1 teaspoon of jam weighs 6.67 g. A teaspoon is one forty-eighth of a cup, and a cup of jam is 320 g spooned and levelled, so the maths is 320 ÷ 48 = 6.67 g. The same cup divided by 16 gives the tablespoon weight of 20.0 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.
Jam by the teaspoon is the measure for the small jobs: a spoonful on a scone, a spoonful in a thumbprint cookie, or a spoonful swirled into a cake batter. A teaspoon holds 6.67 g, which makes jam the heaviest spoonful on this site — a cup is 320 g, because jam is mostly sugar and fruit solids with very little water. The spoon table is the fastest way to keep a bake in balance, because jam is sweet as well as fruity, and an extra spoonful changes the whole recipe.
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 | 6.67 g |
| 2 tsp | 13.33 g |
| 3 tsp | 20.00 g |
| 4 tsp | 26.67 g |
| 5 tsp | 33.33 g |
| 6 tsp | 40.00 g |
| 7 tsp | 46.67 g |
| 8 tsp | 53.33 g |
| 9 tsp | 60.00 g |
| 10 tsp | 66.67 g |
| 11 tsp | 73.33 g |
| 12 tsp | 80.00 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 | 20.0 g |
| 2 tbsp | 40.0 g |
| 3 tbsp | 60.0 g |
| 4 tbsp | 80.0 g |
| 5 tbsp | 100.0 g |
| 6 tbsp | 120.0 g |
| 7 tbsp | 140.0 g |
| 8 tbsp | 160.0 g |
| 9 tbsp | 180.0 g |
| 10 tbsp | 200.0 g |
| 11 tbsp | 220.0 g |
| 12 tbsp | 240.0 g |
| 13 tbsp | 260.0 g |
| 14 tbsp | 280.0 g |
| 15 tbsp | 300.0 g |
| 16 tbsp | 320.0 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 | 80.0 g |
| 1/3 cup | 106.7 g |
| 1/2 cup | 160.0 g |
| 2/3 cup | 213.3 g |
| 3/4 cup | 240.0 g |
| 1 cup | 320.0 g |
One cup of jam weighs 320 g, so a quarter cup is 80.0 g and half a cup is 160.0 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. Fruit preserves set with sugar and pectin. Toast, baking, glazes and thumbprint cookies.
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 jam measured two different ways can give two different weights, and the USDA value assumes the spooned and levelled method every time.
Worked examples
A thumbprint cookie for one
A single thumbprint cookie takes 1 teaspoon (6.67 g) of jam pressed into the centre before baking, and the spoon measure keeps the cookie balanced — too much jam and it bubbles over and burns on the tray, too little and the cookie is just a plain butter biscuit. Use a measuring spoon, not a teaspoon from the drawer, or the jam will not sit in the thumbprint.
Jam on a scone
A scone takes 2 teaspoons (13.33 g) of jam spread on one half, and the weight tells you how little jam a scone actually needs — a thick layer overwhelms the cream and the scone itself. Spread it thin and let the cream do the work; jam is a flavour, not a filling.
A spoonful swirled into a cake
A loaf cake for four is finished with 4 teaspoons (26.67 g) of jam warmed and brushed over the top as a glaze, and the spoon measure keeps the glaze thin enough to set instead of pooling. Warm the jam first, or it will not spread — cold jam tears the crumb of a fresh cake.
Practical guidance
Spoon jam in level and do not heap it: jam is thick and holds its shape, so a heaped spoon can hold half as much again as a level one, and half as much again jam is enough to make a cookie overflow or a cake too sweet. Seedless jam weighs a touch more per spoon than jam with whole fruit, because the seeds and skins trap air — the difference is a fraction of a gram, so the figures hold for both. Warm the jam slightly before measuring if it is cold and stiff, or it will not level cleanly.
Jam is mostly sugar, which is why it keeps so well: an opened jar lasts three months in the fridge, and unopened it keeps for a year. But it is also why it burns so easily — a jam glaze brushed onto a cake too early in the bake will caramelise and turn bitter, so always glaze at the end. If a jar of jam has gone mouldy on top, throw the whole jar away; the mould sends threads through the jam that you cannot see.
Scaling with spoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of jam, count out about 15.0 teaspoons, and for 50 g, about 7.5 teaspoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 teaspoons means using 2 teaspoons, or 13.33 g, and doubling it means 8 teaspoons, or 53.33 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 jam 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 jam 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. Refrigerate after opening; use within 3 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 jam?
One level teaspoon of jam weighs approximately 6.67 g. That figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 320 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.
Why is jam so heavy per teaspoon?
Because it is mostly sugar and fruit solids with very little water. A teaspoon of jam weighs about 6.67 g, and a cup is 320 g — heavier than any other ingredient on this site. The sugar is dense, and there is almost no air in a spoonful of jam.
Does seedless jam weigh the same as jam with fruit pieces?
Almost. Seedless jam weighs a fraction of a gram more per teaspoon, because the seeds and skins in whole-fruit jam trap a little air. The difference is smaller than the error from levelling the spoon, so use the same figures for both.
How long does jam keep after opening?
About three months in the fridge, sealed. Jam is mostly sugar, which preserves it well, but it can still go mouldy — and if it does, throw the whole jar away, because the mould sends threads through the jam that you cannot see.
How many teaspoons of jam are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon, so 1 tablespoon of jam weighs approximately 20.0 g, which is three times the teaspoon weight of 6.67 g. Use the tablespoon table on this page when a recipe switches between the two units.
How should I store jam?
Refrigerate after opening; use within 3 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.