How Many Tablespoons In 1/4 Cup (2024)

How many tablespoons in ¼ cup? The quick answer is 4 tablespoons. Get a FREE printable tablespoon conversion cheat sheet for effortless cooking and baking every time.

You don't need to memorize all the basic kitchen measurement conversions. Thankfully there are so many handy resources available on the Internet nowadays.

How many tablespoons make a ¼ cup? Did you know that to make a cup, all it takes is 16 tablespoons? So that means 4 tablespoons make ¼ cup.

Baking is all about precision, especially when it comes to measuring the flour. So why not choose a kitchen scale for accurate measurements?

Also, make sure to determine the origin of a recipe since different countries use different measurement systems. You don't want to double or halve an ingredient when baking by mistake accidentally.

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.

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 other English-speaking countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. These countries operate metric measurements:

• ¼ Metric Cup = 62.5milliliters (mL)

The old recipes in the United Kingdom use the British imperial system, where an Imperial (UK) cup is a non-metric liquid measurement unit of volume. Modern British recipes use UK metric cup.

• ¼ Imperial Cup = 71.03 mL
• ¼ UK Metric Cup = 62.5 mL

Tablespoon sizes

A tablespoon, a measure of volume, also varies by different regions around the world. However, most countries, expert the USA and Australia, employ a metric tablespoon equal to 15 ml.

Here are different sizes of tablespoons:

• 1 US tablespoon = 14.8ml or0.5USfloz
• 1 UK tablespoon = 15 ml
• 1 Canadian tablespoon = 15ml or 0.51USfloz
• 1 Australian tablespoon = 20ml or 0.68USfloz

How many tablespoons in a quarter cup

Or how many tablespoons in ¼ cup? There are 4 tablespoons in ¼ cup (US system).

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 dry measuring cups (abbreviated as 'c'), the tablespoons (or tbsp), fluid ounces (or fl oz), and milliliters (ml) equivalency.

Note: ¼ cups to tablespoons and fluid ounces conversion is in bold. ¼ cup in ml is also a part of this conversion.

The above conversion chart is created for all types of flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, and other ingredients if you measure dry goods by volume.

How many tablespoons of butter in ¼ cup

Use a simple conversion chart below to measure the 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.

Around the world, ¼ cup is not all equal. Depending on the recipe, ¼ cup to tablespoons conversions are different.

Measuring tips for cups and spoons

• Choosing weighing ingredients with a food scale over measurement with cups and spoons is a good idea.
• If you prefer a different measuring method - a cup and spoon method, invest in a good set of measuring cups and spoons.
• Use dry measuring cups to measure dry ingredients and specially-designed liquid measuring cups for wet ingredients.
• There is not much difference between dry and liquid measuring spoons apart from their form: round is designed for liquids and oval for solids.
• Read the recipe to catch any tiny detail, whether you need to measure sifted flour or measure it first, then sift.
• Ensure to stir dry ingredients in a container before spooning them into a cup.
• Use the scoop and level method for precise measurement of dry ingredients. Use the back of a butter knife to level off cups and spoons. The recipes call for level tablespoons and teaspoons (not heaped).
• Measure liquid ingredients at eye level: bend over to find the mark on a liquid measuring cup.

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 athermal 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 commonkitchen 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

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.

Frequently asked questions