1 Tablespoon Muscovado Sugar in Grams
1 tablespoon of muscovado sugar weighs 13.3 g (packed, USDA). The working is simple: one cup of muscovado sugar weighs 213 g, and one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so 213 divided by 16 is 13.3. Unrefined cane sugar with a high molasses content and sticky texture. 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 muscovado sugar is a good example of why it helps to know the gram weight of a single tablespoon before you start multiplying.
Muscovado Sugar tablespoons to grams table
| Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 13.3 g |
| 2 tbsp | 26.6 g |
| 3 tbsp | 39.9 g |
| 4 tbsp | 53.2 g |
| 5 tbsp | 66.6 g |
| 6 tbsp | 79.9 g |
| 7 tbsp | 93.2 g |
| 8 tbsp | 106.5 g |
| 9 tbsp | 119.8 g |
| 10 tbsp | 133.1 g |
| 11 tbsp | 146.4 g |
| 12 tbsp | 159.8 g |
| 13 tbsp | 173.1 g |
| 14 tbsp | 186.4 g |
| 15 tbsp | 199.7 g |
| 16 tbsp | 213 g |
Every row is the same calculation: the number of tablespoons times 13.3 g, which is 213 g per cup divided by 16. Four tablespoons is a quarter cup (53 g), eight tablespoons is half a cup (106 g), and sixteen tablespoons is a full cup (213 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 Muscovado Sugar
| Teaspoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 4.4 g |
| 2 tsp | 8.9 g |
| 3 tsp | 13.3 g |
| 4 tsp | 17.8 g |
| 5 tsp | 22.2 g |
| 6 tsp | 26.6 g |
One teaspoon is a third of a tablespoon, so one teaspoon of muscovado sugar weighs about 4.4 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 Muscovado Sugar
| Cups | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 53 g |
| 1/3 cup | 71 g |
| 1/2 cup | 106 g |
| 2/3 cup | 142 g |
| 3/4 cup | 16 g |
| 1 cup | 213 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 32 g |
| 2 cups | 426 g |
| 3 cups | 639 g |
This table is the same 213 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 213 g, half a cup is 106 g, and a quarter cup is 53 g, all measured packed. 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 muscovado sugar weigh 53 g, so the halved recipe needs two tablespoons, or 26.6 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 39.9 g, so the doubled recipe needs six tablespoons, or 79.9 g. Count six level tablespoons, or weigh 79.9 g, and the doubled batch gets exactly twice the original amount. If you are doubling again, twelve tablespoons is 159.8 g, or three quarters of a cup, and at that point the cup is the easier measure.
A recipe that needs 50 g of muscovado sugar
Fifty grams divided by 13.3 g per tablespoon is about 3.8 tablespoons, so a recipe written in grams that asks for 50 g takes roughly 3.8 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
Packed 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 213 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 Muscovado Sugar 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 muscovado sugar uses 26.6 g, so doubling it means 53.2 g, or four tablespoons, and halving it means 13.3 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 muscovado sugar, double it fully, but check the leavening separately.
Common mistakes with muscovado sugar
The scaling mistake is rounding the tablespoon weight before multiplying, so 13.3 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 muscovado sugar
Airtight container; add a damp cloth or bread slice if it hardens. Gingerbread, sticky toffee pudding, marinades and chutneys. Keeping muscovado sugar 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
What is the difference between a tablespoon and a teaspoon here?
One tablespoon is three teaspoons, so one teaspoon of muscovado sugar weighs 4.4 g and one tablespoon weighs 13.3 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.
How many grams is 1 tablespoon of muscovado sugar?
One level tablespoon of muscovado sugar weighs 13.3 g, because one cup weighs 213 g and one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so 213 divided by 16 is 13.3. The figure is approximate, and it assumes the packed method, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe really matters.
How many grams is 1 teaspoon of muscovado sugar?
One level teaspoon weighs about 4.4 g, because one tablespoon is three teaspoons, so 13.3 divided by 3 is 4.4. Teaspoons are the smallest useful measure for muscovado sugar, and for amounts under a teaspoon a scale is the only reliable option.
How many tablespoons are in a cup of muscovado sugar?
Sixteen tablespoons make one cup, so a cup of muscovado sugar is 16 tablespoons and weighs 213 g. Four tablespoons is a quarter cup (53 g), eight tablespoons is half a cup (106 g), and twelve tablespoons is three quarters of a cup (159.8 g).
How do I measure a tablespoon of muscovado sugar without a scale?
Use a real measuring tablespoon, fill it packed 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.