Teaspoons to Grams Conversion

How to use this calculator

Enter the number of teaspoons. Select the ingredient from the dropdown. Press Calculate to see grams, ounces, tablespoons, and millilitres.

Teaspoons to grams: why density matters

A teaspoon is a unit of volume (4.929 mL in the US). Converting to grams requires the density of each specific ingredient.

The same teaspoon volume holds very different masses depending on the ingredient:

Ingredient	g per tsp	g per 3 tsp (1 tbsp)	Notes
Honey	7.08 g	21.25 g	Heaviest liquid sweetener
Maple Syrup	6.71 g	20.13 g	Dense liquid
Salt (table)	5.69 g	17.07 g	Dense fine crystals
Water	5.00 g	15.00 g	Reference baseline
Milk	5.08 g	15.25 g	Slightly denser than water
Butter	4.73 g	14.19 g	Solid fat
Olive Oil	4.50 g	13.50 g	Less dense than water
Vegetable Oil	4.54 g	13.63 g	Similar to olive oil
White Sugar	4.17 g	12.50 g	Common reference
Brown Sugar (packed)	4.58 g	13.75 g	Denser due to molasses
Vanilla Extract	4.25 g	12.75 g	Ethanol base
Baking Powder	3.80 g	11.40 g	Loose powder
Baking Soda	3.60 g	10.80 g	Fine powder
Cinnamon	3.11 g	9.33 g	Varies with grind
All-Purpose Flour	2.60 g	7.81 g	Loose, airy
Active Dry Yeast	2.60 g	7.80 g	Very light granules
Almond Flour	2.80 g	8.40 g	Coarse texture
Powdered Sugar	2.50 g	7.50 g	Lightest sugar type
Cocoa Powder	1.77 g	5.31 g	Very light, fluffy

Teaspoons of sugar to grams

Sugar is the most commonly converted ingredient from teaspoons to grams, largely because nutrition labels now show added sugars in grams.

Teaspoons	White Sugar (g)	Brown Sugar packed (g)	Powdered Sugar (g)	Calories
1/4 tsp	1.04 g	1.15 g	0.63 g	4 kcal
1/2 tsp	2.09 g	2.29 g	1.25 g	8 kcal
1 tsp	4.17 g	4.58 g	2.50 g	16 kcal
2 tsp	8.34 g	9.17 g	5.00 g	32 kcal
3 tsp (1 tbsp)	12.51 g	13.75 g	7.50 g	48 kcal
6 tsp (2 tbsp)	25.02 g	27.50 g	15.00 g	97 kcal
12 tsp (1/4 cup)	50.04 g	55.00 g	30.00 g	194 kcal
48 tsp (1 cup)	200.16 g	220.00 g	120.00 g	775 kcal

The WHO recommends limiting daily free sugar to about 25 g = approximately 6 teaspoons of white sugar.

Teaspoons of salt to grams

Salt measurement by teaspoon is the most critical conversion for health tracking because different salt types produce very different sodium results from the same teaspoon volume.

Teaspoons	Table Salt (g)	Sodium (mg)	Morton Kosher (g)	Diamond Crystal (g)
1/4 tsp	1.42 g	558 mg	1.20 g	0.70 g
1/2 tsp	2.85 g	1,120 mg	2.40 g	1.40 g
3/4 tsp	4.27 g	1,678 mg	3.60 g	2.10 g
1 tsp	5.69 g	2,236 mg	4.80 g	2.80 g
2 tsp	11.38 g	4,472 mg	9.60 g	5.60 g

The US recommended daily sodium intake is 2,300 mg. One teaspoon of table salt is 97% of this limit.

Baking powder and baking soda: why precision matters

Leavening agents are the most measurement-sensitive ingredients in baking. Even small variations affect the result:

Baking powder: 1 tsp = 3.8 g. Typical usage: 1 tsp per cup of flour. Too much causes initial rise then collapse; too little produces a dense, flat result.

• 1/4 tsp = 0.95 g
• 1/2 tsp = 1.9 g
• 1 tsp = 3.8 g
• 2 tsp = 7.6 g

Baking soda: 1 tsp = 3.6 g. Potency is about 3-4x baking powder, so recipes typically use 1/4 to 1/2 tsp (0.9 to 1.8 g). Baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients (buttermilk, lemon, vinegar, brown sugar) to produce CO2 for leavening.

Freshness test for baking powder: Add 1 teaspoon to 1/2 cup of hot water. Active baking powder bubbles vigorously. Flat or minimal reaction indicates it has lost potency and should be replaced.

Old baking soda test: Add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 teaspoons of vinegar. If it bubbles, it is still active.

Spices and small amounts: teaspoons to grams

Ground spices are commonly measured in teaspoons, but their density varies significantly with particle size, freshness, and how tightly they are packed.

Spice	Approximate g/tsp	Notes
Ground cinnamon	3.11 g	Standard ground
Ground ginger	2.76 g	Fine powder
Ground cumin	2.80 g	Medium grind
Chili powder (blend)	2.69 g	Fine powder
Paprika	2.53 g	Fine powder
Garlic powder	3.12 g	Slightly denser
Onion powder	3.36 g	Denser fine powder
Dried oregano	1.80 g	Light, leafy
Black pepper (ground)	2.32 g	Medium grind
Ground cloves	3.31 g	Heavy spice
Turmeric	3.19 g	Dense fine powder
Cayenne	2.62 g	Fine powder

Spice densities vary by brand, grind, and freshness. Freshly opened spices often pack differently from spices that have been sitting for months. For large-batch recipes or spice blends where consistency matters, measuring spices in grams is more reliable than teaspoons.

Yeast and vanilla extract: teaspoons to grams

Active dry yeast: 1 tsp = 2.6 g. A standard US yeast packet contains 7 g = approximately 2.25 teaspoons (the packet label often states “2.25 tsp”). Bread recipes typically use 1 packet (7 g or 2.25 tsp) per 3 to 4 cups of flour.

Instant yeast (rapid rise): Slightly denser at about 3.1 g/tsp. It is more potent than active dry yeast — you can use about 25% less: 1 tsp active dry = 3/4 tsp instant yeast.

Fresh (cake) yeast: 8 to 10 g per 2.25 teaspoons equivalent, meaning roughly 3.5 g/tsp. Fresh yeast is much more perishable and less common in home baking but used in professional bakeries.

Vanilla extract: 1 tsp = 4.25 g. Pure vanilla extract is a solution of vanilla bean compounds in ethanol and water, with a density between water and alcohol. The rule of thumb “1 tsp vanilla per cup of flour” works well in most cakes and cookies.