1 teaspoon of powdered milk weighs 2.50 g. A teaspoon is one forty-eighth of a cup, and a cup of powdered milk is 120 g spooned and levelled, so the maths is 120 ÷ 48 = 2.50 g. The same cup divided by 16 gives the tablespoon weight of 7.5 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.
Powdered milk by the teaspoon is a measure for the small jobs: a spoonful in a bread machine loaf, a spoonful in a hot chocolate, or a spoonful in a single-serve pancake batter where the milk has to be dry, not wet. A teaspoon holds 2.5 g, and a cup is 120 g — powdered milk is a fine, light powder, and the spoon table is the fastest way to add milk solids to a recipe without adding liquid. That is the whole point of powdered milk: it is milk with the water taken out, so it adds richness and browning without thinning the dough.
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 | 2.50 g |
| 2 tsp | 5.00 g |
| 3 tsp | 7.50 g |
| 4 tsp | 10.00 g |
| 5 tsp | 12.50 g |
| 6 tsp | 15.00 g |
| 7 tsp | 17.50 g |
| 8 tsp | 20.00 g |
| 9 tsp | 22.50 g |
| 10 tsp | 25.00 g |
| 11 tsp | 27.50 g |
| 12 tsp | 30.00 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 | 7.5 g |
| 2 tbsp | 15.0 g |
| 3 tbsp | 22.5 g |
| 4 tbsp | 30.0 g |
| 5 tbsp | 37.5 g |
| 6 tbsp | 45.0 g |
| 7 tbsp | 52.5 g |
| 8 tbsp | 60.0 g |
| 9 tbsp | 67.5 g |
| 10 tbsp | 75.0 g |
| 11 tbsp | 82.5 g |
| 12 tbsp | 90.0 g |
| 13 tbsp | 97.5 g |
| 14 tbsp | 105.0 g |
| 15 tbsp | 112.5 g |
| 16 tbsp | 120.0 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 | 30.0 g |
| 1/3 cup | 40.0 g |
| 1/2 cup | 60.0 g |
| 2/3 cup | 80.0 g |
| 3/4 cup | 90.0 g |
| 1 cup | 120.0 g |
One cup of powdered milk weighs 120 g, so a quarter cup is 30.0 g and half a cup is 60.0 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. Nonfat dry milk powder; reconstitutes with water. Baking, bread machines, hot chocolate and camping food.
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 powdered milk measured two different ways can give two different weights, and the USDA value assumes the spooned and levelled method every time.
Worked examples
A spoonful in a bread machine loaf
A bread machine loaf takes 4 teaspoons (10.00 g) of powdered milk mixed in with the flour, and the milk solids help the crust brown and keep the crumb soft. The amount matters because too much powdered milk makes the loaf dense and pale, while too little leaves the crust colourless.
Powdered milk in a hot chocolate
A mug of hot chocolate takes 3 teaspoons (7.50 g) of powdered milk whisked in with the cocoa and sugar, and the milk powder makes the drink richer without adding liquid. Whisk it with the dry ingredients first, then add the hot milk — powdered milk clumps in hot liquid and no amount of stirring will fix it.
A single-serve pancake batter
A pancake batter for one takes 2 teaspoons (5.00 g) of powdered milk stirred into the flour, and the milk solids help the pancakes brown evenly. The amount is small, but it is the difference between a pale pancake and a golden one — and the spoon table is the practical way to measure it.
Practical guidance
Spoon powdered milk lightly into the measure and level it with a knife, but never press it down: it is a fine powder that packs easily, and a packed spoon can weigh half as much again as a level one. Sift powdered milk before measuring if it has gone lumpy, because lumps trap air and the spoon weighs light — and lumpy powdered milk will not dissolve properly in a batter either. If you bake with powdered milk often, weigh it: a scale removes the biggest variable in a recipe that uses it.
Powdered milk is nonfat dry milk, which is why it keeps for a year in an airtight container — there is no fat to go rancid. But it absorbs moisture from the air fast, and damp powdered milk clumps, weighs more per spoon, and will not dissolve. Keep the container sealed and dry, and if the powder has gone hard and lumpy, sift it before you measure it. To reconstitute it, follow the ratio printed on the packet.
Scaling with spoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of powdered milk, count out about 40.0 teaspoons, and for 50 g, about 20.0 teaspoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 teaspoons means using 2 teaspoons, or 5.00 g, and doubling it means 8 teaspoons, or 20.00 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 powdered milk 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 powdered milk 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. Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 1 year.
- 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 powdered milk?
One level teaspoon of powdered milk weighs approximately 2.50 g. That figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 120 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.
How do I reconstitute powdered milk?
Follow the ratio printed on the packet. Stir the powder into a little warm water first to make a paste, then add the rest, or it will clump.
Is powdered milk the same as fresh milk?
Nutritionally, nearly — it is milk with the water removed. In a recipe it behaves differently, because it adds milk solids without adding liquid. That is its job: it enriches a dough or a batter without thinning it, which fresh milk cannot do.
Does powdered milk go bad?
Nonfat powdered milk keeps for up to a year in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, because there is no fat to go rancid. It does absorb moisture, though, and damp powder clumps and weighs more per spoon — keep it sealed, and sift it if it has gone lumpy.
How many teaspoons of powdered milk are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon, so 1 tablespoon of powdered milk weighs approximately 7.5 g, which is three times the teaspoon weight of 2.50 g. Use the tablespoon table on this page when a recipe switches between the two units.
How should I store powdered milk?
Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 1 year. 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.