How Many Tablespoons in a Cup?

Straight to the Point

One US cup = 16 tablespoons. Every time, no exceptions. A tablespoon is exactly 1/16 of a cup, which is 0.5 fluid ounces or about 14.8 millilitres. Knowing this single ratio unlocks dozens of kitchen conversions.

Why This Conversion Matters More Than You Think

Imagine you are halfway through a cookie recipe. The instructions say 3/4 cup of brown sugar, but your 3/4 cup measure is buried in the back of a drawer. You grab a tablespoon instead. How many scoops? Twelve. No guesswork, no searching for the right cup. This scenario plays out constantly in real kitchens, and the tablespoon is the universal backup plan.

Small-batch recipes rely on tablespoons entirely. If you are making a salad dressing for two, a rub for a single steak, or a mug cake, the recipe probably never even mentions cups. Tablespoons are the default unit for anything under half a cup.

The Tablespoon-Teaspoon-Cup Pyramid

US volume measurements stack neatly:

• 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons
• 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 0.5 fl oz
• 1 teaspoon = 1/48 of a cup

This three-tier system means you can always convert down if you lack the right measuring tool. Missing a 1/3 cup? Count 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. Need 1/2 tablespoon? That is 1.5 teaspoons.

Tablespoons Around the World

Not every country agrees on the size of a tablespoon:

• US tablespoon: 14.79 mL
• UK tablespoon: 17.76 mL (sometimes listed as 15 mL in modern books)
• Australian tablespoon: 20 mL -- a full 35% bigger than the US version
• Metric tablespoon (used in most international cookbooks): 15 mL

This is why Australian pavlova recipes sometimes produce unexpectedly different results when Americans follow them tablespoon for tablespoon. An Australian recipe calling for 2 tablespoons of cornstarch puts in 40 mL. An American following the same instruction adds only 30 mL. That 25% gap can absolutely wreck a meringue.

The Fix

When using international recipes, identify the country of origin first. If it is Australian, multiply tablespoons by 1.35 to get the US equivalent. If it is from the UK (pre-2010 cookbook), multiply by 1.2. Better yet, find the millilitre value and measure that.

Baking Precision: When a Tablespoon Matters

Baking powder and baking soda are measured in teaspoons and tablespoons, never cups, for a reason. These leavening agents are powerful. One extra tablespoon of baking powder in a cake batter (about 14 grams) can cause the cake to rise too fast, then collapse. One tablespoon too few and the cake is dense as a doorstop.

Salt is similarly sensitive. A tablespoon of fine table salt weighs about 18 grams. A tablespoon of coarse kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand) weighs only 9 grams -- literally half. This is one of the most misunderstood conversions in cooking. If a recipe specifies "1 tablespoon kosher salt" and you substitute table salt, cut the amount in half or you will oversalt the dish.

Measuring Tablespoons Correctly

For liquids, fill the tablespoon until the liquid forms a slight dome at the top, but does not spill over. For dry ingredients, scoop and level with a straight edge. A "heaping" tablespoon (mounded above the rim) holds roughly 1.5 times a level tablespoon. A "scant" tablespoon (just under full) is about 0.9 tablespoons. These imprecise terms show up in older cookbooks and can throw off measurements by 50% in either direction.

Invest in a set of stainless steel measuring spoons with clearly etched markings (not painted -- the paint wears off). Rectangular spoons fit inside spice jars better than oval ones. That small detail makes daily cooking measurably easier.

Common Tablespoon Conversions for Baking

• 1 stick of butter = 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup = 113 g
• 1 tablespoon of flour = about 8 grams
• 1 tablespoon of sugar = about 12.5 grams
• 1 tablespoon of butter = about 14 grams
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder = about 7 grams
• 1 tablespoon of honey = about 21 grams

These weights assume a level tablespoon measured with standard US spoons. Keep this list near your baking station and you will never need to look it up again.

A Note on "T" vs. "t" in Recipes

Many recipes abbreviate tablespoon as "T" or "Tbsp" and teaspoon as "t" or "tsp". The capital-T convention is not universal, though. Some casual recipe blogs use lowercase for both, and suddenly "2 t vanilla" could mean 2 tablespoons or 2 teaspoons -- a 3x difference. When in doubt, think about what makes sense. Two tablespoons of vanilla extract in a single batch of cookies would be overwhelming. Two teaspoons sounds right. Context is your safety net.