How Many Tablespoons in a Cup? Chart, Fractions and Teaspoons

There are 16 tablespoons in 1 US cup. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons, a quarter cup is 4, and an eighth of a cup is 2. That answer is exact: a US tablespoon is defined as half a fluid ounce, and a cup is 8 fluid ounces.

The fractions people actually look up are the awkward ones. 1/3 cup is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, and 2/3 cup is 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, because thirds of 16 do not come out whole. Teaspoons fix that: a tablespoon is 3 teaspoons, so a cup is 48 teaspoons.

If you just need a number, the Cups to Tablespoons converter does it as you type. Below are charts in both directions, how to convert by hand, the tablespoons in an ounce and a stick of butter, and why an Australian tablespoon is a different size. We calculated every figure on this page from the legal definitions of the units.

All figures are US customary measures. 1 US tablespoon is 14.79 mL.

The pattern is simple once you see it: every eighth of a cup is 2 tablespoons. Only the thirds need a teaspoon added, because 16 does not divide by 3.

Going the other way, divide the number of tablespoons by 16. For amounts that are not a neat fraction, the easiest way to measure is the nearest cup size plus a few spoons.

So 4 tablespoons is a quarter cup, 8 tablespoons is half a cup, and 12 tablespoons is three quarters of a cup. The swap button on the Cups to Tablespoons converter turns it into tablespoons to cups.

1. Cups to tablespoons: multiply the number of cups by 16.
2. Tablespoons to cups: divide the number of tablespoons by 16.
3. Leftover fraction of a tablespoon: multiply it by 3 to get teaspoons. 0.33 tbsp is 1 tsp; 0.67 tbsp is 2 tsp.

Worked examples

• Halving 1/3 cup of oil: you need 1/6 cup. 1/6 × 16 = 2.67 tbsp, which is 2 tbsp + 2 tsp.
• Halving 3/4 cup of sugar: 3/8 cup, which is 6 tbsp.
• Quartering 3/4 cup: 3/16 cup, which is 3 tbsp.
• Halving 2/3 cup of milk: 1/3 cup, which is 5 tbsp + 1 tsp.
• A recipe that says 6 tbsp of butter: 6 ÷ 16 = 3/8 cup, or three quarters of a stick.

Scaling recipes down is where this earns its keep: no measuring set has a 1/6 or 3/16 cup, but every kitchen has a tablespoon and a teaspoon.

• 1 cup = 48 teaspoons
• 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons (about 4.93 mL each)
• 1/4 cup = 12 teaspoons, 1/3 cup = 16 teaspoons, 1/2 cup = 24 teaspoons, 3/4 cup = 36 teaspoons
• 1 fluid ounce = 6 teaspoons

Teaspoons are mostly for small amounts: spices, baking powder, vanilla, salt. Counting out 48 teaspoons for a full cup is slow and the small errors add up, so for anything over a few tablespoons use a cup. The Tablespoons to Teaspoons and Teaspoons to Tablespoons converters handle odd amounts.

There are 2 tablespoons in 1 fluid ounce, exactly. That is a volume measure, so it holds for water, milk, oil or anything else you pour. The Fluid Ounces to Tablespoons converter does the multiplying.

An ounce of weight is a different question, because how much space an ounce takes up depends on the ingredient. Using typical weights per cup:

A US stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, which is 1/2 cup and 4 oz (about 113 g). US butter wrappers are usually printed with tablespoon marks, so you can cut 3 tbsp straight off the stick without measuring. Two sticks make a cup, and four sticks make a pound. One tablespoon of butter weighs about 14 g.

Flour is the one that surprises people: an ounce of flour is nearly 4 tablespoons, because flour is light and full of air. If a recipe gives flour in ounces or grams, weigh it rather than converting to spoons.

Most of the time the difference is too small to matter. One exception is worth knowing.

The US and metric tablespoons differ by about 1.4%, which no recipe will notice. The Australian tablespoon is the outlier: 20 mL, or 4 teaspoons, about a third bigger than a US one. If an Australian recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of something strong, such as salt, baking soda or chili, and you use a US spoon, use 2 level tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons.

Old British recipes are a separate case. The traditional British tablespoon was half an imperial fluid ounce, about 14.2 mL, and many older cookbooks simply meant whatever serving spoon was in the drawer. Modern UK recipes use the 15 mL metric spoon.

• Level it off. Recipes mean a level tablespoon unless they say heaped or rounded. Fill the spoon and scrape the top flat with the back of a knife.
• Use measuring spoons, not cutlery. The spoon you eat soup with is not a measuring tablespoon. Cutlery spoons vary a lot in size, and many hold noticeably less than 15 mL.
• Dry and liquid tablespoons are the same. A tablespoon is a volume, so 16 tablespoons fill a cup whether it is flour or water. The difference is weight, not space.
• Grease the spoon for sticky ingredients. A quick spray of oil before measuring honey, molasses or peanut butter lets it slide out cleanly, so the full tablespoon reaches the bowl.
• Above 4 tablespoons, switch to a cup. Each spoonful adds a small error. 1/4 cup in one go is more accurate than 4 separate tablespoons.
• Need milliliters? Use the Tablespoons to ML or ML to Tablespoons converter.

One US cup is 16 tablespoons: multiply cups by 16, divide tablespoons by 16. A quarter cup is 4 tablespoons, half a cup is 8, three quarters is 12, and a third is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. A tablespoon is 3 teaspoons, a fluid ounce is 2 tablespoons, and a stick of butter is 8. For any other amount, the Cups to Tablespoons converter works it out as you type, free and in your browser. For cups to fluid ounces, see How Many Ounces in a Cup?.