How many tablespoons is a dessert spoon?

One dessert spoon (10 ml) is 2/3 of a tablespoon and 2 teaspoons. It does not divide evenly into the 15 ml UK/US tablespoon: 2 dessert spoons make 1.33 tablespoons (1 tbsp + 1 tsp), and you need 1.5 dessert spoons to equal one tablespoon. Two dessert spoons equal exactly 1 tablespoon only against the 20 ml Australian tablespoon.

Tablespoon vs Dessert Spoon: What is the Difference?

Updated 14 August 2026

A UK tablespoon is 15 ml (3 teaspoons). A dessert spoon is 10 ml (2 teaspoons). They are different units. The confusion is common in UK kitchens where both a dessert spoon and a tablespoon from the cutlery drawer sit next to each other, and neither is labelled. Older British recipe books may use "dsp" (dessert spoon) as a unit. Modern recipes do not.

Dessert spoon conversions at a glance

1 dessert spoon (dsp) to teaspoons2 teaspoons (10 ml)

1 dessert spoon (dsp) to tablespoons2/3 tablespoon (10 ml of 15 ml)

2 dessert spoons4 teaspoons = 1.33 tablespoons (1 tbsp + 1 tsp)

1 tablespoon to dessert spoons1.5 dessert spoons (15 ml)

A dessert spoon (also written dessertspoon, abbreviated dsp or dspn) is a UK and Australian measure of 10 ml. It does not divide evenly into the 15 ml tablespoon, so 2 dessert spoons equal 1 tablespoon only with the 20 ml Australian tablespoon, not the UK or US one.

Dessert Spoon vs Tablespoon vs Teaspoon

Spoon	Volume	In teaspoons	In tablespoons	Typical use
Teaspoon (tsp)	5 ml	1 tsp	1/3 tbsp	Spices, vanilla, baking powder
Dessert spoon (dsp)	10 ml	2 tsp	2/3 tbsp	UK recipes only; not used in the US
Tablespoon (tbsp)	15 ml	3 tsp	1 tbsp	Standard for all modern recipes

All three are UK measures; the dessert spoon sits exactly between the teaspoon and the tablespoon at 10 ml. Values are for calibrated measuring spoons, not cutlery-drawer spoons.

Is the 10 ml Dessert Spoon an Official Measurement?

The 10 ml value is the metric cooking convention, not an SI unit. The metric measuring standard used in British and Australian kitchens sets a teaspoon at 5 ml, a dessert spoon at 10 ml and a tablespoon at 15 ml, so a dessert spoon is exactly 2 teaspoons or two-thirds of a tablespoon. The metric dessert spoon of 10 ml, equal to 2 metric teaspoons, is the figure recorded in standard reference works.

Because it is a convention rather than a legally defined unit, an ordinary dessert spoon from a cutlery set is not guaranteed to hold 10 ml; only a calibrated measuring spoon does. You will see the unit abbreviated dsp, dssp or dstspn.

Conversion Rule

1 dessert spoon

2 teaspoons

10 ml

2 dessert spoons

4 tsp (= 1 tbsp + 1 tsp)

20 ml

3 dessert spoons

6 tsp (= 2 tbsp)

30 ml

1 tablespoon

1.5 dessert spoons

15 ml

When You Will See a Dessert Spoon in Recipes

You will encounter the dessert spoon as a unit only in older British cookbooks and some British recipe cards, typically printed before the 1980s. Writers like Mrs Beeton and the early editions of Delia Smith may use it. Modern UK food websites, Jamie Oliver recipes, BBC Good Food, and any recipe published after roughly 1990 use only tablespoon and teaspoon. US recipes never use dessert spoon. If in doubt, substitute 1 dessert spoon with 2 teaspoons and you will be correct.

Note also that cutlery-drawer spoons, regardless of what they look like, are not reliable measures. A dinner-table tablespoon from one manufacturer may be 12 ml. Another may be 18 ml. Only a calibrated measuring spoon guarantees accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a tablespoon the same as a dessert spoon?

No. A tablespoon is 15 ml (3 teaspoons). A dessert spoon is 10 ml (2 teaspoons). They are different sizes. The confusion arises in UK kitchens where both spoon types are found in the cutlery drawer alongside actual calibrated measuring spoons.

When does a recipe use a dessert spoon?

Older British recipe books written before the 1970s may specify a dessert spoon (dsp or dspn) as a unit of measurement. Modern UK recipes standardise on tablespoon and teaspoon. US recipes never use dessert spoon.

How do I convert a dessert spoon to teaspoons?

One dessert spoon equals 2 teaspoons (10 ml). If a recipe says 1 dessert spoon, measure 2 teaspoons. If it says 2 dessert spoons, measure 4 teaspoons (which equals 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon).

What are all the UK spoon sizes?

UK calibrated spoon sizes: teaspoon = 5 ml, dessert spoon = 10 ml, tablespoon = 15 ml. Cutlery drawer spoons vary by manufacturer and are not reliable measures. Always use calibrated measuring spoons for recipes.

How many teaspoons is a dessert spoon?

One dessert spoon (also written dessertspoon) is 2 teaspoons. A dessert spoon is 10 ml and a teaspoon is 5 ml, so 10 divided by 5 is exactly 2. Two dessert spoons is 4 teaspoons; three dessert spoons is 6 teaspoons (which is 2 tablespoons).

How many ml is a dessert spoon?

One dessert spoon is 10 ml. It is the standard UK metric dessertspoon, sitting exactly between the 5 ml teaspoon and the 15 ml tablespoon. That makes it 2 teaspoons or two-thirds of a tablespoon. Abbreviations you may see are dsp or dspn.

How do I convert a dessert spoon to a tablespoon?

One dessert spoon is two-thirds of a tablespoon (10 ml versus 15 ml). Going the other way, 1 tablespoon is 1.5 dessert spoons. There is no whole-number conversion, which is why recipes that mix the two units are awkward; if you only have a tablespoon measure, fill it two-thirds full for one dessert spoon.

Does 2 dessert spoons equal 1 tablespoon?

Not with a UK or US tablespoon. Two dessert spoons is 20 ml, while a UK or US tablespoon is 15 ml, so 2 dessert spoons is actually 1.33 tablespoons (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon). They are equal only against the Australian tablespoon, which is 20 ml. The common belief that 2 dessert spoons make a tablespoon comes from this Australian measure.

Is a dessert spoon officially 10 ml?

Yes, by the metric cooking convention. The measuring standard used in British and Australian kitchens sets a teaspoon at 5 ml, a dessert spoon at 10 ml and a tablespoon at 15 ml, so a dessert spoon is exactly 2 teaspoons. The metric dessert spoon of 10 ml (2 metric teaspoons) is the figure recorded in standard reference works. It is a culinary convention rather than an SI unit, which is why an ordinary dessert spoon from a cutlery set is not guaranteed to hold 10 ml; only a calibrated measuring spoon does.

What is the abbreviation for a dessert spoon?

The common abbreviations are dsp, dssp and dstspn. Older British recipes may also spell it out as dessertspoon or dessertspoonful. One dessert spoon is 10 ml, which is 2 teaspoons or two-thirds of a tablespoon.

What is dsp in a recipe (dsp to tsp and dsp to tbsp)?

dsp is the abbreviation for dessert spoon, a UK measure of 10 ml. Converting from the abbreviation: 1 dsp = 2 tsp (dsp to teaspoons), and 1 dsp = 2/3 tbsp (dsp to tablespoons). Because a dessert spoon is exactly two teaspoons, wherever a recipe writes 1 dsp you can measure 2 level teaspoons. Two dsp is 4 teaspoons; three dsp is 6 teaspoons, which is 2 tablespoons.

2/3 tbsp (= 1 dessert spoon)Australia Guide Kitchen Chart Cooking Terms tbsp to tsp Converter