Grams to Tablespoons: Butter, Flour, Sugar & 25+ Ingredients
*Quick answer: 1 tablespoon of butter = 14g. 1 tablespoon of flour = 8g. 1 tablespoon of sugar = 12.5g. To convert grams to tablespoons, divide the grams by the weight-per-tablespoon for that ingredient. Or skip the math — use our unit converter.
I was halfway through a French butter cake recipe when I realized the problem. The recipe listed everything in grams — 85g butter, 60g flour, 150g sugar. I didn't have a kitchen scale. What I did have: a set of measuring spoons and mild panic.
Turns out, converting grams to tablespoons is straightforward once you know one number: how many grams that ingredient weighs per tablespoon. Butter is 14g. Flour is 8g. Divide and you're done. The tricky part is that every ingredient has a different number.
Here's everything I've put together so you don't have to do the math mid-recipe.
Grams to Tablespoons Conversion Charts
Butter
Butter is the most common reason people search for grams-to-tablespoons conversions. European and professional recipes almost always list butter in grams. Here's the full breakdown:
| Grams | Tablespoons | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10g | 0.7 tbsp | just under 3/4 tbsp |
| 14g | 1 tbsp | exact |
| 25g | 1.8 tbsp | just under 2 tbsp |
| 28g | 2 tbsp | exact |
| 50g | 3.6 tbsp | about 3 1/2 tbsp |
| 57g | 4 tbsp | 1/4 cup |
| 75g | 5.4 tbsp | about 5 1/3 tbsp |
| 100g | 7.1 tbsp | about 7 tbsp |
| 113g | 8 tbsp | 1 stick / 1/2 cup |
| 227g | 16 tbsp | 2 sticks / 1 cup |
Flour, Sugar & Baking Staples
Each ingredient has a different weight per tablespoon because of density. Here's the chart for the ingredients you'll convert most often:
| Ingredient | Grams per 1 tbsp | 50g = ? tbsp | 100g = ? tbsp |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 8g | 6.3 tbsp | 12.5 tbsp |
| Granulated sugar | 12.5g | 4 tbsp | 8 tbsp |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 14g | 3.6 tbsp | 7.1 tbsp |
| Powdered sugar | 8g | 6.3 tbsp | 12.5 tbsp |
| Cocoa powder | 7g | 7.1 tbsp | 14.3 tbsp |
| Cornstarch | 8g | 6.3 tbsp | 12.5 tbsp |
Fats, Liquids & Other Ingredients
| Ingredient | Grams per 1 tbsp | 50g = ? tbsp | 100g = ? tbsp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 13.5g | 3.7 tbsp | 7.4 tbsp |
| Vegetable oil | 14g | 3.6 tbsp | 7.1 tbsp |
| Coconut oil (melted) | 14g | 3.6 tbsp | 7.1 tbsp |
| Honey | 21g | 2.4 tbsp | 4.8 tbsp |
| Maple syrup | 20g | 2.5 tbsp | 5 tbsp |
| Milk | 15g | 3.3 tbsp | 6.7 tbsp |
| Heavy cream | 15g | 3.3 tbsp | 6.7 tbsp |
| Table salt | 18g | 2.8 tbsp | 5.6 tbsp |
| Peanut butter | 16g | 3.1 tbsp | 6.3 tbsp |
How to Convert Any Ingredient (The Formula)
The formula is simple:
tablespoons = grams / grams-per-tablespoon
That's it. You need one number — the weight of 1 tablespoon of that ingredient — and you divide.
Worked example: A recipe calls for 70g of honey. One tablespoon of honey weighs 21g.
70 / 21 = 3.3 tablespoons
Round to 3 1/3 tablespoons or just go slightly over 3 tablespoons. Close enough for cooking.
If you don't want to do this math every time, the unit converter handles it instantly for any ingredient and any unit.
Why 50g of Flour ≠ 50g of Butter (in Tablespoons)
This trips people up constantly. "50 grams is 50 grams — shouldn't it convert the same?"
No. Because tablespoons measure volume, and different ingredients have different densities. Here's how 50g looks in tablespoons for three common ingredients:
- 50g butter = 3.6 tablespoons (dense, heavy)
- 50g flour = 6.3 tablespoons (light, airy)
- 50g honey = 2.4 tablespoons (very dense, heavy)
This is also why you can't use a single "grams to tablespoons" multiplier. Anyone who tells you "1 gram = 0.067 tablespoons" is giving you the water conversion, and it's wrong for literally every other ingredient.
When Grams-to-Tablespoons Conversion Actually Makes Sense
Be honest with yourself about when this conversion is useful and when it's a crutch.
Converting grams to tablespoons works for:
Stop converting and use a different approach when:*
- The recipe is for baking pastry, bread, or macarons — buy a scale, they cost $12
- You're converting more than 100g of something — switch to cups at that point (check our cups to grams guide for those conversions)
- You're scaling a recipe up or down — tablespoon math gets messy fast
- You bake more than twice a month — a scale will pay for itself in saved ingredients
FAQ
How many tablespoons is 100g of butter?
100g of butter is approximately 7.1 tablespoons (just over 7 tablespoons). For reference, a full stick of US butter is 113g, which is exactly 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup.
Is the grams-to-tablespoons ratio the same for all ingredients?
No — and this is the most common mistake people make. Every ingredient has a different density, so the conversion changes. A tablespoon of honey (21g) weighs almost three times more than a tablespoon of flour (8g). Always use the ingredient-specific conversion.
Do Australian tablespoons convert differently?
Yes. An Australian tablespoon is 20ml, while a US/UK tablespoon is 15ml. That's 33% larger. If you're following an Australian recipe that lists grams, the conversion charts above still work — grams are grams regardless of country. But if you're converting the other direction (Australian tablespoons to grams), multiply the standard grams-per-tablespoon by 1.33.
How do I convert grams to tablespoons without a chart?
You need to know one fact: the weight of 1 tablespoon of that ingredient. Then divide your gram amount by that number. For common ingredients — butter is 14g/tbsp, sugar is 12.5g/tbsp, flour is 8g/tbsp, honey is 21g/tbsp. Memorize those four and you'll cover 80% of recipes. For everything else, check the reverse conversion chart or use our converter tool.
Should I just buy a kitchen scale instead?
If you bake regularly — yes, absolutely. A $12 digital scale eliminates all conversion math entirely. You put a bowl on the scale, hit tare, and add ingredients by weight. No measuring spoons to wash, no rounding errors, no density confusion. For casual cooking, tablespoon conversions are fine. For baking, a scale is the single best upgrade you can make.
Next Steps
- Use the unit converter for instant grams-to-tablespoons math
- Going the other direction? See tablespoon to grams for the reverse chart
- Converting larger amounts? Check cups to grams for cup-level conversions