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Enter the number of US tablespoons and choose the ingredient. The converter returns grams and ounces, using the fact that one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a US cup and the weight of that sixteenth depends on the ingredient.
Last reviewed: November 2026. Methods, units and assumptions are explained below and follow our Editorial Policy.
Tablespoons to Grams Converter
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How tablespoons convert to grams
A US tablespoon holds about 14.79 mL, which is exactly one sixteenth of a US cup. To find grams, take the grams per cup for the ingredient and divide by 16. For butter at about 227 g per cup, one tablespoon is about 14.2 g. For honey at 340 g per cup, one tablespoon is about 21 g. For all-purpose flour at 120 g per cup, one tablespoon is about 7.5 g.
Because tablespoons are small, errors from heaping versus leveling stand out. A heaped tablespoon of flour can easily be double a level one. Unless a recipe says heaped, always level the spoon with a knife.
How to use the converter
- Enter the number of tablespoons you want to convert.
- Pick the ingredient from the list.
- Select the convert button.
- Read the weight in grams and ounces, and the grams per tablespoon used in the calculation.
Grams per tablespoon
The table lists approximate weights for a level US tablespoon of each ingredient. These are derived from the same densities used elsewhere on this site, so they agree with the Cups to Grams Converter.
| Ingredient | Grams per tablespoon |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | about 7.5 g |
| Granulated sugar | about 12.5 g |
| Brown sugar, packed | about 13.3 g |
| Powdered sugar | about 7.5 g |
| Butter | about 14.2 g |
| Water | about 14.8 g |
| Honey | about 21.3 g |
| Vegetable oil | about 13.6 g |
| Cocoa powder | about 5.3 g |
| Rolled oats | about 5.6 g |
Notice how little a tablespoon of cocoa or flour weighs compared with honey. The same spoon carries very different masses.
Tablespoon sizes around the world
A US tablespoon is about 14.8 mL. A metric tablespoon used in many countries is 15 mL, a small difference that rarely matters. Australia uses a 20 mL tablespoon, which is about a third larger and is a classic source of recipe disasters when mixed up with the 15 mL spoon. A traditional UK tablespoon was about 17.7 mL. If a recipe comes from Australia, multiply the tablespoon amounts by about 1.35 before using US spoons, or use the tablespoon-to-milliliter figures for accuracy.
When in doubt, look at the recipe origin and the units used elsewhere in it. If a recipe gives both milliliters and tablespoons, trust the milliliters.
A worked example
A glaze recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of honey and 2 tablespoons of butter. The conversion gives about 22 g of powdered sugar, 21 g of honey and 28 g of butter, for a total of roughly 71 g. If you want to scale the glaze for a larger cake, you can multiply the gram weights instead of counting spoons, which tends to be faster and more accurate. The Recipe Scaling Calculator can handle the multiplication of the original lines for you.
When to weigh and when to measure by spoon
Spoons are ideal for small amounts of strong ingredients such as baking powder, salt, spices and extracts, where a scale is not precise enough. For ingredients that make up the bulk of a recipe, weighing is more reliable. Many digital scales cannot measure less than one gram accurately, so a spoon is better for a pinch of salt. Use level measuring spoons, not tableware spoons from the cutlery drawer, which vary widely in size.
Tips
- Level every spoon unless the recipe says heaped.
- Spoon dry ingredients into the measure instead of scooping from the container.
- Melt butter before measuring only if the recipe says to.
- Use a liquid measure or syringe for tiny amounts of liquid.
- Check the origin of the recipe for tablespoon size.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a tablespoon of butter?
About 14 g, which is roughly half an ounce. A US stick of butter holds 8 tablespoons.
How many grams is a tablespoon of sugar?
About 12.5 g for granulated sugar and 13.3 g for packed brown sugar.
Is a tablespoon 15 mL or 14.8 mL?
A US tablespoon is about 14.8 mL and a metric tablespoon is 15 mL. The difference is tiny for most cooking.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Three teaspoons make one tablespoon.
Why does a heaped spoon matter?
A heaped spoon can contain up to twice as much as a level one, which changes flavor and texture in recipes with strong ingredients.
Related tools
- Teaspoons to Milliliters Converter
- Cups to Grams Converter
- Butter Measurement Converter
- Grams to Cups Converter
- Recipe Scaling Calculator
- All cooking converters
Measurement note
Conversions use standard reference values. Ingredient density, packing, humidity, regional measuring standards and equipment accuracy can change real results, so weigh ingredients when precision matters and follow the original recipe where it gives both weights and volumes.