Two thirds of a cup equals about 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons in standard US measurements.
If a recipe calls for 2/3 cup and your measuring set only has cups and tablespoons, things can slow down fast. Home cooks type “how many tablespoons are in 2/3 cup?” into search boxes all the time for this reason. The good news is that once you know the simple conversion, you can move on with your batter, sauce, or dough without stopping to count lines on a measuring jug. This guide walks through the math, shows clear shortcuts, and gives you handy tables so you can measure 2/3 cup confidently every time.
How Many Tablespoons Are In 2/3 Cup? Conversion Basics
In the US system, 1 cup equals 16 tablespoons. That standard appears in the USDA measurement conversion tables, which also list the matching teaspoon amounts. When you multiply 16 tablespoons by the fraction 2/3, you get 10 and 2/3 tablespoons. Since 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons, that extra 2/3 tablespoon converts to 2 teaspoons.
So in plain kitchen terms, 2/3 cup equals 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. You can write this as “10 Tbsp + 2 tsp” on a sticky note near your measuring spoons. If you have dry ingredients that clump, such as brown sugar or cocoa, make sure you still level each tablespoon and teaspoon so the total stays close to the intended volume.
Another way to see the math is to write it as a short line: 2/3 × 16 tablespoons per cup = 32/3 tablespoons. Then split 32/3 into 30/3 and 2/3, which gives 10 tablespoons plus 2/3 tablespoon. Turning that last piece into 2 teaspoons keeps the final answer neat and simple.
Once you know that 2/3 cup sits between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup, the rest of your recipe math becomes easier too. One example is a recipe that calls for 2/3 cup of oil and you want to cut the batch in half; then you only need 1/3 cup, which is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. That pattern of cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons repeats across many common fractions.
| Cup Amount | Tablespoons | Teaspoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 2 Tbsp | 0 tsp |
| 1/6 cup | 2 Tbsp | 2 tsp |
| 1/4 cup | 4 Tbsp | 0 tsp |
| 1/3 cup | 5 Tbsp | 1 tsp |
| 3/8 cup | 6 Tbsp | 0 tsp |
| 1/2 cup | 8 Tbsp | 0 tsp |
| 2/3 cup | 10 Tbsp | 2 tsp |
| 3/4 cup | 12 Tbsp | 0 tsp |
| 1 cup | 16 Tbsp | 0 tsp |
Two Thirds Cup To Tablespoons In Everyday Cooking
Most of the time, the question “how many tablespoons are in 2/3 cup?” pops up when a measuring cup is missing or already covered in batter. The conversion “10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons” gives you a way around that snag. You can reach 2/3 cup with spoons alone, or combine cups and spoons in whatever way fits the tools on your counter.
If you own a 1/3 cup measure, the easiest path is to fill it twice. If your set only has 1/4 and 1/2 cup sizes, grab the 1/2 cup, then add 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. When your spoons are dry and leveled, the volume will match 2/3 cup well enough for nearly any home recipe.
Sticky ingredients like honey, maple syrup, or thick sauces can make spoon measurement tricky. Coat the spoon with a neutral oil or a light spray so the ingredient slides out cleanly. Then repeat the fill-and-level routine until you reach 10 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons.
Dry ingredients behave differently. Flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa compress when packed, so spoon them lightly into each tablespoon, then sweep the top flat with a straight edge. That simple habit does more to keep your 2/3 cup measurement accurate than fussing over a few stray grains.
Measuring 2/3 Cup With Cups, Spoons, And Metric Units
Recipe writers around the world use different measuring systems. US cups, metric cups, and milliliter marks do not always match. In US nutrition labeling, 1 cup is defined as 240 milliliters, 1 tablespoon as 15 milliliters, and 1 teaspoon as 5 milliliters, according to US Food and Drug Administration guidance on household measures.
Using those values, 2/3 cup works out to about 160 milliliters. Ten tablespoons equal 150 milliliters, and 2 teaspoons add another 10 milliliters. So the tablespoon and teaspoon route lines up well with the metric cup scale printed on many glass measuring jugs.
US customary cup definitions based on fluid ounces put 1 cup at about 236 milliliters, which makes 2/3 cup close to 158 milliliters. Charts that list 160 milliliters for 2/3 cup round that number so cooks do not have to chase decimal points. The small gap will not disturb cookies, cakes, or sauces unless the recipe already sits on a tight margin.
If you bake a lot, a digital scale paired with a good ingredient weight chart gives the most consistent results. King Arthur Baking and other test kitchens publish ingredient weight tables that pair grams, ounces, and cups for common pantry items. Once you know the gram target for 2/3 cup of an ingredient, you can weigh straight into the bowl and skip volume conversions altogether.
Dry Versus Liquid Measuring Tools
Dry measuring cups are meant to be filled to the top and leveled. Liquid measuring cups usually have a spout and sit below a line that marks the target volume. For 2/3 cup of flour or sugar, use a dry cup and level it. For 2/3 cup of milk or stock, pour into a liquid cup, set it on a flat surface, and check the side markings at eye level.
Tablespoons and teaspoons follow the same split. Use the narrow spoons for dry spices, baking powder, and salt, and the deeper spoons for oils or extracts. When you build 2/3 cup from spoons, treat each spoon as its own small measuring cup so the final total stays close to the recipe writer’s intent.
What About Metric Tablespoons?
Not every tablespoon around the globe holds the same volume. In the US, a tablespoon is 15 milliliters. In parts of Europe, the number can vary a little, and in Australia a tablespoon is 20 milliliters. If you follow a recipe from another country, use the cup markings and milliliter values as your anchor, then adjust your spoon counts if your local tablespoon size differs.
Scaling Recipes That Use 2/3 Cup
Many recipes use 2/3 cup for sugar, chocolate chips, grated cheese, or other mix-ins. At some point you will want to double, triple, or shrink that amount. Knowing the tablespoon and teaspoon values lets you adjust quantity without searching for a different cup size.
Doubling And Tripling 2/3 Cup
When you double 2/3 cup, you get 1 1/3 cups. In spoon terms, that is 21 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. A handy way to reach that amount is to fill a 1 cup measure once, then add 1/3 cup, or to combine 16 tablespoons, then add 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon.
Tripling 2/3 cup gives 2 cups. That math works out cleanly: three times 2/3 equals 2. In spoons, three sets of 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons add up to 30 tablespoons plus 6 teaspoons, which you can rewrite as 32 tablespoons, or exactly 2 cups. This neat result appears often when you bake larger pans of brownies or sheet cakes.
Halving And Quartering 2/3 Cup
Halving 2/3 cup leads to 1/3 cup, or 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. Quartering 2/3 cup means taking one half, then halving again, so you land on 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. These shapes come up when you scale a big family recipe down to feed one or two people.
If your brain prefers decimals, you can think of 2/3 cup as about 0.67 cup. Half of that is about 0.33 cup, and a quarter is about 0.17 cup. Measuring spoons still keep things easier in practice, though, since most home measuring sets do not show these decimal cup marks.
| Ingredient | About Grams In 2/3 Cup | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 80 g | Muffins, cakes, quick breads |
| Granulated sugar | 135 g | Cakes, cookies, meringues |
| Packed brown sugar | 145 g | Chewy cookies, sauces |
| Butter | 150 g | Cakes, cookies, pastries |
| Milk | 160 g | Pancake and waffle batters |
| Rolled oats | 55 g | Granola, baked oatmeal |
| Chocolate chips | 120 g | Cookies, bars, snack mixes |
The gram values in this table come from standard ingredient weight charts such as those from King Arthur Baking and Weekend Bakery. Each figure rounds slightly so that home cooks can measure with common tools without fussing over tiny differences.
Practical Tips So You Never Pause At 2/3 Cup Again
Once you have the base conversion in your head, 2/3 cup stops being a speed bump. A few small habits help make that happen in day-to-day cooking and baking.
Keep A Small Conversion Chart Handy
Write “1 cup = 16 Tbsp = 48 tsp” and “2/3 cup = 10 Tbsp + 2 tsp” on a sticky note near your recipe binder or inside a cupboard door. Add 1/4, 1/3, and 1/2 cup spoon counts if you like. After a few batches of cookies or muffins, you will reach for the right spoons almost without thinking.
Use The Same Measuring System Throughout A Recipe
Pick either cups and spoons or grams and milliliters for each recipe and stay with it from start to finish. If you start a batter with weight measurements, try not to switch mid-way to scooped cups for the same ingredient. Keeping one system in place keeps salt, sugar, flour, and liquids in balance.
Check Your Tools Once In A While
Not every measuring cup or spoon on the market lines up perfectly with standard volumes. To see how close your tools sit, place a liquid cup on a scale, zero it out, and pour in water. If 1 cup on the line gives something near 236 to 240 grams, your cup is in good shape. Do the same with tablespoons and teaspoons if you cook often and want tight consistency.
Handy Numbers To Remember For 2/3 Cup
- 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons.
- 2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons.
- 1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon.
- Half of 2/3 cup = 1/3 cup.
- Triple 2/3 cup = 2 cups.
- 2/3 cup is about 160 milliliters.
Once these facts feel familiar, you can read any recipe that lists 2/3 cup and know exactly how to reach that amount with the tools in your drawer. That confidence saves time, cuts down on math in the middle of a busy cooking session, and helps your dishes truly turn out the way the recipe writer intended.