Teaspoons to Grams by Ingredient
1 teaspoon of baking powder weighs 4 g, while baking soda is 6 g, table salt 6 g and instant yeast 3 g per teaspoon. Small spoonfuls drive the chemistry of a bake, and they vary more than most people expect.
| Ingredient | 1/4 tsp (g) | 1/2 tsp (g) | 1 tsp (g) | 1 tbsp (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking powder | 1 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| Baking soda | 1.5 | 3 | 6 | 18 |
| Table salt | 1.5 | 3 | 6 | 18 |
| Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 8 |
| Instant yeast | 0.7 | 1.5 | 3 | 9 |
| Granulated sugar | 1 | 2.1 | 4.1 | 12.4 |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 1.1 | 2.2 | 4.4 | 13.3 |
| Vanilla extract | 1.2 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 14 |
| Cornstarch | 0.6 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 7 |
| Cocoa powder (unsweetened) | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 5.2 |
| All-purpose flour | 0.6 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 7.5 |
| Honey | 1.8 | 3.5 | 7.1 | 21.2 |
| Water | 1.2 | 2.5 | 4.9 | 14.8 |
| Vegetable oil (canola) | 1.1 | 2.3 | 4.5 | 13.6 |
| Butter | 1.2 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 14.2 |
Worked example: scaling a biscuit recipe up threefold
- Original: 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda and 1 tsp table salt.
- Baking powder weighs 2 × 4 g = 8 g.
- Baking soda weighs 0.5 × 6 g = 3 g.
- Salt weighs 1 × 6 g = 6 g.
- Multiply by three: 24 g powder, 9 g soda and 18 g salt.
- Leaveners often need less than full scaling in a bigger batch, so start slightly under and adjust on the next bake.
Why leavener weights matter so much
A cake that uses 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder has 6 g of it. A single extra half teaspoon adds 2 g, a third more, which can leave a bitter, soapy taste and a cake that rises then collapses. Baking soda is even stronger: a teaspoon weighs 6 g and is meant to neutralise a specific amount of acid. Level every spoon.
Teaspoon by teaspoon
From the dataset, here is what one US teaspoon holds:
- baking powder: 4 g
- baking soda: 6 g
- table salt: 6 g
- kosher salt (Diamond Crystal): 2.67 g
- instant yeast: 3 g
- granulated sugar: 4.13 g
- vanilla extract: 4.67 g
The table on this page extends the list to 15 ingredients.
Yeast packets and spoons
King Arthur lists a standard packet of instant yeast as 2 ¼ teaspoons, or 7 g. Dividing 7 g by 2.25 teaspoons gives 3.11 g per teaspoon, which matches the 3 g computed from the tablespoon figure. If a bread recipe asks for 1 teaspoon of yeast you can use 3 g on the scale, or about 0.43 of a packet.
Salt confusion in small spoons
Table salt weighs 6 g per teaspoon and Diamond Crystal kosher salt 2.67 g, a ratio of 2.25 to 1. Replace kosher salt with table salt one-for-one and you more than double the salt. The cleanest fix is to weigh it; second best is to use less of the finer salt. The tablespoon table has the same comparison at a bigger scale.
Vanilla, sugar and the rest
Not every teaspoon is a leavener. A teaspoon of vanilla extract is 4.67 g and a teaspoon of granulated sugar is 4.13 g. Three teaspoons make one tablespoon, so 3 teaspoons of sugar weighs 12.4 g, matching the 12.4 g tablespoon figure.
Half and quarter teaspoons
Recipes often call for fractions. Half a teaspoon of baking soda is 3 g, a quarter teaspoon of table salt is 1.5 g and a quarter teaspoon of baking powder is 1 g. These are small enough that a single level scoop of the right spoon matters far more than any rounding.
Do you need a scale for teaspoons?
A standard kitchen scale reads in whole grams and struggles to weigh 4 g reliably. Jeweller's scales that read to 0.1 g or finer can; if you bake a lot of bread, they are worth the small outlay. Otherwise level measuring spoons are fine.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in 1 teaspoon of baking powder?
1 US teaspoon of baking powder is 4 g (King Arthur lists 1 tsp = 4 g).
How many grams are in 1 teaspoon of baking soda?
1 US teaspoon of baking soda is about 6 g.
How many grams are in 1 teaspoon of salt?
A teaspoon of table salt is 6 g; Diamond Crystal kosher salt is 2.67 g.
How many grams are in a packet of yeast?
A packet of instant yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons, is 7 g.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in a US tablespoon.