1 teaspoon of dried apricots weighs 2.71 g. A teaspoon is one forty-eighth of a cup, and a cup of dried apricots is 130 g spooned and levelled, so the maths is 130 ÷ 48 = 2.71 g. The same cup divided by 16 gives the tablespoon weight of 8.1 g, and there are 3 teaspoons in every tablespoon. If you cook from recipes written in cups and spoons, this page is the bridge between the two, and the worked examples show the conversion inside real dishes rather than in isolation.
Dried apricots are the dried fruit that recipes measure by the spoon when only a little is needed — a spoonful chopped into a tagine, a spoonful in a stuffing, or a spoonful in a granola mix. A teaspoon holds 2.71 g, roughly one chopped apricot half, and the spoon table is what keeps a tagine from turning sweet: dried apricots are concentrated sugar, so the difference between three teaspoons and five is the difference between a balanced dish and a dessert. They are also sticky, so the measuring technique below matters.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from USDA, measured spooned and levelled. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
Conversion table
One teaspoon is one forty-eighth of a cup, so every figure in this table is the cup weight divided by 48, rounded to two decimal places. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
| Teaspoons | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 2.71 g |
| 2 tsp | 5.42 g |
| 3 tsp | 8.12 g |
| 4 tsp | 10.83 g |
| 5 tsp | 13.54 g |
| 6 tsp | 16.25 g |
| 7 tsp | 18.96 g |
| 8 tsp | 21.67 g |
| 9 tsp | 24.38 g |
| 10 tsp | 27.08 g |
| 11 tsp | 29.79 g |
| 12 tsp | 32.50 g |
The tablespoon figures are included too, because most recipes switch between teaspoons and tablespoons, and 3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon.
| Tablespoons | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 8.1 g |
| 2 tbsp | 16.2 g |
| 3 tbsp | 24.4 g |
| 4 tbsp | 32.5 g |
| 5 tbsp | 40.6 g |
| 6 tbsp | 48.8 g |
| 7 tbsp | 56.9 g |
| 8 tbsp | 65.0 g |
| 9 tbsp | 73.1 g |
| 10 tbsp | 81.2 g |
| 11 tbsp | 89.4 g |
| 12 tbsp | 97.5 g |
| 13 tbsp | 105.6 g |
| 14 tbsp | 113.8 g |
| 15 tbsp | 121.9 g |
| 16 tbsp | 130.0 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every tablespoon figure is the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place.
Cups to grams for reference
When a recipe jumps from spoons to cups, use this table instead of counting out 16 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 | 32.5 g |
| 1/3 cup | 43.3 g |
| 1/2 cup | 65.0 g |
| 2/3 cup | 86.7 g |
| 3/4 cup | 97.5 g |
| 1 cup | 130.0 g |
One cup of dried apricots weighs 130 g, so a quarter cup is 32.5 g and half a cup is 65.0 g. Those two figures cover most everyday scaling, and the full table above covers the rest.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from USDA, measured spooned and levelled. Dried apricot halves, sweet and tangy. Tagines, stuffing, baking and snacking.
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 dried apricots measured two different ways can give two different weights, and the USDA value assumes the spooned and levelled method every time.
Worked examples
A spoonful in a Moroccan tagine
A chicken tagine for four takes 5 teaspoons (13.54 g) of chopped dried apricots added in the last twenty minutes of cooking, just enough sweetness to balance the cinnamon and cumin. Add them too early and they dissolve completely; add too many and the sauce turns syrupy and there is no way back.
Dried apricots in a stuffing
A stuffing for a small roast takes 6 teaspoons (16.25 g) of chopped dried apricots mixed with breadcrumbs and herbs, and the spoon measure keeps the fruit from overwhelming the savoury base. Chop the apricots small — large pieces make the stuffing fall apart when you slice it.
A spoonful in a granola mix
A jar of homemade granola gets 8 teaspoons (21.67 g) of chopped dried apricots stirred in after baking, and adding them after the oven is the point: dried fruit burns in a hot oven and turns bitter. Level every spoon, because apricots are sweet enough that an extra spoonful changes the whole jar.
Practical guidance
Chop dried apricots small and oil the knife lightly so the pieces do not stick to the blade, then spoon them in level and do not press them down — dried apricots compress easily and a packed spoon can weigh half as much again. If the apricots feel hard and dry, soak them in warm water for ten minutes and drain them well before measuring; soaked apricots weigh more per spoon because they have absorbed water, so measure them after soaking, not before.
Sulphured apricots (the bright orange ones) and unsulphured apricots (the dark brown ones) weigh the same per spoon once chopped, so the figures hold for both — the difference is flavour and colour, not density. What changes the weight is the cut: finely chopped apricots pack tighter and weigh more per spoon than coarsely chopped ones, so keep the chop consistent across the whole recipe. Store dried apricots sealed, or they dry out further and the spoon weight drifts down.
Scaling with spoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of dried apricots, count out about 36.9 teaspoons, and for 50 g, about 18.5 teaspoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 teaspoons means using 2 teaspoons, or 5.42 g, and doubling it means 8 teaspoons, or 21.67 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 teaspoons one by one is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
When should you weigh dried apricots 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 dried apricots 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, up to 6 months.
- 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 grams is 1 teaspoon of dried apricots?
One level teaspoon of dried apricots weighs approximately 2.71 g. That figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 130 g by 48, 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 many dried apricots are in a teaspoon?
Roughly one chopped apricot half, since a teaspoon of chopped dried apricots weighs about 2.71 g. For a tagine or a stuffing, counting halves is a fair check; for a granola mix, use the spoon.
Should I soak dried apricots before measuring?
Only if they are hard and dry. Soaking softens them and makes them easier to chop, but soaked apricots weigh more per spoon because they have absorbed water. If you soak them, measure after soaking and draining, and reduce any other liquid in the recipe slightly.
Do sulphured and unsulphured apricots weigh the same?
Yes, once chopped. The sulphur treatment changes the colour and preserves the orange tint, but it does not change the density. Use the same figures for both, and choose by flavour: unsulphured apricots taste more caramel-like, sulphured ones taste brighter.
How many teaspoons of dried apricots are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon, so 1 tablespoon of dried apricots weighs approximately 8.1 g, which is three times the teaspoon weight of 2.71 g. Use the tablespoon table on this page when a recipe switches between the two units.
How should I store dried apricots?
Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 6 months. 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.