Grams of Sugar to Tablespoons Calculator
How many grams of sugar are in a tablespoon? It depends which sugar — granulated, brown, powdered and caster all differ. Pick yours for the exact figure.
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- Four sugar types
- Butter included
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 12.5 g
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (packed)
- 13.75 g
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- 7.5 g
Converter
Density decides the answer — pick the right one.
Tablespoon standard
Most recipes mean the US tablespoon. Australian spoons hold a third more.
Result
tablespoons
50 grams = 4 tablespoonsIn measuring spoons: 4 tbsp
- grams
- 50
- tablespoons
- 4
- teaspoons
- 12
- cups
- 0.25
- millilitres
- 59.1
- ounces
- 1.76
Also equals
1 tbsp = 12.5 g · 1 cup = 200 g
🔒 Your data never leaves your browser · Based on standard culinary reference values · Last updated: 2026-07-29
Last updated: · Ali Raza · Read our methodology
How many grams of sugar are in a tablespoon?
One level US tablespoon of granulated white sugar weighs approximately 12.5 grams. Brown sugar, firmly packed, is heavier at 13.75 g, while powdered (icing) sugar is much lighter at 7.5 g because sifting fills it with air. If a recipe just says "sugar" without qualifying it, granulated is the safe assumption. The generic rule that a tablespoon is 15 grams overshoots granulated sugar by 20%. Over four tablespoons that is a full extra spoonful, which is enough to change how far a cookie spreads and how quickly a crust browns. Caster sugar sits at 14.1 g because its finer crystals pack more closely, and coconut sugar at 9.7 g because its coarser ones do not. One US cup of granulated sugar is 200 g, or exactly 16 tablespoons, so half a cup is 100 g. Brown sugar is the only sugar on this page measured packed rather than level.
How many tablespoons is 100 g of sugar?
The amounts people ask for most, answered directly. 100 g of granulated sugar is 8 tablespoons; 75 g is 6; 50 g is 4. Brown sugar is packed, so it takes fewer.
| Amount | Granulated sugar12.5 g/tbsp | Brown sugar (packed)13.7 g/tbsp | Powdered sugar7.5 g/tbsp | Caster sugar14.1 g/tbsp | Butter14.2 g/tbsp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 g | 0.4 tbsp | 0.364 tbsp | 0.667 tbsp | 0.356 tbsp | 0.352 tbsp |
| 7 g | 0.56 tbsp | 0.509 tbsp | 0.933 tbsp | 0.498 tbsp | 0.493 tbsp |
| 10 g | 0.8 tbsp | 0.727 tbsp | 1.33 tbsp | 0.711 tbsp | 0.705 tbsp |
| 15 g | 1.2 tbsp | 1.09 tbsp | 2 tbsp | 1.07 tbsp | 1.06 tbsp |
| 20 g | 1.6 tbsp | 1.45 tbsp | 2.67 tbsp | 1.42 tbsp | 1.41 tbsp |
| 25 g | 2 tbsp | 1.82 tbsp | 3.33 tbsp | 1.78 tbsp | 1.76 tbsp |
| 30 g | 2.4 tbsp | 2.18 tbsp | 4 tbsp | 2.13 tbsp | 2.11 tbsp |
| 40 g | 3.2 tbsp | 2.91 tbsp | 5.33 tbsp | 2.84 tbsp | 2.82 tbsp |
| 50 g | 4 tbsp | 3.64 tbsp | 6.67 tbsp | 3.56 tbsp | 3.52 tbsp |
| 60 g | 4.8 tbsp | 4.36 tbsp | 8 tbsp | 4.27 tbsp | 4.23 tbsp |
| 70 g | 5.6 tbsp | 5.09 tbsp | 9.33 tbsp | 4.98 tbsp | 4.93 tbsp |
| 75 g | 6 tbsp | 5.45 tbsp | 10 tbsp | 5.33 tbsp | 5.29 tbsp |
| 80 g | 6.4 tbsp | 5.82 tbsp | 10.7 tbsp | 5.69 tbsp | 5.64 tbsp |
| 100 g | 8 tbsp | 7.27 tbsp | 13.3 tbsp | 7.11 tbsp | 7.05 tbsp |
| 120 g | 9.6 tbsp | 8.73 tbsp | 16 tbsp | 8.53 tbsp | 8.46 tbsp |
| 125 g | 10 tbsp | 9.09 tbsp | 16.7 tbsp | 8.89 tbsp | 8.81 tbsp |
| 150 g | 12 tbsp | 10.9 tbsp | 20 tbsp | 10.7 tbsp | 10.6 tbsp |
| 200 g | 16 tbsp | 14.5 tbsp | 26.7 tbsp | 14.2 tbsp | 14.1 tbsp |
| 250 g | 20 tbsp | 18.2 tbsp | 33.3 tbsp | 17.8 tbsp | 17.6 tbsp |
Sugar is the ingredient people convert most often, and also the one where the generic "1 tablespoon = 15 grams" rule does the most damage. Granulated sugar is 12.5 g per tablespoon, not 15 — a 20% overshoot that will noticeably change the texture of a cake and the spread of a cookie.
The complication is that "sugar" is not one ingredient. Granulated, caster, powdered and brown sugar have four genuinely different densities, ranging from 7.5 g to 13.75 g per tablespoon. That is nearly a factor of two between the lightest and the heaviest, using exactly the same spoon.
This calculator carries all four, plus butter — because the two ingredients get creamed together at the start of most recipes, and people almost always need to convert both at once.
How the conversion works
Every value comes from one figure per sugar: its weight in grams per US cup. A tablespoon is exactly 1/16 of a US cup, so the tablespoon figure is that number divided by sixteen — which is why the calculator can never disagree with the chart below it.
Start from grams per cup
Granulated sugar weighs 200 g per US cup. This is the anchor value, the one most widely agreed on across recipe-testing kitchens.
Divide by 16
There are exactly 16 tablespoons in a US cup. 200 ÷ 16 = 12.5 g per tablespoon of granulated sugar.
Adjust for the sugar type
Brown sugar packs down to 220 g per cup, so 13.75 g per tablespoon. Powdered sugar is aerated at 120 g per cup, so 7.5 g. Caster sugar's finer crystals settle tighter at 225 g per cup, so 14.06 g.
Divide your gram figure by that number
50 g of granulated sugar ÷ 12.5 g per tablespoon = 4 tablespoons exactly.
| 1 tbsp granulated sugar | 12.5 g |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp brown sugar (packed) | 13.75 g |
| 1 tbsp powdered sugar | 7.5 g |
| 1 tbsp caster sugar | 14.06 g |
| 1 tbsp butter | 14.19 g |
| 1 tsp granulated sugar | 4.17 g |
| 1 cup granulated sugar | 200 g |
| 1 cup brown sugar (packed) | 220 g |
Worked examples
The sugar conversions people search for most, worked through.
50 g of granulated sugar
= 4 tablespoons
50 ÷ 12.5 = 4 exactly. One of the rare conversions that lands on a whole number.
100 g of granulated sugar
= 8 tablespoons
Also exactly ½ cup. Worth memorising — 100 g is the most-searched sugar quantity there is.
50 g of butter
≈ 3.5 tablespoons
50 ÷ 14.19 = 3.52. Just under half a US stick, which is 8 tablespoons or 113 g.
25 g of brown sugar
≈ 1.8 tablespoons
25 ÷ 13.75 = 1.82, so a little under 2 packed tablespoons.
Accuracy and assumptions
Granulated, caster and powdered sugar are measured level — filled and then scraped flat with a straight edge. Brown sugar is the exception: its value assumes it is firmly packed into the spoon, because that is how essentially every recipe intends it.
The packing distinction matters more for brown sugar than for anything else in a kitchen. Loosely spooned, brown sugar drops to around 145 g per cup; firmly packed it reaches 220 g. That is a 50% difference produced entirely by how hard you press.
Powdered sugar is quoted here sifted. Straight from the bag it compacts in storage and can read 15–20% heavier, so sift it before measuring if the recipe's texture depends on it — icing and buttercream especially.
These are culinary reference averages accurate to within a percent or two, which is well inside the tolerance of any baking recipe. They are not analytical measurements.
Key facts about measuring sugar
Granulated sugar is 12.5 g per tablespoon, not 15
The 15 g figure comes from water. Sugar crystals are less dense than water by volume, so the same spoon holds less weight.
Brown sugar is the only one you should press
Recipes assume packed brown sugar by default. If a recipe wants it loose it will say "lightly packed" — that is a deliberate instruction, not a throwaway word.
Powdered sugar weighs about 60% of granulated
7.5 g against 12.5 g per tablespoon. Substituting one for the other by volume is one of the fastest ways to ruin an icing.
Caster sugar is slightly heavier than granulated
Its finer crystals pack into the gaps, giving 14.06 g per tablespoon against granulated's 12.5 g — about 12% more sugar in the same spoon.
A teaspoon of sugar is 4.17 g
Useful for nutrition labels: the widely quoted "4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon" shorthand is accurate to within 4%.
One stick of butter is 8 tablespoons
That is 113 g, or ½ cup. If a US recipe calls for sticks and you only have a scale, this is the number you need.
Quick answers
Direct answers to the specific sugar questions people search for.
How many grams of sugar are in a tablespoon?
12.5 grams of granulated sugar in one level US tablespoon. Brown sugar packed is 13.75 g, powdered sugar is 7.5 g, and caster sugar is 14.06 g.
How many grams of sugar are in a teaspoon?
About 4.17 grams of granulated sugar. This is where the familiar nutrition-label shorthand of "4 g per teaspoon" comes from.
How many tablespoons is 50 grams of sugar?
Exactly 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar. For brown sugar it is 3.6 packed tablespoons, and for powdered sugar 6.7 tablespoons.
How many tablespoons is 50 grams of butter?
About 3.5 tablespoons, since one tablespoon of butter weighs 14.19 g. That is a little under half a US stick.
Is brown sugar heavier than white sugar?
Yes, when packed. Brown sugar contains molasses, which coats the crystals and lets them compress. Packed, it is 13.75 g per tablespoon against granulated's 12.5 g.
How many grams is a tablespoon of icing sugar?
7.5 grams sifted. Icing sugar, powdered sugar and confectioners' sugar are the same product under different regional names.
How many grams of sugar in 100 g of sugar?
100 grams — but if you meant how many tablespoons, that is 8 tablespoons of granulated sugar, which is also exactly half a US cup.
Related converters
This page is sugar-specific. For other ingredients use the main grams to tablespoons calculator, for cup measurements use the cup to grams converter, and for a full table of pre-calculated values see the conversion chart.
Who uses this
Bakers working from European recipes
European recipes give sugar in grams as standard. If your kitchen runs on measuring spoons rather than a scale, this is the conversion you need before you can start.
Anyone counting added sugar
Nutrition panels list sugar in grams. Converting to teaspoons — roughly 4 g each — turns an abstract number into something you can picture.
Cooks halving or doubling a recipe
Scaling sugar is far easier in grams than in fractions of a cup. Convert to grams, do the arithmetic, convert back.
Further reading
Guides that explain the numbers behind this converter.
butter · 6 min read
Butter Measurements Made Easy: Cups, Tablespoons, Sticks, and GramsSticks, cups, tablespoons and grams all describe the same block of butter. Here's the full conversion table and how to measure butter without a scale.sugar · 6 min read
How Many Grams of Sugar Are in a Tablespoon? (And Why It's Not Always the Same)One tablespoon of granulated sugar is 12.5 g — but brown, powdered and caster sugar all differ. Here are the four figures and when each one applies.
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Frequently asked questions
How many grams of sugar to a tablespoon?
One level US tablespoon holds 12.5 grams of granulated sugar. Packed brown sugar is 13.75 g, powdered sugar 7.5 g, and caster sugar 14.06 g. Unqualified "sugar" in a recipe means granulated.
How many grams to a tablespoon of sugar?
12.5 grams for granulated sugar. To go the other way, divide your gram figure by 12.5 — so 100 g of sugar is 8 tablespoons, and 25 g is 2 tablespoons.
How many teaspoons of sugar are in a tablespoon?
Exactly 3, in every measuring system. That makes one tablespoon of granulated sugar 12.5 g and one teaspoon 4.17 g.
Should brown sugar be packed when measuring?
Yes, unless the recipe says otherwise. Packed is the default assumption in recipe writing. The difference is large — packed brown sugar is roughly 50% heavier per cup than loosely spooned.
How many grams is a tablespoon of butter?
About 14.19 grams. A US stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, ½ cup, or 113 grams, which is the fastest way to check the figure against a wrapper.
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