What is a heaping tablespoon?

A heaping tablespoon means that the tablespoon should be filled with as much of the ingredient that it can hold. A recipe calling for simply "1 tablespoon" means that the tablespoon should be level; a heaping tablespoon should not be used unless specifically called for in a recipe.

A heaping tablespoon also differs slightly from a rounded tablespoon, which means that instead of being leveled off, the tablespoon is piled above the rim of spoon in a rounded shape. A heaping tablespoon is only used for dry ingredients that can be easily piled up in a tablespoon to exceed its rim.