diff --git a/src/Plots.jl b/src/Plots.jl
index 152f0f24..3eaab2f6 100644
--- a/src/Plots.jl
+++ b/src/Plots.jl
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ using Base.Meta
 import Showoff
 import StatsBase
 import JSON
+import RecipeUtils: _process_userrecipes, _process_plotrecipe, _process_seriesrecipe
 
 using Requires
 
diff --git a/src/pipeline.jl b/src/pipeline.jl
index 1e9cd991..2cd14550 100644
--- a/src/pipeline.jl
+++ b/src/pipeline.jl
@@ -59,39 +59,6 @@ end
 # user recipes
 
 
-function _process_userrecipes(plt::Plot, plotattributes::AKW, args)
-    still_to_process = RecipeData[]
-    args = _preprocess_args(plotattributes, args, still_to_process)
-
-    # for plotting recipes, swap out the args and update the parameter dictionary
-    # we are keeping a stack of series that still need to be processed.
-    # each pass through the loop, we pop one off and apply the recipe.
-    # the recipe will return a list a Series objects... the ones that are
-    # finished (no more args) get added to the kw_list, the ones that are not
-    # are placed on top of the stack and are then processed further.
-    kw_list = KW[]
-    while !isempty(still_to_process)
-        # grab the first in line to be processed and either add it to the kw_list or
-        # pass it through apply_recipe to generate a list of RecipeData objects (data + attributes)
-        # for further processing.
-        next_series = popfirst!(still_to_process)
-        # recipedata should be of type RecipeData.  if it's not then the inputs must not have been fully processed by recipes
-        if !(typeof(next_series) <: RecipeData)
-            error("Inputs couldn't be processed... expected RecipeData but got: $next_series")
-        end
-        if isempty(next_series.args)
-            _process_userrecipe(plt, kw_list, next_series)
-        else
-            rd_list = RecipesBase.apply_recipe(next_series.plotattributes, next_series.args...)
-            prepend!(still_to_process,rd_list)
-        end
-    end
-
-    # don't allow something else to handle it
-    plotattributes[:smooth] = false
-    kw_list
-end
-
 function _process_userrecipe(plt::Plot, kw_list::Vector{KW}, recipedata::RecipeData)
     # when the arg tuple is empty, that means there's nothing left to recursively
     # process... finish up and add to the kw_list
@@ -168,39 +135,6 @@ function _add_smooth_kw(kw_list::Vector{KW}, kw::AKW)
 end
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------
-# plot recipes
-
-# Grab the first in line to be processed and pass it through apply_recipe
-# to generate a list of RecipeData objects (data + attributes).
-# If we applied a "plot recipe" without error, then add the returned datalist's KWs,
-# otherwise we just add the original KW.
-function _process_plotrecipe(plt::Plot, kw::AKW, kw_list::Vector{KW}, still_to_process::Vector{KW})
-    if !isa(get(kw, :seriestype, nothing), Symbol)
-        # seriestype was never set, or it's not a Symbol, so it can't be a plot recipe
-        push!(kw_list, kw)
-        return
-    end
-    try
-        st = kw[:seriestype]
-        st = kw[:seriestype] = get(_typeAliases, st, st)
-        datalist = RecipesBase.apply_recipe(kw, Val{st}, plt)
-        for data in datalist
-            preprocessArgs!(data.plotattributes)
-            if data.plotattributes[:seriestype] == st
-                error("Plot recipe $st returned the same seriestype: $(data.plotattributes)")
-            end
-            push!(still_to_process, data.plotattributes)
-        end
-    catch err
-        if isa(err, MethodError)
-            push!(kw_list, kw)
-        else
-            rethrow()
-        end
-    end
-    return
-end
-
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------
 # setup plot and subplot
@@ -382,47 +316,3 @@ function _add_the_series(plt, sp, plotattributes)
     push!(sp.series_list, series)
     _series_added(plt, series)
 end
-
-# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-# this method recursively applies series recipes when the seriestype is not supported
-# natively by the backend
-function _process_seriesrecipe(plt::Plot, plotattributes::AKW)
-    #println("process $(typeof(plotattributes))")
-    # replace seriestype aliases
-    st = Symbol(plotattributes[:seriestype])
-    st = plotattributes[:seriestype] = get(_typeAliases, st, st)
-
-    # shapes shouldn't have fillrange set
-    if plotattributes[:seriestype] == :shape
-        plotattributes[:fillrange] = nothing
-    end
-
-    # if it's natively supported, finalize processing and pass along to the backend, otherwise recurse
-    if is_seriestype_supported(st)
-        sp = _prepare_subplot(plt, plotattributes)
-        _prepare_annotations(sp, plotattributes)
-        _expand_subplot_extrema(sp, plotattributes, st)
-        _update_series_attributes!(plotattributes, plt, sp)
-        _add_the_series(plt, sp, plotattributes)
-
-    else
-        # get a sub list of series for this seriestype
-        datalist = RecipesBase.apply_recipe(plotattributes, Val{st}, plotattributes[:x], plotattributes[:y], plotattributes[:z])
-
-        # assuming there was no error, recursively apply the series recipes
-        for data in datalist
-            if isa(data, RecipeData)
-                preprocessArgs!(data.plotattributes)
-                if data.plotattributes[:seriestype] == st
-                    error("The seriestype didn't change in series recipe $st.  This will cause a StackOverflow.")
-                end
-                _process_seriesrecipe(plt, data.plotattributes)
-            else
-                @warn("Unhandled recipe: $(data)")
-                break
-            end
-        end
-    end
-    nothing
-end