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How Many Tablespoons Are in 1/3 Cup?

November 10, 2026

One-third cup is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. That is also 16 teaspoons, or 5 1/3 tablespoons. Three of those 1/3-cup measures make 1 cup.

Three identical small stainless steel measuring cups filled with white sugar lined up beside one larger stainless steel measuring cup also filled with sugar, on a white marble counter — Three 1/3-cup measures fill one cup.

Quick conversion

Measure	Equals
1/3 cup	5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
1/3 cup	16 teaspoons
1/3 cup	about 79 milliliters, or 2 2/3 fluid ounces
1 cup	three 1/3 cups
1 quart	twelve 1/3 cups
1 gallon	48 one-third cups

A U.S. cup is 16 tablespoons, so one-third of a cup is 16 ÷ 3, which is 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon. Related guides: tablespoons in a cup, teaspoons in a tablespoon, cups in a gallon and the kitchen measurement conversion chart.

How to measure 1/3 cup with spoons

If your 1/3-cup measure is missing, spoon out 5 level tablespoons and 1 level teaspoon. For 2/3 cup, double that: 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, or two 1/3-cup fills. Level the spoons; a heaping tablespoon is not the same as a level one.

Five identical stainless steel tablespoon measuring spoons filled with white sugar, plus one smaller teaspoon, lined up beside a small stainless measuring cup of sugar on white marble — Five tablespoons plus one teaspoon equal 1/3 cup.

Scaling a recipe that uses 1/3 cup

Tripling a 1/3-cup ingredient turns it into 1 cup, which is easier to measure in a liquid or dry cup. For a gallon-size batch, 48 of those 1/3-cup scoops equal 16 cups. In milliliters, 1/3 cup is about 79 mL, a little under 80.

Butter is a handy cross-check in U.S. kitchens: one stick is 8 tablespoons, or 1/2 cup, so half a stick is 1/4 cup. For 1/3 cup of butter, use 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, or weigh about 76 grams. Keep the same level-spoon habit you use for dry ingredients.

Frequently asked questions