how many grams in a teaspoon of shortening?

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conversion reference

things people ask

• When would a recipe call for shortening by the teaspoon?
  Three common cases: vegan baking, where a teaspoon (3.83 g) gets added to a flour-and-water dough for tenderness without dairy; greasing the inside of a measuring cup before scooping honey or molasses so they slide out clean; and tortilla recipes, where a teaspoon worked into the masa or flour gives the dough enough fat to stay pliable without becoming greasy.
• Is a teaspoon of shortening enough to fry something small?
  Barely — and only in a small skillet. A teaspoon (3.83 g) melts into a thin film maybe 2 inches across, which is enough to shallow-fry a single egg, a small tortilla, or a couple of dumplings. For anything larger you need at least a tablespoon. Shortening's high smoke point (around 360°F) does make it forgiving for quick pan-frying compared to butter.
• How does a teaspoon of shortening compare to a teaspoon of oil?
  By weight they're close — a teaspoon of shortening is 3.83 g and a teaspoon of vegetable oil is roughly 4.5 g — but shortening is solid at room temperature because it's hydrogenated or interesterified, while oil is liquid. In a recipe, that solid structure matters: a teaspoon of shortening rubbed into flour creates discrete fat pockets, while oil disperses evenly and produces a denser crumb.

related conversions

• Shortening: cups to grams
• Shortening: tablespoons to grams
• Shortening guide