Free downloadable recipes database

Question

So I had an idea to create an app for myself. I would love to get different recipes based on X,Y,Z ingredients. What's the best approach to do this - is there a free database/table/excel that I can get openly or are all recipes hidden under API services that are paid?

I found spoonacular that provides API for what I need, but it feels quite expensive and I'd like to have an app that I can trust that I'll always receive data and not trust 3rd party that might shut down in a year or so.

1. Is there some recipes that are openly available (easily downloadable) that I can start off of?
2. Or is there some super cheap API for this?
3. Or do I have to scrape free recipes websites and do it all myself? (any tips on how to do this, maybe some useful tool)?

Cheers,

Answer 1

Wikibooks has 3395 recipes, redistributable for free as long as you mention the license (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike) and authors.

Each recipe has the main ingredients listed as categories.

Example:

• Apple-Pear Crumble
• https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Apple-Pear_Crumble
• Categories:
  • [[Category:Apple recipes]]
  • [[Category:Pear recipes]]
  • [[Category:Oat recipes]]
  • [[Category:Dessert recipes]]
• Full text in wikicode (can also be rendered to HTML):

= Ingredients ==

=== '''Filling''' ===
* 2–4 [[Cookbook:Apple|apples]]
* 2 [[Cookbook:Pear|pears]]
* 1 [[Cookbook:Pinch|pinch]] of [[Cookbook:Sugar|sugar]] (optional)
* 1 pinch of ground [[Cookbook:Cinnamon|cinnamon]] (optional)

=== '''Topping''' ===
* ¼ [[Cookbook:Cup|cup]] [[Cookbook:All-purpose flour|all-purpose flour]]
* ¾ cup [[Cookbook:Brown Sugar|brown sugar]]
* ¼ cup [[Cookbook:Margarine|margarine]] or [[Cookbook:Butter|butter]]
* ½ cup rolled [[Cookbook:Oats|oats]]
* Dash of [[Cookbook:Salt|salt]]

== Procedure ==
# Preheat [[Cookbook:Oven|oven]] to [[Cookbook:Oven Temperatures|375 °F]].
# Grease bottom of large [[Cookbook:Casserole Dish|casserole dish]] with some margarine.
# Combine filling ingredients together and pour into casserole dish.
# Combine topping ingredients together.
# Layer topping on top of apple/pear mixture.
# [[Cookbook:Baking|Bake]] uncovered in the middle of the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes, until bubbling and lightly brown on top.

== Notes, tips, and variations ==
 * Topping amount may be doubled if desired.
 * You may substitute more apples for the pears if desired.

I would suggest to avoid scraping other sites that do not explicitly allow redistribution.