Quick Summary: There are 4 tablespoons in ¼ cup in the US system, which also equals 12 teaspoons or 2 fluid ounces. This guide covers the conversion for different cup sizes and includes a free printable tablespoon conversion chart.
Jump to:
- American cup size
- Different cup sizes
- What is a tablespoon?
- Tablespoon sizes
- How many tablespoons in a quarter cup
- How to convert ¼ cup to tablespoons
- ¼ cup to tablespoons conversion
- How many teaspoons in ¼ cup?
- US tablespoon vs. metric tablespoon
- How many tablespoons of butter in ¼ cup
- How to measure ¼ cup
- Tablespoon conversion chart
- Printable conversion charts
- Other measurement conversions
- Conclusion
- FAQ
- Comments
American cup size
The United States has its own measurement convention called 'US cups,' where ¼ customary or ¼ standard measuring cup is equal:
- ¼ US Cup = 59.157 mL
- ¼ US Cup = 4 US tablespoons (tbsp)
- ¼ US Cup = 3.943 metric tablespoons (United Kingdom, international)
An American tablespoon equals 0.0625 American cups.
The legal US cup is used in cooking units, serving sizes, and nutrition labeling in the USA.
- ¼ US Legal Cup = 60 mL
- ¼ US Legal Cup = 4.058 US tablespoons (tbsp)
- ¼ US Legal Cup = 4 metric tablespoons (UK, international)
Different cup sizes
A US cup differs slightly from those in other English-speaking countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. These countries operate metric measurements:
- ¼ Metric Cup = 62.5 milliliters (mL)
Old recipes in the United Kingdom use the British imperial system, where an Imperial (UK) cup is a non-metric unit of volume. Modern British recipes use the UK metric cup.
- ¼ Imperial Cup = 71.03 mL
- ¼ UK Metric Cup = 62.5 mL
| 1 cup | Milliliters | ¼ cup | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Customary Cup | 236.59 ml | US Customary Cup | 59.15 ml |
| US Legal Cup | 240 ml | US Legal Cup | 60 ml |
| UK Metric Cup | 250 ml | UK Metric Cup | 62.5 ml |
| UK Imperial Cup | 284.13 ml | UK Imperial Cup | 71.03 ml |
| Australian Cup | 250 ml | Australian Cup | 62.5 ml |
| Canadian Cup | 250 ml | Canadian Cup | 62.5 ml |
| South African Cup | 250 ml | South African Cup | 62.5 ml |
What is a tablespoon?
A tablespoon is a unit of volume used to measure ingredients when cooking and baking. In the US system, one tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons or about 15 milliliters, and it is written as tablespoon or T.
Tablespoon sizes
A tablespoon, a measure of volume, also varies across regions of the world. However, most countries, except the USA and Australia, use a metric tablespoon of 15 ml.
Here are different sizes of tablespoons:
- 1 US tablespoon = 14.8 ml or 0.5 US fl oz
- 1 UK tablespoon = 15 ml
- 1 Canadian tablespoon = 15 ml or 0.51 US fl oz
- 1 Australian tablespoon = 20 ml or 0.68 US fl oz
How many tablespoons in a quarter cup
There are 4 tablespoons in ¼ cup in the US system. A quarter cup also equals 12 teaspoons, 2 fluid ounces, or about 59 milliliters.
| Measurement | ¼ cup equals |
|---|---|
| Tablespoons | 4 tbsp |
| Teaspoons | 12 tsp |
| Fluid ounces | 2 fl oz |
| Milliliters | 59 ml |
How to convert ¼ cup to tablespoons
1 cup = 16 tablespoons (US system), so here is a conversion formula:
Tbsp = cups x 16, where the conversion factor is 16;
¼ x 16 = 4 tbsp
So there are 4 tablespoons in ¼ cup.
¼ cup to tablespoons conversion
Here is a detailed chart of the equivalencies between dry measuring cups (abbreviated 'c'), tablespoons (or tbsp), fluid ounces (or fl oz), and milliliters (ml).
Note: ¼ cups to tablespoons and fluid ounces conversion is in bold. ¼ cup in ml is also included in this conversion.
| Dry measurements (cups) | Tablespoons (tbsp) | Liquid measurements (fl oz) | Liquid measurements (ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/16 cup | 1 tbsp | ½ fl. oz. | 14.79 ml |
| ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp | 1 fl. oz. | 29.57 ml |
| ⅙ cup | 2 tablespoon + 2 tsp | 1 ⅓ fl. oz. | 39.43 ml |
| ¼ cup | 4 tbsp | 2 fl. oz. | 59.15 ml |
| ⅓ cup | 5 tablespoon + 1 tsp | 2 ⅔ fl. oz. | 78.86 ml |
| ½ cup | 8 tbsp | 4 fl. oz. | 118.29 ml |
| ⅔ cup | 10 tablespoon + 2 tsp | 5 ⅓ fl. oz | 157.73 ml |
| ¾ cup | 12 tbsp | 6 fl. oz. | 177.44 ml |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 8 fl. oz. | 236.59 ml |
The above conversion chart applies to all types of flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, and other dry ingredients when measuring by volume.
How many teaspoons in ¼ cup?
A quarter cup works out to 12 teaspoons. The math is quick: ¼ cup is 4 tablespoons, and a single tablespoon splits into 3 teaspoons, so 4 times 3 gives you an even 12 teaspoons. Multiply by four, and you are back to a full cup, which is 16 tablespoons or 48 teaspoons.
US tablespoon vs. metric tablespoon
The 4 tablespoons figure is based on the US tablespoon, which holds about 14.79 ml. Elsewhere, the spoon sizes differ: the metric tablespoon is 15 ml, while Australia uses a larger 20 ml tablespoon. Given that ¼ US cup is around 59.1 ml, that equals roughly 3.9 metric tablespoons or close to 3 Australian tablespoons.
In practice, the variation is too small to matter, so 4 level tablespoons is your everyday answer. Save the metric or Australian conversion for recipes that were written with those spoons in mind.
How many tablespoons of butter in ¼ cup
Use the simple conversion chart below to measure butter, margarine, and shortening. As you can see, half a cup equals 1 stick, and 1 cup equals 2 sticks of butter. ¼ cup of butter equals
- ½ stick, or
- 4 tablespoons of butter,
- 2 ounces, or
- 56.7 grams.
| tablespoon | Cups | Ounces | Grams | Stick of butter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 tbsp | 1 cup | 8 oz. | 226.8 g | 2 sticks |
| 12 tbsp | ¾ cup | 6 oz. | 170.1 g | 1 ½ sticks |
| 10 tablespoon + 2 tsp | ⅔ cup | 5.33 oz. | 151.2 g | 1 ⅓ sticks |
| 8 tbsp | ½ cup | 4 oz. | 113.4 g | 1 stick |
| 5 tablespoon + 1 tsp | ⅓ cup | 2.66 oz. | 75.6 g | ⅔ stick |
| 4 tbsp | ¼ cup | 2 oz. | 56.7 g | ½ stick |
| 2 tbsp | ⅛ cup | 1 oz. | 28.4 g | ¼ stick |
Around the world, ¼ cup is not the same everywhere. Depending on the recipe, ¼ cup to tablespoons conversions are different.
| ¼ cup | Milliliters | US tablespoons | UK tablespoons Imperial |
|---|---|---|---|
| US (standard) | 59 ml | 4 tbsp | 3.3 tbsp |
| UK (Imperial) | 71 ml | 4.8 tbsp | 4 tbsp |
| UK (metric) | 62.5 ml | 4.2 tbsp | 3.5 tbsp |
| Australia | 62.5 ml | 4.2 tbsp | 3.5 tbsp |
| Canada | 62.5 ml | 4.2 tbsp | 3.5 tbsp |
| South Africa | 62.5 ml | 4.2 tbsp | 3.5 tbsp |
How to measure ¼ cup
How to make ¼ cup? There are multiple ways to achieve a ¼ cup measure, whether you use measuring cups, tablespoons, or teaspoons:
- Use a ¼ measuring cup
- Use a ⅛ cup or ⅛ cup scoop and fill it twice
- Use 4 tablespoons
- Use 12 teaspoons
But how to measure ¼ cup without measuring tools (cups and spoons)? Here are a few ways to approximate measurements by trying the eyeballing methods:
- Eyeball the half of a ½ cup (half a cup is about the size of a tennis ball).
- Eyeball a quarter cup roughly equaled the size of a golf ball.
- Eyeball the ingredient in an ice cube size four times, where an ice cube roughly equals one tablespoon.
Tablespoon conversion chart
A quick reference guide, a tablespoon conversion chart, is available as a PDF.
Download and print out this Tablespoon Conversion Chart >>
You can use a thermal laminator to laminate it and then put it inside your kitchen cabinet door. Or why not include this handy conversion chart in your favorite recipe binder?
Printable conversion charts
Come back to the website whenever you need baking conversions, ingredient substitutions, or answers to your baking questions.
Discover numerous helpful and stylish free kitchen printables gathered in one place, a free resource library:
- Kitchen conversion chart
- Baking pan conversion chart
- Cooking weight conversion chart
- Liquid conversion chart
- Oven temperature conversion chart
Other measurement conversions
Also, make sure to check out other common kitchen measurements and quick conversions, especially for tablespoons and cup conversions:
- How Many Tablespoons In ½ Cup
- How Many Tablespoons In A Cup
- How Many Tablespoons In A Pint
- How Many Tablespoons In A Fluid Ounce
- How Many Tablespoons In A Quart
- How Many Tablespoons In A Gallon
- How Many Tablespoons In ⅛ Cup
- How Many Tablespoons In ⅓ Cup
- How Many Tablespoons In ⅔ Cup
- How Many Tablespoons In ¾ Cup
And if you ever need to convert your baking pan sizes, use this simple Cake Pan Converter.
Conclusion
I hope this article answers the question about how many tablespoons make a quarter cup. You might see other frequently asked questions about ¼ cup to tablespoons conversion, for example:
- How many tablespoons is in a ¼ cup
- How many tablespoons ¼ cup
- How many tablespoons make a ¼ cup
- How many tablespoons in a quarter cup
- How many tablespoon in a quarter cup
- How many tablespoons in a fourth of a cup
The answer is the same: ¼ cup equals 4 tablespoons.
FAQ
How many tablespoons are in ¼ cup?
There are 4 tablespoons in ¼ cup in the US system.
How many tablespoons in a quarter cup?
A quarter cup equals 4 tablespoons, the same as ¼ cup.
How many tablespoons in one fourth cup?
One-fourth cup is 4 tablespoons or 12 teaspoons.
How many tablespoons is ¼ cup of sugar or flour?
It is still 4 tablespoons, since the conversion is by volume, not by ingredient.
Does 6 tablespoons equal ¼ cup?
No. Six tablespoons is ⅜ cup. You need 4 tablespoons for ¼ cup.
How many tablespoons are in ½ cup?
There are 8 tablespoons in ½ cup, double the amount in a quarter cup.
Does 8 tablespoons equal 1 cup?
No. Eight tablespoons is ½ cup. A full cup is 16 tablespoons.
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