There are 48 teaspoons in a cup. That is the answer: 1 US cup equals 48 teaspoons, which equals 16 tablespoons, which equals 8 fluid ounces. You will almost never measure a cup of something in teaspoons — that would be 48 spoonfuls — but the number matters when you are scaling a recipe down, or when a recipe gives a small amount in teaspoons and you want to know how it relates to a cup. If a dressing recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of mustard and you want to make 24 times as much, you need 48 teaspoons, which is exactly 1 cup. This page gives you the table, the scaling examples, and the practical tricks for working with the smallest unit in the kitchen.
The conversion table
| Cups | Teaspoons | Tablespoons | Fluid ounces | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/16 cup | 3 tsp | 1 tbsp | 1/2 fl oz | 14.8 ml |
| 1/8 cup | 6 tsp | 2 tbsp | 1 fl oz | 29.6 ml |
| 1/4 cup | 12 tsp | 4 tbsp | 2 fl oz | 59.1 ml |
| 1/3 cup | 16 tsp | 5 1/3 tbsp | 2 2/3 fl oz | 78.9 ml |
| 1/2 cup | 24 tsp | 8 tbsp | 4 fl oz | 118.3 ml |
| 2/3 cup | 32 tsp | 10 2/3 tbsp | 5 1/3 fl oz | 157.7 ml |
| 3/4 cup | 36 tsp | 12 tbsp | 6 fl oz | 177.4 ml |
| 1 cup | 48 tsp | 16 tbsp | 8 fl oz | 236.6 ml |
| 1 1/2 cups | 72 tsp | 24 tbsp | 12 fl oz | 354.9 ml |
| 2 cups | 96 tsp | 32 tbsp | 16 fl oz | 473.2 ml |
The millilitre figures are rounded to one decimal place. A US teaspoon is 4.93 ml, and 48 times 4.93 is 236.6 ml, which is a US cup.
Worked example 1: scaling a spice blend for the freezer
You have a spice rub recipe that makes 2 teaspoons of blend, and you want to make a large batch to store. If you multiply by 24, you get 48 teaspoons, which is exactly 1 cup. That is a convenient amount to store in a jar, and it is easier to measure as 1 cup than to count 48 spoonfuls. The trick is to do the multiplication in teaspoons, because the original recipe is written in teaspoons, and then convert the total to cups at the end, when the number is large enough to make sense as a cup measure.
Worked example 2: a small recipe, scaled down
A cake recipe calls for 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, and you want to make a single-serving mug cake that is a quarter of the size. A quarter of a quarter cup is 1/16 of a cup, which is 3 teaspoons, or 1 tablespoon. Measuring 3 teaspoons of cocoa is far easier than trying to measure a sixteenth of a cup, and it is more accurate, because a tablespoon measure is designed for small amounts. Whenever you scale a recipe down, convert the small amounts to teaspoons, because teaspoons are the most precise unit you have.
Worked example 3: salt in a large batch of dough
A bread recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of salt per loaf, and you are making 12 loaves for a bake sale. Twelve times 2 is 24 teaspoons, which is half a cup, or 8 tablespoons. Measuring half a cup of salt is faster and more accurate than counting 24 spoonfuls, and it is less likely to go wrong. But be careful: salt is the ingredient where a measuring error matters most, so if you are scaling up, weigh the salt instead. Two teaspoons of fine salt weigh about 12 grams, so 12 loaves need about 144 grams, and a scale will not miscount.
Method and source
A US teaspoon is defined as one third of a US tablespoon, which is one sixth of a US fluid ounce, or 4.93 millilitres. A US cup is 8 fluid ounces, or 236.59 millilitres, and 236.59 divided by 4.93 is exactly 48. The teaspoon is the smallest unit in the American system, and it is used for ingredients that are potent in small amounts: salt, baking powder, baking soda, yeast, spices, and vanilla. The metric teaspoon is 5 ml, which is very close to the US teaspoon, so 48 metric teaspoons is 240 ml, which is slightly more than a US cup. In practice, the difference does not matter in cooking, but it does matter if you are measuring medicine, so do not use a kitchen teaspoon for that.
Practical guidance
Never measure a cup in teaspoons if you can avoid it — use a cup measure for large amounts and a teaspoon for small ones, and convert between them only when you are scaling a recipe. When you scale a recipe up, convert the teaspoons to tablespoons or cups once the total passes 3 teaspoons, because counting spoonfuls is slow and error-prone. When you scale a recipe down, convert the cups to teaspoons, because a teaspoon is the most precise measure you have. Use proper measuring spoons, not cutlery, and level dry ingredients with the back of a knife. And remember the anchor numbers: 3 teaspoons make a tablespoon, 16 tablespoons make a cup, and 48 teaspoons make a cup.
Frequently asked questions
How many teaspoons are in 1 cup?
There are 48 teaspoons in 1 US cup. That is the standard American conversion. A metric cup holds about 48 metric teaspoons as well, because a metric teaspoon is 5 ml and a metric cup is 250 ml, though the exact figure is 50 metric teaspoons.
How many teaspoons are in half a cup?
There are 24 teaspoons in half a cup. Half a cup is also 8 tablespoons, 4 fluid ounces, and about 118 ml. It is a common amount for sugar, flour, and cocoa in baking.
How many teaspoons are in a quarter cup?
There are 12 teaspoons in a quarter cup. A quarter cup is also 4 tablespoons, 2 fluid ounces, and about 59 ml. It is a useful number when you are scaling a recipe down.
How many cups are in 48 teaspoons?
There is 1 cup in 48 teaspoons. Forty-eight teaspoons is the definition of a cup in the American system, so if a recipe gives an amount in teaspoons that adds up to 48, you can measure it as a cup instead.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon. That is the smallest conversion in the kitchen, and it is the one to memorise first, because every other conversion builds on it.
Should I measure dry ingredients in teaspoons or weigh them?
Weigh them, if the recipe gives a weight. A teaspoon of fine salt weighs about 6 grams, but a teaspoon of coarse salt weighs about 5 grams, and a teaspoon of baking powder weighs about 4 grams, so the volume is only approximate. For a small amount in a home recipe, teaspoons are fine; for a large batch or a precise bake, use a scale.