You’re standing there with a half-finished bowl of cookie dough, flour on your nose, and a recipe that just asked for 1/6 of a cup of melted butter. You look at your drawer. You have a 1/4 cup. You have a 1/3 cup. But a 1/6 cup measure? It doesn't exist. It’s a ghost.
Honestly, it’s one of those kitchen moments that makes you want to throw the spatula and order pizza.
The short answer is that there are 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons in 1/6 of a cup.
If you just need to get back to your baking, there it is. Go. But if you want to understand why your cake might still come out a little wonky if you don't do this right, stick around. We’re going to break down the weird, archaic, and frankly frustrating world of U.S. Customary measurements.
How many tablespoons in 1/6 of a cup (and why it’s a trick question)
Kitchen math is notoriously annoying because it isn't base-10. We don't live in a metric world when we're baking in the States. We live in a world of 3s, 4s, and 16s.
To find out how many tablespoons in 1/6 of a cup, we first have to look at the "Big Sixteen." In a standard U.S. cup, there are exactly 16 tablespoons. When you try to divide 16 by 6, the math gets ugly. 16 divided by 6 is 2.666 repeating.
You can't exactly scoop out .666 of a tablespoon. Well, you could try, but you’d probably mess up the leavening agent in your muffins.
Since we know that 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons, we can convert that annoying decimal. Two-thirds of a tablespoon is exactly 2 teaspoons. So, the "perfect" measurement is 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. Simple? Sorta.
The Break Down
- 1 Cup = 16 Tablespoons
- 1/2 Cup = 8 Tablespoons
- 1/3 Cup = 5 Tablespoons + 1 Teaspoon
- 1/4 Cup = 4 Tablespoons
- 1/6 Cup = 2 Tablespoons + 2 Teaspoons
Why do recipes even use 1/6 of a cup?
It feels like a prank. Most measuring cup sets sold at Target or on Amazon come in a standard four-piece set: 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup. Sometimes you get a 1/8 cup if you’re fancy. But 1/6? Never.
Usually, this happens when you are trying to halve or third a recipe. If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup of sugar and you decide you only want to make a third of a batch, you’re stuck with 1/6. Or maybe you're looking at an old European recipe that used "deciliters" and someone did a bad job converting it to the American system.
It's a mathematical leftover.
Sometimes, professional chefs like Alton Brown or Christina Tosi talk about "ratios" rather than hard measurements. In high-level pastry work, 1/6 of a cup is just a stop on the way to a larger ratio. But for those of us at home, it’s just a headache.
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The "Good Enough" vs. The "Perfect"
In cooking, "good enough" usually works. If you're making a beef stew and it asks for 1/6 of a cup of red wine, just splash some in. It literally doesn't matter. You’re fine.
But baking is different. Baking is chemistry.
If you are measuring baking soda, salt, or cornstarch, that .666 difference is massive. If you just used 2 tablespoons and ignored the 2 teaspoons, you would be missing 33% of that ingredient. That's the difference between a fluffy pancake and a lead weight.
What about the 1/3 cup trick?
If you have a 1/3 cup measure, you can just fill it exactly halfway. This is actually a really reliable way to get 1/6 of a cup without having to dirty five different spoons.
Eyeballing the halfway mark in a measuring cup is usually more accurate than trying to scoop "roughly two and a half" tablespoons. Most 1/3 cup measures have a little bit of "headspace" at the top, so be careful. Look at the level of the ingredient from the side, not the top.
Fluid Ounces and the Volume Trap
Here is where people usually get into trouble. They mix up weight and volume.
A "cup" is a measure of volume. In the U.S., 1 cup equals 8 fluid ounces.
If you divide 8 by 6, you get 1.33 fluid ounces.
Now, if you have a shot glass (the standard size is usually 1.5 ounces), you can almost fill it and be pretty close to your 1/6 cup. But please, for the love of all things holy, don't use a kitchen scale to measure 1.33 ounces of flour and think it’s the same as 1/6 cup.
Flour is light. 1/6 cup of flour weighs about 21 grams.
Water is heavy. 1/6 cup of water weighs about 39 grams.
If you use a scale—which you should, honestly—you need to know the specific gravity of what you’re measuring. But let’s keep it simple for today. Stick to the spoons.
A quick reference for kitchen conversions
If you're deep in the weeds with how many tablespoons in 1/6 of a cup, you're probably going to run into other weird fractions soon.
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It's helpful to remember that the whole system is based on the gallon. It’s like a hierarchy of liquids.
A gallon has 4 quarts.
A quart has 2 pints.
A pint has 2 cups.
A cup has 16 tablespoons.
A tablespoon has 3 teaspoons.
When you get down to 1/6 of a cup, you are basically playing with the "DNA" of the cup. You are three levels deep into the math.
I've seen people try to use a 1/4 cup and just "leave a little room at the top." Don't do that. You'll fail. A 1/4 cup is 4 tablespoons. 1/6 cup is about 2.6 tablespoons. That means a 1/6 cup is only about 65% of a 1/4 cup. That's way more than "a little room."
Common Mistakes When Measuring Small Fractions
We’ve all been lazy. I’ve been lazy. I’ve tried to use a soup spoon from the silverware drawer to measure a tablespoon.
Big mistake.
Standard silverware isn't "standard." A soup spoon can hold anywhere from 10ml to 18ml. A legal U.S. tablespoon is exactly 14.8ml (let's call it 15ml).
If you are trying to find how many tablespoons in 1/6 of a cup, use actual measuring spoons.
Another mistake? The "Heaping" Scoop.
Unless a recipe specifically says "heaping tablespoon," you should be leveling it off with the back of a knife. Especially with 1/6 of a cup, because you’re already dealing with a weird fraction. If you heap your two tablespoons and two teaspoons, you might accidentally end up with nearly a 1/4 cup.
The Metric Alternative
If you're tired of the math, you could just switch to milliliters.
1 cup is roughly 236.5 ml.
236.5 divided by 6 is 39.4 ml.
If you have a graduated cylinder or a metric measuring cup, just hit that 40ml mark. It is infinitely easier than trying to juggle teaspoons and tablespoons while your oven is preheating and the dog is barking.
Most modern digital scales allow you to toggle between grams and ounces. If you can find the gram weight for 1/6 cup of your specific ingredient (like sugar or cocoa powder), just weigh it. It’s the only way to be 100% sure.
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Why 1/6 cup matters in Mixology
You'll see this measurement pop up in cocktail recipes sometimes, though usually it’s phrased as "roughly 1.3 ounces."
In bartending, precision is everything. A 1/6 cup of lime juice vs. a 1/8 cup of lime juice is the difference between a balanced Daiquiri and a sour mess. If you’re at the bar and don't have a jigger with a 1/6 line, use the tablespoon method.
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of citrus juice will give you that bright, acidic lift without overpowering the spirit.
Actionable Steps for Your Kitchen
To handle these weird measurements like a pro, you need to change how you approach the drawer.
First, buy a "mini" liquid measuring cup. They look like shot glasses but have markings for tablespoons, teaspoons, ounces, and milliliters. They usually cost about five bucks. It is the single most useful tool for measuring 1/6 of a cup because you can just pour until you hit the 2 2/3 Tbsp mark.
Second, memorize the 3-to-1 rule. 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
This is the "cheat code" for all kitchen math. If you know this, you can solve almost any conversion problem.
Third, when in doubt, use a scale. If you’re doing serious baking—bread, macarons, soufflés—stop using volume entirely. Convert your recipe to grams once, and you’ll never have to wonder about tablespoons again.
To measure 1/6 cup of water, use 39 grams.
To measure 1/6 cup of all-purpose flour, use 21 grams.
To measure 1/6 cup of granulated sugar, use 33 grams.
Knowing how many tablespoons in 1/6 of a cup is a great skill, but having the right tools makes the math unnecessary. Keep a conversion chart taped to the inside of your pantry door. It saves time, saves your sanity, and most importantly, saves your dinner.
Quick Conversion Summary
- Exact Amount: 2 Tablespoons + 2 Teaspoons
- Decimal Amount: 2.66 Tablespoons
- Fluid Ounces: 1.33 oz
- Milliliters: 39.4 ml
- Percentage of a Cup: 16.6%
Stop guessing and start measuring. Your recipes deserve the accuracy, even if the U.S. measurement system is a bit of a nightmare. Next time you see 1/6 cup, you won't even have to blink—just grab the tablespoon, scoop twice, add two teaspoons, and keep moving.