diff --git a/backend/app/services/planner/score.py b/backend/app/services/planner/score.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6a25ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/app/services/planner/score.py
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+"""Per-recipe scoring with the 5 weighted signals from the spec."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from datetime import date
+from decimal import Decimal
+from typing import Dict, Iterable, List, Optional
+from uuid import UUID
+
+from app.services.planner.config import PlannerConfig
+from app.services.planner.types import RecipeCost, ScoredRecipe
+
+
+def time_bonus(total_minutes: int, config: PlannerConfig) -> float:
+    if total_minutes <= config.time_ideal_minutes:
+        return 1.0
+    if total_minutes >= config.time_full_minutes:
+        return 0.0
+    span = config.time_full_minutes - config.time_ideal_minutes
+    over = total_minutes - config.time_ideal_minutes
+    return max(0.0, min(1.0, 1.0 - over / span))
+
+
+def recency_bonus(
+    last_cooked: Optional[date],
+    today: date,
+    config: PlannerConfig,
+) -> float:
+    if last_cooked is None:
+        return 1.0
+    weeks_ago = (today - last_cooked).days / 7
+    if weeks_ago >= config.recency_full_weeks:
+        return 1.0
+    # Below recency_weeks the recipe wouldn't be in the feasible set, so we treat
+    # exactly recency_weeks as score 0 and recency_full_weeks as score 1.
+    if weeks_ago <= config.recency_weeks:
+        return 0.0
+    span = config.recency_full_weeks - config.recency_weeks
+    over = weeks_ago - config.recency_weeks
+    return max(0.0, min(1.0, over / span))
+
+
+def normalize_savings(values: List[Decimal]) -> List[float]:
+    if not values:
+        return []
+    floats = [float(v) for v in values]
+    lo, hi = min(floats), max(floats)
+    if hi == lo:
+        return [0.0] * len(floats)
+    return [(v - lo) / (hi - lo) for v in floats]
+
+
+def score_recipes(
+    *,
+    recipes: Iterable[dict],
+    recipe_costs: Dict[UUID, RecipeCost],
+    last_cooked_at: Dict[UUID, date],
+    config: PlannerConfig,
+    today: date,
+) -> List[ScoredRecipe]:
+    """Returns recipes scored DESC. Caller passes only the feasible set."""
+    materialized = list(recipes)
+    if not materialized:
+        return []
+
+    savings = [recipe_costs[r["id"]].total_savings for r in materialized]
+    norm_savings = normalize_savings(savings)
+
+    out: List[ScoredRecipe] = []
+    for r, ns in zip(materialized, norm_savings):
+        rid = r["id"]
+        if isinstance(rid, str):
+            rid = UUID(rid)
+        cost = recipe_costs[rid]
+        total_min = int(r.get("prep_time_minutes") or 0) + int(r.get("cook_time_minutes") or 0)
+        tb = time_bonus(total_min, config)
+        rb = recency_bonus(last_cooked_at.get(rid), today, config)
+
+        components = {
+            "savings_normalized": ns,
+            "sale_coverage_pct": cost.sale_coverage_pct,
+            "pantry_hit_pct": cost.pantry_hit_pct,
+            "time_bonus": tb,
+            "recency_bonus": rb,
+            "savings_dollars": float(cost.total_savings),
+        }
+
+        score = (
+            config.w_savings * ns
+            + config.w_coverage * cost.sale_coverage_pct
+            + config.w_pantry * cost.pantry_hit_pct
+            + config.w_time * tb
+            + config.w_recency * rb
+        )
+
+        cuisine_tags = r.get("cuisine_tags") or []
+        primary_cuisine = cuisine_tags[0] if cuisine_tags else None
+
+        out.append(
+            ScoredRecipe(
+                recipe_id=rid,
+                score=score,
+                components=components,
+                cost=cost,
+                protein=r.get("protein_type"),
+                cuisine=primary_cuisine,
+            )
+        )
+
+    out.sort(key=lambda s: s.score, reverse=True)
+    return out
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_planner_score.py b/backend/tests/test_planner_score.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47b0cda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_planner_score.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+from datetime import date, timedelta
+from decimal import Decimal
+from uuid import uuid4
+
+from app.services.planner.config import PlannerConfig
+from app.services.planner.score import (
+    score_recipes,
+    time_bonus,
+    recency_bonus,
+    normalize_savings,
+)
+from app.services.planner.types import RecipeCost
+
+
+_CFG = PlannerConfig()
+
+
+def test_time_bonus_capped_at_ideal():
+    assert time_bonus(20, _CFG) == 1.0
+    assert time_bonus(25, _CFG) == 1.0
+
+
+def test_time_bonus_decays_to_zero_at_full():
+    assert time_bonus(45, _CFG) == 0.0
+
+
+def test_time_bonus_linear_midpoint():
+    # 35 min is halfway between 25 and 45
+    assert abs(time_bonus(35, _CFG) - 0.5) < 1e-6
+
+
+def test_recency_bonus_full_when_long_ago():
+    today = date(2026, 5, 5)
+    long_ago = today - timedelta(weeks=20)
+    assert recency_bonus(long_ago, today, _CFG) == 1.0
+
+
+def test_recency_bonus_zero_when_just_eligible():
+    # right at recency_weeks boundary → 0
+    today = date(2026, 5, 5)
+    cutoff = today - timedelta(weeks=_CFG.recency_weeks)
+    assert recency_bonus(cutoff, today, _CFG) == 0.0
+
+
+def test_recency_bonus_full_when_never_cooked():
+    assert recency_bonus(None, date(2026, 5, 5), _CFG) == 1.0
+
+
+def test_normalize_savings_minmax():
+    out = normalize_savings([Decimal("0"), Decimal("5"), Decimal("10")])
+    assert out == [0.0, 0.5, 1.0]
+
+
+def test_normalize_savings_uniform_returns_zeros():
+    out = normalize_savings([Decimal("3"), Decimal("3"), Decimal("3")])
+    assert out == [0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
+
+
+def test_score_recipes_orders_by_combined_score():
+    recipes = [
+        {
+            "id": uuid4(),
+            "name": "low_savings",
+            "prep_time_minutes": 10,
+            "cook_time_minutes": 30,
+            "protein_type": "chicken",
+            "cuisine_tags": ["american"],
+        },
+        {
+            "id": uuid4(),
+            "name": "high_savings",
+            "prep_time_minutes": 10,
+            "cook_time_minutes": 15,  # also lower time
+            "protein_type": "beef",
+            "cuisine_tags": ["mexican"],
+        },
+    ]
+    costs = {
+        recipes[0]["id"]: RecipeCost(
+            recipe_id=recipes[0]["id"],
+            total_cost=Decimal("10"),
+            total_savings=Decimal("1"),
+            sale_ingredient_count=1,
+            matched_ingredient_count=4,
+            total_ingredient_count=4,
+            pantry_hit_count=0,
+            line_items=[],
+        ),
+        recipes[1]["id"]: RecipeCost(
+            recipe_id=recipes[1]["id"],
+            total_cost=Decimal("12"),
+            total_savings=Decimal("8"),
+            sale_ingredient_count=3,
+            matched_ingredient_count=4,
+            total_ingredient_count=4,
+            pantry_hit_count=2,
+            line_items=[],
+        ),
+    }
+    scored = score_recipes(
+        recipes=recipes,
+        recipe_costs=costs,
+        last_cooked_at={},
+        config=_CFG,
+        today=date(2026, 5, 5),
+    )
+    assert scored[0].recipe_id == recipes[1]["id"]  # high_savings first