Yeast (instant): Grams to Cups
1 cup of yeast (instant) = 144 grams
One US cup of yeast (instant) weighs 144 grams. One 250 ml metric cup — the one used in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — holds 152 grams. To convert any weight, divide the grams by the figure for your cup.
Instant yeast weighs about 9 g per tablespoon (King Arthur Baking) — 144 g per cup, 3 g per teaspoon. A ¼ oz packet is 7 g — 2¼ teaspoons. Use about 25% less instant yeast than active dry by weight.
Instant yeast by the teaspoon and the packet
King Arthur Baking weighs instant yeast at 9 g per tablespoon, which is 3 g per teaspoon and 144 g per cup. A standard ¼ oz packet holds 7 g, about 2⅓ teaspoons, which recipes round to 2¼. 10 g is about 3⅓ teaspoons. A jar recipe that asks for 1 tablespoon wants 9 g.
Bread recipes are sensitive to yeast. A gram or two too much on a 500 g loaf speeds the rise, can leave a beery taste and makes the dough easy to over-proof. Weigh it if your scale reads to 1 g; if not, level the measuring spoon with a knife instead of using a heaped spoon.
Instant, active dry and rapid-rise
Instant yeast has finer granules than active dry yeast and does not need to be dissolved in water first; it can be mixed straight into the flour. Active dry yeast is coarser, and this site uses a working figure of 135 g per cup for it, about 2.8 g per teaspoon.
To swap active dry for instant, use about 25% less instant yeast by weight: 7 g of active dry becomes about 5.25 g of instant, roughly 1¾ teaspoons. Going the other way, use about a third more active dry and proof it in warm water first. Rapid-rise yeast is a form of instant yeast and swaps one for one, though it is designed for a single rise.
Common mistakes
Using hot water. Liquid that feels hot to the touch can kill yeast. Lukewarm water, comfortably warm on the inside of your wrist, is safe for active dry; instant yeast mixed into flour tolerates warmer liquid because the flour buffers it.
Putting salt directly on the yeast. Concentrated salt draws water out of yeast cells. Mix the yeast into the flour first and add the salt to the other side of the bowl, or with the liquid.
Measuring yeast by the cup. Even ¼ cup is 36 g, enough for several loaves. If a conversion gives a cup amount for yeast, check whether the recipe meant teaspoons.
Where the 144 g figure comes from
- King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart: Yeast (instant), 1 tablespoon = 9 g (about 144 g per cup) (chart)
This site uses 144 g per US cup of yeast (instant), spooned and levelled. References checked September 2026.
How many cups is X grams of yeast (instant)?
| Grams | US cups | Metric cups | Tablespoons | Ounces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 g yeast (instant) | ⅛ | ⅛ | 2.78 | 0.88 |
| 50 g yeast (instant) | ⅓ | ⅓ | 5.56 | 1.76 |
| 75 g yeast (instant) | ½ | ½ | 8.33 | 2.65 |
| 100 g yeast (instant) | ⅔ | ⅔ | 11.11 | 3.53 |
| 110 g yeast (instant) | ¾ | ¾ | 12.22 | 3.88 |
| 120 g yeast (instant) | ⅞ | ¾ | 13.33 | 4.23 |
| 125 g yeast (instant) | ⅞ | ⅞ | 13.89 | 4.41 |
| 130 g yeast (instant) | ⅞ | ⅞ | 14.44 | 4.59 |
| 140 g yeast (instant) | 1 | ⅞ | 15.56 | 4.94 |
| 150 g yeast (instant) | 1.04 | 1 | 16.67 | 5.29 |
| 170 g yeast (instant) | 1⅛ | 1⅛ | 18.89 | 6.00 |
| 175 g yeast (instant) | 1¼ | 1⅛ | 19.44 | 6.17 |
| 200 g yeast (instant) | 1⅜ | 1⅓ | 22.22 | 7.05 |
| 225 g yeast (instant) | 1.56 | 1½ | 25 | 7.94 |
| 240 g yeast (instant) | 1⅔ | 1⅝ | 26.67 | 8.47 |
| 250 g yeast (instant) | 1¾ | 1⅝ | 27.78 | 8.82 |
| 275 g yeast (instant) | 1⅞ | 1¾ | 30.56 | 9.70 |
| 300 g yeast (instant) | 2⅛ | 2 | 33.33 | 10.58 |
| 350 g yeast (instant) | 2⅜ | 2⅓ | 38.89 | 12.35 |
| 400 g yeast (instant) | 2¾ | 2⅝ | 44.44 | 14.11 |
| 450 g yeast (instant) | 3⅛ | 2.96 | 50 | 15.87 |
| 500 g yeast (instant) | 3½ | 3¼ | 55.56 | 17.64 |
How to measure yeast (instant) accurately
The 144 g figure assumes the spooned-and-levelled method: spoon the yeast (instant) into a dry measuring cup and sweep the top flat with a straight edge. Scooping the cup through the bag compacts it and gives a heavier cup.
- 1 US cup of yeast (instant) = 144 g
- 1 metric cup (250 ml) of yeast (instant) = 152 g
- ¾ cup = 108 g
- ½ cup = 72 g
- ⅓ cup = 48 g
- ¼ cup = 36 g
- 1 tablespoon = 9.0 g
Frequently asked questions
How many cups is 100 grams of yeast (instant)?
100 grams of yeast (instant) is about ⅔ US cups, based on 144 g per cup, or ⅔ metric cups.
How many grams in a cup of yeast (instant)?
One US cup of yeast (instant) weighs 144 grams. A 250 ml metric cup holds 152 grams.
How many cups is 250 grams of yeast (instant)?
250 grams of yeast (instant) is about 1¾ US cups, or 1⅝ metric cups.
Does a UK cup of yeast (instant) weigh the same as a US cup?
No. A UK, Australian or Canadian metric cup is 250 ml against the US 236.6 ml, so it holds about 5.7% more — 152 g of yeast (instant) rather than 144 g.
How many tablespoons is 100 grams of yeast (instant)?
100 grams of yeast (instant) is about 11.11 tablespoons.
How many teaspoons is 7 g of instant yeast?
About 2¼ teaspoons, one standard ¼ oz packet (3 g per teaspoon).
How many grams is a tablespoon of instant yeast?
About 9 g, King Arthur Baking's figure.
How do I swap active dry yeast for instant yeast?
Use about 25% less instant yeast by weight. 7 g of active dry yeast becomes about 5.25 g of instant yeast, roughly 1¾ teaspoons.
Related reading: Baking Measurement Quiz, Yeast (active dry) grams to cups and Baking Soda grams to cups.