Grams to teaspoons depends on the ingredient
A teaspoon measures volume and a gram measures weight, so converting between them needs the ingredient's density. That is why 5 g of salt is under a teaspoon while 5 g of dried oregano fills five. Pick the ingredient, then divide.
A US teaspoon is 4.929 mL and a metric one is 5 mL — a 1.4% difference that is smaller than the effect of how you scoop, so it rarely matters.
Grams per teaspoon, common ingredients
| Ingredient | g / tsp | 5 g = | 10 g = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table salt | 6.0 | 0.83 tsp | 1.67 tsp |
| Honey | 7.0 | 0.71 tsp | 1.43 tsp |
| Butter | 4.7 | 1.06 tsp | 2.13 tsp |
| Granulated sugar | 4.2 | 1.19 tsp | 2.38 tsp |
| Baking powder / soda | 4.6 | 1.09 tsp | 2.17 tsp |
| Kosher salt | 3.2 | 1.56 tsp | 3.13 tsp |
| Dry yeast | 3.1 | 1.61 tsp | 3.23 tsp |
| All-purpose flour | 2.6 | 1.92 tsp | 3.85 tsp |
| Cocoa / cinnamon | 2.5–2.6 | ~2.0 tsp | ~4.0 tsp |
| Ground spices (most) | 2.2–2.8 | ~1.9 tsp | ~3.8 tsp |
| Dried oregano | 1.0 | 5.0 tsp | 10 tsp |
| Dried basil | 0.7 | 7.1 tsp | 14 tsp |
To go the other way, multiply teaspoons by the g/tsp figure. And 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons, so weigh per tbsp and divide by 3 if that is what you know.
Why the same weight fills wildly different spoons
Salt is dense, tightly packed crystals; dried herbs are light and full of air. Per teaspoon, table salt weighs about 8.5 times as much as dried basil.
Five grams of each: a spoonful of salt versus five spoonfuls of oregano. The mass is identical; only the density differs.
Where measuring by spoon goes wrong
- Table vs kosher salt. A teaspoon of table salt is ~6 g but kosher is ~3.2 g, nearly double. Swapping them by spoon shifts saltiness by about 47%.
- Heaped vs level. A heaped teaspoon can hold roughly twice a level one. Recipes assume level unless they say otherwise.
- Teaspoon vs tablespoon. 1 tbsp = 3 tsp, so a tablespoon of salt where you meant a teaspoon triples the amount — a costly, common slip.
Common questions
How many teaspoons is 5 grams of sugar?
About 1.2 teaspoons. Granulated sugar weighs roughly 4.2 grams per teaspoon, so 5 divided by 4.2 is 1.19. A rounded rule is 4 grams per teaspoon of sugar.
How many grams are in a teaspoon of salt?
Around 6 grams for fine table salt, but only about 3.2 grams for coarse kosher salt, because the larger flakes pack more loosely. Swapping them one-for-one by spoon changes the saltiness a lot.
Can I just assume 1 teaspoon equals 5 grams?
Only for water. That shortcut is off by 20 percent for salt and by several times over for dried herbs, so use the per-ingredient weight instead.
