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Fats & Oils

Convert cups of shortening to grams

One cup of shortening weighs about 205 g, and half a cup comes to roughly 103 g. Enter any amount below to convert it, or use the chart further down as a quick reference while you cook.

1 cup of shortening =

205 g

oz
7.23
kg
0.205
lb
0.452

Shortening: 205 g per US cup · USDA FoodData Central. Shortening is whipped with air during manufacture, so it is lighter per cup than butter.

Full shortening chart →

Shortening at a glance

Every number on this page comes from a single figure: 205 grams per US cup (USDA FoodData Central).

1 cup
205 g
1 tablespoon
12.8 g
1 teaspoon
4.27 g
1 cup in ounces
7.23 oz
100 g in cups
0.488 cups
Density
0.87 g/ml

cups to grams chart for shortening

Print it, screenshot it, or bookmark this page — these are the amounts recipes ask for most often.

Shortening — measured by volume
Cups (US)GramsOunces (weight)Pounds
1/8 cup25.6 g0.904 oz0.056 lb
1/4 cup51.3 g1.81 oz0.113 lb
1/3 cup68.3 g2.41 oz0.151 lb
1/2 cup103 g3.62 oz0.226 lb
2/3 cup137 g4.82 oz0.301 lb
3/4 cup154 g5.42 oz0.339 lb
1 cup205 g7.23 oz0.452 lb
1 1/2 cup308 g10.8 oz0.678 lb
2 cup410 g14.5 oz0.904 lb
3 cup615 g21.7 oz1.36 lb
4 cup820 g28.9 oz1.81 lb

How this conversion is calculated

Volume-to-weight conversions are only as good as the density behind them. We treat shortening as 205 g per US customary cup, which works out to 0.866 g/ml. From there:

  1. Your cups figure is converted into millilitres or grams using standard unit sizes (cup = 237 ml).
  2. The density above bridges volume and weight in whichever direction you need.
  3. The result is rounded the way a cook would round it — to the nearest gram, or to a usable fraction such as 1/2 cups.

Measuring shortening accurately

Shortening is whipped with air during manufacture, so it is lighter per cup than butter.

If a recipe matters to you — bread, macarons, anything with a tight hydration or ratio — weigh it. A £10 digital scale removes the single largest source of variation in home baking, and it is faster than washing three measuring cups.

When cups are fine

  • Liquids measured in a proper jug, where volume is the honest unit anyway.
  • Forgiving savoury cooking: soups, stews, stir-fries, marinades.
  • Small amounts of leaveners and spices, as long as you use level spoons.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams are in 1 cup of shortening?

1 cup of shortening is 205 g. This is based on a density of 205 g per US cup.

How many grams are in 2 cups of shortening?

2 cups of shortening is 410 g, and 103 g for half a cup.

How much is 100 g of shortening in cups?

100 g of shortening is about 1/2 cups. Weight is always the more reliable measurement, so use a scale when the recipe gives grams.

Why do other sites give a different number for shortening?

Shortening is whipped with air during manufacture, so it is lighter per cup than butter.

Do UK and Australian cups give the same result?

No. A US customary cup is 236.6 ml, a metric cup used in Australia and New Zealand is 250 ml, and an old UK imperial cup is 284 ml. Our default is the US cup, but you can pick metric cups in the converter.

Same conversion, other fats & oils