There are exactly 16 tablespoons in a cup. Use the chart and calculator below for any amount.
Enter any amount and convert instantly.
Every common tablespoon and cup conversion you'll need in one place.
| Cups | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Fluid Ounces | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp | 6 tsp | 1 fl oz | 30 ml |
| ¼ cup | 4 tbsp | 12 tsp | 2 fl oz | 59 ml |
| ⅓ cup | 5⅓ tbsp | 16 tsp | 2.7 fl oz | 79 ml |
| ½ cup | 8 tbsp | 24 tsp | 4 fl oz | 118 ml |
| ⅔ cup | 10⅔ tbsp | 32 tsp | 5.3 fl oz | 158 ml |
| ¾ cup | 12 tbsp | 36 tsp | 6 fl oz | 177 ml |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 48 tsp | 8 fl oz | 237 ml |
| 2 cups | 32 tbsp | 96 tsp | 16 fl oz | 473 ml |
| 4 cups | 64 tbsp | 192 tsp | 32 fl oz | 946 ml |
Tablespoons are one of the most used measurements in cooking — especially for oils, butter, sauces, and spices. Knowing how they relate to cups makes scaling recipes up or down much easier.
If a recipe calls for ¼ cup of butter and you want to make half the recipe, you need 2 tablespoons. Since ¼ cup = 4 tablespoons, half of that is 2 tablespoons.
If you don't have a measuring cup handy, tablespoons work perfectly. Just remember: 16 tablespoons = 1 cup, 8 tablespoons = ½ cup, and 4 tablespoons = ¼ cup.
How many tablespoons in a cup of butter?
16 tablespoons. Most butter sticks are 8 tablespoons (½ cup).
How many tablespoons in ⅓ cup?
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. ⅓ of 16 is 5.333, which equals 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon.
How many tablespoons in ¾ cup?
12 tablespoons. Multiply ¾ by 16 to get 12.
How many tablespoons in ⅔ cup?
10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. Two thirds of 16 is 10.667.
Is 6 tablespoons equal to ⅓ cup?
Not exactly. ⅓ cup is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. 6 tablespoons is closer to ⅜ cup.
How many tablespoons in a cup of sugar?
16 tablespoons. Any dry ingredient uses the same conversion: 1 cup = 16 tablespoons.