15 grams in tablespoons, by ingredient
All 35 ingredients in the site’s density set. Read across for tablespoons, teaspoons, and the closest combination of US measuring spoons.
| Ingredient | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Measure as (US spoons) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honey | 0.71 | 2.1 | 2 tsp |
| Maple syrup | 0.77 | 2.3 | 2 1/4 tsp |
| Table salt | 0.83 | 2.5 | 2 1/2 tsp |
| Peanut butter | 0.93 | 2.8 | 2 3/4 tsp |
| Yogurt | 0.98 | 2.9 | 1 tbsp |
| Milk | 0.98 | 3 | 1 tbsp |
| Heavy cream | 1.01 | 3 | 1 tbsp |
| Water | 1.01 | 3 | 1 tbsp |
| Cream cheese | 1.03 | 3.1 | 1 tbsp |
| Sour cream | 1.04 | 3.1 | 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp |
| Baking powder | 1.04 | 3.1 | 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp |
| Butter | 1.06 | 3.2 | 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp |
| Brown sugar, packed | 1.09 | 3.3 | 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp |
| Vegetable oil | 1.1 | 3.3 | 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp |
| Olive oil | 1.11 | 3.3 | 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp |
| Granulated sugar | 1.2 | 3.6 | 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp |
| Brown rice, uncooked | 1.26 | 3.8 | 1 tbsp + 3/4 tsp |
| White rice, uncooked | 1.3 | 3.9 | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| Chocolate chips | 1.41 | 4.2 | 1 tbsp + 1 1/4 tsp |
| Semolina | 1.44 | 4.3 | 1 tbsp + 1 1/4 tsp |
| Raisins | 1.45 | 4.4 | 1 tbsp + 1 1/4 tsp |
| Cornmeal | 1.6 | 4.8 | 1 tbsp + 1 3/4 tsp |
| Cornstarch | 1.88 | 5.6 | 1 tbsp + 2 1/2 tsp |
| Bread flour | 1.89 | 5.7 | 1 tbsp + 2 3/4 tsp |
| All-purpose flour | 2 | 6 | 2 tbsp |
| Whole wheat flour | 2 | 6 | 2 tbsp |
| Powdered sugar | 2 | 6 | 2 tbsp |
| Coconut flour | 2 | 6 | 2 tbsp |
| Walnuts, chopped | 2 | 6 | 2 tbsp |
| Cake flour | 2.11 | 6.3 | 2 tbsp + 1/4 tsp |
| Almond flour | 2.5 | 7.5 | 2 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp |
| Almonds, sliced | 2.61 | 7.8 | 2 tbsp + 1 3/4 tsp |
| Rolled oats | 2.67 | 8 | 2 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| Cocoa powder | 2.79 | 8.4 | 2 tbsp + 2 1/4 tsp |
| Shredded coconut | 2.82 | 8.5 | 2 tbsp + 2 1/2 tsp |
Sorted from the heaviest ingredient (fewest spoons) to the lightest. Level US spoons.
Why 15 grams is not always 1 tablespoon
A metric tablespoon holds 15 millilitres, and 15 millilitres of water weighs 15 grams. That is where the idea that “15 g is a tablespoon” comes from. It is true for water and close for milk and thin liquids.
It stops being true as soon as the ingredient is lighter or heavier than water. Honey is about 1.44 times as dense as water, so 15 g of honey is only 0.71 tablespoons. Flour is about half as dense, so 15 g of flour is two full tablespoons. Cocoa powder is lighter still: 15 g fills 2.79 tablespoons.
The US tablespoon adds a small second difference. It holds 14.79 ml, not 15, so even 15 g of water is 1.01 US tablespoons. That gap is too small to matter in cooking.
The formula
Tablespoons = 15 ÷ grams per tablespoon of the ingredient. The grams per tablespoon is the ingredient’s weight per US cup divided by 16. For granulated sugar that is 200 ÷ 16 = 12.5 g, so 15 g of sugar is 15 ÷ 12.5 = 1.2 tablespoons.
Teaspoons = tablespoons × 3. For amounts under about 2 tablespoons, teaspoons give a closer measure, because the gap between 1 and 2 tablespoons is large.
Worked examples
A salad dressing calls for 15 g of honey. 15 ÷ 21.25 = 0.71 tablespoons, which is 2.12 teaspoons. Measure 2 level teaspoons; the difference is under a gram.
A recipe uses 15 g of olive oil. 15 ÷ 13.5 = 1.11 tablespoons. Measure 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp.
A brownie recipe needs 15 g of cocoa powder. 15 ÷ 5.38 = 2.79 tablespoons. Measure 2 tbsp + 2 1/4 tsp, with the cocoa spooned in loosely and levelled.
Amounts close to 15 grams
Many kitchen scales show whole grams only. At 15 g, one gram is almost 7 percent of the amount, so for small weights of strong ingredients such as salt, baking powder or spices, a measuring spoon from the table above can be as accurate as the scale.
People often search for 14 g, 12.5 g or 20 g as well. 14 g is one tablespoon of butter, and 12.5 g is one tablespoon of sugar. This table covers the amounts around 15 g for five common ingredients.
| Grams | Water | Olive oil | Sugar | Honey | Flour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 g | 0.68 | 0.74 | 0.8 | 0.47 | 1.33 |
| 12 g | 0.81 | 0.89 | 0.96 | 0.56 | 1.6 |
| 12.5 g | 0.84 | 0.93 | 1 | 0.59 | 1.67 |
| 14 g | 0.95 | 1.04 | 1.12 | 0.66 | 1.87 |
| 15 g | 1.01 | 1.11 | 1.2 | 0.71 | 2 |
| 16 g | 1.08 | 1.19 | 1.28 | 0.75 | 2.13 |
| 18 g | 1.22 | 1.33 | 1.44 | 0.85 | 2.4 |
| 20 g | 1.35 | 1.48 | 1.6 | 0.94 | 2.67 |
Tablespoons for amounts near 15 g.
Questions about 15 grams
- Is 15 grams of sugar 1 tablespoon?
- No. 15 g of granulated sugar is 1.2 tablespoons, which is 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon. One tablespoon of sugar is 12.5 g. See grams of sugar to tablespoons for other sugars.
- How many tablespoons is 15 grams of butter?
- 1.06 tablespoons, just over one. See tablespoons of butter in grams.
- How many teaspoons is 15 grams of salt?
- 2.5 teaspoons of fine table salt. Kosher and flaky salts are lighter per spoon, so weigh them.
Where these numbers come from
The per-cup weights are the site’s published density set, listed with sources on the cups to grams page. Dry ingredients follow the King Arthur Baking weight chart where it lists them, and liquids follow USDA FoodData Central. The US tablespoon is half a US fluid ounce, 14.79 ml. US nutrition labels round the tablespoon to 15 ml.