1 Tablespoon Ghee in Grams
1 tablespoon of ghee weighs 13.6 g (poured, USDA). The working is simple: one cup of ghee weighs 218 g, and one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so 218 divided by 16 is 13.6. Clarified butter with the milk solids removed; nutty and heat-stable. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the USDA value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Scaling a recipe by tablespoons is the fiddliest kind of scaling, because the numbers do not divide neatly, and ghee is a good example of why it helps to know the gram weight of a single tablespoon before you start multiplying.
Ghee tablespoons to grams table
| Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 13.6 g |
| 2 tbsp | 27.2 g |
| 3 tbsp | 40.9 g |
| 4 tbsp | 54.5 g |
| 5 tbsp | 68.1 g |
| 6 tbsp | 81.8 g |
| 7 tbsp | 95.4 g |
| 8 tbsp | 109 g |
| 9 tbsp | 122.6 g |
| 10 tbsp | 136.2 g |
| 11 tbsp | 149.9 g |
| 12 tbsp | 163.5 g |
| 13 tbsp | 177.1 g |
| 14 tbsp | 190.8 g |
| 15 tbsp | 204.4 g |
| 16 tbsp | 218 g |
Every row is the same calculation: the number of tablespoons times 13.6 g, which is 218 g per cup divided by 16. Four tablespoons is a quarter cup (54 g), eight tablespoons is half a cup (109 g), and sixteen tablespoons is a full cup (218 g). The table is the fastest way to answer the question in the middle of a recipe, and the worked examples below show how to use it when the recipe gives you a different amount.
Teaspoon weights for Ghee
| Teaspoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 4.5 g |
| 2 tsp | 9.1 g |
| 3 tsp | 13.6 g |
| 4 tsp | 18.2 g |
| 5 tsp | 22.7 g |
| 6 tsp | 27.2 g |
One teaspoon is a third of a tablespoon, so one teaspoon of ghee weighs about 4.5 g. Teaspoons are the right tool for amounts under a tablespoon, and for amounts under a teaspoon the only reliable option is a scale that reads to a tenth of a gram, because no spoon that small can be levelled consistently by hand.
Cups to grams for Ghee
| Cups | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 54 g |
| 1/3 cup | 73 g |
| 1/2 cup | 109 g |
| 2/3 cup | 145 g |
| 3/4 cup | 164 g |
| 1 cup | 218 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 327 g |
| 2 cups | 436 g |
| 3 cups | 654 g |
This table is the same 218 g per cup figure read the other way round, and it is here because recipes switch between cups, tablespoons and grams without warning. One cup is 218 g, half a cup is 109 g, and a quarter cup is 54 g, all measured poured. Because all three tables on this page are calculated from the same figure, they always agree with each other.
Worked examples
Halving a recipe that uses four tablespoons
Four tablespoons of ghee weigh 54 g, so the halved recipe needs two tablespoons, or 27.2 g. That is a clean halving, and it is the reason to halve in grams first: the gram figure halves exactly, and the tablespoon count follows. Measure two level tablespoons and the smaller batch will match the original.
Doubling a recipe that uses three tablespoons
Three tablespoons weigh 40.9 g, so the doubled recipe needs six tablespoons, or 81.8 g. Count six level tablespoons, or weigh 81.8 g, and the doubled batch gets exactly twice the original amount. If you are doubling again, twelve tablespoons is 163.5 g, or three quarters of a cup, and at that point the cup is the easier measure.
A recipe that needs 50 g of ghee
Fifty grams divided by 13.6 g per tablespoon is about 3.7 tablespoons, so a recipe written in grams that asks for 50 g takes roughly 3.7 level tablespoons. That is the reverse conversion, and it is the one to use when a European recipe gives grams and your kitchen is set up for spoons. Round to the nearest half tablespoon for everyday cooking, and weigh it exactly when the recipe is a bake you care about.
How the weight was measured
Poured means spooning the ingredient into the measure until it is heaped, then sweeping a straight knife across the top to level it off, unless the ingredient is a liquid, in which case it is poured to the line. Never scoop the spoon through the bag or jar, and never tap the spoon down, because both pack the ingredient and add weight.
The source for the 218 g per cup figure is USDA, and the confidence in the value is high where the source is a published ingredient chart and medium where it is a USDA food-data value. USDA publishes a standard ingredient weight chart that recipe developers use as a reference, and this page follows it exactly rather than averaging across sources, because an average of two different measuring methods is a number that matches nobody's spoon. Use the tables above, which follow the same source, and your conversions will be consistent with the recipes on this site.
Scaling spoonfuls of Ghee up and down
Start in grams when you scale spoonfuls, because grams multiply cleanly and tablespoons do not. A recipe that uses two tablespoons of ghee uses 27.2 g, so doubling it means 54.5 g, or four tablespoons, and halving it means 13.6 g, or one tablespoon. If you scale in tablespoons instead, you end up halving a tablespoon, which is a teaspoon and a half, and that is a measurement nobody can make reliably. The second scaling rule is to convert to cups once the count passes eight tablespoons, because eight tablespoons is half a cup and sixteen is a full cup, and a cup measure is steadier than a long spoon count. The third rule is the same as for every scaled recipe: leavening and salt scale more gently than bulk ingredients, so when you double ghee, double it fully, but check the leavening separately.
Common mistakes with ghee
The scaling mistake is rounding the tablespoon weight before multiplying, so 13.6 g becomes a round number in your head and the doubled amount is wrong by several grams. Keep the full figure until the last step, then round once. A second mistake is halving a tablespoon by eye, which gives a heaped teaspoon or a flat teaspoon depending on the day, so halve in grams and convert back to spoons. A third mistake is forgetting that a scaled recipe needs a scaled container, because a doubled batter in the same tin overflows, and a halved sauce in a large pan reduces too fast and burns.
Storing ghee
Cool cupboard up to 3 months; refrigerate for longer. Indian cooking, frying and baking. Keeping ghee in good condition protects the conversion as well as the flavour, because a stale, damp or clumped ingredient does not weigh the same per spoon as a fresh one, and the tables above assume the ingredient is in its normal state. If a bag or jar has been open for months, check it before you measure, and replace it if it smells off, feels damp or has changed colour.
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure a tablespoon of ghee without a scale?
Use a real measuring tablespoon, fill it poured style, and level it with a straight knife. Do not use a cutlery tablespoon, because cutlery spoons are not standard measures, and do not heap the spoon, because a heaped tablespoon can hold half as much again as a level one.
How many tablespoons is 100 g of ghee?
100 g divided by 13.6 g per tablespoon is about 7.3 tablespoons, which is roughly 0.46 cups. That is more than six tablespoons, so for 100 g it is easier to use the cup measure, which is 1/2 cup, than to count out the tablespoons one by one.
Is the tablespoon weight exact or approximate?
Approximate. All density conversions are approximate, because the weight of a spoonful varies with measuring method, moisture, brand and how finely the ingredient is ground. The figure is accurate enough for everyday cooking and for most baking, and when it has to be exact, verify it with a kitchen scale.
Can I use this figure for a different ingredient?
No. Every ingredient has its own density, so one tablespoon of ghee is 13.6 g while one tablespoon of flour is 7.5 g and one tablespoon of sugar is 12.4 g. Always use the page for the ingredient you are actually measuring, and never borrow a spoon weight from a different ingredient.
What is the difference between a tablespoon and a teaspoon here?
One tablespoon is three teaspoons, so one teaspoon of ghee weighs 4.5 g and one tablespoon weighs 13.6 g. Confusing the two triples or thirds the amount, which is the most common spoon mistake in any kitchen, so check the spoon in your hand before you measure.