A tablespoon of hulled hemp seeds weighs about 10 g. Both USDA FoodData Central and the Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts label list a 3 tablespoon serving as 30 g, so the grams in a tablespoon of hemp seeds come out to roughly 10 g each.
| Amount | Hulled hemp seeds |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 3.3 g |
| 2 tsp | 6.7 g |
| 1 tbsp | 10.0 g |
| 2 tbsp | 20.0 g |
| 3 tbsp | 30.0 g |
| 1/4 cup | 40 g |
| 1/3 cup | 53 g |
| 1/2 cup | 80 g |
| 1 cup | 160 g |
Hemp hearts vs hemp seeds
Most of what grocery stores sell as hemp seeds is actually hulled hemp seeds, also called hemp hearts. They're soft, small and a little nutty. Whole hemp seeds still have their crunchy outer shell and are a different product, so a spoonful won't weigh the same. The 10 g figure here is for hulled seeds. If your bag says hemp hearts, shelled hemp seeds or hulled hemp seeds, you're in the right place.
Why grams in a tablespoon of hemp seeds vary
- Level vs heaped. Hemp hearts pile up easily, and a heaped tablespoon can hold quite a bit more than 10 g.
- Settling. Seeds at the bottom of the bag pack closer together than the ones on top.
- Oil. Hemp hearts are naturally oily, so they cling to the spoon and to each other. Some stay behind when you tip the spoon out.
- Grinding. If you blitz hemp hearts into a coarse meal, the volume changes. Weigh them before grinding.
Easy ways to use them
Hemp hearts are easy to sprinkle on almost anything:
- Stir 1 tablespoon (10 g) into oatmeal or overnight oats.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons (20 g) over a salad or grain bowl.
- Blend a spoonful or two into a smoothie.
- Fold 1/4 cup (40 g) into a batch of energy bites or homemade granola.
- Swap them in for some of the pine nuts in pesto.
When a recipe gives hemp in grams, weigh it. When it gives spoons, the table above gets you close. If you're tracking a serving from the bag, use the serving size printed on your own label, since brands can differ.
Scaling recipes with hemp hearts
Weights make scaling simple. If an energy bite recipe calls for 1/4 cup and you're doubling it, you need 80 g instead of digging around for a second measuring cup. If a granola recipe calls for 1/3 cup, that's about 53 g, which is much easier to hit on a scale than eyeballing a third of a cup. And if you only want half a batch, 2 tablespoons becomes 10 g, done.
Weighing also means fewer dishes. Set your bowl on the scale, tare it, and pour hemp hearts straight in until you reach the number.
How to weigh hemp seeds
- Give the bag a gentle shake to loosen any clumps.
- Zero your scale or spoon.
- Scoop and level the top with a finger or a knife.
- Check the reading, then add a few seeds or tip a few back.
A MeasureMate digital measuring spoon turns this into one motion. It scoops and weighs in one step, reads in 0.1 g steps and weighs up to 500 g. Because hemp hearts leave an oily film, the removable spoon head makes cleanup easy.
Quick questions
How many tablespoons is 30 g of hemp seeds?
About 3 level tablespoons, which matches the serving on the Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts label.
How many grams is 1/4 cup of hemp seeds?
About 40 g, since 1/4 cup is 4 tablespoons.
Are hemp hearts the same as hemp seeds?
Hemp hearts are hemp seeds with the shell removed. Whole seeds in the shell weigh differently by the spoon.
Weights based on USDA FoodData Central and the Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts label.