How many tablespoons in a cup
A US cup is 16 tbsp: type cups, get tablespoons and teaspoons.
1 cup
16 tbsp
- 1 cup×1
In cups and spoons: 1 cup
US cup of 236.6 mL
How this is measured
Exact by definition: 1 US cup = 8 US fl oz = 236.5882365 mL; 1 tbsp = 1/16 cup, 1 tsp = 1/48 cup. Source: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C.
How many tablespoons in a cup
A US cup holds 16 tbsp, or 48 tsp: 1 cup is equal to 16 tablespoons. Both follow from NIST Handbook 44: the cup is 8 fluid ounces, the tablespoon ½ fluid ounce and 3 teaspoons, all exactly. To convert cups to tablespoons, multiply the cups by 16 (or by 48 for teaspoons); to convert tablespoons to cups, divide the tablespoons by 16. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons and three quarters of a cup 12 tablespoons.
Cups and tablespoons both measure volume, so this holds for any ingredient, wet or dry, and the converter asks for none.
Cups and tablespoons conversion table
Every common cup mark on a set of measuring cups as tablespoons, teaspoons, the spoons to fill it with and milliliters:
US customary: 16 tbsp or 48 tsp to the cup.
| Cups | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Spoons to fill | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/16 cup | 1 tbsp | 3 tsp | 1 tbsp | 14.79 mL |
| ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp | 6 tsp | 2 tbsp | 29.57 mL |
| 1/6 cup | 2.67 tbsp | 8 tsp | 2 tbsp + 2 tsp | 39.43 mL |
| ¼ cup | 4 tbsp | 12 tsp | 4 tbsp | 59.15 mL |
| ⅓ cup | 5.33 tbsp | 16 tsp | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp | 78.86 mL |
| ⅜ cup | 6 tbsp | 18 tsp | 6 tbsp | 88.72 mL |
| ½ cup | 8 tbsp | 24 tsp | 8 tbsp | 118.3 mL |
| ⅝ cup | 10 tbsp | 30 tsp | 10 tbsp | 147.9 mL |
| ⅔ cup | 10.67 tbsp | 32 tsp | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp | 157.7 mL |
| ¾ cup | 12 tbsp | 36 tsp | 12 tbsp | 177.4 mL |
| ⅞ cup | 14 tbsp | 42 tsp | 14 tbsp | 207 mL |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 48 tsp | 16 tbsp | 236.6 mL |
Quarter cups come out in whole tablespoons: ¼ cup is 4 tbsp and ¾ cup is 12 tbsp. Thirds do not: ⅓ cup is 5.33 tbsp, so you measure it with tablespoons plus a teaspoon, or with 16 tsp.
No measuring cups? Tablespoons instead of cups
When the right cup measure is missing, spoons do the job: count level tablespoons, then teaspoons for what is left. ⅜ cup is 6 tbsp; ⅔ cup is 10.67 tbsp, measured as tablespoons plus teaspoons as in the table above. For larger amounts the cup is faster and adds less error, because every extra level spoonful is another small chance to over- or under-fill. The answer card shows the fewest fills for any amount you type.
Cups to teaspoons
A cup is 48 tsp, a quarter cup 12 tsp and an eighth of a cup 6 tsp. Switch the "to" unit to tsp for small amounts such as spices, leavening or extracts.
Tablespoons in a cup of butter
Butter recipes often count in tablespoons, and the arithmetic is the same: a cup of butter is 16 tbsp, 2 sticks. America's Test Kitchen puts it as 16 tablespoons = 2 sticks = 1 cup. For grams and ounces of butter use the butter converter.
Metric cups and the standard US cup
The 16 tablespoons are US customary measures. A metric kitchen uses a 250 mL cup and a 15 mL tablespoon (the sizes NIST's household guide proposes), so a metric cup is 16.67 tbsp. US nutrition labels use a 240 mL cup and a 15 mL tablespoon (21 CFR 101.9): 16 tbsp. Australian measures pair a 250 mL cup with a 20 mL tablespoon, so 2 Australian cups are 25 tbsp. Switch the cup standard in the converter to match your measures.
Questions
Do 4 tablespoons make ¼ cup?
Yes. ¼ US cup is 4 tbsp, exactly.
How many tbsp is ⅓ cup?
5.33 tbsp, measured as 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon.
How many tablespoons is ½ cup?
8 tablespoons, exactly. A stick of butter is the same amount.
How many teaspoons are in a third of a cup?
16 tsp.
How many teaspoons are in ¼ cup?
12 tsp, which is 4 tbsp.
What is the difference between a tbsp and a tsp?
A tablespoon (tbsp) is three teaspoons (tsp), exactly: 14.79 mL against 4.93 mL in US measures. The teaspoons to tablespoons converter covers the small amounts.
How do you measure flour correctly?
King Arthur Baking's method: fluff the flour, spoon it into the cup until it overflows, then level it with a straight edge. A cup filled that way weighs 120 grams; the same holds for a tablespoon, 7.5 grams. Weighing is more reliable still: see flour in grams and cups.
Sources
- 21 CFR 101.9 (US nutrition labeling)
- America's Test Kitchen baking conversion chart
- King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart
- King Arthur Baking, How to measure flour
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C
- NIST Special Publication 430, Household Weights and Measures
- Weights and Measures Act 1985 (UK), Schedule 1
- Tablespoons to cups converterA US cup is 16 tbsp: type tablespoons, get the cups and spoons to fill.
- What is half of 3/4 cup?Half of ¾ cup is ¼ cup + 2 tbsp: type a cup or spoon measure, pick half, a third or double, get the cups and spoons to fill.
- How many teaspoons in a tablespoon3 teaspoons make 1 tbsp: type teaspoons, get tablespoons and the spoons to fill.
- How many ounces in a cupA US cup is 8 fl oz: type cups, get fluid ounces.
- Cups to mL converterA US cup is 236.6 mL: type cups, pick the cup your recipe uses, get milliliters.
- How many cups in one stick of butterOne stick of butter is 8 tbsp, ½ cup and 4 ounces: type any butter amount and get all the others.
- Grams to cups converterPick the ingredient, type the grams and get US cups and spoons, with the fill method the weight assumes.