Convert grams to tablespoons for any ingredient
Select an ingredient and enter a weight in grams to get the equivalent measurement in US tablespoons.
Grams per tablespoon, by ingredient
Reference weights for one US tablespoon of common baking ingredients.
| Ingredient | Grams per tablespoon |
|---|---|
| Butter | 14.2 g |
| Granulated sugar | 12.5 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 13.8 g |
| Powdered sugar | 7.5 g |
| All-purpose flour | 7.8 g |
| Honey | 21 g |
| Cocoa powder | 5.4 g |
| Vegetable oil | 13.6 g |
| Milk | 15.3 g |
| Water | 14.8 g |
Measuring a different ingredient or amount? Use the grams to tablespoons calculator above.
About the grams to tablespoons calculator
Tablespoons are the go-to measurement for smaller recipe quantities — a spoonful of butter, oil, honey, or cocoa powder — and like cups, how much a tablespoon weighs depends entirely on what's being measured. A tablespoon of honey weighs nearly four times as much as a tablespoon of cocoa powder, simply because honey is dense and cocoa powder is light and airy.
This calculator uses ingredient-specific density values to convert a weight in grams into the equivalent number of tablespoons. Select the ingredient, enter the grams from your recipe, and it divides by that ingredient's grams-per-tablespoon figure — for example, 14.2 g per tablespoon for butter or 21 g per tablespoon for honey.
This conversion is especially handy for recipes written in grams (common outside the US) when you're working from US measuring spoons, or for small, precise quantities like baking soda, cocoa, or oil where eyeballing a tablespoon can throw off a recipe more than it would for a full cup.
For the most consistent results, especially with sticky ingredients like honey, level the tablespoon rather than heaping it, and remember that a kitchen scale measuring grams directly is always the most accurate option if your recipe was originally written in metric weights.
Common grams to tablespoons conversions
Popular ingredient amounts, already converted.
By ingredient
Grams to tablespoons questions
How the ingredient-specific conversion works.
How many grams are in a tablespoon of butter?
About 14.2 grams. A standard US tablespoon is half a fluid ounce, and butter weighs close to water's density, so this stays fairly consistent across brands.
How many grams are in a tablespoon of sugar?
About 12.5 grams for granulated sugar, and about 13.8 grams for packed brown sugar.
How many grams are in a tablespoon of honey?
About 21 grams, since honey is significantly denser than water or flour — that's also why honey is usually measured by weight in precise recipes.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
16 tablespoons make one US cup, so you can also get a rough tablespoon estimate by taking a grams-to-cups conversion and multiplying the result by 16.
Why do the same grams give different tablespoons for different ingredients?
A tablespoon measures volume, not weight. Dense ingredients like honey or butter pack more mass into the same spoon than light, airy ingredients like cocoa powder or flour.
Is this accurate enough for baking?
It's a solid estimate for most recipes, but for small quantities where precision matters — like baking soda, yeast, or spices — a kitchen scale measuring in grams directly will always be more accurate than converting to spoons.