Although we love to look for new recipes and inspiration, we would never dare to forget tried-and-true family recipes. Those classic holiday recipes, comfort food dinners, and clever appetizer ideas from Grandma are often written down on a scrap of paper or an index card for generations to come.

“Different recipes are handed down through oral history, and some are so good that they make it into a family’s recipe box. These are recipes that carry heritage and a depth of flavor,” says Chef William Dissen. “They help to preserve delicious flavors, but also to preserve family and community.”

Meet the Expert Chef William Dissen is the executive chef and owner of The Market Place restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, and author of Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted in the New South.

A recipe box provides a space for the safekeeping of your recipe cards, whether you only turn to them on occasion or you cook from them often. From wood to tin, we found the best recipe card boxes across multiple designs and sizes for your cherished recipe collection.

Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Wood Recipe Box

View On Target Draw inspiration from Chip and Joanna Gaines with this recipe box. The box is constructed from wood with a natural finish, making for a minimalist design. The word “recipes” is etched into the front of the wooden box, with a metal flip-top lid for an extra special touch. Plus, when the lid is flipped back, it can be used to hold and display a recipe card while you’re busy in the kitchen. 

The box is wide and deep enough to hold dozens of recipe cards, and it comes with 40 matching 4- by 6-inch cards to use if you’re just getting started on building your collection.

Material: Wood | Dimensions: 5.1 x 5.4 x 7 inches | Recipes Cards: 40 | Dividers: Not included

Jot & Mark Recipe Tin Box

View On Amazon View On Jotandmark.com Add a splash of color and a pop of floral to your countertop with this darling recipe box. Constructed from tin, it’s sturdy and durable to last for years to come. 

There are 11 designs available, from bold pink and pale pink peony flowers to bright and cheery lemons. The tin recipe box holds 4- by 6-inch recipe cards, with enough space to store over 100 cards. You can also purchase the recipe box kit for an additional cost, which includes 50 matching cards and 14 index divider tabs. 

Material: Tin | Dimensions: 6.25 x 5 x 4.25 inches | Recipes Cards: 50 for additional cost | Dividers: 14 for additional cost

MacKenzie-Childs Royal Check Recipe Box

View On Amazon View On Wayfair View On Mackenzie-childs.com Looking for a stunning statement-making piece for your kitchen? Design meets functionality with this Royal Check recipe box from MacKenzie-Childs. The box is made from both steel and glass with brass detailing. The royal blue check marks are hand painted to create a one-of-a-kind blue and white checkered pattern on each box (it’s also available in three other patterns). 

At 8 inches wide and 6.5 inches deep, it’s sure to hold all of your prized passed-down recipes. It also includes a set of recipe cards and dividers to help you get organized.  

Material: Steel and glass | Dimensions: 8 x 7.5 x 6.5 inches | Recipes Cards: 40 | Dividers: Included, quantity not specified

Rifle Paper Co. Recipe Tin

View On Amazon View On Riflepaperco.com With a flagship store in Winter Park, Florida, Rifle Paper Co. is known for its cheerful stationery designs. This tin recipe box from the brand is both durable and beautiful, making it perfect for displaying on the kitchen countertop. 

It’s available in three different colorful, garden-inspired designs, each with a metallic label that says “recipes.” You can fit the recipes for your favorite cakes, pies, salads, and more in this recipe tin that holds over 200 cards. A set of 12 dividers and 24 recipe cards are included.

Material: Tin | Dimensions: 6.25 x 5 x 4.25 inches | Recipes Cards: 24 | Dividers: 12

Cookbook People Bamboo Recipe Box

View On Amazon Give the gift of a personalized recipe card box for a birthday, anniversary, or wedding, or simply order something new for yourself. This bamboo recipe box is designed with plenty of space to hold 4- by 6-inch recipe cards. 

The flip-top lid has a ledge on the inside, allowing you to place a recipe card on it for easy reading while cooking. The top can be personalized in a variety of ways, with the option to add multiple names, last names, and even an anniversary date to make for a beautifully engraved heirloom piece to display for many years.

Material: Bamboo | Dimensions: 7 x 5.5 x 4.75 inches | Recipe Cards: Not listed | Dividers: 9

Tenntucky Marketplace Recipe Box

View On Etsy Bring farmhouse style into a farmhouse kitchen with this recipe box. Constructed from wood, the box is hand painted with a charming rustic house on the front and simple text.

At 5.25 inches deep, this box will hold dozens of recipe cards. You can choose from a variety of different color combinations including an all-cream colored design, a stained top, or a black and cream combo. There is a built-in card holder on the lid, making it easy to display your recipe while cooking. You can also add on a number of recipe dividers for an additional charge.

Material: Wood | Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 5.25 inches | Recipe Cards: Not included | Dividers: 4-8 for additional cost

CB2 Polished Brass Recipe Box

View On CB2 Make a bold statement on your countertop with this recipe box. Made from solid brass, this box is incredibly durable and will last for many years. It’s the perfect purchase for creating a recipe bank to later pass down to a family member. 

The box is designed to hold 4- by 6-inch recipe cards, with softened corners for a smooth design and a lacquered finish to help protect its longevity even further. While it does not come with recipe cards or dividers, its sleek design will be easy enough to match any paper design you like. CB2 also sells a recipe card set separately.

Material: Brass | Dimensions: 6 x 5.25 x 3.5 inches | Recipe Cards: Sold separately | Dividers: Not included

Wood Cook Studio Personalized Recipe Box with Wooden Dividers

View On Etsy Looking for the ultimate customizable recipe card box? This is it. Constructed from wood, this stunning box is put together with leather bindings and metal clasps, and comes in either a 4-inch by 6-inch box or a larger 5-inch by 7-inch box for more storage.

You can add a custom engraving on the front of the recipe box, along with an optional engraving on the interior of the lid such as a favorite quote or saying. Need divider tabs? Choose to add on wooden dividers to match and specify what you would like engraved on those as well. This is sure to make a great gift for a family member or the perfect personalized box to get started on storing all of your cherished recipes.

Material: Bamboo | Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.5 x 5.1 inches; 8.1 x 6.3 x 5.1 inches | Capacity: 150 for additional cost | Dividers: 9 for additional cost

Nikky Home Embossed Recipe Box

View On Amazon A simple white recipe box can still make a statement on your kitchen countertop, especially if it has embossed detailing. This box is made from strong iron and comes in three different designs including a diamond embossed look, along with stripes or honeycomb. 

The included lift-off wooden lid has a cut-out slit on the top so you can place your recipe card there while cooking from it. The embossed recipe tin comes with a set of eight divider cards, along with 24 double-sided recipe cards to start building or expanding your collection.

Material: Iron | Dimensions: 7.28 x 5.83 x 4.88 inches | Recipe Cards: 24 | Dividers: 8

Memories for Life Bamboo Handwritten Personalized Recipe Box

View On Etsy While a recipe box will hold plenty of handwritten recipe cards to reference at any time, what if you could display your favorite go-to or most cherished recipe all the time? This recipe box allows you to keep it ready at a glance. 

The bamboo box can be customized with an engraving based off of a handwritten recipe. It will showcase the recipe, along with the handwriting of the person who passed it down to you. It has a ledge inside the flip-top lid to hold recipe cards and includes alphabetical dividers for easy organization.

Material: Bamboo | Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 4.5 inches | Recipe Cards: Not included | Dividers: 26

Passionate Penny Pincher Recipe Tin

View On Amazon Looking for a simple recipe box with a darling, minimalist design? This recipe tin comes in multiple colors including pale pink, cream, and light blue with a little white whisk printed on the front. 

The tin is made from durable alloy steel and is designed to hold 4- by 6-inch recipe cards with ease. It has a separate steel lid on top to remove before grabbing a recipe card and a shiny gold interior. While the recipe tin does not include a set of dividers, it does include a set of 25 blank matching recipe cards to start writing down your favorites.

Material: Steel | Dimensions: 6.5 x 5 x 4 inches | Recipe Cards: 25 | Dividers: Not included

Joy Wedding Co. Custom Wood Recipe Box

View On Etsy Are you an avid baker, or do you prefer to prepare seasonally inspired vegetable dishes most often? Have a love for fresh garden tomatoes or making your own pizza? This custom wooden recipe box comes in five different designs to choose from to match your cooking style and kitchen aesthetic. 

Once you choose your design preference, you can also add a custom engraving on the top to include a name or phrase. The box is designed with a ledge to hold recipe cards and comes with plywood dividers with meal categories engraved on the labels for an additional fee. Recipe cards in varying amounts and dividers can be added on as well.

Material: Birch plywood | Dimensions: Varies by design | Recipe Cards: 25-75 for additional cost| Dividers: 7 for additional cost

Galison William Morris Recipe Box

View On Amazon View On Thepaperstore.com For an excellent budget-friendly option, turn to a recipe card box made from cardboard. Cardboard also makes for a great lightweight option for someone who may not be able to reach for a wooden or tin box frequently. 

This box has a laminated coating to help protect the cardboard construction from wear and tear. The exterior features a pretty floral design with greens, blues, yellows, and pinks and has a flip-top lid for easy access. The recipe box includes a set of handy dividers and a collection of double-sided recipe cards.

Material: Laminated cardboard | Dimensions: 8 x 6.25 x 3.25 inches | Recipe Cards: Yes, quantity not specified | Dividers: Yes, quantity not specified

Williams Sonoma Wood Recipe Box

View On Williams-Sonoma If you’re looking for an extra-large box to store a big collection of favorite recipes, this is the ideal fit. This doubled recipe box is constructed from acacia wood for plenty of space and durability. It has two interior compartments, providing the opportunity for precise organization while offering much more space at the same time. 

Once the flip-top lid is up, there are slots on both compartment sides to hold a recipe card while you’re cooking or baking. It fits multiple sizes of recipe cards and includes a set of 10 dividers to help you organize all of your recipe cards right away.

Material: Acacia wood | Dimensions: 11.4 x 4.5 x 4.25 inches | Recipe Cards: Not included | Dividers: 10

AuldHome White Enamel Recipe Box

View On Amazon View On Walmart For a simple farmhouse style, steel or tin is a great material to incorporate into your kitchen design. This farmhouse-style recipe box is sure to match. Steel provides sturdy and durable construction, with a charming font noting “recipes” on the front of the rustic-chic box. 

The box has a lid on top that lifts off with a handle. It does not come with recipe cards or dividers but can hold any 4- by 6-inch recipe cards.

Material: Steel | Dimensions: 7 x 5.3 x 4 inches | Recipe Cards: Not included | Dividers: Not included

　　 Questions and Answers

What is the best size for recipe cards? The best size of recipe box for your needs will depend on how much space you have to store a recipe box, whether that’s on your counter, in the pantry, or tucked in a cupboard. It’s also important to think about how many cards you’re hoping to pack into a recipe box. 

“I recommend keeping recipes on standard index card sizes,” says Dissen. “You can print them, handwrite them, or tear them out of your favorite cookbook or magazine and store them in your recipe box. It’s important to think about the depth of the box. You can hold more cards with a 4-inch depth, as opposed to 2-inch or 3-inch.”

How do you organize a recipe box? Ultimately, organizing a recipe box is all up to personal preference. Dissen says he likes to organize recipes by the season. “As the seasons unfold and the weather changes, so do the flavors we crave. This is especially smart for home cooks who frequent their local farmer’s market,” he says. “Think about what’s fresh, ripe, and inspiring from your local farms and markets.” 

Dissen organizes each season by foundational recipes with vinaigrettes, sauces, condiments, pickles, etc. first. Next, he sets up the appetizers such as soups, salads, dips and spreads, and composed appetizers. His box then has entrees, followed by side dishes and desserts.

You could choose to only categorize your recipe box by meal type, or keep things in larger categories by season or holiday. It’s all about finding a system that works for you and your needs.

　　 Why Trust Southern Living 

This article was written by Molly Allen, a food and lifestyle writer. Molly is a former bakery owner turned professional baker and recipe developer. To find the best recipe boxes, Molly used her own knowledge from years spent collecting family recipes. She also spoke to James Beard-nominated Chef William Dissen who is the owner of The Market Place restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, and author of Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted in the New South.