A tablespoon of mashed bananas is 14.2 g, approximately. Recipes use tablespoons for small amounts, which is exactly where guessing goes wrong, because being out by half a spoon matters far more in a single tablespoon than in a whole cup. The conversion itself is simple: a cup of mashed bananas weighs 227 g, and a tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so 227 ÷ 16 = 14.2 g.
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.
About Mashed Bananas
Very ripe bananas mashed to a pulp. Banana bread, pancakes, smoothies and egg replacement. That is why it shows up in recipes measured by the tablespoon: it is used in amounts too small for a cup measure to be practical, yet large enough that guessing the weight can throw a dish off. Knowing that one tablespoon weighs 14.2 g lets you move between the spoon and the scale without stopping to work it out.
Storage. Use fresh; freeze overripe bananas for baking.
Tablespoon to grams table
| Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.7 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.2 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 28.4 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 42.6 g |
| 4 tablespoons | 56.8 g |
| 5 tablespoons | 70.9 g |
| 6 tablespoons | 85.1 g |
| 7 tablespoons | 99.3 g |
| 8 tablespoons | 113.5 g |
| 9 tablespoons | 127.7 g |
| 10 tablespoons | 141.9 g |
| 11 tablespoons | 156.1 g |
| 12 tablespoons | 170.2 g |
| 13 tablespoons | 184.4 g |
| 14 tablespoons | 198.6 g |
| 15 tablespoons | 212.8 g |
| 16 tablespoons | 227 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is the cup weight of 227 g divided by 16 and rounded to one decimal place. Sixteen tablespoons make one cup, which is why the last row of the table matches the cup weight exactly. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
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 | 56.8 g |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon | 75.7 g |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons | 113.5 g |
| 2/3 cup | 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons | 151.3 g |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tablespoons | 170.2 g |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons | 227 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 24 tablespoons | 340.5 g |
| 2 cups | 32 tablespoons | 454 g |
Worked examples
A trail mix for a walk
A bag of trail mix for two people uses 6 tablespoons of mashed bananas, 85.1 g, mixed with nuts and seeds. Six tablespoons across a whole bag gives a piece of fruit in most handfuls, which is the point of trail mix: a little sweetness alongside the savoury nuts. Keep the mix in a sealed bag or jar, because dried fruit picks up moisture from the air and turns sticky.
A fruit loaf or a tea bread
A fruit loaf for a family uses 8 tablespoons of mashed bananas, about 113.5 g, soaked first and then folded into the dough. Eight tablespoons makes the loaf properly fruity rather than sparsely dotted. Soak the fruit in hot water or tea for twenty minutes before baking, which plumps it up and stops it from drawing moisture out of the loaf while it bakes.
A batch of muffins
A batch of twelve muffins uses 4 tablespoons of mashed bananas, about 56.8 g, folded into the batter. Four tablespoons spread across a dozen muffins means every muffin gets some fruit, and folding it in at the end stops the fruit from sinking to the bottom. Toss the fruit in a spoonful of flour first, which helps it stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking.
How the figure is measured
Mashed Bananas 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 227 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.
Storage and keeping
Storage. Use fresh; freeze overripe bananas for baking. Keeping mashed bananas properly stored matters for the conversion as well as for the flavour, because an ingredient that has absorbed moisture or dried out weighs differently per spoon than a fresh one. Store it as the data file recommends and check it before you measure: if it has clumped, hardened or gone stale, the spoon weight will be off and the recipe will be too.
Buy mashed bananas in amounts you will use within its storage life, and keep it in a sealed container rather than an open bag, which lets in air and moisture. Label the container with the date you opened it, so you are not guessing later whether it is still good. A fresh ingredient measures more predictably than an old one, and predictable measuring is what makes the numbers on this page useful in a real kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a tablespoon of mashed bananas?
One tablespoon of mashed bananas weighs 14.2 g, approximately. The figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 227 g by 16, since one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup. One teaspoon is 4.7 g, and one cup is 227 g.
How many tablespoons of mashed bananas are in 100 g?
About 7 tablespoons. The calculation is 100 g divided by 14.2 g per tablespoon, which gives 7. In practice, measure 7 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 tablespoons of mashed bananas are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in one US cup, so one cup of mashed bananas is 16 tablespoons and weighs 227 g. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons (113.5 g), a quarter cup is 4 tablespoons (56.8 g), and three quarters of a cup is 12 tablespoons (170.2 g).
Can I use a regular eating spoon instead of a measuring tablespoon?
It is not a good idea. Eating spoons vary widely in size and shape, and a tablespoon from a cutlery drawer can hold noticeably more or less than a standard measuring tablespoon. A set of measuring spoons costs very little and is the only way to make the figures on this page true in your kitchen.
Is 14.2 g per tablespoon exact or approximate?
It is approximate. The cup weight of 227 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.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Scooping directly from the bag, which packs the ingredient down and makes a spoonful weigh far more than a spooned one.
- Leaving the spoon heaped instead of levelling it, which adds an unpredictable extra amount every time.
- Measuring a damp or clumped ingredient without breaking it up first, which leaves air pockets and a short measure.
- Using a regular eating spoon instead of a measuring tablespoon, since eating spoons vary widely in size.
The thread running through all of these is the same: a tablespoon is only a standard measure when it is filled in the standard way. Measure mashed bananas 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.