1 tablespoon of coconut milk weighs 15 g. That is the short answer, and it comes from dividing the cup weight of 240 g by 16, because one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup: 240 ÷ 16 = 15 g. If you are standing in the kitchen with a spoon in one hand and a recipe in the other, that number is all you need, and the tables below cover every amount from one teaspoon to two cups.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from USDA, measured poured. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
About Coconut Milk
Rich liquid pressed from grated coconut flesh; shake canned coconut milk before using. Curries, soups, smoothies and dairy-free 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 15 g lets you move between the spoon and the scale without stopping to work it out.
Storage. Refrigerate after opening; use within 3 days.
Tablespoon to grams table
| Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 5 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 45 g |
| 4 tablespoons | 60 g |
| 5 tablespoons | 75 g |
| 6 tablespoons | 90 g |
| 7 tablespoons | 105 g |
| 8 tablespoons | 120 g |
| 9 tablespoons | 135 g |
| 10 tablespoons | 150 g |
| 11 tablespoons | 165 g |
| 12 tablespoons | 180 g |
| 13 tablespoons | 195 g |
| 14 tablespoons | 210 g |
| 15 tablespoons | 225 g |
| 16 tablespoons | 240 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is the cup weight of 240 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 | 60 g |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon | 80 g |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons | 120 g |
| 2/3 cup | 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons | 160 g |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tablespoons | 180 g |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons | 240 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 24 tablespoons | 360 g |
| 2 cups | 32 tablespoons | 480 g |
Worked examples
A dressing for a side salad
A dressing for a side salad for two uses 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, about 30 g, whisked with oil and a pinch of salt. Two tablespoons is the right amount of liquid to coat a bowl of leaves without pooling at the bottom. Whisk it until the mixture comes together, taste it, and only then pour it over the salad, because a dressing is much easier to adjust in the bowl than on the leaves.
A marinade for a weeknight dinner
A marinade for two portions of chicken or fish uses 3 tablespoons of coconut milk, about 45 g, mixed with oil, garlic and herbs. The liquid carries the flavour into the food and keeps the surface moist while it cooks. Marinate for twenty to thirty minutes, and discard any leftover marinade that touched raw meat rather than reusing it as a sauce.
A glaze for roasted vegetables
A glaze for a tray of roast vegetables uses 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, about 30 g, brushed over the vegetables in the last ten minutes of cooking. Brushing it on late stops the sugars in the glaze from burning, and two tablespoons is enough to coat a full tray without making it soggy. Brush it on, return the tray to the oven, and watch it closely, because a glaze goes from glossy to burnt in a couple of minutes.
How the figure is measured
Coconut Milk is a liquid, so it is measured poured: fill the tablespoon to the brim and level it by eye, or pour it into a small jug and read the level. Liquids are the easiest ingredients to measure by volume, because they settle flat and leave no air pockets, but they still cling to the spoon, so let the spoon drip for a moment before you count it as added. For larger amounts, pour into a jug rather than counting spoonfuls, since counting sixteen tablespoons is slow and each pour adds a small error.
The cup weight of 240 g comes from USDA. 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 coconut milk needs 120 g, and doubling it to 16 tablespoons means 240 g, exactly one cup. Halving works the same way: 4 tablespoons is 60 g, and 2 tablespoons is 30 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 coconut milk is about 6.7 tablespoons, and 50 g is about 3.3 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 coconut milk?
One tablespoon of coconut milk weighs 15 g, approximately. The figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 240 g by 16, since one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup. One teaspoon is 5 g, and one cup is 240 g.
How many tablespoons of coconut milk are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in one US cup, so one cup of coconut milk is 16 tablespoons and weighs 240 g. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons (120 g), a quarter cup is 4 tablespoons (60 g), and three quarters of a cup is 12 tablespoons (180 g).
Can I use a regular eating spoon instead of a measuring tablespoon?
It is not a good idea. Eating spoons vary widely in size and shape, and a tablespoon from a cutlery drawer can hold noticeably more or less than a standard measuring tablespoon. A set of measuring spoons costs very little and is the only way to make the figures on this page true in your kitchen.
Is 15 g per tablespoon exact or approximate?
It is approximate. The cup weight of 240 g comes from USDA, measured poured, 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 coconut milk without a scale?
Fill a measuring tablespoon poured 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 coconut milk is 240 g. Count spoonfuls only for small amounts, since the error on each spoon adds up over sixteen of them.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Measuring a liquid in a dry cup, where it clings to the sides and some of it never reaches the bowl.
- Counting spoonfuls for a large amount instead of switching to a jug or a scale, which lets small errors add up.
- Reading a jug at an angle instead of at eye level, which makes the level look higher or lower than it is.
- Pouring straight from the bottle into the pan, which is almost always more than the recipe asked for.
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 coconut milk poured, 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.