100 grams of cornstarch is about 14.3 tablespoons. A tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, and a cup of cornstarch is 112 g spooned and levelled, so the maths is 1600 ÷ 112 = 14.3 tbsp — or, the other way round, one tablespoon weighs 7.0 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.

Cornstarch is the thickener, not a flour for baking: a fine white starch that thickens sauces, gravies and custards with no flavour of its own. A hundred grams is about 14.3 tablespoons, because cornstarch is light per cup at 112 g. It is also the ingredient where a single tablespoon decides a sauce: too little and the sauce is thin, too much and it turns gluey and opaque. The practical point that matters most is the slurry — cornstarch must be mixed with cold liquid before it meets heat, or it clumps, and no amount of stirring will fix a clumped sauce.

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 1.4 tbsp
20 g 2.9 tbsp
25 g 3.6 tbsp
30 g 4.3 tbsp
40 g 5.7 tbsp
50 g 7.1 tbsp
60 g 8.6 tbsp
75 g 10.7 tbsp
80 g 11.4 tbsp
100 g 14.3 tbsp
120 g 17.1 tbsp
125 g 17.9 tbsp
150 g 21.4 tbsp
200 g 28.6 tbsp
250 g 35.7 tbsp
300 g 42.9 tbsp
500 g 71.4 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 7.0 g
2 tbsp 14.0 g
3 tbsp 21.0 g
4 tbsp 28.0 g
5 tbsp 35.0 g
6 tbsp 42.0 g
7 tbsp 49.0 g
8 tbsp 56.0 g
9 tbsp 63.0 g
10 tbsp 70.0 g
11 tbsp 77.0 g
12 tbsp 84.0 g
13 tbsp 91.0 g
14 tbsp 98.0 g
15 tbsp 105.0 g
16 tbsp 112.0 g

One tablespoon of cornstarch weighs 7.0 g, and one cup weighs 112 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 28.0 g
1/3 cup 37.3 g
1/2 cup 56.0 g
2/3 cup 74.7 g
3/4 cup 84.0 g
1 cup 112.0 g

How the measurement works

The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Fine white starch from corn; a powerful thickener with no flavour of its own. Thickening sauces, gravies and custards; lightening cakes.

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 cornstarch 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

Thickening a gravy for four

A gravy for four takes 2 tablespoons (14.0 g) of cornstarch mixed with cold water into a slurry, then stirred into the simmering stock. The amount matters because cornstarch is powerful: two tablespoons thicken a whole jug of gravy, and three will turn it into a jelly. Stir the slurry in slowly and let the gravy simmer for a minute, or it will taste starchy.

A custard for two

A custard for two takes 4 tablespoons (28.0 g) of cornstarch whisked with sugar and egg yolks before the hot milk goes in, and the cornstarch is what sets the custard without curdling the eggs. Temper the eggs first — pour the hot milk in slowly while you whisk, or the eggs will scramble.

A spoonful to lighten a cake

A sponge cake takes 2 tablespoons (14.0 g) of cornstarch swapped in for part of the flour, and the starch lightens the crumb because it has no gluten. Swap only a small amount — a cake made with too much cornstarch is dry and crumbly, because the starch absorbs moisture without adding structure.

Practical guidance

Spoon cornstarch lightly into the measure and level it, and never press it down: cornstarch is a very fine powder that packs easily, and a packed spoon can weigh half as much again as a level one. Always mix cornstarch with cold liquid before it meets heat — a slurry, not a dry spoonful into a hot pan. Dry cornstarch in hot liquid clumps instantly, and the lumps will not dissolve no matter how hard you stir. Cornstarch thickens as it simmers and thins if it is boiled hard, so simmer it gently for a minute and then take it off the heat.

Cornstarch and cornflour are the same product in the US and the UK respectively, but cornflour in the UK is not the same as cornmeal — do not confuse them. Cornstarch keeps indefinitely in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, because it is pure starch with no fat to go rancid. If it has gone lumpy from moisture, sift it before you measure it, and weigh it when the sauce has to be exact.

Scaling with spoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of cornstarch, count out about 14.3 tablespoons, and for 50 g, about 7.1 tablespoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 tablespoons means using 2 tablespoons, or 14.0 g, and doubling it means 8 tablespoons, or 56.0 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 cornstarch 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 cornstarch 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, indefinitely.

  • 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 cornstarch?

100 g of cornstarch is about 14.3 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 cornstarch?

One level tablespoon of cornstarch weighs approximately 7.0 g. That figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 112 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.

How much cornstarch do I need to thicken a sauce?

Start with a tablespoon or two for a jug of sauce and adjust from there — a little cornstarch goes a long way, and a sauce thickened too far turns gluey. Always mix it with cold liquid first — a slurry — and simmer gently for a minute, or it will taste starchy and clump. For thickening, cornstarch and tapioca flour swap 1:1.

Why did my cornstarch sauce go lumpy?

Because the cornstarch met hot liquid while it was still dry. Dry cornstarch clumps instantly in hot liquid, and the lumps will not dissolve. Always mix cornstarch with cold liquid into a slurry first, then stir the slurry into the simmering sauce.

Is cornstarch the same as cornflour?

In the US, cornstarch is the fine white starch. In the UK, the same product is called cornflour — but cornflour in the UK is not cornmeal, which is a coarse, golden flour. Do not swap cornstarch for cornmeal: one is a thickener, the other is a flour.

How should I store cornstarch?

Airtight container, cool and dry, indefinitely. 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.

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