How Many Teaspoons in a Tablespoon? Baking Conversions

Regardless of whether you’re a brand new baker or not, you probably find yourself asking a lot of the same questions over and over again. Such as: How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon? How many tablespoons in a cup? What is 1/16 of a cup? What is half of 1 ½ tablespoons in teaspoons—and how am I supposed to know that off the top of my head anyway? You know, the usual.

Baking conversions can be a tricky thing, but fortunately, help is always just a click away. Here’s a quick breakdown of the measurements and conversions that you’re likely to come across the most—including the definitive answer to how many teaspoons in a tablespoon.

How Many Teaspoons in a Tablespoon?

Even the most experienced bakers probably find themselves having to think for a second when it comes to figuring out how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon, how many tablespoons in a cup, and other common conversions.

Baking is just as much about getting the chemistry right as it is about bringing together delicious flavors. And to ensure that your recipes come out exactly as they’re supposed to, you’ll need to be sure to nail your conversions. Start here:

• How many teaspoons is in a tablespoon? There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon.
• How many teaspoons in half a tablespoon? There are 1.5 teaspoons in half a tablespoon.
• How many tablespoons in a cup? There are 16 tablespoons in a cup.
• How many tablespoons in ½ cup? There are 8 tablespoons in ½ of a cup.
• How many tablespoons in ⅓ cup? There are 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon in 1/3 of a cup.
• How many tablespoons in ¼ cup? There are 4 tablespoons in ¼ of a cup.

So, how can you remember how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon? Just multiply the number of tablespoons that you need by three. If you can keep this handy equation in your head, you should have no trouble doing the math when the need arises. 

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Metric and Imperial Conversions

Where conversions can get even more difficult is if you’re working off of a recipe that lists metric ingredient amounts and you need to convert them to imperial amounts—or vice versa. Keep this conversion cheat sheet in your kitchen and take the guesswork out of switching between various types of measurements.

• 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = 250ml
• ¾ cup = 6 fluid ounces = 180ml
• ½ cup = 4 fluid ounces = 120ml
• ⅓ cup = 2.5 fluid ounces = 75ml
• ¼ cup = 2 fluid ounces = 60ml
• ⅛ cup = 1 fluid ounce = 30ml
• 1 tablespoon = ½ fluid ounce = 15ml

If your measurements are even smaller, return to the equation for how many teaspoons is in a tablespoon. Since there are three teaspoons in a tablespoon, each teaspoon is the equivalent of 5ml, or 0.17 fluid ounces.

How Many Tablespoons Are in a Stick of Butter?

There are eight tablespoons in a stick of butter, which is equivalent to ½ of a cup. If you need one cup of butter, that’s two sticks, or 16 tablespoons. Likewise, if your recipe calls for ¼ cup of butter, that’s half a stick—or four tablespoons.

Common Baking Conversions

Tsp to tbsp or tbsp to cup are far from the only types of baking conversions that you might need to make. Here’s an overview of other common conversions that you may come across.

Dry Measurement Conversions

• 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons
• ¾ cup = 12 tablespoons = 36 teaspoons
• ½ cup = 8 tablespoons = 24 teaspoons
• ¼ cup = 4 tablespoons = 12 teaspoons
• ⅛ cup = 2 tablespoons = 6 teaspoons

Liquid Measurement Conversions

• 4 cups = 32 fluid ounces = 2 pints = 1 quart
• 2 cups = 16 fluid ounces = 1 pint = ½ quart
• 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = ½ pint = ¼ quart
• ½ cup = 4 fluid ounces = ¼ pint = ⅛ quart

Do keep in mind that if you’re halving, doubling, or otherwise changing the total amount of a recipe that you intend to make, it may not be as simple as using basic measurement conversions. Do a bit of research to come up with the precise measurement changes that you’ll need so that your recipe comes out exactly how you want it to. 

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