Bakers, chefs, and dietitians usually dabble between weight and volume measurements; hence, they convert grams to tablespoons.

You need this grams-to-tablespoon converter if you understand the densities of your ingredients and are trying to adapt recipes from a region different from your instructor.

This article will help you use our converter to obtain the correct measurements for grams to tablespoons and vice versa.

Understanding the difference between weight and volume

Weight is for measuring how heavy an object or ingredient is with tools like a measuring scale in the unit of grams. Volume, on the other hand, measures the space an ingredient occupies like a cup or a teaspoon in this case.

Density is a key factor considered when measuring grams or tablespoons. This is because every ingredient has its own unique density.

Density is mass per unit volume (for kitchen purposes, how many grams fit in 1 mL or 1 tbsp). It is crucial in our measurement because two ingredients with the same volume have different densities.

A common example is a teaspoon of sugar and rice. When you weigh the two, you’ll find out that sugar is denser than the rice because of their weight.

Why conversions vary by ingredient

Conversions of grams and tablespoons vary by ingredient because each one has a different density. That is how much mass fits into a given volume. The actual weight of different ingredients or objects being measured in the same volume varies, specifically tablespoons in our case.

The difference is due to how tightly the item is packed or how much was scooped, especially for loose ingredients like sugar, flour, rice, etc. Practically, a tablespoon of salt is denser than sugar, and knowing how to convert grams to tablespoons brings your recipes near perfection.

How to convert grams to tablespoons

You need two basic things to convert grams to tablespoons. They include the ingredient and the number of grams that fit in 1 tablespoon of that ingredient.

You need these things because you are switching between weight (grams) and volume (tablespoons). And then the link between the two is density, which is how heavy something is for its size.

​​That means you cannot say “1 tbsp = X grams” for everything; you must know which ingredient you’re talking about so you use the right grams‑per‑tablespoon value for that specific food.

Step-by-step conversion formula

The formula for grams to tablespoon conversion is tablespoons = grams divided by grams per tablespoon of that ingredient.

Grams per tablespoon changes with the ingredient you’re measuring and here’s an example of how to calculate it.

1 tablespoon of sugar is approximately 12 grams

1 tablespoon of flour is approximately 8 grams.

That “12 g per tablespoon” or “8 g per tablespoon” is your “grams per tablespoon” number.

Grams to tablespoons for sugar

Now, let’s assume you have 24 grams of sugar and want to convert it to tablespoons.

Tablespoons = 24÷12

And that gives us 2

Therefore, 24 grams of sugar equals 2 tablespoons.

Grams to tablespoons for flour

Flour comes in different forms. Could be all-purpose flour, cake, whole wheat, etc. and they all have their approximate grams per tablespoon size. However, 1 tablespoon of flour of most of them is approximately 8 grams

If 1 tablespoon (tbsp) is 8 grams. This means that 2 tablespoons will be 16 grams, and 3 tbsp equals 24 grams.

To determine the tablespoon value of flour, divide the grams of flour by the grams per tablespoon.

For 40 grams of flour

Tablespoons of flour = 40÷8

= 5 tablespoons

Grams to tablespoons for butter

Unlike flour, which can have varying densities due to different packing methods, the conversion from grams to tablespoons for butter is almost fixed. 1 tablespoon of butter is approximately 14 grams.

Therefore the grams to tablespoon of butter is approximately grams of butter divided by 14

With 10 grams of butter

Tablespoons of butter = 10÷14.

= 0.70 tablespoons

This value is roughly ¾ tablespoon when rounded to a kitchen‑friendly fraction. For context, a kitchen-friendly fraction is one that matches the markings on common measuring cups and spoons, so you can actually measure it easily.

Typical kitchen‑friendly fractions for tablespoons are ¼, ½, ¾, 1, 1½, and 2. For our case, ¾ is a fraction a measuring spoon set can handle directly.

Ingredient-specific conversion chart

This is your go-to table for determining how many grams are in 1 tablespoon or vice versa whenever you’re converting tablespoons to grams. It makes it easier and faster to determine your measurements alongside our gram-to-tablespoon converter.

With this table, it’s clear that different ingredients have their own densities, so this would serve as a quick reference when cooking to get the right figures.

This way, you’ll be able to make accurate calculations. Here’s how to calculate using the figures on the chart.

Let’s say you have 58 grams and want to find the tablespoon measurement of vegetable oil:

Remember your formula: tablespoons = grams ÷ grams per tablespoon

According to the chart, 1 tablespoon = 13.6 grams, which is approximately 14 grams.

Divide the grams by the chart value, i.e., 58 ÷ 14 = 4.14

So you have approximately 4 tablespoons in 58 grams of vegetable oil.

How to measure liquids

Measuring liquids can be a bit different depending on your goal.

An example is with our previous calculation on the vegetable oil, where the goal was to determine the number of tablespoons in the given gram size. That type of calculation demands a grams-to-tablespoons conversion.

However, liquids are generally measured in volume using cups, milliliters (mL), or spoons, so density is not required for everyday measurements.

So liquid measuring cups are used for things like water, milk oil, broth, etc., while measuring spoons are for smaller quantities.

Here are some volume measurements:

1 tablespoon = 15 milliliters (mL)

2 tablespoons = 30 mL

¼ cup = 60 mL

½ cup = 120 mL

1 cup = 240 mL

So if a recipe says ‘3 tablespoons of milk,’ you just fill your tablespoon thrice.

Tips for measuring without a scale

When you don’t have a scale, you’ll be mainly measuring with simple home tools like your cup and spoons. Here are the key things that help you maintain accurate measurements:

1. 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon, 16 tablespoons = 1 cup and 1 cup is approximately 240-250 mL.
2. Small amounts of water, baking powder, oil, and spices can be measured with your tablespoons instead of grams. So if something calls for 15 grams of oil, you can treat it as roughly 1 tablespoon in normal cooking.
3. If you don’t have a cup but have a mug or glass, fill it with water and pour it into a jug or bottle that has mL marks. Once you get your 250 mL capacity, you can then use that quantity as 1 cup with your mug.
4. To avoid back-and-forths, create a mini-reference of sizes you commonly use for your recipes and paste it on your kitchen wall. This way you can reuse your approximations.
5. Having approximate measurements is totally fine. Many home dishes, stews, sauces and stir-fries must not compulsorily have an exact measurement. It’s best to save precise measurements for sensitive baked goods in grams.

How to adjust recipes accurately

When you need to serve more people than usual, recipes must be adjusted. The most accurate way to adjust recipes is by using gram measurements for all your ingredients. Here’s how to calculate it:

Consider your current recipe’s output as the original yield and the new adjustment as the new yield. Remember that the standard measurement for all ingredients in this case is grams.

If your original yield serves 4 people and your new yield would serve 6 people, your conversion factor would be new yield ÷ original yield.

Factor = 6÷4 = 1.5

Once you have this figure, you go ahead and multiply every ingredient by 1.5 or your factor, as the case may be.

200 g flour → 200 × 1.5 = 300 g.

100 g sugar → 100 × 1.5 = 150 g.

2 eggs → 2 × 1.5 = 3 eggs.​

This keeps proportions the same so the recipe behaves correctly.

When using this conversion factor, you need to be careful with certain ingredients, such as salt, spices, and strong flavours. Ideally, it’s best to increase them bit by bit and taste until you get what you’re looking for.