Convert tbsp to tsp US tablespoons ↔ US teaspoons Free Online Secure
Type a value in US tablespoons and read it in US teaspoons at once. The factor is exact by definition, the arithmetic happens in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere.
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Convert from US tablespoons
Convert to US teaspoons
Common values — Convert tbsp to tsp (US tablespoons ↔ US teaspoons)
| tbsp | tsp |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 9 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 10 | 30 |
| 20 | 60 |
| 50 | 150 |
| 100 | 300 |
Where these units come from
The litre has an awkward history. From 1901 it was defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water at its densest, which sounds elegant but came out at 1.000028 cubic decimetres — close enough to be confusing and far enough to spoil careful work. In 1964 the definition was abandoned and the litre became exactly one cubic decimetre, which it has been ever since. The gallon has a messier story still: the US gallon descends from the English wine gallon of 231 cubic inches, while Britain redefined its own in 1824 as the volume of ten pounds of water. Nobody reconciled the two, so a US gallon is 3.785411784 litres and an imperial gallon 4.54609 — about a fifth larger. The gallon, pint, cup, fluid ounce and spoons on this page are the US ones.
Where you meet them
Millilitres and litres run through daily life almost invisibly: bottles, fuel, paint, dosage, the capacity of a kettle. Cubic metres belong to water bills, concrete, shipping and the air a ventilation system has to move. Cubic centimetres name engine displacement, cubic feet appear in freight and in appliance capacities, and cups and spoons live almost entirely in recipes — which is exactly where the difference between a US cup and a metric one quietly ruins a cake.
Questions people ask
How big is a tablespoon?
The US tablespoon on this page is 14.787 millilitres, which is three teaspoons. The metric tablespoon is a round 15 millilitres, and Australia uses 20. A tablespoon from the cutlery drawer is not a measure at all and varies a great deal, so for cooking and medicine use a proper measuring spoon.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Three. The US teaspoon here is 4.929 millilitres, close to the 5 millilitres of the metric one. A teaspoon from the cutlery drawer is not a reliable measure, so when dosing medicine or baking with something strong, such as baking powder, use a measuring spoon.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
Baking powder, baking soda and yeast: a tablespoon is three teaspoons
Biscuit and scone recipes often ask for a whole tablespoon of baking powder, while the cake next to them asks for two teaspoons and the substitute table gives teaspoons of soda and cream of tartar. To compare them you have to convert tbsp to tsp: multiply by 3, since a tablespoon is exactly three teaspoons. One tablespoon of baking powder is 3 teaspoons, 13.8 grams; half a tablespoon is 1.5 teaspoons. This page multiplies as you type, and the text below takes the baker's view: how much raising agent a cup of flour needs, what happens when the spoons are mixed up and how to substitute one agent for another.
The page covers the rule with examples, a note on each unit, a comparison, a tour of leavening and the slips to avoid. All arithmetic happens in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to convert tbsp to tsp: multiply by 3
The rule
One US tablespoon holds exactly three US teaspoons. To convert tbsp to tsp, multiply the tablespoons by 3. So 1 tbsp is 3 tsp, 1.5 tbsp is 4.5 tsp, 2 tbsp is 6 tsp and 4 tbsp is 12 tsp. In the other direction, divide teaspoons by 3.
Worked examples
Half a tablespoon of baking soda is 1.5 teaspoons. A quarter tablespoon is three quarters of a teaspoon. A third of a tablespoon is exactly one teaspoon, two thirds two. Three quarters of a tablespoon is 2.25 teaspoons, the contents of one packet of dry yeast.
Why not 2 or 4
A tablespoon is three teaspoons, though a cup is sixteen tablespoons and a fluid ounce two. Using 2 or 4 changes a quantity by a third, which is plenty to spoil a cake or make a loaf taste of soda.
A quick sanity check
The teaspoon is the smaller unit, so the number triples. If your “convert tbsp to tsp” calculation result is double or quadruple the original, you used the wrong factor.
The tablespoon
Three teaspoons
The US tablespoon is 14.79 millilitres. It is used for larger amounts of leavening, in recipes for biscuits, scones, soda bread and large batches. Many measuring sets mark it as a T or tbsp.
Where it appears
Baking recipes, spoon sets and ingredient labels.
The teaspoon
One third of a tablespoon
The US teaspoon is 4.93 millilitres. Most leavening in cakes and cookies is given in teaspoons, because the quantities are small: 1 to 2 teaspoons per 2 cups of flour. A level spoon is assumed.
Where it appears
Recipes, spice measures and baking tables.
Tablespoon and teaspoon compared
A tablespoon holds three teaspoons. In baking, the confusion is costly: 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a recipe that wants 1 teaspoon is three times too much, and leaves a bitter, soapy taste and a yellow crumb. The opposite error, one teaspoon in place of a tablespoon, gives a flat, dense bake.
The conversion is exact. The danger is in reading the abbreviation: a lower case t is a teaspoon and a capital T a tablespoon, a distinction easy to lose in a handwritten card.
Where the conversion appears
How much leavening per cup of flour
A common guide is 1 to 1.25 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of flour for cakes, so 2 cups, 240 grams, take 2 to 2.5 teaspoons. Biscuits and scones use more, about 1 tablespoon, 3 teaspoons, to 2 cups. Baking soda is used at about half a teaspoon per cup when there is acid in the batter. When you convert tbsp to tsp, you can compare a recipe given in tablespoons with the guide in teaspoons.
Substitutes
One teaspoon of baking powder can be replaced by a quarter teaspoon of baking soda and half a teaspoon of cream of tartar. One tablespoon, 3 teaspoons, needs three quarters of a teaspoon of soda and one and a half of cream of tartar. Yeast is another leavening: a packet of 7 grams is 2.25 teaspoons, three quarters of a tablespoon.
Salt and spices in the same recipe
Recipes for bread use tablespoons of oil and sugar, and teaspoons of salt. A loaf with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 3 teaspoons, and 1.5 teaspoons of salt, half a tablespoon, shows both units at once. Converting everything to teaspoons gives a single scale for scaling a recipe up or down.
Biscuits, scones and soda bread
A batch of biscuits uses 2 cups of flour, 240 grams, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 13.8 grams, and half a teaspoon of salt. A soda bread uses 4 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking soda with buttermilk. Doubling the biscuit recipe needs 2 tablespoons, 6 teaspoons, of baking powder, and the scaling is easy once you know three teaspoons make one tablespoon.
Sweeteners and fats
A tablespoon of sugar, 12.5 grams, is three teaspoons of 4.2. A tablespoon of melted butter, 14 grams, is three of 4.7. A recipe that calls for 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 of sugar, 9 teaspoons in all, can be scaled down to a third by using 3 teaspoons. Small test batches use teaspoons, big ones tablespoons.
In a spreadsheet
Put tablespoons in column A and use =A2*3 in column B. For the reverse, =B2/3. A column with =B2*4.92892159 gives millilitres. Format with two decimals, and keep the source column so that each number can be traced to the recipe. A scaling factor in a separate cell lets you resize the whole recipe.
Rounding
The factor is exact, so no rounding is needed. Fractions of a teaspoon do not exist in sets below an eighth, so 0.375 teaspoons, 3/8, is measured as a quarter plus an eighth. Round down for strong agents such as soda and up for salt only if the taste calls for it. When in doubt, weigh the ingredient.
A mental shortcut
Triple the number: 2 tablespoons make 6 teaspoons, 2.5 make 7.5, one and a third make 4. For fractions, one third is 1, two thirds 2, a half 1.5. The reverse is splitting into threes. The relationship is so simple that it is worth learning by heart, and it makes scaling a recipe quick.
Reference values
1/4 tbsp is 0.75 tsp, 1/3 tbsp is 1, 1/2 tbsp is 1.5, 2/3 tbsp is 2, 3/4 tbsp is 2.25, 1 tbsp is 3, 2 tbsp is 6 and 4 tbsp is 12 tsp. If you convert tbsp to tsp and land far from this ladder, repeat the multiplication.
Checking by reversing
To make sure your “convert tbsp to tsp” calculation result is right, divide it by 3. If 2.5 tbsp gave 7.5 tsp, then 7.5 divided by 3 returns 2.5. A second check is the size of the answer: it should be three times the number you started with.
Cookies and bars
Cookie recipes use teaspoons of baking soda, vanilla and salt, and tablespoons of milk or water. A batch of 24 cookies might use 1 teaspoon of soda, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk, which is 3 teaspoons of liquid. Brownies use a half teaspoon of baking powder and 2 tablespoons of oil, 6 teaspoons. Writing everything in teaspoons gives a single scale for scaling up.
Muffins and quick breads
A dozen muffins take about 2 cups of flour and 2.5 teaspoons of baking powder, close to a tablespoon less half a teaspoon. A banana bread takes 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 0.5 of baking powder. If a recipe is written in tablespoons, as in "1 tbsp baking powder", you convert tbsp to tsp to compare with a friend's recipe in teaspoons before you mix.
Pizza dough and flatbreads
A pizza dough for two bases uses about 2.25 teaspoons of yeast, a packet, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, half a tablespoon, and 1 tablespoon of oil, 3 teaspoons. A flatbread without yeast uses 1 teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour. The three-to-one relation makes it easy to compare recipes written in different spoons, especially from blogs that mix units.
Egg-free and vegan baking
Egg-free cakes use extra baking powder and a splash of vinegar. A cake with 2 cups of flour, 240 grams, takes 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 3 teaspoons of liquid, 15 ml. The reaction between soda and vinegar gives lift. Measuring with spoons is accurate enough for such recipes, and a conversion in either direction helps.
Cakes and cupcakes
A two-layer cake with 2.5 cups of flour needs 2.5 teaspoons of baking powder, and a dozen cupcakes with 1.5 cups need 1.5. Some cake recipes list a tablespoon for large cakes: 1 tablespoon, 3 teaspoons, for 3 cups, 360 grams. The ratio of 1 teaspoon to a cup is a useful check against a recipe that looks too heavy or too light.
Gluten-free flours
Gluten-free flour blends often need more leavening: up to 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder per cup, a half tablespoon. A cake of 2 cups, 240 grams, would take 3 teaspoons, 1 tablespoon. Many gluten-free blends already contain a raising agent, so the label must be checked, and an extra tablespoon, 3 teaspoons, would be too much.
High altitude adjustments
At altitude, recipes need less leavening because air pressure is lower. A common adjustment is to cut baking powder by 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon for each teaspoon. A recipe with 1 tablespoon, 3 teaspoons, would become 2.25 to 2.6 teaspoons at 1,500 metres. These fractions need small spoons, so a conversion from tablespoons to teaspoons is the first step when you convert tbsp to tsp for a mountain kitchen.
Spice mixes and rubs
A barbecue rub may call for 2 tablespoons of paprika, 6 teaspoons, 1 tablespoon of salt, 3 teaspoons, and 1 teaspoon each of pepper and garlic powder. The total is 11 teaspoons, about 3.7 tablespoons, enough for 4 kilograms of meat. Rubs are written in tablespoons for large batches, but small tests in teaspoons, so you must convert in both directions.
Cooking for a crowd
Recipes for a crowd multiply teaspoons into tablespoons: 12 teaspoons of salt is 4 tablespoons, and 36 teaspoons of baking powder is 12 tablespoons, 165 grams. Large bakeries weigh these ingredients rather than measure by spoon. A home cook baking for 100 people often switches to tablespoons and then cups, and a good conversion table avoids mistakes.
Marinades and sauces
A marinade of 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 9 teaspoons, 2 of oil, 6 teaspoons, and 1 of honey, 3 teaspoons, makes 18 teaspoons, 6 tablespoons, 89 millilitres, for four chicken thighs. Written in teaspoons the total is easy to see. Sauces for a single portion use a third of that, 6 teaspoons, and for a crowd of twelve, three times, 54 teaspoons.
Dressings and dips
A ranch dip uses 1 tablespoon of dried herbs, 3 teaspoons, for a cup of yoghurt. A honey mustard dressing uses 2 tablespoons of mustard, 6 teaspoons, and 1 of honey, 3 teaspoons. When recipes appear in different units, convert all spoons to teaspoons first and add them up, then convert the total back to tablespoons for the final measure.
Pancakes and waffles
Pancake batter takes 2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of flour, since it needs to rise on a hot pan. A batch with 1.5 cups of flour needs 3 teaspoons, a tablespoon. A waffle batter with 2 cups of flour needs 4 teaspoons, 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon. Mixing too long loses gas, so measure carefully and stir briefly.
Too much, too little
Too much baking powder makes a cake rise quickly then collapse, with a coarse crumb and a metallic taste. Too little gives a dense, heavy result. A 25 percent error is noticeable, and an error of 200 percent from a tablespoon-for-teaspoon swap is dramatic. The precise measurement of small amounts pays off, and level spoons are essential.
Baking soda and acid
Baking soda needs an acid to work: buttermilk, yoghurt, lemon, brown sugar or cocoa. A recipe with 1 cup of buttermilk takes about half a teaspoon, 2.3 grams, per cup of flour. Too much leaves a soapy taste. A tablespoon, 14 grams, would be far too much for any normal batter, a reminder of how potent the powder is.
Yeast in teaspoons and packets
A packet of dry yeast, 7 grams, is 2.25 teaspoons, three quarters of a tablespoon. A recipe asking for 1 tablespoon, 9 grams, of yeast needs a packet and a quarter. Bakers buy yeast in jars and spoon it out. A tablespoon of instant yeast weighs about 9 grams, so a jar of 113 grams holds roughly 12 tablespoons, 37 teaspoons.
Cream of tartar and other agents
Cream of tartar, 3 grams per teaspoon, stabilises egg whites: 1/4 teaspoon per 2 whites. Baking ammonia and potash appear in old recipes. A quarter tablespoon, three quarters of a teaspoon, of cream of tartar is common in large meringues. You convert tbsp to tsp to find how many teaspoons a recipe wants when it is written in fractions of a tablespoon.
Salt in doughs
Bread dough takes about 2 percent salt by weight of flour: 1.5 teaspoons, 9 grams, per 450 grams. A tablespoon of salt, 18 grams, would be twice as much and slow the yeast. Cakes use a quarter to half a teaspoon. Salt is the ingredient where mixing tablespoons with teaspoons does the most visible harm, so measure with care.
Spices in baking
A spice cake uses 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 7.8 grams, 3 teaspoons, and 1 teaspoon each of ginger and nutmeg. A gingerbread dough for 24 cookies uses 2 tablespoons of ginger, 6 teaspoons, 11 grams. The three-to-one relation helps when combining several spices: a total of 5 teaspoons is a tablespoon and two teaspoons.
More values for convert tbsp to tsp
A longer list of conversions
If the value you need is not in the first list, these further conversions may be close enough to read off directly:
- 0.1 tbsp = 0.3 tsp
- 0.5 tbsp = 1.5 tsp
- 3 tbsp = 9 tsp
- 4 tbsp = 12 tsp
- 7 tbsp = 21 tsp
- 15 tbsp = 45 tsp
- 20 tbsp = 60 tsp
- 75 tbsp = 225 tsp
- 200 tbsp = 600 tsp
- 500 tbsp = 1,500 tsp
- 2,000 tbsp = 6,000 tsp
- 10,000 tbsp = 30,000 tsp
Mistakes when you convert tbsp to tsp
Mixing t and T
Lower case t is a teaspoon, capital T a tablespoon. Write the words out in your own recipes.
Using 2 or 4
A tablespoon is three teaspoons. The other factors belong to other units.
Dividing instead of multiplying
The teaspoon is the smaller unit, so the number grows. If 2.5 tbsp became 0.83, you divided.
Baker's questions
What is one tablespoon in teaspoons?
Exactly three.
What is the quick way to convert tbsp to tsp?
Triple the number of tablespoons.
And a teaspoon in tablespoons?
A third.
How much is two and a half tablespoons?
Seven and a half teaspoons.
Does my figure leave the page?
No, the sum happens in your browser.
Further along the recipe
Nearby converters: Convert tbsp to ml, Convert ml to tsp, Convert tsp to ml, Convert km to mi, Convert mi to km, Convert °C to °F, Convert °F to °C, Convert L/100km to MPG (UK), Convert m² to ha. For the way back, open Convert tsp to tbsp.
The takeaway: to convert tbsp to tsp, triple the number and keep the unit beside it. Your figure stays on your device, with no account and no upload.