One tablespoon of maple syrup weighs 19.5 g (poured, King Arthur Baking). Maple syrup is one of the heaviest liquids in the kitchen by the spoonful — nearly a third heavier than water — because it is a concentrated sugar solution, and that density is exactly why it pours so slowly and coats a pancake the way it does. The tablespoon weight is the number you need when a recipe lists maple syrup in grams, when you are tracking sugar intake, or when you are swapping maple syrup for sugar in baking and need to know how much liquid you are adding. All weights on this page are approximate; syrup clinging to the spoon can shift the result by a gram or two, so verify with a scale when precision matters.
How much does 1 tablespoon of maple syrup weigh?
One level tablespoon of maple syrup weighs 19.5 g, poured, according to King Arthur Baking. That is the headline number, but a single tablespoon is rarely the whole story — most recipes use several spoonfuls, or a fraction of a cup, so the table below gives the weights you will actually reach for, from a teaspoon up to a full cup. Every figure is derived from the same source value of 312 g per cup, so the whole table is consistent. Treat all of these as approximate: poured is a technique, not a machine setting, and two cooks measuring the same ingredient can differ by a gram or two per spoonful. When the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.
| Amount | Weight (approx.) |
| --- | --- |
| 1 teaspoon | 6.5 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 19.5 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 39 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 58.5 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 78 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 156 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 234 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 312 g |
A useful rule of thumb: there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup, so you can move between any of these measures by multiplying or dividing. If a recipe calls for 2 teaspoons and you only have a tablespoon measure, that is two-thirds of a tablespoon — about 13 g. If a recipe calls for a quarter cup and you only have a tablespoon, that is 4 level tablespoons. Keep the tablespoons to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.
Worked examples
Sweetening a batch of granola
A granola recipe for a large baking tray calls for 6 tablespoons of maple syrup to bind 4 cups of oats, nuts and seeds. At 19.5 g per tablespoon that is 117 g of syrup. Knowing the weight matters because granola is a ratio recipe: too little syrup and the clusters never form, too much and the batch turns into a sticky slab that never crisps. Weighing 117 g straight into the bowl is faster than counting six sticky spoonfuls, and it keeps your hands clean. It also lets you scale the recipe precisely — a half batch needs 58 g, and a double batch needs 234 g, with no spoon-counting at all.
Swapping maple syrup for sugar in muffins
A muffin recipe uses 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, and you want to replace it with maple syrup for flavour. The standard swap is 3/4 cup of maple syrup per cup of sugar, so 3/4 cup of sugar becomes about 9 tablespoons of syrup — roughly 175 g — and you reduce the other liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons. Doing this by weight rather than by spoonfuls keeps the batter's moisture exactly right, because maple syrup is about a third water. Get the liquid balance wrong and the muffins come out gummy in the middle or collapse as they cool.
Dressing a salad for four
A maple mustard vinaigrette for a dinner party needs 2 tablespoons of maple syrup whisked with 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar and 6 tablespoons of olive oil. That is 39 g of syrup against about 41 g of vinegar, a balance that gives the dressing its sweet-tart edge without tipping into sticky. Weighing the syrup into the jar is easier than scraping it off a spoon, and it matters for consistency: if you make this dressing every week, the same weight every time means the same flavour every time, instead of a dressing that is sometimes too sweet and sometimes too sharp.
How to measure a tablespoon of maple syrup correctly
Maple syrup is measured poured, and the honest way to do it is to weigh it. Syrup is viscous, so it clings to the sides of a measuring spoon and to the inside of a measuring jug; a tablespoon poured from a cold bottle can easily deliver 18 g while a warm, runny one delivers 21 g. If you must use a spoon, pour it slowly, let the spoon fill to the brim without overflowing, and give it a few seconds to finish dripping into the bowl — most of what people lose is syrup left behind on the spoon. A light coating of oil on the spoon helps it slide off cleanly. For baking, weigh the syrup directly into the mixing bowl on a scale: tare the bowl, pour to the target weight, and there is nothing to scrape and nothing to wash. The King Arthur figure of 19.5 g per tablespoon assumes syrup at room temperature, poured from a jug.
When the weight matters most
Maple syrup's weight matters most in baking, where it is both a sweetener and a liquid. Unlike granulated sugar, which adds sweetness with no moisture, every tablespoon of maple syrup brings roughly 6 g of water into the batter along with its 13 g of sugars. That water changes how the crumb sets, how the crust browns, and how long the bake stays moist. Recipes that swap maple syrup for sugar without adjusting the other liquids come out dense and damp in the centre. The weight also matters for anyone tracking nutrition: a tablespoon of maple syrup carries about 52 calories and 13 g of sugars, and people routinely pour two or three tablespoons over pancakes without realising they have added 40 g of sugar. Knowing the gram weight turns a vague pour into a number you can actually use.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is treating maple syrup like water and assuming a tablespoon weighs about 15 g. It weighs 19.5 g — nearly a third more — so any recipe converted by assuming syrup and water weigh the same will be under-sweetened and over-liquid. The second mistake is measuring cold syrup straight from the fridge: cold syrup is thicker, pours slower, and leaves more behind on the spoon, so you end up adding less than the recipe expects. Let it come to room temperature first. The third mistake is using imitation pancake syrup and expecting the same weight. Imitation syrup is mostly corn syrup and water with flavouring, and its density differs; if a recipe was written for real maple syrup, use real maple syrup. Finally, do not store an opened bottle at room temperature for months — refrigerate it, because real maple syrup can grow mould on the surface once opened.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 tablespoon of maple syrup?
One tablespoon of maple syrup weighs 19.5 g, poured, according to King Arthur Baking. One teaspoon weighs 6.5 g. These are approximate weights — syrup clings to the spoon, so weighing it on a kitchen scale is the most accurate method.
How many tablespoons of maple syrup are in 100 g?
There are about 5 tablespoons in 100 g of maple syrup (100 divided by 19.5 is 5.1). A standard 250 ml bottle of maple syrup weighs roughly 330 g, so a bottle holds about 17 tablespoons.
Is maple syrup heavier than honey?
Yes, slightly, per tablespoon. A tablespoon of maple syrup weighs 19.5 g while a tablespoon of honey weighs 21 g, so honey is a little denser. Per cup the gap is similar: maple syrup is 312 g per cup and honey is 336 g per cup.
Can I substitute maple syrup for sugar 1:1?
Not quite. Use 3/4 cup of maple syrup per cup of sugar, and reduce the other liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons, because maple syrup brings water with it. Also lower the oven temperature by about 25 F (15 C), since maple syrup browns faster than sugar.
Does maple syrup need to be refrigerated?
Yes, once opened. Real maple syrup can grow mould at room temperature after opening, so keep the bottle in the fridge and use it within a year. If mould appears on the surface, skim it off and bring the syrup to a brief boil — but prevention by refrigeration is far better.
Related conversions
If you cook with this ingredient regularly, these pages will help: the tablespoons to grams converter for any amount, the cups to grams converter for larger quantities, and the full ingredient guide for storage, substitutes and the weight of a whole cup. You can also compare the cup weight on the Maple Syrup cups to grams page or work backwards from a gram amount on the Maple Syrup grams to cups page.
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