Tablespoons to cups converter
Convertersconversion pair
Convert tablespoons to cups instantly: 16 tablespoons make 1 cup. Frosting, glazes and scaled-up recipes, with the exact math.
16 tablespoons is a cup — a fact that only matters while doubling frosting.
work surface
Math, not advice — results are indicative. Read the disclaimer.
pro tips
Anchor it: 16 tbsp = 1 cup, 8 = 1/2, 4 = 1/4. Most recipes are one of those wearing a costume.
3 teaspoons hide in every tablespoon — the conversion that keeps the small spoons employed.
12 tablespoons is 3/4 cup: the amount every cookie recipe describes as "a stick and a half".
what it does
The tablespoons-to-cups trick divides by 16. That's the whole secret: a cup is sixteen tablespoons in a trenchcoat, and recipes switch between the two whenever it's inconvenient.
It shows up when recipes scale up: a glaze asking for 8 tablespoons of butter (half a cup, and your forearm knows it), syrup measured in tablespoons for a family of four, and any recipe that says "1/3 cup of honey" while the honey jar quietly wins.
The rough version counts by fours: 4 tablespoons is a quarter cup, 8 is a half. Under that, stay in tablespoons; over it, graduate to cups. The border is where recipes get poetic and the widget stays literal.
Type any tablespoon number and the widget answers in cups instantly, with the math in the hint. Click the result to copy it, and hit swap when the recipe shrinks back down — the cups-to-tablespoons version handles the small end.
quick answers
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
16 US tablespoons. It's the rare imperial conversion that lands on a whole number, so enjoy it.
Is 8 tablespoons half a cup?
Yes — 8 tbsp is exactly 1/2 cup, which is also one stick of butter. The wrapper has been saying this for decades.
What is 6 tablespoons in cups?
0.375 cup — or 3/8, which is why recipes stop at "6 tablespoons" and let the cups gossip.
Are US and Australian tablespoons the same?
No — a US tablespoon is about 15 ml, an Australian one is 20 ml. This page converts US tablespoons, the ones in American recipes.