Ingredient Weight Converter · fat
Vegetable Shortening: cups to grams
1 cup of vegetable shortening weighs 205 grams. Use the converter below for any other amount, or check the quick-reference table.
Vegetable Shortening baseline: 1 cup = 205 g.
Common amounts
| Cups | Tablespoons | Grams | Ounces (weight) | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 4.0 | 51 g | 1.81 oz | 59 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 5.3 | 68 g | 2.41 oz | 79 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 8.0 | 103 g | 3.62 oz | 118 mL |
| 2/3 cup | 10.7 | 137 g | 4.82 oz | 158 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 12.0 | 154 g | 5.42 oz | 177 mL |
| 1 cup | 16.0 | 205 g | 7.23 oz | 237 mL |
| 1.5 cups | 24.0 | 308 g | 10.85 oz | 355 mL |
| 2 cups | 32.0 | 410 g | 14.46 oz | 473 mL |
| 3 cups | 48.0 | 615 g | 21.69 oz | 710 mL |
| 4 cups | 64.0 | 820 g | 28.92 oz | 946 mL |
Why measuring vegetable shortening by cup goes wrong
Vegetable shortening is hydrogenated oil — solid at room temperature, no water content, and a higher melting point than butter. A cup weighs 205 grams. The lack of water is what makes pie crusts made with shortening so flaky and so bland.
Practical tips for working with vegetable shortening
Most modern pie-crust recipes split the difference: half butter for flavor, half shortening (or all-butter with a careful technique) for flake. Pure shortening crusts hold their shape best in a hot oven but taste of nothing on their own. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the cold water you use to bring the dough together — it inhibits gluten development and produces a more tender crust.
Note from this ingredient's record: Hydrogenated, so it traps air well and holds pie-crust structure in a hot oven. No water content, unlike butter.
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