How many tablespoons are in 1 cup?

Exactly 16 tablespoons. This is a fixed US culinary definition: 1 US cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 240 ml.

How many tablespoons are in 1/4 cup?

4 tablespoons. One quarter of 16 is 4, so 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons = 12 teaspoons.

How many tablespoons are in 1/3 cup?

Approximately 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (5.333... tablespoons). Because 1/3 does not divide evenly into tablespoons, recipes often call for 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon when precision matters.

How many tablespoons are in 1/2 cup?

8 tablespoons. Half of 16 is 8, making this the easiest fraction to remember.

Does this work for dry and liquid ingredients the same way?

Yes. The cup-to-tablespoon ratio is a volume conversion, so it applies equally to liquids (water, milk, oil) and dry ingredients (sugar, flour) when measured by volume. Weight will differ between ingredients, but volume stays the same.

What is the difference between a US tablespoon and a metric tablespoon?

A US tablespoon is 14.79 ml; a metric tablespoon is 15 ml. This tool uses the US standard (14.79 ml per tablespoon, 240 ml per cup). The difference is small enough to ignore for most cooking.

Cups to Tablespoons Converter

Name: Cups to Tablespoons Converter
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Convert cups to tablespoons instantly — 1 cup equals exactly 16 tablespoons — with fractional cup shortcuts and a full reference table.

Enter Cups

Cups

Quick:

Result

Enter a cup value above to see tablespoons.

Quick Reference — Cups to Tablespoons

Cups	Tablespoons	Teaspoons	Milliliters
1/8 cup	2	6	30 ml
1/4 cup	4	12	60 ml
1/3 cup	5 + 1 tsp	16	80 ml
3/8 cup	6	18	90 ml
1/2 cup	8	24	120 ml
2/3 cup	10 + 2 tsp	32	160 ml
3/4 cup	12	36	180 ml
7/8 cup	14	42	210 ml
1 cup	16	48	240 ml
1 1/2 cups	24	72	360 ml
2 cups	32	96	480 ml
3 cups	48	144	720 ml

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Summary

Convert cups to tablespoons instantly — 1 cup equals exactly 16 tablespoons — with fractional cup shortcuts and a full reference table.

How it works

Enter a cup amount in the input field, or tap a fraction shortcut (1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 1, 2, 3).
The tablespoon count updates instantly: multiply cups by 16.
Teaspoon and milliliter equivalents appear below the main result.
Click "Copy Result" to copy the conversion text to your clipboard.
Scroll down to the reference table for a quick overview of common fractions.

Use cases

Scale a recipe down when you only have a tablespoon measure handy.
Verify how many tablespoons of butter, oil, or liquid a recipe needs.
Convert cup-based recipe instructions to tablespoons for small batches.
Check tablespoon equivalents for dry ingredients like sugar or cocoa powder.
Teach children or students how US cooking measurements relate to each other.
Quickly confirm a measurement before you start mixing ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-23 · Reviewed by Nham Vu