1 tablespoon of coconut flour weighs 8 g. Coconut flour is the most absorbent flour in the kitchen, and a tablespoon of it can soak up a surprising amount of liquid. The tablespoon is the natural unit for coconut flour, because recipes use it in such small amounts that a cup measure is useless, and a tablespoon is the difference between a moist bake and a dry one.
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
| Amount | Grams of coconut flour |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 2.7 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 8 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 16 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 24 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) | 32 g |
| 1/3 cup | 42.7 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) | 64 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) | 96 g |
| 1 cup (16 tablespoons) | 128 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is simply the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Method and source
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Very absorbent flour made from dried coconut flesh; a little goes a long way. Gluten-free and keto baking, in small amounts.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the cup, 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.
Worked examples
A coconut flour mug cake
A mug cake uses 2 tablespoons of coconut flour, 16 g, mixed with an egg, a tablespoon of butter and a little sweetener. The cake cooks in the microwave in 90 seconds. Two tablespoons is the right amount for a single serving, and three would make the cake dry and crumbly.
Thickening a smoothie
A smoothie is too thin, and 1 tablespoon of coconut flour, 8 g, blended in at the end, thickens it without changing the flavour. The flour absorbs the liquid quickly, so let the smoothie sit for a minute before drinking it, or it will continue to thicken in the glass.
A gluten-free pancake batter
A pancake batter uses 4 tablespoons of coconut flour, about 32 g, with four eggs and a splash of milk. The eggs provide the structure and the coconut flour thickens the batter. If the batter is too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time, because coconut flour is unforgiving.
Practical guidance
Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a straight edge. Scooping straight from the bag packs the flour down and can add 20 g or more per cup, which is enough to turn a tender cake dry and dense. Do not sift before measuring unless the recipe says sifted, because sifting adds air and changes the weight. If you bake often, the single best upgrade is a kitchen scale: weighing flour removes the biggest source of variation in home baking entirely. Until then, spoon and level every time, and use the same cup for the whole recipe so any small error stays consistent.
Scaling with tablespoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of coconut flour, count out about 12.5 tablespoons, and for 50 g, about 6.2 tablespoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 tablespoons means using 2 tablespoons, or 16 g, and doubling it means 8 tablespoons, or 64 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: counting out 16 tablespoons is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
When should you weigh coconut 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 cake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking: the way ingredients pack into a cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the coconut 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 liquids, a jug is fine, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 1 year.
- Sift coconut flour before measuring; it clumps.
- A tablespoon can absorb a surprising amount of liquid.
- Use only a quarter as much as wheat flour.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a tablespoon of coconut flour?
One tablespoon of coconut flour weighs 8 g, and one teaspoon is about 2.7 g. A cup of coconut flour is 128 g, and a tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup.
Why is coconut flour used in such small amounts?
It is extremely absorbent, soaking up several times its own weight in liquid. A recipe needs far less coconut flour than wheat flour, and far more eggs or liquid to balance it. Never substitute it one-for-one with another flour.
Can I add coconut flour to thicken a sauce?
You can, but it is not the best choice. Coconut flour absorbs liquid slowly and can leave a gritty texture in a sauce. Cornstarch or flour are better thickeners for sauces, and coconut flour is better in baking.
How do I measure a tablespoon of coconut flour?
Spoon it into the tablespoon measure and level it off. Coconut flour clumps badly in the bag, so sift it first if it has formed lumps, because a lumpy tablespoon can be 10 g or more.
Does coconut flour taste strongly of coconut?
It has a mild coconut flavour that suits tropical and chocolate recipes, but it disappears behind strong flavours like cocoa or spices. In a plain vanilla cake, the coconut note will be noticeable.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake with flour is scooping it straight from the bag, which packs it down and can add 20 g or more per cup. The second is shaking or tapping the cup to settle the flour, which has the same effect. The third is measuring flour that has just been sifted as if it were unsifted, because sifted flour is lighter and a cup of it weighs less. The fourth mistake is using a wet cup or spoon, because damp flour clumps and sticks, and the measurement becomes unreliable. Finally, do not assume that all flours weigh the same: a cup of whole wheat flour is 113 g, a cup of almond flour is 96 g, and a cup of rice flour is 142 g, and swapping them cup for cup without adjusting will change the recipe. When in doubt, weigh the flour, because a scale removes every one of these mistakes at once.