What to tell people when they ask about your secret recipe?!

Just smile sweetly and say sorry family secret, if someone does take you aside to ask and gets insistent just tell them like you said, I don't want to be rude but its a family secret I'm keeping to pass down to my kids. Most people will respect that

The greatest compliment a cook can receive is when someone wants the recipe.
It is totally NOT-classy to cook something for others and then refuse the recipe. This turns cooking from being a way of serving and nurturing others into some ego-trip. If you don't want people to think you are rude, then don't be rude. Keeping it in the family doesn't make it valuable, and giving the recipe away to others doesn't mean you kids can't have it too.

Give them the recipe. Call it "Couture's Cheesecake" (or whatever your real name is), or use your grandma's name or your family name ... I've gotten many recipes from others like this, and when I pass it on to others, it always goes with the same name I got it as ("Susan's Meat Pie", for instance). Your name will live forever!

Honestly, I don't know why a recipe has to be a 'secret', unless it's a corporate thing, like KFC's 'secret herbs and spices'. A large part of the enjoyment of cooking is knowing that people like what you make. When they ask for the recipe, it's a great compliment. Unless you plan on marketing your goods, why keep it a secret?
If you are really not willing to share the recipe, all you can say is, "It's a secret", or. "I don't give the recipe out". Whether they think you are rude or selfish is something you'll have to accept.

All of the above answers will work. But you should understand that asking for the recipe at a party, is part of them telling you how much they like it. If you know that people will be asking you for this recipe, I would prepare, a 30 second, Twitter type answer to give them, not really detailed.

The fact is, that 99% of those who asked are never going to make it. I do it all the time, even for my best recipes, and have never been to someone's house where they're serving it.

Just simply smile at them and tell them it's a family secret :) Whatever you do, you must not tell anyone the secret, not even your closest friends, if you want to secure this secret receipe ad pass it down :)

currently holding a spice cake secret receipe for the past 3 years and still haven't cracked hehe

Just tell them that its a secret and you can't tell anyone but you would be happy to invite them over to have some any time or if they have a secret recipe you really like then ask them to trade recipes so that its not like you just giving them something but your making a really good(yummy) trade!!!

brain

just say nothing

or

smile graciously and say i am uso glad everyone loved it

or

thank you so much for the complement - i will tell my grandma you loved it

or

say it is a recipe your grandma passed down through the family.

peace.

You can share the recipe and still hand it down to your children one day. No reason to selfishly hold on to a cheesecake recipe. Your friends will love you for it.

jeez just give them the recipe. why do people always want to keep secrets? maybe one day somebody can improve it if you would let them know.

Tell them it was your grandmother's wish that the recipe remain in the family

big family secret sorry

Walk Away Real Slowly.