Grams to Tablespoons: Every Ingredient Conversion Table

Tablespoons are a volume measurement. Grams are a weight measurement. Because different ingredients have different densities, there is no single universal conversion factor — but this table gives you every ingredient you'll encounter in everyday cooking and baking.

Grams per Tablespoon: Complete Reference Table

Ingredient	1 Tablespoon	1 Teaspoon	Notes
Water	15 g	5 g	Baseline reference
Milk	15 g	5 g	Slightly denser than water
All-purpose flour	8 g	2.6 g	Spoon-and-level method
Bread flour	8 g	2.6 g	Same as AP flour
Whole wheat flour	9 g	3 g	Slightly denser than AP
Almond flour	7 g	2.3 g	Lighter than wheat flour
Granulated sugar	12.5 g	4.2 g	White sugar
Brown sugar (packed)	14 g	4.7 g	Pack firmly when measuring
Powdered sugar	8 g	2.6 g	Sift before measuring
Butter	14 g	4.7 g	Room temperature
Vegetable oil	14 g	4.7 g	Olive oil is similar
Coconut oil	14 g	4.7 g	Melted or solid
Honey	21 g	7 g	Very dense
Maple syrup	20 g	6.7 g	Similar density to honey
Salt (table)	18 g	6 g	Fine table salt
Salt (kosher, Diamond)	9 g	3 g	Coarser crystals, less dense
Salt (kosher, Morton)	14 g	4.7 g	Flatter flakes, denser than Diamond
Baking powder	12 g	4 g	Check expiry date
Baking soda	13 g	4.3 g	More dense than baking powder
Cocoa powder	5 g	1.7 g	Unsweetened, sifted
Cornstarch	8 g	2.7 g	For thickening sauces
Rolled oats	5 g	1.7 g	Very airy
Rice (uncooked)	11 g	3.7 g	Long grain white
Cream cheese	14.5 g	4.8 g	Softened block style
Peanut butter	16 g	5.3 g	Creamy style
Sour cream / Greek yogurt	15 g	5 g	Similar density to water
Lemon juice	15 g	5 g	Nearly same density as water

Why Salt Measurements Vary So Much

The salt row might surprise you — Diamond Crystal kosher salt weighs only 9g per tablespoon while Morton kosher salt weighs 14g, and table salt weighs 18g. The reason is crystal structure: table salt has tiny, dense cubic crystals that pack tightly. Morton has flat compressed flakes. Diamond Crystal has hollow, pyramid-shaped crystals that leave air gaps when you fill a tablespoon.

This means if you substitute Morton for Diamond Crystal in a recipe, you'll get nearly 50% more sodium. Always check which salt a recipe uses — serious cookbook authors specify the brand and type. As a rule of thumb, if a recipe doesn't specify: use half as much kosher salt as table salt.

How to Convert Grams to Tablespoons

Divide the gram weight by the grams-per-tablespoon for your ingredient:

Formula: Tablespoons = Grams ÷ (g per tablespoon)

Example: How many tablespoons is 42g of butter? 42 ÷ 14 = 3 tablespoons of butter.

Example: How many tablespoons is 50g of honey? 50 ÷ 21 = 2.4 tablespoons (about 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon).

Tablespoons to Teaspoons Quick Reference

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons. 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. This relationship is fixed regardless of ingredient. So if you need ⅔ tablespoon, that's 2 teaspoons. If you need ½ tablespoon, that's 1½ teaspoons.

Pro Tips for Small Measure Accuracy

Level your tablespoon. A heaping tablespoon of flour can weigh 50% more than a level one. Always level off dry ingredients with the back of a knife for consistent results.

Use a scale for baking. When a recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of an ingredient, using grams eliminates the variability of how you fill and level the spoon. The scale is always objective.

Nested tablespoon sets vary. Some sets have slightly different volumes. If precision matters (professional baking, food photography), buy a calibrated set and verify with water: 1 tablespoon should hold 15 ml exactly.