A tablespoon of cashews is 7.1 g, approximately. Recipes use tablespoons for small amounts, which is exactly where guessing goes wrong, because being out by half a spoon matters far more in a single tablespoon than in a whole cup. The conversion itself is simple: a cup of cashews weighs 113 g, and a tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so 113 ÷ 16 = 7.1 g.
The figure comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled, and every result on this page is labelled approximate. Keep the scale nearby for anything that has to be exact.
About Cashews
Mild, buttery kidney-shaped nuts. Stir-fries, curries, vegan sauces and baking. That is why it shows up in recipes measured by the tablespoon: it is used in amounts too small for a cup measure to be practical, yet large enough that guessing the weight can throw a dish off. Knowing that one tablespoon weighs 7.1 g lets you move between the spoon and the scale without stopping to work it out.
Storage. Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 6 months.
Tablespoon to grams table
| Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 2.4 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 7.1 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 14.1 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 21.2 g |
| 4 tablespoons | 28.2 g |
| 5 tablespoons | 35.3 g |
| 6 tablespoons | 42.4 g |
| 7 tablespoons | 49.4 g |
| 8 tablespoons | 56.5 g |
| 9 tablespoons | 63.6 g |
| 10 tablespoons | 70.6 g |
| 11 tablespoons | 77.7 g |
| 12 tablespoons | 84.8 g |
| 13 tablespoons | 91.8 g |
| 14 tablespoons | 98.9 g |
| 15 tablespoons | 105.9 g |
| 16 tablespoons | 113 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is the cup weight of 113 g divided by 16 and rounded to one decimal place. Sixteen tablespoons make one cup, which is why the last row of the table matches the cup weight exactly. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Cups to grams for reference
Most recipes switch between cups and tablespoons, so here is the same ingredient measured in cups. Use this table when a recipe gives a cup amount and you want to weigh it, or when you have already measured in tablespoons and want to check the total.
| Cups | Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 4 tablespoons | 28.2 g |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon | 37.7 g |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons | 56.5 g |
| 2/3 cup | 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons | 75.3 g |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tablespoons | 84.8 g |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons | 113 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 24 tablespoons | 169.5 g |
| 2 cups | 32 tablespoons | 226 g |
Worked examples
A batch of cookies
A batch of cookies for a dozen people uses 4 tablespoons of cashews, about 28.2 g, folded into the dough at the end. Four tablespoons spread through a whole batch gives a nut in most bites without making the cookies crumbly. Chop them roughly rather than finely, so they keep some texture, and fold them in last so they do not get crushed by the mixing.
A salad topping for lunch
A lunch salad for two people takes 2 tablespoons of cashews, about 14.1 g, scattered over the top just before serving. Two tablespoons adds crunch and richness without turning a light salad into a heavy one. Toast them in a dry pan for a minute first, because toasting deepens the flavour enormously, and let them cool before they go on the salad so they stay crisp.
A granola batch for the week
A tray of homemade granola uses 8 tablespoons of cashews, about 56.5 g, mixed through the oats before baking. Eight tablespoons across a whole tray means a spoonful of granola has a few pieces in it, which is the right balance. Stir the granola halfway through baking so the nuts on top do not burn while the ones underneath stay pale.
How the figure is measured
Cashews is measured spooned and levelled: spoon it loosely into the tablespoon, then sweep the top flat with the back of a knife. Do not scoop directly from the bag or jar, because scooping packs the ingredient down and a scooped spoon can weigh far more than a spooned one. The spoon-and-level method is the one the source data assumes, so it is the method that makes the numbers on this page true.
The cup weight of 113 g comes from King Arthur Baking. The tablespoon figure is that cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place, which is why the table is consistent from one row to the next. All results are approximate: brand, grind, humidity and temperature all move the real weight a little, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use these numbers as a guide.
Scaling the recipe up and down
Tablespoons scale cleanly once you know the weight of one spoon. A recipe that calls for 8 tablespoons of cashews needs 56.5 g, and doubling it to 16 tablespoons means 113 g, exactly one cup. Halving works the same way: 4 tablespoons is 28.2 g, and 2 tablespoons is 14.1 g. The rule that matters is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance.
When a recipe gives a weight instead of spoonfuls, work backwards: 100 g of cashews is about 14.2 tablespoons, and 50 g is about 7.1 tablespoons. Round to the nearest half tablespoon when you are measuring by hand, and accept that the result will be a gram or two off, which is fine for most cooking. For large amounts, stop counting spoons and switch to a cup measure or a scale: counting out 16 tablespoons is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a tablespoon of cashews?
One tablespoon of cashews weighs 7.1 g, approximately. The figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 113 g by 16, since one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup. One teaspoon is 2.4 g, and one cup is 113 g.
Is 7.1 g per tablespoon exact or approximate?
It is approximate. The cup weight of 113 g comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled, and the real weight of a tablespoon varies with brand, grind, humidity and how the spoon is filled. For most cooking the approximation is fine, and for baking or any recipe that has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
How do I measure cashews without a scale?
Fill a measuring tablespoon spooned and levelled and level it off with a straight edge. For amounts up to a few tablespoons, that is accurate enough. For larger amounts, use a cup measure: one cup of cashews is 113 g. Count spoonfuls only for small amounts, since the error on each spoon adds up over sixteen of them.
How much does 28.2 g of cashews work out to in tablespoons?
That is 4 tablespoons, which weigh 28.2 g. Four tablespoons is a quarter of a cup, so it is a convenient amount to measure with a quarter-cup measure if you have one. The same arithmetic works for any amount: divide the grams by 7.1 to get tablespoons.
Should I chop cashews before measuring a tablespoon?
Measure them the way the recipe lists them. If the recipe says chopped nuts, chop first and then measure, because chopping changes how they pack into the spoon. The figure on this page, 7.1 g per tablespoon, assumes the nuts are measured as they come, spooned and levelled, so a chopped measure will weigh slightly more per spoon.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Scooping directly from the bag, which packs the ingredient down and makes a spoonful weigh far more than a spooned one.
- Leaving the spoon heaped instead of levelling it, which adds an unpredictable extra amount every time.
- Measuring a damp or clumped ingredient without breaking it up first, which leaves air pockets and a short measure.
- Using a regular eating spoon instead of a measuring tablespoon, since eating spoons vary widely in size.
The thread running through all of these is the same: a tablespoon is only a standard measure when it is filled in the standard way. Measure cashews spooned and levelled, level it off, and check the weight on a scale when the recipe has to be right, and the numbers on this page will serve you well.