% | $1.82 | $21.79 | $39.22 |
At 0% you cover costs including your $15 an hour and keep nothing extra. Profit here is what is left after paying yourself.
Picking your number
The table gives a floor. Look at what other bakers near you charge for a similar cookie, and at the size: a 3-inch cookie and a 5-inch bakery-style cookie are different products even from the same dough. Some sellers round to an easy number at a market table, for example $15 a dozen instead of $14.53.
If your local going rate sits below your cost per dozen, the useful levers are the ones above: a cheaper bag, a bigger batch for the same minutes, or a recipe with less chocolate per cookie. Whether and how you may sell from home is set by your state's cottage food rules, so check those before you take orders.
Selling cookies in holiday boxes? See how to price a mixed Christmas cookie box. Selling bars instead? See brownie pricing.
Pricing a different recipe? The bake price calculator takes any ingredient list. For frosted bakes, see the cupcake cost per unit example.