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Have you ever tried scaling a recipe and got stuck because you weren’t sure how tablespoons are in a cup? This article will break it all down for you and provide downloadable conversion charts so you can always have them on your phone.
Volume conversions come in handy all of the time, especially when you need to convert between metric and imperial systems.
What is a cup?
A cup is a common unit of volume used in cooking and baking, but not all cups are the same. As we learned about cups and liters, measurements vary in different parts of the world.
In the United States, which uses Imperial measurements, a standard cup holds about 237 milliliters (ml).
Elsewhere, the measurement varies. In Australia and Canada, a metric cup is 250 ml, while in the UK, an imperial cup is 284 ml.
These differences may seem small, but they can impact recipes, especially in baking, where precision matters.
Converting 237 ml can be more complicated than working with 250 ml when scaling measurements.
What is a tablespoon?
A tablespoon is a unit of volume commonly used in cooking and baking with ingredients like butter or oil, but its exact size also varies, depending on where you are.
In the United States, a tablespoon measures 14.79 milliliters (ml).
In many other countries, including Canada, the UK, and New Zealand, a tablespoon is an even 15 ml.
Australia takes it a step further—there, a tablespoon is 20 ml.
This small variation might not matter for some recipes, but in baking or precise cooking, it can make a difference. So, if you’re following an international recipe, double-check which tablespoon measurement it uses!
So How Many Tablespoons in a Cup Then?
The number of tablespoons in a cup depends on which measurement system you’re using, since not all cups and tablespoons are the same.
- In the United States, where a cup is 237 ml and a tablespoon is 14.79 ml, there are about 16 tablespoons in a cup.
- In Canada, the UK, and New Zealand, where a cup is 250 ml and a tablespoon is 15 ml, there are about 16.67 tablespoons in a cup.
- In Australia, where a cup is 250 ml but a tablespoon is 20 ml, there are 12.5 tablespoons in a cup.
These differences might not seem huge, but they can matter, especially in baking. If you’re following a recipe from another country, it’s always good to check the measurements!
Conversion Chart: Tablespoons to U.S. Cups
The chart below illustrates how to convert tablespoons to U.S. cups and ml.
| Tablespoons | Cups | ml |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1/4 cup | 59 ml |
| 8 | 1/2 cup | 118 ml |
| 12 | 3/4 cup | 177 ml |
| 16 | 1 cup | 237 ml |
Download the printable conversion chart for tablespoons to U.S. cups.
Conversion Chart: Tablespoons to Metric Cups
The chart below illustrates how to convert tablespoons to Canadian cups and ml.
| Tablespoons | Cups | ml |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1/4 cup | 62.5 ml |
| 8 | 1/2 cup | 125 ml |
| 12 | 3/4 cup | 187.5 ml |
| 16 | 1 cup | 250 ml |
Download the printable conversion chart for tablespoons to Canadian cups.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 8 tablespoons (113 grams) in a stick of butter.
There are 16 tablespoons (227 grams) in a cup of butter.
No, the tablespoon measurements for butter are the same in both the US and Canada. Even though Canada uses metric measurements for other things, the tablespoon size for butter follows the same standard as the US. In Canada, butter is more commonly sold in 1 lb blocks which is equal to 4 sticks.
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