To convert teaspoons of instant yeast into grams, multiply by 3: one teaspoon comes to 3 grams. Every ingredient has its own figure here, because the units are measuring different things and only the density links them.
The density behind that figure is 0.60865 g per mL, against 1.00 for water. A cup of water weighs 236.6 g and a cup of instant yeast weighs 144 g, so this ingredient is 60.87% as heavy as the same volume of water — the single fact the whole page rests on.
A level teaspoon of instant yeast weighs 3 g. A kitchen scale that reads to the nearest gram is therefore working at roughly 33.3% resolution on a single spoonful, which is why measuring spoons beat scales below about 5 g and lose to them above it. Three teaspoons make a tablespoon, so the same spoonful is 9 g if the recipe scales up.
Grams are the unit this conversion is really for. A domestic scale resolves to a gram, which is 0.694% of a cup of instant yeast, so weighing gets an accuracy no measuring cup can reach. A 500 g pack of it is 3.472 cups, and a 1 kg pack 6.944.
The condition this weight assumes: Three grams to a teaspoon, so a standard 7 g sachet is a little over two and a quarter teaspoons.
The formula
teaspoons- The amount of instant yeast you are converting, in teaspoons
3- Grams per teaspoon for instant yeast, from its density of 0.60865 g/mL
grams- The equivalent quantity in grams
How it works, step by step
- Enter the quantity in teaspoons.
- It is multiplied by 3, the grams-per-teaspoon figure for instant yeast.
- The result appears in grams, with a second reading in oz beneath it.
- Use the measure table if you want a standard recipe quantity rather than a number you type in.
Worked examples
3/4 tsp of instant yeast in grams
3/4 tsp of instant yeast weighs out at 2.25 grams. Divide 2.25 by 3 and you get back to 3/4 tsp, which is the quickest check that the factor is the right way up.
1 1/2 tsp of instant yeast in grams
A recipe calling for 1 1/2 tsp of instant yeast needs 4.5 grams on the scale. The arithmetic is 1.5 × 3 = 4.5, and halving the recipe halves the weight to 2.25 grams.
4 tsp of instant yeast in grams
4 tsp of instant yeast weighs out at 12 grams. Divide 12 by 3 and you get back to 4 tsp, which is the quickest check that the factor is the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in 1 tsp of instant yeast?
One teaspoon of instant yeast is 3 grams. Half that quantity is 1.5 grams and double it is 6 grams, so the figure scales straight up and down — there is no offset in this conversion, only the factor.
Why is a cup of instant yeast not 236 g like water?
Because weight per cup depends on what is in the cup. Instant yeast has a density of 0.60865 g per mL where water has 1.00, so a cup of it weighs 144 g rather than 236.6 g. That is a difference of 92.6 g per cup, and it is the reason a single volume-to-weight factor cannot be applied to every ingredient.
Does how I measure it change the weight?
Yes, and by more than most people expect. Handling changes the weight of a cup of instant yeast by roughly 20% — about 14.4 g either side of 144 g — because three grams to a teaspoon, so a standard 7 g sachet is a little over two and a quarter teaspoons. Weighing removes the question entirely.
Is a fluid ounce of instant yeast the same as an ounce?
No. A fluid ounce is a volume — one eighth of a US cup, 29.57 mL — and an ounce is a weight. One fluid ounce of instant yeast weighs 0.6349 oz, so the two readings differ by 36.5%. They coincide only for something with the density of water, and then only roughly.
Is this a US cup or a metric cup?
US customary: 236.59 mL, which is the cup every US recipe means. A metric cup is 250 mL, so the same cup of instant yeast would weigh 152.16 g instead of 144 g — 8.16 g more, or 5.67%. Australian and some European recipes use the metric cup, and the difference is large enough to matter in baking.
Do I need a scale for this, or will measuring cups do?
At this size the spoon wins. One teaspoon of instant yeast is 3 g, and a scale reading to the nearest gram is working at 33.3% resolution on that — a measuring spoon is the more accurate instrument below about 5 g, which is why spice quantities are still written in spoons.
How many teaspoons of instant yeast is 500 g?
500 g of instant yeast is 166.67 teaspoons — 0.333333 teaspoons to one gram, so 500 × 0.333333 = 166.67. Going that way is a division by 3, or a multiplication by 0.333333 if you prefer.
Instant yeast in teaspoons and grams
| Teaspoons | Grams | Unrounded |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 tsp | 0.75 g | 0.75 |
| 1/2 tsp | 1.5 g | 1.5 |
| 3/4 tsp | 2.25 g | 2.25 |
| 1 tsp | 3 g | 3 |
| 1 1/2 tsp | 4.5 g | 4.5 |
| 2 tsp | 6 g | 6 |
| 3 tsp | 9 g | 9 |
| 4 tsp | 12 g | 12 |
| 6 tsp | 18 g | 18 |
Based on 144 g per cup of instant yeast. One teaspoon of instant yeast is 3 grams.
| Measure | Grams | Ounces | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 144 g | 5.08 oz | 236.6 mL |
| 1 tbsp | 9 g | 0.317 oz | 14.79 mL |
| 2 tsp | 6 g | 0.212 oz | 9.858 mL |
| 1 tsp | 3 g | 0.106 oz | 4.929 mL |
| 3/4 tsp | 2.25 g | 0.0794 oz | 3.697 mL |
| 1/2 tsp | 1.5 g | 0.0529 oz | 2.464 mL |
| 1/4 tsp | 0.75 g | 0.0265 oz | 1.232 mL |
| 1/8 tsp | 0.375 g | 0.0132 oz | 0.6161 mL |
US customary measures: 1 cup = 236.59 mL, 1 tbsp = 14.79 mL, 1 tsp = 4.93 mL.
| Ingredient | Grams per cup | Ounces per cup | Density (g/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground cinnamon | 125 g | 4.409 oz | 0.5283 |
| Chili powder | 125 g | 4.409 oz | 0.5283 |
| Garlic powder | 134 g | 4.727 oz | 0.5664 |
| Instant yeast (this page) | 144 g | 5.079 oz | 0.6087 |
| Ground turmeric | 144 g | 5.079 oz | 0.6087 |
| Powdered gelatin | 150 g | 5.291 oz | 0.634 |
| Baking powder | 192 g | 6.773 oz | 0.8115 |
Ordered by weight. The spread across this group is why a single generic cups-to-grams factor cannot work.