Tablespoons to Grams by Ingredient
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar weighs 12.4 g, but a tablespoon of all-purpose flour is only 7.5 g, butter is 14.2 g and honey is 21.2 g. There is no single tablespoon-to-gram figure; the answer depends on what is in the spoon. The table below lists 27 common ingredients.
| Ingredient | 1 tsp (g) | 1 tbsp (g) | 2 tbsp (g) | 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granulated sugar | 4.1 | 12.4 | 24.7 | 49.5 |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 4.4 | 13.3 | 26.6 | 53.2 |
| Powdered sugar (unsifted) | 2.4 | 7.1 | 14.1 | 28.2 |
| Honey | 7.1 | 21.2 | 42.4 | 84.7 |
| Maple syrup | 6.5 | 19.5 | 39 | 78 |
| Molasses | 7.1 | 21.2 | 42.5 | 85 |
| All-purpose flour | 2.5 | 7.5 | 15 | 30 |
| Bread flour | 2.5 | 7.5 | 15 | 30 |
| Whole wheat flour | 2.4 | 7.1 | 14.1 | 28.2 |
| Almond flour | 2 | 6 | 12 | 24 |
| Cornstarch | 2.3 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Cocoa powder (unsweetened) | 1.7 | 5.2 | 10.5 | 21 |
| Rolled oats | 1.9 | 5.6 | 11.1 | 22.2 |
| Butter | 4.7 | 14.2 | 28.4 | 56.7 |
| Vegetable oil (canola) | 4.5 | 13.6 | 27.2 | 54.5 |
| Coconut oil | 4.7 | 14.1 | 28.2 | 56.5 |
| Peanut butter | 5.4 | 16.1 | 32.2 | 64.5 |
| Water | 4.9 | 14.8 | 29.6 | 59.2 |
| Milk (whole) | 5.1 | 15.2 | 30.5 | 61 |
| Sour cream | 4.8 | 14.4 | 28.7 | 57.5 |
| Cream cheese | 4.7 | 14.2 | 28.4 | 56.7 |
| Table salt | 6 | 18 | 36 | 72 |
| Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) | 2.7 | 8 | 16 | 32 |
| Baking powder | 4 | 12 | 24 | 48 |
| Baking soda | 6 | 18 | 36 | 72 |
| Instant yeast | 3 | 9 | 18 | 36 |
| Vanilla extract | 4.7 | 14 | 28 | 56 |
Worked example: a glaze with 3 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp sugar
- Honey: 3 × 21.2 g = 63.6 g.
- Sugar: 2 × 12.38 g = 24.8 g.
- Total sweetener: 63.6 g + 24.8 g = 88.3 g.
- Tablespoon count: 5 tbsp, which is 0.31 cup.
- If you used the sugar weight for the honey: 3 × 12.38 = 37.1 g, 26.4 g short.
Why a tablespoon has no fixed weight
A US tablespoon holds 14.8 ml. That volume is the same every time, but the ingredient inside it changes the weight. Multiply the volume by the ingredient's density and you have the grams: for sugar that is 14.79 ml × 0.837 g per ml = 12.4 g; for flour it is 14.79 × 0.507 = 7.5 g.
The big spread: from fluffy to dense
Light, airy powders sit at one end of the table and syrups and fats at the other:
- Lightest: rolled oats at 5.56 g and cocoa powder (unsweetened) at 5.25 g per tablespoon.
- Middle: all-purpose flour at 7.5 g, sugar at 12.4 g.
- Heaviest: molasses at 21.3 g and honey at 21.2 g.
The heaviest to lightest ratio in this list is about 4.05 to 1, so using one number for everything would be badly wrong.
Salt is the most confusing spoonful
Table salt is 18 g per tablespoon. Diamond Crystal kosher salt, with its hollow flakes, is 8 g. That is 2.25 times as much salt by weight in a table-salt spoon. A recipe written for kosher salt and made with table salt turns out far too salty. See the teaspoon to grams page for the small amounts.
The Australian tablespoon
An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml against the US 14.8 ml. Sugar in an Australian tablespoon is about 16.7 g, 35% more than the US spoon. If your recipe is from Australia, multiply the table below by 1.35. Spoons used at the table are not measuring spoons; always use a proper set.
Converting a whole recipe's spoonfuls
If a recipe lists tablespoons of several ingredients, add the weights rather than the spoon counts. Five tablespoons of sugar is 61.9 g; five tablespoons of flour is 37.5 g. The spoon count is the same, but the weight differs by 24.4 g. Use the table below for each ingredient, and the recipe scaler if you want to convert an entire ingredient list.
A quarter cup in grams, ingredient by ingredient
Four tablespoons make a quarter cup, and the weights diverge a lot: sugar is 49.5 g, flour 30 g, butter 56.8 g and honey 84.8 g. Quarter-cup recipes written in grams often just list these values.
Measuring spoons the right way
- Fill dry ingredients with a heaped spoon and sweep a straight edge across the top.
- Fill liquids to the brim without letting them dome.
- Don't measure over the mixing bowl; a spill can ruin the dough.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in 1 tablespoon of sugar?
1 US tablespoon of granulated sugar is 12.4 g.
How many grams are in 1 tablespoon of flour?
1 US tablespoon of all-purpose flour is 7.5 g.
How many grams are in 1 tablespoon of butter?
1 US tablespoon of butter is 14.2 g, and a stick holds 8 tablespoons.
Why does a tablespoon of salt vary so much?
Crystal shape. Table salt is 18 g per tablespoon and Diamond Crystal kosher salt is 8 g.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 US tablespoons in a US cup.
Is an Australian tablespoon the same?
No. It is 20 ml, versus 14.8 ml for a US tablespoon.