100 grams of rice flour is about 11.3 tablespoons. A tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, and a cup of rice flour is 142 g spooned and levelled, so the maths is 1600 ÷ 142 = 11.3 tbsp — or, the other way round, one tablespoon weighs 8.9 g. If you cook from recipes written in grams and spoons, this page is the bridge between the two, and the worked examples show the conversion inside real dishes rather than in isolation.

Rice flour is the gluten-free flour for shortbread, tempura batter and flour blends with a fine, neutral flavour. A hundred grams is about 11.3 tablespoons, which is fewer spoons than wheat flour needs, because rice flour is heavy per cup at 142 g — the fine grains pack tightly. It is also the flour where the distinction between white and brown rice flour matters: the figures on this page are for white rice flour, and brown rice flour is a little lighter and nuttier. Rice flour has no gluten, so it behaves very differently in a dough, as the notes below explain.

All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.

Conversion table

One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every tablespoon figure here is the gram amount divided by the weight of one tablespoon. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.

Grams Tablespoons (approx.)
10 g 1.1 tbsp
20 g 2.3 tbsp
25 g 2.8 tbsp
30 g 3.4 tbsp
40 g 4.5 tbsp
50 g 5.6 tbsp
60 g 6.8 tbsp
75 g 8.5 tbsp
80 g 9.0 tbsp
100 g 11.3 tbsp
120 g 13.5 tbsp
125 g 14.1 tbsp
150 g 16.9 tbsp
200 g 22.5 tbsp
250 g 28.2 tbsp
300 g 33.8 tbsp
500 g 56.3 tbsp

The reverse table is just as useful: when a recipe gives tablespoons and you want to know the weight before you reach for the scale.

Tablespoons Grams (approx.)
1 tbsp 8.9 g
2 tbsp 17.8 g
3 tbsp 26.6 g
4 tbsp 35.5 g
5 tbsp 44.4 g
6 tbsp 53.2 g
7 tbsp 62.1 g
8 tbsp 71.0 g
9 tbsp 79.9 g
10 tbsp 88.8 g
11 tbsp 97.6 g
12 tbsp 106.5 g
13 tbsp 115.4 g
14 tbsp 124.2 g
15 tbsp 133.1 g
16 tbsp 142.0 g

One tablespoon of rice flour weighs 8.9 g, and one cup weighs 142 g. Those two figures are all you need to move between grams, tablespoons and cups for this ingredient.

Cups to grams for reference

When a recipe jumps from spoons to cups, use this table instead of counting out 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 35.5 g
1/3 cup 47.3 g
1/2 cup 71.0 g
2/3 cup 94.7 g
3/4 cup 106.5 g
1 cup 142.0 g

How the measurement works

The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Finely ground white rice; a staple of gluten-free baking. Gluten-free blends, shortbread and tempura batter.

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 rice flour measured two different ways can give two different weights, and the King Arthur Baking value assumes the spooned and levelled method every time.

Worked examples

A shortbread test batch

A shortbread for four takes 100 g of rice flour, which is about 11.3 tablespoons spooned and levelled, creamed with butter and sugar. The amount matters because rice flour is what makes shortbread sandy and tender: too much and the biscuits crumble before you can pick them up, too little and they are just butter cookies.

A tempura batter for two

A tempura batter for two takes 8 tablespoons (71.0 g) of rice flour whisked with ice-cold water, and the spoon measure keeps the batter light instead of heavy. Keep the batter cold and do not overmix it — lumps are fine, and a smooth batter makes a heavy, greasy coating.

Rice flour in a gluten-free blend

A gluten-free flour blend for a small batch takes 6 tablespoons (53.2 g) of rice flour mixed with tapioca starch and potato starch, and the rice flour is the bulk of the blend. Blend it well before you use it, or the bake will have pockets of starch and pockets of flour.

Practical guidance

Spoon rice flour lightly into the measure and level it, and never press it down: rice flour is very fine and packs easily, and a packed spoon can weigh half as much again as a level one. Rice flour has no gluten, so a dough made with it will not stretch or hold its shape the way a wheat dough does — it tears instead. That is why rice flour is usually blended with starches and a binder like xanthan gum, rather than used alone, and why a rice-flour bake needs a recipe written for it.

White rice flour and brown rice flour are not identical: white rice flour is 142 g per cup and finely milled, while brown rice flour is a little lighter, nuttier and coarser. The figures on this page are for white rice flour. Store rice flour sealed and dry for up to a year; it absorbs moisture from the air, and damp rice flour weighs more per spoon and clumps in a batter.

Scaling with spoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of rice flour, count out about 11.3 tablespoons, and for 50 g, about 5.6 tablespoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 tablespoons means using 2 tablespoons, or 17.8 g, and doubling it means 8 tablespoons, or 71.0 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 tablespoons one by one is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.

When should you weigh rice flour 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 rice flour 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 tablespoons is 100 g of rice flour?

100 g of rice flour is about 11.3 tablespoons, measured spooned and levelled. Because a level tablespoon is not always exactly the same, treat that as an approximation and verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe has to work the first time.

How many grams is 1 tablespoon of rice flour?

One level tablespoon of rice flour weighs approximately 8.9 g. That figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 142 g by 16, 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.

Is rice flour gluten-free?

Yes, rice flour is naturally gluten-free. It is made from finely ground white rice, and it is a staple of gluten-free baking. Check the label if you are baking for someone with coeliac disease, to be sure it was milled in a gluten-free facility.

Can I use rice flour instead of wheat flour?

Not one-for-one. Rice flour has no gluten, so a bake made with all rice flour will be crumbly and will not hold its shape. It works in recipes written for it — shortbread, tempura, gluten-free blends — and as part of a blend with starches and a binder.

What is the difference between white and brown rice flour?

White rice flour is finely milled from white rice at 142 g per cup. Brown rice flour is made from whole-grain rice, so it is a little lighter, nuttier and coarser. The figures on this page are for white rice flour; brown rice flour weighs slightly less per spoon.

How should I store rice flour?

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.

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