This detailed guide includes everything you need to know about tablespoons, ounces, how many tablespoons are in an ounce, and how to convert dry and liquid ounces to tablespoons.
How many tablespoons are in an ounce?
There are 2 tablespoons in an ounce and there are 0.5 ounces in one tablespoon. This is true for fluid ounces which are used for liquids. The answer is not that straightforward for dry ounces which are used to measure dry ingredients (discussed in detail later in this article).
How this information can be helpful? If you don’t have tools to measure ounces for your recipe, you can use a tablespoon for measuring. However, for larger quantities, it’s best to use a liquid measuring cup.
What is a tablespoon?
A tablespoon is a unit to measure volume which can be used to measure both dry and liquid ingredients. The size of this unit varies by region. In the United States, a tablespoon is approximately 14.8 ml (0.50 US fl oz) while in the UK and Canada, a tablespoon is 15 ml.
The Australian tablespoon varies quite a bit from other regions and is set at 20 ml.
A tablespoon is abbreviated as “tbsp”, “T” or “Tb”, while a teaspoon is abbreviated as “tsp” or “t”. (Also one tablespoon is equal to 3 teaspoons, except in Australia where one tablespoon is equal to 4 teaspoons).
A brief history: Did you know there were times in the past when people used to carry their spoons? A tablespoon was used for different purposes – as an eating spoon and a serving spoon. Today, it is not only a utensil in the kitchen but also a measuring spoon.
What is an ounce?
An ounce is a unit of measurement that can be used for both liquid and dry ingredients. As a unit of weight, an ounce is approximately 28.35 grams.
A fluid ounce is a measure of volume and is used for liquids. One US fluid ounce is equal to 29.57 milliliters.
Fluid ounces vs dry ounces
‘Fluid ounces’ is a term that is used to measure volume and is typically used for liquids, whereas ‘dry ounces’ refers to a weight measurement, usually used for dry ingredients.
A brief history: The term “ounce” was derived from the Latin word “uncia” which represented 1/12 of a Roman copper bar. It was used as a tool to measure both an ounce’s weight and an inch’s length. However, due to the changes brought by the English system, the ounce was defined as 1/16 of a pound.
How many tablespoons are in a fluid ounce (liquid)?
One fluid ounce has 2 tablespoons (1 oz = 2 tbsp).
How to convert fluid ounces to tablespoons?
Both fluid ounces and tablespoons are used to measure volume so the conversion of fluid ounces to tablespoons is easy. To convert any number of fluid ounces to tablespoons, just multiply it by 2.
For example, to convert 6 fluid ounces to tablespoons, we can multiply 6 by 2 which will give us 12 tablespoons. (6 fluid ounces × 2 = 12 tablespoons).
Common conversions are:
- 2 oz to tbsp = 4 tbsp
- 4 oz to tbsp = 8 tbsp
- 5 oz to tbsp = 10 tbsp
- 10 oz to tbsp = 20 tbsp
(Similarly, to convert tablespoons to fluid ounces, we can divide fluid ounces by 2. You can also see this detailed tablespoons-to-ounces conversion guide with charts).
Fluid ounces to tablespoons conversion chart
Below you can find a chart that shows the conversion of fluid ounces (fl oz) to tablespoons (tbsp). Fluid ounces are used for liquids like water, tea, milk, etc.
- ¼ fluid ounce (fl oz) is equal to 0.5 tablespoons (tbsp)
- ⅓ fluid ounce (fl oz) is equal to 0.67 tablespoons (tbsp)
- ½ fluid ounce (fl oz) is equal to 1 tablespoon (tbsp)
- 3/4 fluid ounce (fl oz) is equal to 1.5 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 fluid ounce (fl oz) is equal to 2 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1.5 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 3 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 2 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 4 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 2.5 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 5 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 3 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 6 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 3.5 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 7 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 4 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 8 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 4.5 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 9 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 5 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 10 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 6 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 12 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 7 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 14 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 8 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 16 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 9 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 18 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 10 fluid ounces (fl oz) is equal to 20 tablespoons (tbsp)
How many tablespoons are in a dry ounce?
The number of tablespoons in a dry ounce will depend on the ingredient. When we say, dry ounce, we are talking about dry ingredients like sugar, flour, salt, etc.
How to convert dry ounces to tablespoons?
Tablespoons measure volume, while dry ounces measure weight. Converting between different types of units requires some measurements and calculations. (There is a chart of conversion for common ingredients used in the kitchen below the calculation part)
There are different ways to do the conversion. Just remember that one dry ounce weighs 28.35 grams which is 1/16th of a pound and one tablespoon is approximately 15 ml.
Method 1
The first method involves the use of the density of an ingredient which is in g/ml. We can multiply that by 15. This will give us the approximate weight of an ingredient in one tablespoon. Then divide 28.35 by the approximate weight of one tablespoon.
This will give us the number of tablespoons in an ounce. But, this is a tedious process. Before doing any calculations we have to look for the density of an ingredient.
Method 2
The second method is actually an ideal way to the conversion. This involves weighing one tablespoon of an ingredient on a kitchen scale.
If your scale gives value only in grams: Weigh one tablespoon of the ingredient. Note the value you get in grams. Then divide 28.35 by the value you got. This will give you the number of tablespoons in a dry ounce of that particular ingredient.
For example, 1 tablespoon of an ingredient weighs 7 grams. The number of tablespoons in an ounce will be 28.35 divided by 7, which is approx. 4 tablespoons in one oz. (28.35 ÷ 7 = 4 tablespoons).
The formula here is: 28.35 ÷ weight of one tablespoon of the ingredient in grams = Total number of tablespoons of the ingredient in one ounce
If your scale can weigh in ounces: This is the easiest of all. For example, a tablespoon of an ingredient weighs 0.2 ounces. 0.2 ounces = 1 tablespoon, so 1 ounce will be 1 divided by 0.2, which will be 5 tablespoons (tbsp) in one oz.
The formula here is: 1 ÷ weight of one tablespoon of the ingredient in ounces = Total number of tablespoons of the ingredient in one ounce
Dry ounces to tablespoons conversion of common kitchen ingredients
If you do not want to do calculations, you can refer to the chart below which shows the conversion of dry ounces to tablespoons of some of the common cooking ingredients. (Note: the values are approximate only). You can also pin, save or print the charts.
A list of common dry ingredients with the conversion of ounces (oz) to tablespoons (tbsp).
- 1 ounce (oz) of all-purpose flour = 3.76 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of almond flour = 4.74 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of applesauce = 1.78 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of baking powder = 2.27 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of baking soda = 1.64 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of dried bread crumbs = 4 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of bread flour = 3.76 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of buckwheat flour = 3.76 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of butter = 2 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of chickpea flour = 5.33 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of chocolate chips = 2.67 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of cinnamon = 3.47 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of cocoa powder = 3.73 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of coconut flour = 3.56 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of cornstarch = 4 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of cream cheese = 2 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of dates chopped = 3 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of dry whole milk powder = 4.57 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of ghee = 2.67 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of gluten-free all-purpose flour = 2.9 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of oat flour = 4.92 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of peanut butter = 1.68 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of quinoa flour = 4.06 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of table salt = 1.6 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of semolina flour = 2.78 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of sour cream = 2 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of brown sugar = 2.2 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of granulated sugar = 2.29 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of powdered sugar = 3.53 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of tapioca starch = 4 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of vanilla extract = 2 tablespoons (tbsp)
- 1 ounce (oz) of instant yeast = 3.33 tablespoons (tbsp)
How to use measuring tablespoons for liquid or wet ingredients?
To measure larger quantities of liquids, it is best to use a liquid measuring cup that has a pouring spout as this can prevent spillage.
One can use tablespoons to measure smaller quantities. When using a measuring tablespoon, fill it just up to the level of the brim. Also, keep the container you want to add the ingredient into close by. This will prevent any spills.
How to use measuring tablespoons for dry ingredients?
There are different ways to fill a tablespoon. Most of the time, unless a recipe specifies, a tablespoon is filled as a level tablespoon.
- Level tablespoon: This is filled to the top. Just like a measuring cup, the top surface is leveled and excess is removed by using a straight edge of the knife. This is closest to one tablespoon.
- Scant tablespoon: This means the dry ingredient is filled till just below the brim. So, it is slightly less than one tablespoon.
- Rounded tablespoon: This is filled with an ingredient equally below and above the brim, approximating to about two tablespoons.
- Heaping tablespoon: This is filled with an ingredient to the maximum possible extent, and it can hold three to four, or even more, tablespoons worth of the ingredient.
How to measure dry ingredients on a kitchen scale?
The following measures may help you in measuring the dry ingredients accurately.
- Step 1: Lay the kitchen scale on a flat surface and turn it on.
- Step 2: Place a container on the scale and press the tare button to reset the value to 0.
- Step 3: Add a tablespoon of the ingredient to the container and note the measurement value.
- Step 4: If needed, do the necessary calculations.
Takeaway
There are 2 tablespoons in one fluid ounce (this is only for liquids). The number of tablespoons in a dry ounce will vary depending on the ingredient. The best way to convert dry ounces to tablespoons is to use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients and do the conversion.
Other useful conversions: