100 g of dates is about 10.7 tablespoons, approximately. One tablespoon of dates weighs 9.3 g, and one teaspoon weighs 3.1 g, so the arithmetic is simple: 100 g divided by 9.3 g per tablespoon gives 10.7 tablespoons. 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.
Dried fruit is one of the hardest ingredients to measure by volume. It is sticky, it clumps, and the pieces are irregular, so a cup of dates can weigh very differently depending on whether the pieces were pressed down or left loose. Weighing 100 g of dates — about 10.7 tablespoons — removes all of that guesswork, and it is the way dried fruit is sold, so the weight is the number the packet already gives you.
About Dates
Chopped dried dates, intensely sweet. Sticky toffee pudding, energy bars, baking and tagines. That is why dates shows up in recipes measured by weight as often as by volume: a tablespoon is a useful unit for a small addition to a salad or a topping, while a cup is the unit for a fruit cake. Knowing that one tablespoon weighs 9.3 g lets you move between the spoon and the scale without stopping to work it out. Dates vary hugely in size and moisture, so counting them is hopeless and weighing 100 g is the only consistent measure.
Storage. Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 6 months.
Grams to tablespoons table
The table below converts grams of dates into tablespoons, using 9.3 g per tablespoon. Use it when a recipe gives a weight and you want to measure by spoon, or when a packet tells you the weight and you want to know how many spoonfuls that is. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
| Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|
| 10 g | 1.1 tbsp |
| 20 g | 2.1 tbsp |
| 25 g | 2.7 tbsp |
| 30 g | 3.2 tbsp |
| 40 g | 4.3 tbsp |
| 50 g | 5.4 tbsp |
| 60 g | 6.4 tbsp |
| 70 g | 7.5 tbsp |
| 75 g | 8.1 tbsp |
| 80 g | 8.6 tbsp |
| 90 g | 9.7 tbsp |
| 100 g | 10.7 tbsp |
Tablespoons to grams table
Working the other way round, here is what each spoonful of dates weighs. One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure below is the cup weight of 149 g divided by 16. Sixteen tablespoons make one cup, which is why the last row of the table matches the cup weight exactly.
| Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 9.3 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 18.6 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 27.9 g |
| 4 tablespoons | 37.2 g |
| 5 tablespoons | 46.6 g |
| 6 tablespoons | 55.9 g |
| 7 tablespoons | 65.2 g |
| 8 tablespoons | 74.5 g |
| 9 tablespoons | 83.8 g |
| 10 tablespoons | 93.1 g |
| 16 tablespoons | 149 g |
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 | 37.2 g |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon | 49.7 g |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons | 74.5 g |
| 2/3 cup | 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons | 99.3 g |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tablespoons | 111.8 g |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons | 149 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 24 tablespoons | 223.5 g |
| 2 cups | 32 tablespoons | 298 g |
Worked examples
A fruit cake that has to be the same every Christmas
A fruit cake that calls for half a cup of dates needs 74.5 g, or 8 tablespoons at 9.3 g each. Dried fruit is the bulk of a fruit cake, so weighing the 74.5 g matters more than for any other ingredient: too little and the cake is dry and crumbly, too much and it sinks and stays damp in the middle. Soak the weighed fruit in tea or juice overnight before baking, and toss it in a spoonful of flour so the pieces do not all sink to the bottom of the tin.
A trail mix made from a 100 g bag
A 100 g bag of dates is about 10.7 tablespoons, which is a generous base for a trail mix when it is combined with nuts and seeds. Weigh the fruit, then add roughly the same weight of nuts and a smaller amount of seeds, and the mix stays balanced instead of turning into a bag of mostly fruit. Break up any clumps before mixing, because sticky pieces glue themselves together and one handful ends up with all the fruit while the next has none.
Energy balls for the week
Energy balls made with 4 tablespoons of dates, about 37.2 g, blended with oats and nut butter, set into a dozen bite-size snacks. Four tablespoons is enough to sweeten the whole batch without added sugar, and weighing them keeps the balls firm enough to hold their shape — too much fruit and they turn soft and sticky, too little and they crumble. Roll them while the mixture is still slightly warm, then chill before eating.
How the figure is measured
Dates 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 149 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 dates needs 74.5 g, and doubling it to 16 tablespoons means 149 g, exactly one cup. Halving works the same way: 4 tablespoons is 37.2 g, and 2 tablespoons is 18.6 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 dates is about 10.7 tablespoons, and 50 g is about 5.4 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.
If you do not have a scale
If you do not own a kitchen scale, the tables on this page are your best substitute — but they only work if the spoon is filled the right way. Use a proper set of measuring spoons, fill the tablespoon spooned and levelled, and level it off with the back of a knife. Do not use a tablespoon from the cutlery drawer, do not heap the spoon, and do not scoop straight from the bag, because each of those habits adds an unpredictable amount. For a single tablespoon the error is small in absolute terms but large as a percentage, so for baking and for any recipe you plan to repeat, a basic digital scale is worth the small cost: it turns every conversion on this page from an approximation into a certainty.
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons is 100 g of dates?
About 10.7 tablespoons. The calculation is 100 g divided by 9.3 g per tablespoon, which gives 10.7. In practice, measure that many level tablespoons and accept that the result will be a gram or two off, or weigh the ingredient directly if the recipe needs to be exact.
How many grams is 1 tablespoon of dates?
One tablespoon of dates weighs 9.3 g, approximately. The figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 149 g by 16, since one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup. One teaspoon is 3.1 g, and one cup is 149 g.
How many tablespoons of dates are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in one US cup, so one cup of dates is 16 tablespoons and weighs 149 g. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons (74.5 g), a quarter cup is 4 tablespoons (37.2 g), and three quarters of a cup is 12 tablespoons (111.8 g).
Is 9.3 g per tablespoon exact or approximate?
It is approximate. The cup weight of 149 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.
Should I chop dates before measuring it?
Weigh it first, then chop it. Chopping changes how dates packs, so a tablespoon of chopped fruit weighs more than a tablespoon of whole pieces, and measuring after chopping gives a different amount from the one the recipe intended. Weighing 100 g first, then chopping, keeps the amount right whatever you do to it afterwards.
How should I store dates?
Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 6 months. Dried fruit keeps best sealed and cool, because air dries it out further and warmth encourages stickiness and mould. If it has hardened, soak it in warm water or tea for ten minutes before using it, and drain it well so the extra liquid does not throw off the recipe.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Measuring sticky fruit straight from the bag without breaking up the clumps, which leaves air pockets and a short measure.
- Pressing the fruit down into the cup to fit more in, which adds weight without adding volume.
- Leaving the spoon heaped instead of levelling it, which adds an unpredictable extra amount every time.
- Storing dried fruit open, where it dries out further and hardens until it is difficult to chop or chew.
The thread running through all of these is the same: dried fruit does not behave like a dry, free-flowing ingredient, and the only measurement that is the same every time is the weight. Measure dates 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.