To convert teaspoons of whole wheat flour into grams, multiply by 2.5: one teaspoon comes to 2.5 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 0.50721 g per mL, against 1.00 for water. A cup of water weighs 236.6 g and a cup of whole wheat flour weighs 120 g, so this ingredient is 50.72% as heavy as the same volume of water — the single fact the whole page rests on.
A level teaspoon of whole wheat flour weighs 2.5 g. A kitchen scale that reads to the nearest gram is therefore working at roughly 40% 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 7.5 g if the recipe scales up.
Grams are the unit this conversion is really for. A domestic scale resolves to a gram, which is 0.833% of a cup of whole wheat flour, so weighing gets an accuracy no measuring cup can reach. A 500 g pack of it is 4.167 cups, and a 1 kg pack 8.333.
How the figure is arrived at: The bran and germ are bulkier than the endosperm they replace, so a cup weighs less than white flour despite feeling coarser.
The formula
teaspoons- The amount of whole wheat flour you are converting, in teaspoons
2.5- Grams per teaspoon for whole wheat flour, from its density of 0.50721 g/mL
grams- The equivalent quantity in grams
How it works, step by step
- Enter the quantity in teaspoons.
- It is multiplied by 2.5, the grams-per-teaspoon figure for whole wheat flour.
- 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 whole wheat flour in grams
3/4 tsp of whole wheat flour weighs out at 1.875 grams. Divide 1.875 by 2.5 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 whole wheat flour in grams
1 1/2 tsp of whole wheat flour weighs out at 3.75 grams. Divide 3.75 by 2.5 and you get back to 1 1/2 tsp, which is the quickest check that the factor is the right way up.
4 tsp of whole wheat flour in grams
A recipe calling for 4 tsp of whole wheat flour needs 10 grams on the scale. The arithmetic is 4 × 2.5 = 10, and halving the recipe halves the weight to 5 grams.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in 1 tsp of whole wheat flour?
One teaspoon of whole wheat flour is 2.5 grams. Half that quantity is 1.25 grams and double it is 5 grams, so the figure scales straight up and down — there is no offset in this conversion, only the factor.
Why is a cup of whole wheat flour not 236 g like water?
Because weight per cup depends on what is in the cup. Whole wheat flour has a density of 0.50721 g per mL where water has 1.00, so a cup of it weighs 120 g rather than 236.6 g. That is a difference of 116.6 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 whole wheat flour by roughly 20% — about 12 g either side of 120 g — because the bran and germ are bulkier than the endosperm they replace, so a cup weighs less than white flour despite feeling coarser. Weighing removes the question entirely.
Is a fluid ounce of whole wheat flour 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 whole wheat flour weighs 0.5291 oz, so the two readings differ by 47.1%. 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 whole wheat flour would weigh 126.8 g instead of 120 g — 6.8 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 whole wheat flour is 2.5 g, and a scale reading to the nearest gram is working at 40% 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 whole wheat flour is 500 g?
500 g of whole wheat flour is 200 teaspoons — 0.4 teaspoons to one gram, so 500 × 0.4 = 200. Going that way is a division by 2.5, or a multiplication by 0.4 if you prefer.
Whole wheat flour in teaspoons and grams
| Teaspoons | Grams | Unrounded |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 tsp | 0.625 g | 0.625 |
| 1/2 tsp | 1.25 g | 1.25 |
| 3/4 tsp | 1.875 g | 1.875 |
| 1 tsp | 2.5 g | 2.5 |
| 1 1/2 tsp | 3.75 g | 3.75 |
| 2 tsp | 5 g | 5 |
| 3 tsp | 7.5 g | 7.5 |
| 4 tsp | 10 g | 10 |
| 6 tsp | 15 g | 15 |
Based on 120 g per cup of whole wheat flour. One teaspoon of whole wheat flour is 2.5 grams.
| Measure | Grams | Ounces | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 120 g | 4.23 oz | 236.6 mL |
| 1 tbsp | 7.5 g | 0.265 oz | 14.79 mL |
| 2 tsp | 5 g | 0.176 oz | 9.858 mL |
| 1 tsp | 2.5 g | 0.0882 oz | 4.929 mL |
| 3/4 tsp | 1.875 g | 0.0661 oz | 3.697 mL |
| 1/2 tsp | 1.25 g | 0.0441 oz | 2.464 mL |
| 1/4 tsp | 0.625 g | 0.022 oz | 1.232 mL |
| 1/8 tsp | 0.3125 g | 0.011 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry breadcrumbs | 108 g | 3.81 oz | 0.4565 |
| Coconut flour | 112 g | 3.951 oz | 0.4734 |
| Cake flour | 114 g | 4.021 oz | 0.4818 |
| Whole wheat flour (this page) | 120 g | 4.233 oz | 0.5072 |
| Tapioca starch | 120 g | 4.233 oz | 0.5072 |
| Powdered sugar | 120 g | 4.233 oz | 0.5072 |
| All-purpose flour | 125 g | 4.409 oz | 0.5283 |
Ordered by weight. The spread across this group is why a single generic cups-to-grams factor cannot work.