100 grams of barley flour is about 18.8 tablespoons. A tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, and a cup of barley flour is 85 g spooned and levelled, so the maths is 1600 ÷ 85 = 18.8 tbsp — or, the other way round, one tablespoon weighs 5.3 g. If you cook from recipes written in grams and spoons, this page is the bridge between the two, and the worked examples show the conversion inside real dishes rather than in isolation.
Barley flour is the mild, slightly sweet flour from hulled barley, for breads, pancakes and cookies where it is usually blended with wheat flour. A hundred grams is about 18.8 tablespoons, the same as chickpea flour, because barley flour is light per cup at only 85 g. Barley flour has very little gluten, so it cannot carry a loaf on its own — it is a blending flour, and the practical notes below are about the blend: how much barley flour a dough can take before it turns dense, and why it suits pancakes better than bread.
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 tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every tablespoon figure here is the gram amount divided by the weight of one tablespoon. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
| Grams | Tablespoons (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 10 g | 1.9 tbsp |
| 20 g | 3.8 tbsp |
| 25 g | 4.7 tbsp |
| 30 g | 5.6 tbsp |
| 40 g | 7.5 tbsp |
| 50 g | 9.4 tbsp |
| 60 g | 11.3 tbsp |
| 75 g | 14.1 tbsp |
| 80 g | 15.1 tbsp |
| 100 g | 18.8 tbsp |
| 120 g | 22.6 tbsp |
| 125 g | 23.5 tbsp |
| 150 g | 28.2 tbsp |
| 200 g | 37.6 tbsp |
| 250 g | 47.1 tbsp |
| 300 g | 56.5 tbsp |
| 500 g | 94.1 tbsp |
The reverse table is just as useful: when a recipe gives tablespoons and you want to know the weight before you reach for the scale.
| Tablespoons | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 5.3 g |
| 2 tbsp | 10.6 g |
| 3 tbsp | 15.9 g |
| 4 tbsp | 21.2 g |
| 5 tbsp | 26.6 g |
| 6 tbsp | 31.9 g |
| 7 tbsp | 37.2 g |
| 8 tbsp | 42.5 g |
| 9 tbsp | 47.8 g |
| 10 tbsp | 53.1 g |
| 11 tbsp | 58.4 g |
| 12 tbsp | 63.8 g |
| 13 tbsp | 69.1 g |
| 14 tbsp | 74.4 g |
| 15 tbsp | 79.7 g |
| 16 tbsp | 85.0 g |
One tablespoon of barley flour weighs 5.3 g, and one cup weighs 85 g. Those two figures are all you need to move between grams, tablespoons and cups for this ingredient.
Cups to grams for reference
When a recipe jumps from spoons to cups, use this table instead of counting out 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 | 21.2 g |
| 1/3 cup | 28.3 g |
| 1/2 cup | 42.5 g |
| 2/3 cup | 56.7 g |
| 3/4 cup | 63.8 g |
| 1 cup | 85.0 g |
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Mild, slightly sweet flour from hulled barley. Breads, pancakes and cookies; often blended with wheat flour.
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 barley flour 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
Barley pancakes for two
A pancake batter for two takes 100 g of barley flour, which is about 18.8 tablespoons spooned and levelled, and the batter needs no gluten — pancakes do not need to rise the way bread does. The amount matters because barley flour is mild and sweet: too much and the pancakes are heavy, too little and they are just white-flour pancakes with a rumour of barley.
A barley bread blend
A loaf for two takes 8 tablespoons (42.5 g) of barley flour blended with wheat flour, and the barley adds a mild sweetness and a soft crumb. Blend only part of the flour — a loaf made with all barley flour will not rise, because barley flour has almost no gluten to trap the gas.
Barley flour in a cookie dough
A cookie dough takes 4 tablespoons (21.2 g) of barley flour swapped in for part of the white flour, and the barley gives the cookies a soft, cake-like bite. Swap only part of the flour — a cookie made with all barley flour spreads flat and crumbles.
Practical guidance
Spoon barley flour lightly into the measure and level it, and never press it down: barley flour is fine and airy, and packing it can add a third to the weight. Barley flour has almost no gluten, so it cannot carry a loaf on its own — blend it with wheat flour, usually no more than a third of the total, or the dough will not hold its shape. It suits pancakes, muffins and cookies better than bread, because those do not need gluten to rise.
Barley flour is not the same as malted barley flour, which is a different product used in small amounts to feed yeast and brown a crust — do not swap them. Barley flour is mild and slightly sweet, with a soft crumb, and it stores well: keep it sealed and dry for up to six months. If it smells musty, throw it away — stale barley flour makes a bitter, grey bake.
Scaling with spoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of barley flour, count out about 18.8 tablespoons, and for 50 g, about 9.4 tablespoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 tablespoons means using 2 tablespoons, or 10.6 g, and doubling it means 8 tablespoons, or 42.5 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 tablespoons one by one is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
When should you weigh barley flour 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 barley flour 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. Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 6 months.
- 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 tablespoons is 100 g of barley flour?
100 g of barley flour is about 18.8 tablespoons, measured spooned and levelled. Because a level tablespoon is not always exactly the same, treat that as an approximation and verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe has to work the first time.
How many grams is 1 tablespoon of barley flour?
One level tablespoon of barley flour weighs approximately 5.3 g. That figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 85 g by 16, 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 make bread with only barley flour?
No — barley flour has almost no gluten, so a loaf made with all barley flour will not rise or hold its shape. Blend it with wheat flour, usually no more than a third of the total, where it adds a mild sweetness and a soft crumb.
What is barley flour best for?
Pancakes, muffins and cookies, where it is often blended with wheat flour — and breads, where it is a partial swap. It is mild and slightly sweet, with a soft crumb, and it suits bakes that do not need strong gluten.
Is barley flour the same as malted barley flour?
No. Barley flour is ground hulled barley. Malted barley flour is made from sprouted barley and is used in small amounts to feed yeast and brown a crust. Do not swap them — they are different products with different jobs.
How should I store barley flour?
Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 6 months. 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.