1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour weighs 7.1 g. Whole wheat flour is slightly lighter per tablespoon than white flour, because the bran makes it less dense: a cup is 113 g rather than 120 g. The bran also makes it absorb more water and go stale faster, which is why whole wheat baking has its own rules.
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.
Putting the numbers to work
A whole wheat sandwich loaf
A sandwich loaf recipe uses 32 tablespoons of whole wheat flour, about 227 g, which is 2 cups, mixed with water, yeast and a little honey. The dough needs more water than a white loaf, because the bran absorbs liquid, and it needs a longer rise, because the bran interferes with the gluten. Let it rise until it has doubled, even if that takes an extra half hour.
Whole wheat muffins for breakfast
A muffin recipe uses 12 tablespoons of whole wheat flour, about 85 g, which is three quarters of a cup, with banana and honey. The muffins are hearty and filling, with a nutty flavour that white flour cannot match. Do not overmix the batter, because whole wheat flour makes tough muffins when it is overworked.
Adding whole wheat flour to a white bread
A baker adding whole wheat flour to a white bread recipe replaces 4 tablespoons of white flour with 4 tablespoons of whole wheat flour, about 28 g. The bread gains a nutty flavour and a little extra fibre without becoming heavy. Start with a quarter of the flour as whole wheat, and increase it gradually.
The numbers in a table
| Amount | Grams of whole wheat flour |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 2.4 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 7.1 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 14.1 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 21.2 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) | 28.2 g |
| 1/3 cup | 37.7 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) | 56.5 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) | 84.8 g |
| 1 cup (16 tablespoons) | 113 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is simply the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Tips for best results
Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a straight edge. Scooping straight from the bag packs the flour down and can add 20 g or more per cup, which is enough to turn a tender cake dry and dense. Do not sift before measuring unless the recipe says sifted, because sifting adds air and changes the weight. If you bake often, the single best upgrade is a kitchen scale: weighing flour removes the biggest source of variation in home baking entirely. Until then, spoon and level every time, and use the same cup for the whole recipe so any small error stays consistent.
Scaling with tablespoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of whole wheat flour, count out about 14.1 tablespoons, and for 50 g, about 7.0 tablespoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 tablespoons means using 2 tablespoons, or 14.1 g, and doubling it means 8 tablespoons, or 56.5 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: counting out 16 tablespoons is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
When should you weigh whole wheat 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 cake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking: the way ingredients pack into a cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the whole wheat 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 liquids, a jug is fine, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Airtight container in the fridge or freezer; the germ oils go rancid at room temperature.
- Store whole wheat flour in the fridge or freezer.
- Add extra water: the bran absorbs liquid.
- Start by replacing a quarter of the white flour.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Flour milled from the whole wheat kernel, including bran and germ. Wholemeal breads, muffins and hearty cookies.
A note on disputed figures. King Arthur lists 113 g per cup; some sources quote 120 g. The bran makes it lighter per cup than white flour.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the cup, 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.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a tablespoon of whole wheat flour?
One tablespoon of whole wheat flour weighs 7.1 g, and one teaspoon is about 2.4 g. A cup is 113 g, slightly lighter than white flour at 120 g, because the bran makes it less dense.
Can I substitute whole wheat flour for white flour?
Yes, but the result will be denser and chewier, and the dough will need more water. As a starting point, replace a quarter of the white flour with whole wheat flour, and add a tablespoon of extra water per cup of whole wheat flour.
Why does whole wheat flour go stale faster?
Because it contains the germ, which is rich in oils that turn rancid at room temperature. Store whole wheat flour in the fridge or freezer, and use it within a few months of opening.
Does whole wheat flour need more water?
Yes. The bran absorbs water, so a dough made with whole wheat flour needs about a tablespoon more water per cup of flour than a white dough. Add the water gradually, because the flour continues to absorb it as the dough rests.
Is whole wheat flour healthier than white flour?
It contains more fibre, vitamins and minerals, because it includes the bran and the germ that white flour removes. The difference is real but modest, and the main benefit is the fibre, which aids digestion.
A note on cup sizes: every figure on this page uses the US cup, which holds 236.6 millilitres. A metric cup, used in Australia and some other countries, holds 250 millilitres, which is about six percent larger, so the same ingredient measured in a metric cup will weigh about six percent more. If your measuring cups are metric, multiply the gram figures here by 1.06, or better still, weigh the ingredient on a scale and skip the cup altogether. The scale does not care which country your cups came from.