Ever halfway through a recipe, only to find the cup measure has vanished? The good news is this one’s easy to remember: 1/4 cup equals 4 tablespoons. That quick swap can save a batch of cookies, a sauce, or your Sunday roast gravy.
This conversion is based on standard US-style cup and spoon measures (the ones most online recipes use). UK recipes can be different, especially older ones, so it’s worth checking what your recipe means by “cup”.
Quick answer: how many tablespoons in 1/4 cup?
1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons (tbsp).
Here’s the simple logic: 1 cup = 16 tablespoons, so a quarter of a cup is a quarter of 16, which is 4. Once you know the 16 number, the rest becomes mental maths.
A little extra context helps when you’re adjusting recipes:
- 1/2 cup = 8 tbsp
- 1/3 cup = 5 tbsp + 1 tsp (since 1 tbsp = 3 tsp)
- 1 cup = 16 tbsp
If you’re working in the kitchen without a full set of cups, “4 tablespoons make 1/4 cup” is the one to keep in your head. It comes up all the time with sugar, oil, melted butter, yoghurt, and more.
Why this conversion works (and what “cup” means)
A tablespoon is a fixed spoon measure, so it stays consistent within a given measuring set. A “cup”, though, depends on the system your recipe is using. That’s where people get caught out.
Most internet recipes that mention cups assume a US cup, which is about 240 ml. In that system, the tablespoon relationship is standard: 16 tablespoons in 1 cup, so 4 tablespoons in 1/4 cup.
A metric cup is often 250 ml, which some cooks in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand may use. On top of that, some older UK cookbooks used cup measures in a less standard way, or expected you to use a teacup-style measure. That’s why it pays to check the recipe source, especially for baking.
US cup vs metric cup: Will 1/4 cup still be 4 tablespoons?
In many kitchens, 1 tablespoon is treated as 15 ml. A metric cup is often 250 ml, so 1/4 metric cup is 62.5 ml. Four tablespoons is about 60 ml, so you’re short by a small splash, roughly 1/2 teaspoon.
For soups, dressings, or sauces, that difference usually won’t matter. For baking, it can, so use kitchen scales or the correct cup set if you can.
Getting accurate tablespoons when you don’t have a 1/4 cup measure
Photo by Los Muertos Crew
If you need 1/4 cup, measure 4 level tablespoons. Fill the spoon, then level it off with the flat edge of a knife for dry ingredients.
A few quick tips make it more accurate:
- Flour: don’t scoop and pack it, spoon it in lightly, then level.
- Brown sugar: many recipes expect it to be packed, so press it into the spoon.
- Liquids: fill the tablespoon to the rim and pour carefully, using the same spoon each time.
Handy scaling also helps: double 1/4 cup to get 1/2 cup (8 tbsp), or halve it to get 2 tbsp.
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Finally
Keep an eye on whether your recipe uses US cups or metric cups, especially for baking, where small differences add up. If you cook often, save this conversion somewhere handy; you’ll reach for it more than you think.