How many tablespoons are in a cup? The answer is a crucial kitchen conversion to know when about measuring in tablespoons and cups, and download a free kitchen conversion chart to post on your fridge!
How many tablespoons in single cup? The answer is there are 16 tablespoons in a cup. Learn this conversion and scroll down to grab my printable easy kitchen conversion chart below.
When cooking, the question how many tablespoons are in one cup will often arise, especially in kitchens across the United States which follow the imperial system.
Jump to:
- How to Measure with Tablespoons?
- What Are Tablespoons & Cups?
- Wet vs Dry Ingredients Measured in TBSP
- Mathematical Breakdown Of 1 Cup to Tablespoons
- Practical Examples
- Common Conversions tablespoon to 1 Cup
- 📌Chart of Tablespoons to Cups
- Imperial Cup Vs. Metric Cup
- Conversion to Metric Measurements
- Measuring Equipment
- FAQS
- More Cooking Conversion Resources
This measurement, based on the United States standard measuring system, can influence the accuracy with which certain ingredients are measured for recipes.
In this article, I will share how to convert, provide some practical examples and explore both dry and wet conversions. You might also benefit from my how many tablespoons in ¼ cups? article, or my What is Half of ¼ Cups, ⅓ Cups and ¾ Cups? article.
How to Measure with Tablespoons?
To measure with tablespoons, you will need a set of measuring spoons that include a tablespoon. Do not use a tablespoon designated for your dining room place-setting. That is not accurate and not helpful for baking and cooking. Use a measuring spoon set like this instead. Sometimes tools aren't needed though, for instance when measuring butter in sticks just follow the paper markings for tablespoons.
What Are Tablespoons & Cups?
A tablespoon (tbsp) is a small spoon used to measure small measurements of wet or dry ingredients like vanilla extract equivalent to 0.5 fluid ounces or 15 ml. The United States uses imperial measures so a tablespoon is approximately ½ fluid ounce or 14.8ml. Things are different in most other countries though using the metric system. The United Kingdom and Canada see the tablespoon as being 15ml whereas Australia says it is 20 ml.
A cup (c) is a well-used kitchen measuring container that can hold wet or dry ingredients that are equal 8 fluid ounces or 8 dry ounces, or 237 ml.
Wet vs Dry Ingredients Measured in TBSP
Measuring 1 cup to tablespoons is the same whether you are measuring wet ingredients or dry. Only butter makes things a bit weird. The paper covering on most brands are marked off in tablespoon intervals, and most sticks are 8 tablespoons or ½ a cup so you'll just cut off tablespoons with a knife.
Mathematical Breakdown Of 1 Cup to Tablespoons
Here's a breakdown of how this conversion works for converting tablespoons into cups:
1 cup = 16 tablespoons
¼ cup = (¼) x 16 tablespoons
¼ cup = 4 tablespoons
This conversion applies to both liquid and dry ingredients in the US customary system of measurement. Having this conversion knowledge at your fingertips ensures you can follow recipes accurately and can make adjustments as needed.
Practical Examples
Imagine you're making no bake snickers brownie bites but you only have a tablespoon measuring tool. You don't have the measuring cup required to measure 1 cup of almond flour. So to find out how many tablespoons of flour you need to achieve 1 cup, you would calculate:
1 cup = 16 tablespoons per cup
So, you would need 16 tablespoons of almond flour for your no bake snickers brownie bites. Since there are 16 tablespoons in a 1 cup, you would need 16 tablespoons of almond flour for your brownie bites.
Common Conversions tablespoon to 1 Cup
Powdered sugar: Dry ingredients such as 1 cup of powdered sugar is equivalent to 16 tablespoons.
Water: For liquid ingredients like water, 1 cup converts to 16 tablespoons.
Coconut oil (solid): 16 tablespoons are equivalent to 1 cup of the semi-wet ingredient such as coconut oil.
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📌Chart of Tablespoons to Cups
To illustrate the relationship between tablespoons and cups, here is a handy chart.
| tablespoons | cups |
|---|---|
| 2 tbsp | ⅛ cup |
| 4 tbsp | ¼ cup |
| 5.33 tbsp | ⅓ cup |
| 8 tbsp | ½ cup |
| 10.67 tbsp | ⅔ cup |
| 12 tbsp | ¾ cup |
| 16 tbsp | 1 cup |
Imperial Cup Vs. Metric Cup
In the United States, we’re using the British imperial system, where a cup is equivalent to 237 ml. Note however that in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK, that cup was equal to 284 ml.
Conversion to Metric Measurements
The United States uses the imperial system to measure ingredients. Outside of the USA, countries use the metric system. So, you should check the country of origin for any recipe before beginning. Here are some conversions between cups, tablespoons, ounces and milliliters.
1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 8 fluid ounces = 237 ml
¾ cup = 12 tablespoons = 6 fluid ounces = 177 ml
⅔ cup = 10.67 tablespoons = 5.33 fluid ounces = 157 ml
½ cup = 8 tablespoons = 4 fluid ounces = 118 ml
⅓ cup = 5.33 tablespoons = 2.66 fluid ounces = 78.66 ml
¼ cup = 4 tablespoons = 2 fluid ounces = 59 ml
Note however that in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK, that cup was equal to 284 ml. Yes, the metric system can be confusing.
Measuring Equipment
To be sure you are measuring ingredients accurately for your recipes, it is important to have to correct kitchen measuring tools on hand. Here are my favorites!
Measuring Cups For Liquid Ingredients
- I love this adjustable measuring cup for semi-wet, sticky ingredients.
- 3-piece glass measuring cup set, microwave-safe, best for melting chocolate
- Glass measuring beaker, fun for coffees and shots and making pretend your kitchen is a laboratory.
Measuring Cups & Spoons For Dry Ingredients
- Favorite stainless steel measuring cups and spoons.
- Dark measuring spoons and cups.
- Gold measuring spoons to be fancy.
📌Free Kitchen Measuring Conversion Chart
Download my free kitchen measuring conversion chart and either post it on your refrigerator or laminate it and add it to your recipe notebook. It can be a handy reference when you want to convert measurements to adjust a recipe, both imperial or metric.
FAQS
One cup equals 16 tablespoons.
One cup is equal to 16 tbsp.
Use tablespoons. 16 tablespoons equal 1 cup.
More Cooking Conversion Resources
If you found this cooking conversion article helpful, you might also like some of my other measurement posts including how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon, how many tablespoons in ⅔ cup, and even my Celsius and Fahrenheit conversion chart and explainer.
Also, if you visit any other articles or recipes on my website, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review on a recipe or a 📝 comment here if you have thoughts or questions.
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