Tablespoons to Cups Converter
There are 16 tablespoons in a US cup and 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon. Convert any amount below, or use the tables for the common cases.
The short answer: 16 tablespoons per cup
One US cup holds 16 tablespoons or 48 teaspoons, because a tablespoon is 3 teaspoons. That gives the handy anchors: 2 tbsp is ⅛ cup, 4 tbsp is ¼ cup, 8 tbsp is ½ cup and 12 tbsp is ¾ cup. A US tablespoon holds 14.79 ml and a US teaspoon 4.93 ml.
| Tablespoons | US cups | Teaspoons | Milliliters | Fluid ounces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 1/16 | 3 | 14.79 | 0.5 |
| 2 tbsp | 1/8 | 6 | 29.57 | 1 |
| 3 tbsp | 3/16 | 9 | 44.36 | 1.5 |
| 4 tbsp | 1/4 | 12 | 59.15 | 2 |
| 5 tbsp | 5/16 | 15 | 73.93 | 2.5 |
| 6 tbsp | 3/8 | 18 | 88.72 | 3 |
| 8 tbsp | 1/2 | 24 | 118.3 | 4 |
| 10 tbsp | 5/8 | 30 | 147.9 | 5 |
| 12 tbsp | 3/4 | 36 | 177.4 | 6 |
| 16 tbsp | 1 | 48 | 236.6 | 8 |
Cup fractions as spoons
Lost your ⅓ cup measure? It is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. The thirds are the ones people get wrong, since they do not divide evenly into tablespoons.
| Cup measure | Tablespoons + teaspoons | Total teaspoons | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 2 tbsp | 6 | 29.57 |
| 1/4 cup | 4 tbsp | 12 | 59.15 |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp | 16 | 78.86 |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tbsp | 24 | 118.3 |
| 2/3 cup | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp | 32 | 157.7 |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tbsp | 36 | 177.4 |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 48 | 236.6 |
Not every tablespoon is the same size
The US tablespoon (14.79 ml) is a different size from the one printed in many recipes elsewhere:
- Metric tablespoon: 15 ml. This is what UK, EU and Canadian measuring spoon sets usually carry. It is only 1.4% bigger than the US spoon, which is invisible in most cooking.
- Australian tablespoon: 20 ml, which is 35% bigger than the US one. A recipe from Australia that calls for 1 tablespoon of oil wants 1.35 US tablespoons. Four Australian tablespoons make 80 ml, and a 250 ml metric cup holds 12.5 of them.
For flavoring, a stray few ml does not matter. For leavening, salt, or large batches, use the right spoon, or weigh the ingredient. Grams per tablespoon for dozens of ingredients are on the tablespoon to grams page, and cup weights are in the printable chart.
Worked example: 10 tablespoons of butter
- Cups: 10 tbsp ÷ 16 = 0.625 cup, which is ½ cup + 2 tbsp.
- Sticks: a US stick is 8 tbsp, so 10 tbsp is 1¼ sticks.
- Grams: butter is 14.19 g per tablespoon (Butter, salted / without salt (fdcId 173410, 173430): 1 cup = 227 g; 1 stick = 113 g; 1 tbsp = 14.2 g), so 10 tbsp × 14.19 g = 141.9 g.
Measuring tips
- Level dry ingredients with a knife. A heaping tablespoon of flour can hold double a levelled one.
- For sticky ingredients such as honey or peanut butter, lightly oil the spoon so the full amount slides out.
- Do not use table cutlery. A dinner spoon varies from about 7 to 15 ml.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in a US cup and 48 teaspoons. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons.
How many tablespoons are in 1/3 cup?
A third of a cup is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (16 teaspoons).
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Three. A tablespoon is 14.79 ml and a teaspoon is 4.93 ml.
Is an Australian tablespoon bigger?
Yes. An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml against 14.79 ml for a US one, about 35% larger. UK and Canadian sets use 15 ml.
How many tablespoons are in a stick of butter?
A US stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, ½ cup, and weighs 113.4 g (4 oz).
How many tablespoons is 1/4 cup?
Four tablespoons, which is 59.15 ml.