You’re following a French pastry recipe that calls for 250 grams of flour, but your scale is broken. You found a great cookie recipe on a UK blog that needs 2 ounces of butter, but your measuring spoons go up to 1 tablespoon. You’re scaling down a wedding cake from 1 cup of sugar to ⅔ — and your brain refuses to multiply fractions.
Recipe conversions are the unglamorous backbone of baking. Get them wrong and your cake collapses, your bread won’t rise, or your frosting won’t set. Get them right and you can adapt any recipe from any country, scale up for a party of 50, or substitute ingredients without ruining structure.
This is the most comprehensive recipe conversion guide you’ll find — every common measurement, with dry vs. liquid distinctions, decimal equivalents, metric conversions, and the gotchas that actually trip people up in the kitchen.
THE FAST ANSWER: ¼ cup in decimals = 0.25 cup (4 tablespoons, 2 fluid ounces). 0.67 cup ≈ ⅔ cup (10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons). 0.75 tablespoon = 2.25 teaspoons.
Volume conversion: cups, tablespoons, teaspoons
| Cup Fraction | Decimal | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Fluid Oz | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 1.00 | 16 | 48 | 8 fl oz | 240 ml |
| ¾ cup | 0.75 | 12 | 36 | 6 fl oz | 180 ml |
| ⅔ cup | 0.67 | 10⅔ | 32 | 5⅓ fl oz | 160 ml |
| ½ cup | 0.50 | 8 | 24 | 4 fl oz | 120 ml |
| ⅓ cup | 0.33 | 5⅓ | 16 | 2⅔ fl oz | 80 ml |
| ¼ cup | 0.25 | 4 | 12 | 2 fl oz | 60 ml |
| ⅛ cup | 0.125 | 2 | 6 | 1 fl oz | 30 ml |
| 1 tablespoon | 0.0625 | 1 | 3 | ½ fl oz | 15 ml |
| 1 teaspoon | 0.0208 | ⅓ | 1 | ⅙ fl oz | 5 ml |
Key relationships to memorize: 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon. 16 tablespoons = 1 cup. 48 teaspoons = 1 cup. 8 fluid ounces = 1 cup. 240 ml = 1 cup (US standard).
Cup fractions in decimals
| Decimal | Cup Fraction | Closest Common Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 0.125 cup | ⅛ cup | 2 tablespoons |
| 0.20 cup | ⅕ cup | 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon |
| 0.25 cup | ¼ cup | 4 tablespoons |
| 0.33 cup | ⅓ cup | 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon |
| 0.375 cup | ⅜ cup | ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons |
| 0.50 cup | ½ cup | 8 tablespoons |
| 0.625 cup | ⅝ cup | ½ cup + 2 tablespoons |
| 0.67 cup | ⅔ cup | 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons |
| 0.75 cup | ¾ cup | 12 tablespoons |
| 0.875 cup | ⅞ cup | ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons |
PASTRY PROTIP: When you see a decimal like 0.67 or 0.83, it’s almost always a recipe that was scaled mathematically from a fraction. 0.67 = ⅔, 0.83 = ⅚, 0.17 = ⅙. Convert back to the fraction for easier measurement.
Tablespoon and teaspoon decimal conversions
| Decimal | Tablespoon | Teaspoon Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 tbsp | ¼ tbsp | ¾ teaspoon |
| 0.33 tbsp | ⅓ tbsp | 1 teaspoon |
| 0.50 tbsp | ½ tbsp | 1.5 teaspoons |
| 0.67 tbsp | ⅔ tbsp | 2 teaspoons |
| 0.75 tbsp | ¾ tbsp | 2.25 teaspoons |
| 1 tbsp | 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons |
Pinch, dash, and smidgen: 1 smidgen = 1/32 teaspoon. 1 pinch = 1/16 teaspoon. 1 dash = 1/8 teaspoon.
Dry vs. liquid measurements: the critical distinction
Here’s the trap that ruins more recipes than any other: dry and liquid measuring cups are NOT interchangeable, even though they should hold the same volume.
Liquid measuring cups (the glass kind with a spout and lines on the side) are designed to be filled below the rim. The “1 cup” line is below the actual top of the cup.
Dry measuring cups (the nesting set of metal or plastic cups) are designed to be filled to the top and leveled with a knife. The actual volume is the full cup.
If you measure flour in a liquid cup, you’ll under-measure by about 5-10%. If you measure water in a dry cup, you’ll inevitably spill some on the way to the bowl.
- Liquid measuring cup → water, milk, oil, broth, juice, melted butter
- Dry measuring cup → flour, sugar, oats, rice, brown sugar (packed), powdered sugar
- Both can measure → honey, syrup, peanut butter (use dry cups for accuracy, spray with cooking spray first)
Ounces to grams: weight conversions
For baking precision, weight beats volume every time. A “cup” of flour can vary by 30+ grams depending on how it’s scooped — but 120 grams is always 120 grams. This is why every professional pastry chef uses a scale.
| Ounces | Grams (rounded) |
|---|---|
| ¼ oz | 7 g |
| ½ oz | 14 g |
| 1 oz | 28 g |
| 2 oz | 57 g |
| 3 oz | 85 g |
| 4 oz | 113 g |
| 6 oz | 170 g |
| 8 oz (½ lb) | 227 g |
| 12 oz (¾ lb) | 340 g |
| 16 oz (1 lb) | 454 g |
Quick math: 1 oz ≈ 28 grams. Multiply ounces by 28 for a fast estimate.
Common baking ingredient weights
| Ingredient | 1 cup | ½ cup | 1 tablespoon |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 125 g | 63 g | 8 g |
| Bread flour | 130 g | 65 g | 8 g |
| Cake flour | 120 g | 60 g | 8 g |
| Almond flour | 96 g | 48 g | 6 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 100 g | 12 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 213 g | 107 g | 13 g |
| Powdered sugar | 113 g | 57 g | 7 g |
| Butter | 227 g | 113 g | 14 g |
| Oil | 218 g | 109 g | 14 g |
| Milk | 240 g | 120 g | 15 g |
| Honey | 340 g | 170 g | 21 g |
| Maple syrup | 322 g | 161 g | 20 g |
| Cocoa powder | 100 g | 50 g | 6 g |
| Chocolate chips | 175 g | 88 g | 11 g |
| Oats (rolled) | 90 g | 45 g | 6 g |
| Salt (table) | 273 g | 137 g | 17 g |
| Salt (kosher) | 168 g | 84 g | 11 g |
| Baking powder | 192 g | 96 g | 12 g |
Milliliters and liters
| Volume | Milliliters (US) | Cups (US) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | — |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | — |
| ¼ cup | 60 ml | ¼ cup |
| ⅓ cup | 80 ml | ⅓ cup |
| ½ cup | 120 ml | ½ cup |
| ¾ cup | 180 ml | ¾ cup |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | 1 cup |
| 2 cups (1 pint) | 480 ml | 2 cups |
| 4 cups (1 quart) | 950 ml | 4 cups |
| 1 liter | 1000 ml | 4¼ cups |
WHY US AND UK MEASURES DIFFER: A US cup is 240 ml. A UK cup is 284 ml. A metric cup (Australia, NZ, Canada) is 250 ml. For precise baking from non-US recipes, weigh in grams instead.
Oven temperature conversions
| Fahrenheit | Celsius | Gas Mark | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 225°F | 110°C | ¼ | Very low |
| 250°F | 120°C | ½ | Very low |
| 275°F | 135°C | 1 | Low |
| 300°F | 150°C | 2 | Low/slow |
| 325°F | 165°C | 3 | Moderate/low |
| 350°F | 175°C | 4 | Moderate (most baking) |
| 375°F | 190°C | 5 | Moderately hot |
| 400°F | 200°C | 6 | Hot |
| 425°F | 220°C | 7 | Hot (pastry) |
| 450°F | 230°C | 8 | Very hot |
| 500°F | 260°C | 10 | Maximum (bread/pizza) |
Formula: °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9. Or to convert from Celsius: °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32.
Pan size conversions
| Original Pan | Volume | Equivalent Pans |
|---|---|---|
| 9-inch round (2″ deep) | 6 cups | 8-inch square, 11×7″ rectangle |
| 8-inch round (2″ deep) | 4 cups | 9-inch tart pan |
| 9×13″ rectangle | 14 cups | Two 9-inch rounds, two 8×8″ squares |
| 8×8″ square | 6 cups | 9-inch round, 9×5″ loaf |
| 9×5″ loaf | 8 cups | 9-inch round |
| 10-inch springform | 12 cups | 9×13″ rectangle |
| 10-inch tube/bundt | 12 cups | Two 9-inch rounds |
Time adjustments: Deeper pans need longer baking. Larger surface area = faster baking. Increase time by 10-15 minutes for deeper pans, check 10-15 minutes earlier for shallower pans.
Halving, doubling, and tripling recipes
| Original | Halved | Doubled | Tripled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | ½ cup | 2 cups | 3 cups |
| ¾ cup | 6 tablespoons | 1½ cups | 2¼ cups |
| ⅔ cup | ⅓ cup | 1⅓ cups | 2 cups |
| ½ cup | ¼ cup | 1 cup | 1½ cups |
| ⅓ cup | 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons | ⅔ cup | 1 cup |
| ¼ cup | 2 tablespoons | ½ cup | ¾ cup |
| 1 tablespoon | 1.5 teaspoons | 2 tablespoons | 3 tablespoons |
| 1 teaspoon | ½ teaspoon | 2 teaspoons | 3 teaspoons |
| ¾ teaspoon | ⅜ teaspoon | 1.5 teaspoons | 2.25 teaspoons |
| ½ teaspoon | ¼ teaspoon | 1 teaspoon | 1.5 teaspoons |
Scaling rule: doubling and tripling work well for most cookies, brownies, and quick breads. For yeasted breads, layer cakes, and delicate pastries, scaling by more than 2x changes the chemistry — test and adjust.
Egg conversions
| Egg Amount | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 large whole egg | 3 tablespoons | 50 g |
| 1 large egg white | 2 tablespoons | 30 g |
| 1 large egg yolk | 1 tablespoon | 20 g |
| ½ large egg | 1½ tablespoons | 25 g |
To measure half an egg: crack a whole egg into a bowl, whisk until uniform, measure out 1½ tablespoons.
Frequently asked questions
What is ¼ cup in decimals?
¼ cup = 0.25 cup = 4 tablespoons = 12 teaspoons = 2 fluid ounces = 60 ml.
What is 0.67 cup as a fraction?
0.67 cup ≈ ⅔ cup. The exact decimal of ⅔ is 0.6667 (repeating). In measurements: 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons.
What is 0.75 tablespoon in teaspoons?
0.75 tablespoon = ¾ tablespoon = 2.25 teaspoons. Since 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons: 0.75 × 3 = 2.25.
Is ¾ teaspoon the same as 0.75 teaspoon?
Yes — ¾ teaspoon and 0.75 teaspoon are identical. In ml: 3.75 milliliters.
How many tablespoons in ⅔ cup?
⅔ cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons. If your measuring cups don’t have ⅔ markings, measure 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons.
How many teaspoons in a tablespoon?
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons. So ½ tablespoon = 1.5 teaspoons, ¼ tablespoon = ¾ teaspoon.