Measuring ingredients with tablespoons instead of cups is really easy once you understand how it works. Questions like how many tablespoons in a half cup often appear when trying to adapt a recipe or simply use the tools on hand. Let’s discuss this easy conversion, along with other common tablespoon conversions!
How Many Tablespoons In A Half Cup?
Short answer: One cup equals 16 tablespoons, so there are 8 tablespoons in ½ cup.
½ cup is a volume that often appears for recipe ingredients, so knowing this conversion will help you a lot when cooking and baking.
Based on it, you can perform other cups to tablespoons conversions and you won’t even have to check the Internet for that!
What Is A Tablespoon?
Tablespoons are measuring units of volume used in the United States for cooking, baking, and other purposes. In recipes, they usually have an abbreviated form, such as “tbsp“, “tbs”, or “tb“.
One tablespoon is equivalent to, 1/16 cup, ½ fluid ounce, or 3 teaspoons.
Measuring tablespoons in countries using the metric system such as the UK and Canada have a different volume. Here’s how they compare:
- 1 US tablespoon = 14.8 ml (0.5 US fl oz)
- 1 UK tablespoon = 15 ml (0.51 US fl oz)
- 1 Canadian tablespoon = 15 ml (0.51 US fl oz)
- 1 Australian tablespoon = 20 ml (0.68 US fl oz)
What Is A Cup?
Cups are another common unit of volume in the United States and just like tablespoons, they’re part of the U.S. customary system.
In recipes, you’ll find it as “c” or “C“. One cup equals 16 tablespoons, 48 teaspoons, 8 fluid ounces, or 237 milliliters.
Different Types Of Cups
The standard customary cup mentioned above is used to measure ingredients in the United States. ½ customary cup is equivalent to:
- ½ US Cup = 8 US tablespoons
- ½ US Cup = 118.294 ml
- ½ US Cup = 7.89 metric tablespoons
Besides the customary cup, there’s another cup used in the USA. It’s called a US legal cup and it’s employed mainly for nutrition labeling.
- ½ US Legal Cup = 8.115 US tablespoons
- ½ US Legal Cup = 120 ml
- ½ US Legal Cup = 8 metric tablespoons
Countries using the metric system, such as Australia, Canada, And South Africa rely on the metric cup which is different from both the customary and legal cups.
½ Metric Cup = 125 ml
The imperial cup is less seen these days, but you might find it in old recipes from when the United Kingdom used the British imperial system.
½ Imperial Cup = 142.07 ml
Liquid vs Dry Measuring Cups
The difference between liquid and dry measuring cups is suggested by their names. They both have the same volume but one was made for measuring wet ingredients and the other works better for measuring dry ingredients.
Liquid measuring cups are usually transparent, have scale markings, and a beak for easy pouring of fluids.
When you only have one type you can use it to measure both dry and liquid ingredients.
Otherwise, I recommend you have both and use them appropriately. Some recipes, especially baked goods require accurate measuring and you’ll need the proper tools to do that.
How To Convert ½ Cup To Tablespoons
To measure half cup using tablespoons, or any other quantity noted in cups, use the formula below:
We know 1 cup = 16 tablespoons, so
1 Tablespoon = 1/16 Cups
#Tablespoons = #Cups x 16
For ½ cup, the equation becomes
#Tablespoons = 1/2 Cups x 16 = 8
So ½ Cups = 8 Tablespoons
More Tablespoon Conversions
You don’t need to make any of the conversions above. Use this handy conversion chart with tablespoons, cups, teaspoons, fluid ounces, and milliliters whenever you’re trying to adapt a recipe!
| Cups | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Fluid Ounces | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 48 tsp | 8 fl oz | 237 |
| ¾ cup | 12 | 36 tsp | 6 fl oz | 177 |
| ⅔ cup | 10 ⅔ tbsp | 32 tsp | 4 ⅔ fl oz | 156 |
| ½ cup | 8 tbsp | 24 tsp | 4 fl oz | 118 |
| ⅓ cup | 5 ⅓ tbsp | 16 tsp | 2 ⅓ fl oz | 78 |
| ¼ cup | 4 tbsp | 12 tsp | 2 fl oz | 59 |
| 1/6 cup | 2 ⅔ tbsp | 8 tsp | 1 ⅓ fl oz | 39 |
| ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp | 6 tsp | 1 fl oz | 30 |
| 1/16 cup | 1 tbsp | 3 tsp | ½ fl oz | 15 |
You can use the conversion table above for any kind of ingredient you want to measure by volume.
If you’d like to be precise with your measurements, investing in a kitchen scale is totally worth it! It will give you the most accurate quantities so your recipes always turn out perfect.
How To Measure Using Cups And Tablespoons
Now that you know how many tablespoons is half a cup, I need to mention how you measure is just as important as making the conversion correctly.
Adhering to best practices when measuring with cups and tablespoons is not optional if you want to avoid measuring errors.
Both cups and tablespoons are units of volume and how you use them depends mainly if you’re trying to measure dry or wet ingredients.
To use a liquid measuring cup, place it on a flat surface and keep it at eye level as you pour the wet ingredient to the appropriate marking.
Measuring dry ingredients will require a dry measuring cup, tablespoons, or teaspoons. Using tablespoons and teaspoons for smaller volumes will give you more accurate measurements.
To start, you might need to stir the dry ingredient first in order to loosen it.
Scoop or pour the ingredient into the cup and level it off in one sweeping motion using a spatula, knife, or similar tool. You can even use your finger if nothing else is on hand.
The above method also applies to measuring dry ingredients with tablespoons and teaspoons.
Be careful not to over or under-pack the ingredient. This is one of the most common mistakes that lead to incorrect measurements.
Make sure your measuring utensils are clean and dry. This is another potential problem since moisture and dirt can cause ingredients to stick inside the cup or spoon and you’ll get less than you need.
Other Unit And Kitchen Conversion Resources
Converting between measuring units and adjusting recipes can feel like a daunting task.
Keep in mind there is always a formula you can use, regardless of what you’re trying to convert. These guides offer more essential unit conversions and the free conversion charts will be of great help for cooking and baking.
- How Many Cups In A Pound?
- How Many Tablespoons In An Ounce?
- How Many Tablespoons In A Cup?
- Free Kitchen Conversion Chart
- Baking Pan Conversion Chart
- How To Cut A Recipe In Half Free Printable
I like to keep all my kitchen printables in my recipe binder and I recommend you do the same. It always helps me skip the formalities and get straight to cooking!
F.A.Q.
There are 16 tablespoons in one cup, so 8 tablespoons are equivalent to ½ cup.
⅛ cup equals 2 tablespoons, 6 teaspoons, 1 fluid ounce, or 30 milliliters. You can measure flour or any other ingredient called by a recipe in cups using tablespoons or teaspoons instead of cups.
A kitchen scale will provide the most accurate measurements so I recommend you use it if you have one.
No. One US customary cup is equivalent to 16 tablespoons, 48 teaspoons, 8 fluid ounces, or 237 milliliters. 2 tablespoons equal ⅛ cup, 6 teaspoons, 1 fluid ounce, or 30 milliliters.
“Tsp” is the short form for teaspoon, and “tbsp” or “tbs” is an abbreviation of tablespoon. Both are measurement units of volume and a tablespoon is bigger than a teaspoon. One tablespoon is equivalent to 3 teaspoons.
1Tbsp = 3 Tsp
Yes! One US customary cup is equivalent to 16 tablespoons, or 8 fluid ounces. This means ½ US customary cup equals 8 tablespoons or 4 fluid ounces.
⅔ cup equals 10 ⅔ tablespoons, or 10 tablespoons and 3 teaspoons, or 32 teaspoons.
Final Words
Once you know that one cup equals 16 tablespoons you’ll have no problem converting between these two measuring units. Whether you need to find out how many tablespoons are in a half cup, a quarter cup, or another increment, simply divide 16 by that number.
For example, if you need to measure ¼ cup in tablespoons, divide 16 by 4. This means you’ll need 4 tablespoons to measure ¼ cup.
When you need to quickly convert tablespoons to another measuring unit like teaspoons, ounces, or milliliters, use the handy chart above. Happy cooking!
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