One tablespoon of coconut oil weighs 13.6 g (poured, USDA). Coconut oil is unusual among fats because it is solid below about 24 C and liquid above it, so its tablespoon weight depends on which state you measure it in: melted, it weighs 13.6 g per tablespoon, while solid coconut oil packed into a spoon weighs about 14.2 g. The difference is small, but it matters in baking, where coconut oil is often swapped for butter and the recipe expects a specific amount of fat. The figure on this page is for melted coconut oil, poured, as listed by the USDA. All weights are approximate; the oil's temperature and how firmly it is packed shift the result, so verify with a scale when precision matters.
How much does 1 tablespoon of coconut oil weigh?
One level tablespoon of coconut oil weighs 13.6 g, poured, according to USDA. That is the headline number, but a single tablespoon is rarely the whole story — most recipes use several spoonfuls, or a fraction of a cup, so the table below gives the weights you will actually reach for, from a teaspoon up to a full cup. Every figure is derived from the same source value of 218 g per cup, so the whole table is consistent. Treat all of these as approximate: poured is a technique, not a machine setting, and two cooks measuring the same ingredient can differ by a gram or two per spoonful. When the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.
| Amount | Weight (approx.) |
| --- | --- |
| 1 teaspoon | 4.5 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 13.6 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 27.2 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 40.9 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 54.5 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 109 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 163.5 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 218 g |
A useful rule of thumb: there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup, so you can move between any of these measures by multiplying or dividing. If a recipe calls for 2 teaspoons and you only have a tablespoon measure, that is two-thirds of a tablespoon — about 9.1 g. If a recipe calls for a quarter cup and you only have a tablespoon, that is 4 level tablespoons. Keep the tablespoons to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.
Worked examples
A dairy-free chocolate cake
A vegan chocolate cake uses 6 tablespoons of melted coconut oil in place of butter — about 82 g. The weight matters because coconut oil is 100 percent fat, while butter is about 80 percent fat and 20 percent water and milk solids, so a straight volume swap changes the cake's moisture. Weighing 82 g of melted oil gives you the exact fat content the recipe was designed around, and it also tells you when the oil is ready: melt it gently until it is just liquid, then weigh it, because oil that is too hot can start cooking the eggs in the batter. The cake comes out with a tender crumb and a faint coconut note that suits chocolate well.
Roasting vegetables for four
A tray of roasted sweet potatoes and carrots uses 3 tablespoons of coconut oil — about 41 g — melted and tossed with the vegetables before roasting. Coconut oil's high smoke point makes it a good choice for roasting, and its solid-at-room-temperature nature means it coats the vegetables thickly and evenly when melted. Weighing 41 g stops you from over-oiling the tray, which is the most common roasting mistake: too much oil and the vegetables steam in a pool instead of crisping. A tablespoon too many is 13.6 g of extra fat on the tray, and it shows in the finished dish.
A homemade granola bar batch
A batch of no-bake granola bars binds 3 cups of oats and nuts with 4 tablespoons of coconut oil and 4 tablespoons of honey — about 54 g of oil. The coconut oil is the ingredient that sets the bars: it is liquid when warm, so it mixes evenly, and solid when cool, so it holds the bars together. Weighing 54 g matters because the set depends on the ratio of oil to dry ingredients — too little and the bars crumble, too much and they turn greasy and never firm up. If your kitchen is warm, chill the bars for an hour so the coconut oil solidifies properly before cutting.
How to measure a tablespoon of coconut oil correctly
Coconut oil is measured poured when melted, and that is the state the USDA figure describes. Melt it gently in a small pan or in short bursts in the microwave, then pour it into the tablespoon measure or weigh it directly into the bowl. If the recipe calls for solid coconut oil, spoon it into the measure and level it, pressing lightly to remove air pockets — solid coconut oil weighs about 14.2 g per tablespoon when packed, a little more than the melted figure. The practical rule is to measure coconut oil in the state the recipe expects: if the recipe says melted, melt and weigh; if it says solid, spoon and level. Never measure coconut oil by the spoonful straight from a cold jar and then melt it, because the packed spoonful weighs more than the melted figure and your recipe will be over-fatted. For baking, weighing is always the better method — tare the bowl, add the oil to the target weight, and there is no ambiguity about solid or liquid at all.
When the weight matters most
Coconut oil's tablespoon weight matters most when it is replacing butter. Butter is 80 percent fat, so a recipe that swaps coconut oil for butter 1:1 by volume ends up with about 25 percent more fat than intended, which changes the texture of cakes and cookies — they come out greasier and sometimes denser, because the extra fat coats the flour and limits gluten development. Weighing the coconut oil lets you adjust: for 100 g of butter, about 80 g of coconut oil gives the same fat content, though you lose the water that butter contributes. The weight also matters for nutrition tracking, since a tablespoon of coconut oil carries about 120 calories of saturated fat, and for soap-making and cosmetics, where coconut oil is measured by weight and the lye calculation depends on it exactly. In cooking, the weight is less critical — a tablespoon more or less in a stir-fry makes little difference — but in baking it is the difference between a tender crumb and a greasy one.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is measuring coconut oil solid and treating it as the melted weight, or the reverse. The two states differ by about 0.6 g per tablespoon, which adds up across a whole recipe. The second mistake is swapping coconut oil for butter 1:1 by volume in baking without adjusting for the fat difference — the result is greasy and sometimes heavy. The third mistake is heating coconut oil too hot: it has a smoke point of about 175 C unrefined, so it is fine for baking and medium-heat cooking but not for high-heat searing, where refined coconut oil is the better choice. Finally, do not store coconut oil in a warm cupboard and expect it to stay solid — it melts at 24 C, and a jar that melts and re-solidifies repeatedly can develop an uneven texture, though it remains perfectly safe to use.
A note on the published figures
Measured melted at 218 g per cup; solid coconut oil packs at about 227 g per cup, like butter. The figure used on this page — 218 g per cup, 13.6 g per tablespoon — is the USDA value, and it is the one the site's converters use, so the numbers here and the numbers in the tool always agree. If another source gives you a different figure, the difference is almost always the measuring method, not an error: a scooped cup weighs more than a spooned cup, and a packed spoonful weighs more than a level one.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 tablespoon of coconut oil?
One tablespoon of melted coconut oil weighs 13.6 g, poured, according to the USDA. One teaspoon weighs about 4.5 g. Solid coconut oil packed into a tablespoon weighs about 14.2 g. These are approximate weights — weigh the oil for the most accurate result.
How many tablespoons of coconut oil are in 100 g?
There are about 7 tablespoons in 100 g of melted coconut oil (100 divided by 13.6 is 7.4). A standard 500 g jar holds about 37 tablespoons melted.
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?
Yes, but adjust for fat content. Butter is about 80 percent fat, while coconut oil is 100 percent fat, so use about 80 g of coconut oil for every 100 g of butter. Do not use it in recipes that rely on creaming butter with sugar, because coconut oil does not trap air the same way.
Is coconut oil solid or liquid?
Both — it melts at about 24 C (76 F). Below that it is a white solid; above it, a clear liquid. This is normal and does not affect its quality. Store it in a cool cupboard and melt it gently when you need it liquid.
Does coconut oil go bad?
Coconut oil keeps for up to 1 year in a cool cupboard, solid or liquid. Discard it if it smells rancid or soapy, tastes bitter, or shows mould. Refined coconut oil lasts longer than unrefined and has a neutral flavour.
Related conversions
If you cook with this ingredient regularly, these pages will help: the tablespoons to grams converter for any amount, the cups to grams converter for larger quantities, and the full ingredient guide for storage, substitutes and the weight of a whole cup. You can also compare the cup weight on the Coconut Oil cups to grams page or work backwards from a gram amount on the Coconut Oil grams to cups page.
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