3/4 Cup Vegetable Shortening in Grams
3/4 cup of vegetable shortening weighs 138 g (scooped, King Arthur Baking). Solid white fat made from hydrogenated vegetable oil. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the King Arthur Baking value of 184 g per cup, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
It is used for flaky pie crusts, frying and frosting. That range of uses is part of why the conversion comes up so often: the same ingredient appears in everyday cooking and in precise baking, and the two situations demand different levels of accuracy. Knowing the weight of 3/4 cup, rather than guessing from a measuring cup, keeps the result consistent no matter which recipe you are following, and it lets you scale a recipe up or down without the errors multiplying.
Vegetable Shortening cups to grams conversion table
| Cups | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 46 g |
| 1/3 cup | 61.3 g |
| 1/2 cup | 92 g |
| 2/3 cup | 122.7 g |
| 3/4 cup | 138 g |
| 1 cup | 184 g |
| 1 1/4 cups | 230 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 276 g |
| 2 cups | 368 g |
| 3 cups | 552 g |
One tablespoon of vegetable shortening weighs about 11.5 g, and one teaspoon about 3.8 g. Three quarters of a cup is 12 tablespoons, and it occupies about 177 ml by volume, the same as 3/4 cup of anything, because volume does not change from one ingredient to the next. Only the weight changes, and that is why the table above is organised by weight rather than volume. The table is rounded to the nearest tenth of a gram where the fraction demands it, so the numbers are approximate by design; the 3/4 cup figure of 138 g is the one to use when a recipe calls for 3/4 cup.
How the weight was measured
Scooped is the method used for this ingredient, and it matters because the same cup can hold a different weight depending on how it was filled. Spooned and levelled means spooning the ingredient into the cup and levelling the top with a straight knife, without packing it down. Packed means pressing the ingredient firmly into the cup until it holds its shape. Poured means pouring a liquid into a measuring jug up to the line. Scooped means pushing the cup through a solid fat and levelling the top.
The source for the 184 g per cup figure is King Arthur Baking, and this page follows that value exactly rather than averaging across sources, because an average of two different measuring methods is a number that matches nobody's cup.
All the figures on this page are approximate conversions. When a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale: weigh the ingredient directly into the bowl on a tared scale and trust that number over any cup.
Worked examples
A double-crust apple pie
A double-crust apple pie calling for 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening needs 138 g. Shortening is the fat that makes pie crust flaky, because it stays solid longer than butter in the oven and creates layers as the water steams out. Weighing 138 g matters because too much shortening makes the crust greasy and hard to roll, while too little leaves it tough. Keep the shortening cold, cut it in quickly, and chill the dough before rolling.
A batch of sugar cookies that must hold their shape
A sugar cookie recipe using 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening needs 138 g, and shortening is the right fat here because it has a higher melting point than butter, so the cookies keep their cut shapes instead of spreading. Weighing the shortening is especially important because it is scooped and packs inconsistently into a cup. Weigh 138 g, cream it well with the sugar, and chill the cut shapes before baking.
A white frosting for a celebration cake
A frosting recipe calling for 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening needs 138 g. Shortening makes a frosting that stays pure white and holds its shape in warm weather, which butter cannot do. The weight matters because frosting is a ratio: too much shortening makes it greasy on the tongue, too little makes it stiff and hard to spread. Weigh 138 g and beat it until it is completely smooth before adding the sugar.
Why weighing 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening beats measuring it in cups
Fat is the ingredient that decides whether a bake is tender or tough, flaky or dense, and 3/4 cup is an amount that appears in cakes, pastry, and roasting all the time. Weighing it matters because a cup is a poor way to measure a fat: solid fats trap air pockets when scooped, and liquid fats are hard to read in a measuring jug. A cup measure can be 10 g or more off, which is enough to change a cake from moist to greasy. Weighing removes that whole source of error, and it is faster than packing a cup and scraping it out.
When this conversion matters most
This conversion matters most in pastry, where shortening is chosen precisely because it behaves differently from butter. A pie crust, a batch of cut-out cookies, or a frosting all depend on the fat staying solid and on the fat-to-flour ratio being right, and shortening is light for a solid fat at 184 g per cup, so 3/4 cup is only 138 g. That lightness catches people out: anyone who assumes all solid fats weigh 227 g per cup will over-measure by more than 30 g, which is enough to ruin a crust. Weighing is the only safe method, because scooped shortening packs so inconsistently into a cup.
Storage
Cool, dry cupboard, up to 1 year after opening. Solid white fat made from hydrogenated vegetable oil. It is used for flaky pie crusts, frying and frosting. Knowing how the ingredient is stored matters for the conversion too: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture or dried out will weigh differently per cup, so store it properly and weigh it fresh for the best results.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is assuming shortening weighs the same as butter. It does not: 3/4 cup of shortening is 138 g against 170.2 g for butter, a gap of 32 g. A second mistake is letting the shortening get warm before cutting it into pastry, which melts the fat into the flour and kills the flakiness. A third mistake is using shortening in a recipe where butter flavour matters, like shortbread: the texture will be right but the taste will be flat, so save shortening for pastry and frosting where its neutrality is a virtue.
If you do not have a kitchen scale, the most reliable fallback is the tablespoon: 3/4 cup is 12 level tablespoons, and each one is levelled on its own, so the errors do not stack the way they do in a cup. Spoon dry ingredients in and level them off, and pour liquids in on a flat surface so the spoon is full but not heaped. It takes a minute longer than weighing, but it beats guessing from a cup, and for a dressing or a marinade it is accurate enough. For cakes and pastry, buy a scale when you can: it is the single cheapest upgrade to your baking.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening?
3/4 cup of vegetable shortening weighs 138 g, scooped, using the King Arthur Baking value of 184 g per cup. The figure is approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters, especially for pastry.
Why does shortening weigh less than butter per cup?
Shortening is a whipped, aerated solid fat, so a cup of it contains more air and less fat than a cup of butter. Butter weighs 227 g per cup, while shortening weighs 184 g, so 3/4 cup of shortening is 138 g against 170.2 g for butter. Never swap them cup-for-cup without adjusting.
How many tablespoons is 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening?
3/4 cup is 12 tablespoons, and one tablespoon of vegetable shortening weighs about 11.5 g. That gives roughly 138 g for the full 12 tablespoons. Scoop it firmly into the spoon and level it, or weigh it directly for a better result.
Can I use shortening instead of butter in pie crust?
Yes, and many bakers prefer it for flakiness, but adjust the weight: use 138 g of shortening where the recipe calls for 3/4 cup of butter at 170.2 g, or the crust will be greasy. Shortening has no flavour of its own, so some bakers use half butter and half shortening for flavour and flake together.
Does shortening need to be refrigerated?
No. Vegetable shortening keeps in a cool, dry cupboard for up to a year after opening, unlike butter and lard. Keep the lid on tight, and weigh 138 g straight from the tub when a recipe calls for 3/4 cup.