1 teaspoon of applesauce weighs 5.31 g. A teaspoon is one forty-eighth of a cup, and a cup of applesauce is 255 g spooned and levelled, so the maths is 255 ÷ 48 = 5.31 g. The same cup divided by 16 gives the tablespoon weight of 15.9 g, and there are 3 teaspoons in every tablespoon. If you cook from recipes written in cups and spoons, this page is the bridge between the two, and the worked examples show the conversion inside real dishes rather than in isolation.
Applesauce is the quiet workhorse of low-fat baking: it replaces oil or butter in muffins and cakes, stands in for an egg, and sweetens a batter without added sugar. A teaspoon weighs 5.31 g, and a cup is 255 g, which makes it one of the heavier spoonfuls on this site — heavier than water, because the apple solids add mass. The spoon table matters most for single-serve baking, where a mug cake takes two or three teaspoons of applesauce and a cup measure would drown it.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
Conversion table
One teaspoon is one forty-eighth of a cup, so every figure in this table is the cup weight divided by 48, rounded to two decimal places. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
| Teaspoons | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 5.31 g |
| 2 tsp | 10.62 g |
| 3 tsp | 15.94 g |
| 4 tsp | 21.25 g |
| 5 tsp | 26.56 g |
| 6 tsp | 31.88 g |
| 7 tsp | 37.19 g |
| 8 tsp | 42.50 g |
| 9 tsp | 47.81 g |
| 10 tsp | 53.12 g |
| 11 tsp | 58.44 g |
| 12 tsp | 63.75 g |
The tablespoon figures are included too, because most recipes switch between teaspoons and tablespoons, and 3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon.
| Tablespoons | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 15.9 g |
| 2 tbsp | 31.9 g |
| 3 tbsp | 47.8 g |
| 4 tbsp | 63.8 g |
| 5 tbsp | 79.7 g |
| 6 tbsp | 95.6 g |
| 7 tbsp | 111.6 g |
| 8 tbsp | 127.5 g |
| 9 tbsp | 143.4 g |
| 10 tbsp | 159.4 g |
| 11 tbsp | 175.3 g |
| 12 tbsp | 191.2 g |
| 13 tbsp | 207.2 g |
| 14 tbsp | 223.1 g |
| 15 tbsp | 239.1 g |
| 16 tbsp | 255.0 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every tablespoon figure is the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place.
Cups to grams for reference
When a recipe jumps from spoons to cups, use this table instead of counting out 16 tablespoons. Every figure is the cup weight multiplied by the fraction, rounded to one decimal place, and all figures are approximate.
| Cups | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 63.8 g |
| 1/3 cup | 85.0 g |
| 1/2 cup | 127.5 g |
| 2/3 cup | 170.0 g |
| 3/4 cup | 191.2 g |
| 1 cup | 255.0 g |
One cup of applesauce weighs 255 g, so a quarter cup is 63.8 g and half a cup is 127.5 g. Those two figures cover most everyday scaling, and the full table above covers the rest.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Cooked, pureed apples; unsweetened is best for baking. Baking as a fat or egg replacer, and as a side dish.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the spoon, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use the numbers here as a guide. The method matters more than the number itself, because the same spoon of applesauce measured two different ways can give two different weights, and the King Arthur Baking value assumes the spooned and levelled method every time.
Worked examples
A low-fat mug muffin
A mug muffin for one takes 4 teaspoons (21.25 g) of applesauce in place of the oil, and the muffin stays moist without the fat. The amount matters because too much applesauce makes the muffin dense and wet in the middle, while too little leaves it dry — and the difference between 3 and 5 teaspoons is the difference between the two.
Applesauce as an egg replacer
A pancake batter for two replaces one egg with 12 teaspoons (63.75 g) of applesauce, which is a quarter of a cup, and the batter holds together well enough to flip. It works because the pectin in the applesauce binds the batter, but it does not whip, so do not use it where the egg has to add air.
A spoonful in overnight oats
A jar of overnight oats takes 2 teaspoons (10.62 g) of applesauce stirred in with the oats and milk, just enough to sweeten the jar and add a little apple flavour. Because applesauce is wet, it counts towards the liquid in the recipe — add it first, then adjust the milk, or the oats will turn to soup.
Practical guidance
Spoon applesauce into the measure and level it with a knife, the way you would any soft ingredient, and do not shake the spoon — it is wet enough to slosh and lose a gram or two. Unsweetened applesauce is the one to bake with: sweetened applesauce adds sugar the recipe did not ask for, and it weighs almost the same per spoon, so the figures still hold but the sweetness does not. Chunky applesauce weighs a touch less per spoon than smooth, because the pieces trap air, so stir it well before measuring.
Applesauce counts as liquid in a recipe, which is the mistake most people make with it: swapping oil for applesauce one-for-one works, but adding applesauce on top of the existing liquid makes a batter too wet. When a recipe calls for applesauce as a fat replacer, remove the same volume of fat and keep everything else the same. Opened applesauce keeps a week in the fridge, and it freezes well in ice-cube trays — each cube is roughly a tablespoon, which is 15.9 g.
Scaling with spoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of applesauce, count out about 18.8 teaspoons, and for 50 g, about 9.4 teaspoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 teaspoons means using 2 teaspoons, or 10.62 g, and doubling it means 8 teaspoons, or 42.50 g. The key is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance. For large amounts, switch to a cup measure or a scale, since counting out teaspoons one by one is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
When should you weigh applesauce instead of measuring it? Whenever the recipe has to work the first time, and whenever the amount is large. A kitchen scale costs less than a single failed bake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking, which is the way ingredients pack into a cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the applesauce until the display shows the number you need. There is nothing to wash afterwards except the bowl, and the result is the same every time. For small amounts, a level spoon is accurate enough, and for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Refrigerate after opening; use within 1 week.
- Level every spoon with the back of a knife.
- Use spoons for small amounts, and a scale for large ones.
- Keep the same spoon for the whole recipe so errors stay consistent.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 teaspoon of applesauce?
One level teaspoon of applesauce weighs approximately 5.31 g. That figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 255 g by 48, and it assumes the ingredient is measured spooned and levelled. All figures on this page are approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Can I replace oil with applesauce in any recipe?
In muffins, quick breads and cakes, yes — vegetable oil swaps 1:1 with applesauce, and butter swaps at half a cup of applesauce per cup of butter. Replacing all the fat can make the crumb dense and rubbery, and it does not work for frying or for pastry, where fat has a structural job that applesauce cannot do.
Is applesauce heavier than water per teaspoon?
Yes, slightly. A teaspoon of applesauce weighs about 5.31 g, while a teaspoon of water weighs about 4.93 g. The apple solids add mass, which is why a cup of applesauce is 255 g against water's 237 g.
Does sweetened applesauce weigh the same as unsweetened?
Almost. The added sugar makes sweetened applesauce a fraction of a gram heavier per teaspoon, which is smaller than the error from levelling the spoon. Use the same figures for both, but bake with unsweetened applesauce unless the recipe specifically calls for sweetened.
How many teaspoons of applesauce are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon, so 1 tablespoon of applesauce weighs approximately 15.9 g, which is three times the teaspoon weight of 5.31 g. Use the tablespoon table on this page when a recipe switches between the two units.
How should I store applesauce?
Refrigerate after opening; use within 1 week. Keeping it stored properly also keeps its weight consistent, since an ingredient that has absorbed moisture or dried out will not weigh the same per spoon as a fresh one.