Free kitchen tool
Cooking Measurement Converter
How many tablespoons in a cup? 16. Convert cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, grams and more — with real ingredient weights, so 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of honey don't get the same wrong answer. Type fractions like 1/3 or 1 1/2 straight into the converter.
1 cup of all-purpose flour ≈ 120 grams
Weights are for spooned-and-leveled dry ingredients at room temperature. Densities from standard baking references (King Arthur / USDA).
Quick answers
The questions everyone asks, answered instantly:
How many tablespoons in a cup?
16
One US cup holds 16 tablespoons. That's the number to memorize.
How many teaspoons in a tablespoon?
3
Every tablespoon is 3 teaspoons — so 1 cup = 48 teaspoons.
How many teaspoons in a cup?
48
16 tablespoons × 3 teaspoons each = 48 teaspoons per cup.
⅓ cup is how many tablespoons?
5⅓
That's 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon. (16 ÷ 3 = 5.33)
¼ cup is how many tablespoons?
4
Also 12 teaspoons or 2 fluid ounces.
½ cup is how many tablespoons?
8
Also 24 teaspoons or 4 fluid ounces.
Cooking measurement chart
Every common fraction, all five units. Bookmark this:
| Cups | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Fluid oz | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp | 6 tsp | 1 fl oz | 30 ml |
| ¼ cup | 4 tbsp | 12 tsp | 2 fl oz | 59 ml |
| ⅓ cup | 5⅓ tbsp | 16 tsp | 2.7 fl oz | 79 ml |
| ½ cup | 8 tbsp | 24 tsp | 4 fl oz | 119 ml |
| ⅔ cup | 10⅔ tbsp | 32 tsp | 5.3 fl oz | 158 ml |
| ¾ cup | 12 tbsp | 36 tsp | 6 fl oz | 177 ml |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 48 tsp | 8 fl oz | 237 ml |
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Join freeWhy cups-to-grams isn't one number
Here's the thing most converter sites get wrong: a cup is a volume, a gram is a weight. One cup of honey weighs about 340 grams. One cup of flour weighs about 120 grams. Same cup, wildly different weight — because honey is dense and flour is fluffy.
So when a recipe says "1 cup flour" and your converter just multiplies by 240, you get the wrong answer. This converter knows the actual weight of each ingredient, so 1 cup of flour gives you 120g, 1 cup of sugar gives you 200g, and 1 cup of water gives you 237g. Pick your ingredient above and the math is honest.
Converting between two volume units (cups to tablespoons) or two weight units (grams to ounces) doesn't need an ingredient at all — those are fixed ratios. The ingredient only matters when you cross from volume to weight or back.
Quick reference: grams per cup
The most-searched conversions, no calculator needed:
| Ingredient | 1 cup = | ½ cup = |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 120 g | 60 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 100 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220 g | 110 g |
| Butter | 227 g | 113 g |
| Honey | 340 g | 170 g |
| Rolled oats | 90 g | 45 g |
| Cocoa powder | 100 g | 50 g |
| Milk | 240 g | 120 g |
| Chocolate chips | 170 g | 85 g |
| Shredded coconut | 93 g | 47 g |
Common questions
How many grams are in a cup of flour?
One US cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 120 grams when spooned into the cup and leveled off. (Scooping straight from the bag packs it down and can add 20–30 extra grams.) Whole wheat flour is about 113g per cup.
How many grams are in a cup of sugar?
One US cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 grams. Packed brown sugar is heavier at about 220g per cup, and powdered sugar is much lighter at about 120g per cup.
Why isn't 1 cup always 240 grams?
Because cups measure volume and grams measure weight. Dense ingredients (honey, 340g/cup) weigh far more per cup than airy ones (flour, 120g/cup). Any converter that gives one number for every ingredient is guessing.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in one US cup. That breaks down to 48 teaspoons per cup, since each tablespoon holds 3 teaspoons. One US cup equals about 236.6 milliliters.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in one US tablespoon. So 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons.
How many tablespoons is 1/3 cup?
1/3 cup equals 5⅓ tablespoons — that's 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon. The exact math: 16 tablespoons per cup ÷ 3 = 5.33.
How many tablespoons is 1/4 cup?
1/4 cup equals 4 tablespoons, which is also 12 teaspoons or 2 fluid ounces.
How many tablespoons is 1/2 cup?
1/2 cup equals 8 tablespoons, which is also 24 teaspoons or 4 fluid ounces.
Try it in a recipe
Put your conversions to work — these WellNest favorites are great for practicing:
Every WellNest recipe lists honest weights alongside cups — browse the collection and cook something with just 3 ingredients.
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