You're standing over a bowl of half-mixed brownie batter and you realize the 1/3 cup measuring tool is missing. It’s gone. Maybe it’s in the dishwasher, or maybe the kids took it to the sandbox, but you need that oil or sugar now. You reach for the tablespoons. But then you pause. Is it five? Is it six? Does that little bit left over actually matter for the texture of a cake?
Let's get the math out of the way immediately so you can get back to cooking. There are 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon in 1/3 cup. If you want to be super precise about it, it’s 5.33 tablespoons. Since most of us don't own a "0.33" tablespoon measuring spoon, we use that extra teaspoon to bridge the gap. It’s a classic kitchen workaround. 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons. So, if you have 5 full tablespoons, you’ve got 15 teaspoons. Adding that sixteenth teaspoon gets you to the 1/3 cup mark perfectly.
Why the Math Matters More Than You Think
Cooking is an art, but baking? Baking is a chemical reaction. When you're wondering how many tbsp for 1/3 cup, the stakes change depending on what's in the bowl. If you're making a stir-fry sauce, honestly, a little extra splash of soy sauce or rice vinegar isn't going to ruin your life. You can eyeball it. But if you're measuring out baking powder or heavy cream for a delicate souffle, being off by even half a tablespoon can lead to a literal collapse.
Standard US measurements are fixed, yet they feel incredibly fluid when you're in a rush. In the United States, we use the "Customary System." This is slightly different from the Imperial system used in the UK or the metric system used by basically everyone else. For most home cooks in North America, the 1/3 cup measurement is a staple. It’s that awkward middle child of the measuring set.
The Breakdown: Doing the Math in Your Head
It helps to visualize the "Big G" or the "Gallon Man" charts we all saw in grade school, though those usually stop at cups. Let’s shrink it down.
One cup is 16 tablespoons. Simple enough, right? If you divide 16 by 3, you get 5.3333... and it just keeps going. This is why 1/3 cup is the most annoying measurement in the drawer. 1/4 cup is an even 4 tablespoons. 1/2 cup is 8 tablespoons. But 1/3 cup refuses to play nice with the base-16 system of the US cup.
To get it right, you take 5 tablespoons. That gets you most of the way there. Then you add 1 teaspoon. Because 3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon, that 1 teaspoon represents exactly 0.33 of a tablespoon.
5 tbsp + 1 tsp = 1/3 cup.
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If you’re doubling a recipe that calls for 1/3 cup, you need 2/3 cup. In tablespoon talk, that is 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. If you're tripling it? Congratulations, you finally hit an even number: exactly 1 cup (or 16 tablespoons).
Liquids vs. Solids: The Great Measurement Debate
Now, here is where people usually mess up. There is a psychological difference between measuring a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of flour.
When you use a tablespoon for a liquid, surface tension comes into play. You might have a slight "dome" of liquid sitting above the rim of the spoon. That’s actually more than a tablespoon. For 1/3 cup of milk, you want those 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon to be level.
For solids—like brown sugar or flour—it’s even trickier. If you pack the flour into the tablespoon, you’re getting way more mass than if you sprinkle it in. Professional bakers like King Arthur Baking or the late, great Julia Child always advocated for weight-based measurements (grams) because of this exact headache.
A "cup" of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 to 160 grams depending on how hard you pack it. If you're translating how many tbsp for 1/3 cup for a bread recipe, you are much better off using a digital scale. For the record, 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour usually weighs about 42 to 45 grams.
Does the 0.33 Difference Really Matter?
Let's be real. If you just put in 5 tablespoons and skip the teaspoon, you are missing about 6% of the ingredient.
In a big batch of soup? No big deal.
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In a batch of cookies? You might notice they don't spread quite as much if that 1/3 cup was supposed to be butter. Butter is a fat and a leavener. Missing a teaspoon of fat can make the final product slightly drier.
If you’re measuring out something like cocoa powder, missing that extra teaspoon might make the flavor slightly less intense, but it won’t break the recipe. However, if the ingredient is an acid—like lemon juice—that is supposed to react with baking soda to make a cake rise, you really want that extra teaspoon in there. Without it, the chemical reaction might be sluggish, leaving you with a dense, gummy cake. Nobody wants that.
International Confusion: Tablespoons Aren't Universal
Here is a fun fact that ruins a lot of Pinterest recipes: a tablespoon isn't the same size everywhere.
In the United States, a tablespoon is approximately 14.8 ml.
In the United Kingdom and Canada, they generally round it to 15 ml.
In Australia? A tablespoon is 20 ml.
If you are following an Australian recipe and it asks for 1/3 cup, and you use 5 US tablespoons, you are going to be significantly short. Australia is the outlier here, using 4 teaspoons to make up one tablespoon, whereas the rest of the English-speaking world sticks to 3 teaspoons. Always check the origin of your recipe if the texture feels "off."
Common Conversions for Your Kitchen Wall
It’s honestly worth writing these down on the inside of a kitchen cabinet with a Sharpie. Or just bookmarking this.
- 1/16 cup = 1 tablespoon
- 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
- 1/6 cup = 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
- 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
- 1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
- 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
- 2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
- 3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons
- 1 cup = 16 tablespoons
What If You Only Have a Teaspoon?
Sometimes the tablespoons are dirty too. It happens. If you are stuck using a measly teaspoon to fill a 1/3 cup requirement, you’re going to be there for a minute.
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Since 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons, and 1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon, the math looks like this:
(5 x 3) + 1 = 16 teaspoons.
So, 16 level teaspoons will give you 1/3 cup. It’s tedious, but it works. Just make sure you aren’t losing track of the count halfway through. I usually move a physical object—like a coffee bean or a noodle—across the counter for every teaspoon I add so I don't forget if I'm on number 12 or 13.
Pro Tip: Measuring "Sticky" Ingredients
Trying to measure 1/3 cup of honey, molasses, or peanut butter using tablespoons is a nightmare. Half of the ingredient stays stuck to the spoon.
To solve the how many tbsp for 1/3 cup struggle with sticky stuff, spray your tablespoon with a tiny bit of non-stick cooking oil first. The honey will slide right off like it’s on a water slide. This ensures that the full 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon actually make it into the bowl instead of coating your utensils.
The Role of Air in Your Measurements
We have to talk about sifting. If a recipe calls for "1/3 cup flour, sifted," that means you sift it before you measure those 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon. If it says "1/3 cup sifted flour," you measure it first, then sift it.
It sounds like semantic nonsense, but it’s not. Sifted flour is full of air. A tablespoon of sifted flour weighs less than a tablespoon of "dipped" flour. When you're working with small volumes like 1/3 cup, these tiny variations are magnified.
If you don't have a 1/3 cup scoop, the "spoon and level" method is your best friend. Use a smaller spoon to loft the ingredient into your tablespoon until it's overflowing, then scrape the excess off with the flat back of a knife. Never pack it down unless the recipe specifically says "packed" (common with brown sugar).
Summary of Actionable Steps
Stop guessing. If you want your food to taste like the picture in the cookbook, precision is the only way forward.
- Memorize the magic number: 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.
- Level your spoons: Use a flat edge to scrape off the excess. No "heaping" tablespoons unless specified.
- Check the teaspoons: Ensure you are using a measuring teaspoon, not a "tea spoon" from your silverware drawer, which can vary wildly in size.
- Go by weight if possible: If the recipe provides grams, ignore the tablespoons entirely and use a digital scale. 1/3 cup of water or milk is roughly 80ml or 80g.
- Watch for regional differences: Ensure your "tablespoon" matches the country of the recipe's author.
Next time you find yourself without a 1/3 cup measure, don't panic. Just grab the tablespoon, count to five, add that final teaspoon, and keep moving. Your sourdough, your cookies, and your sanity will remain intact. For best results, keep a small conversion chart taped to the inside of your pantry door to avoid the mid-recipe Google search.