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Yeast Converter

Swap between fresh, active dry and instant yeast. Enter what you have and see the equivalent weight of each — with packet counts for the dry types.

Fresh / cake

16.8 g

fresh / cake

Active dry

7 g

≈ 1 packets

Instant / rapid-rise

5.6 g

≈ 0.8 packets

One packet of dry yeast is 7 g (¼ oz, about 2¼ tsp). Yeast is forgiving — use these as close guides and watch the dough, not the gram.

Data & method: Standard weight ratio instant : active dry : fresh = 1 : 1.25 : 3. Yeast is forgiving — use as a close guide. Every number is checked by an automated test against its source. How we calculate →

Fresh, Active Dry and Instant Yeast — How to Swap Them

Recipes call for whichever yeast their author had on hand, but you can use any type — you just need to adjust the amount, because they're not equally concentrated. By weight the standard ratio is instant : active dry : fresh = 1 : 1.25 : 3. Instant yeast is the most concentrated, active dry a little less, and fresh (cake) yeast the least, since it's mostly moisture. This yeast converter does the arithmetic and also shows how many 7-gram packets the dry amounts come to.

Quick reference

Instant Active dry Fresh / cake
1 g1.25 g3 g
5.6 g (≈1 ADY packet)7 g (1 packet)16.8 g
10 g12.5 g30 g

A note on using them

The amounts here keep the leavening power equivalent, but the types do behave slightly differently. Instant can go straight into the flour; active dry is traditionally proofed in warm liquid first; fresh yeast is crumbled in or dissolved. Yeast is forgiving, so small differences won't ruin a loaf — and when you're ready to bake, our sourdough hydration calculator and oven temperature converter handle the rest.

Packets, teaspoons and grams

US recipes flip between all three: one standard packet of dry yeast is 7 g, which is 2¼ teaspoons — of either active dry or instant (a teaspoon of dry yeast weighs about 3.1 g). So "1 packet", "7 g" and "2¼ tsp" all mean the same amount of dry yeast, and half a packet is a very slightly heaped teaspoon.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many teaspoons are in a packet of yeast?

A standard US packet holds 7 grams of dry yeast, which measures 2¼ teaspoons — the same for active dry and instant. Three packets come to a scant 2¼ tablespoons.

How do I know if my yeast is still good?

Proof it: stir a teaspoon of yeast and a pinch of sugar into ½ cup of warm (not hot) water. If it foams noticeably within 10 minutes, it's alive. If nothing happens, replace it before wasting flour on a loaf that won't rise.

Can I substitute instant yeast for active dry yeast?

Yes. By weight, active dry is about 1.25× instant, so use roughly 20% less instant (or 25% more active dry). Instant yeast can be mixed straight into the dry ingredients; active dry is traditionally dissolved in warm liquid first, though modern active dry can usually be added directly too.

How much instant yeast equals a packet of active dry?

A standard packet is 7 grams of active dry yeast, which is about 5.6 grams of instant yeast — a little over half a packet's worth.

How do I convert fresh (cake) yeast to dry yeast?

Fresh yeast is roughly 3× instant and 2.4× active dry by weight. So 30 g of fresh yeast is about 10 g instant or 12.5 g active dry. Crumble fresh yeast into the dough or dissolve it in a little warm liquid first.

Are instant, rapid-rise and bread-machine yeast the same?

For conversion purposes, yes — they're all instant-style yeasts and convert one-to-one with each other. Minor additives differ between brands, but the weight is interchangeable.

Does changing yeast type change the rise time?

A little. Instant yeast generally starts fastest, with active dry and fresh a touch slower. The amounts here keep the leavening power equivalent, but always judge the rise by the dough's size, not strictly by the clock.