Here’s the crazy part: 2/3 cup is just 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. Yes, that’s a real thing. No one told me this, and I’ve been guessing like a fool for years.
If you’re like me and hate math, just memorize this: two of those 1/3 cups—the ones you actually own—make a perfect 2/3 cup. It’s like a kitchen conspiracy that the measuring cup companies don’t want you to know about.
But why stop there? You can also fake it with a liquid measure: fill a 1-cup to the 2/3 mark. It’s not cheating—it’s resourceful. And your cookies won’t know the difference.
The surprising history of 2/3 cup
Did you know the 2/3 cup was invented by a frustrated baker in 1873 who was tired of scaling down pecan pie recipes? Okay, I made that up, but it feels true. The reality is even weirder: the size is based on the Imperial system’s love of thirds, which is why you also see 1/3 and 1/2 cups.
In metric countries, they don’t even know this struggle. They just pour 160 milliliters and move on with their smug, logical lives. But we Americans? We fight for 2/3 cup like it’s a national sport.
How To Measure 2/3 Of A Cup - 6 Best Ways
Fun fact: the 2/3 cup is exactly 5.33 fluid ounces. That decimal point alone has ended friendships when someone tries to double a recipe. I once watched a couple argue about it at a potluck—it got intense.
