Ingredient weights per US cup
The values below follow widely published baking weight-chart conventions (King Arthur Baking; USDA FoodData Central). They assume the spoon-and-level method for dry ingredients and are typical values — individual brands and humidity can shift real-world weights slightly.
| Ingredient | Grams per US cup | Ounces per US cup |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 120 g | 4.23 oz |
| Bread flour | 120 g | 4.23 oz |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 7.05 oz |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 213 g | 7.51 oz |
| Powdered sugar | 113 g | 3.99 oz |
| Butter | 227 g | 8.01 oz |
| Milk | 240 g | 8.47 oz |
| Water | 237 g | 8.36 oz |
| Rolled oats | 89 g | 3.14 oz |
| Cocoa powder | 85 g | 3.00 oz |
| Honey | 340 g | 11.99 oz |
| White rice (uncooked) | 198 g | 6.98 oz |
| Vegetable oil | 218 g | 7.69 oz |
- Weight charts differ slightly between publishers: King Arthur Baking lists all-purpose flour at 120 g per cup, while some other US references use 125-130 g. Consistency within one recipe matters more than the exact chart used.
- Dry-ingredient cup weights assume the spoon-and-level method. Scooping the cup directly into the container compacts flour and powdered sugar and can add 20-30% more weight.
- Brown sugar is conventionally measured firmly packed, which is why its cup weight (213 g) exceeds granulated sugar (200 g).
- This calculator uses the US legal/customary cup of about 240 ml. Australian recipes use a 250 ml cup and older UK recipes may use imperial measures, so cup weights differ slightly between countries.
What is a cups-to-grams conversion?
A cups-to-grams conversion translates a volume measurement (the US cup, about 240 ml) into a weight measurement (grams) using the typical density of a specific ingredient. Because every ingredient has a different density, there is no single universal answer to "how many grams are in a cup": one US cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 120 g by the King Arthur Baking weight chart convention, while one cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 g and one cup of honey about 340 g.
Cup weights for dry ingredients also depend on how the cup is filled. Scooping a measuring cup directly into a flour bag compacts the flour and can add 20-30% more weight than the spoon-and-level method (spooning flour into the cup and leveling it off with a straight edge), which is the technique published weight charts assume. This scoop-versus-spoon variation is the main reason two bakers following the same recipe by volume can get different results.
Professional bakers and most modern baking references recommend weighing ingredients on a digital scale rather than measuring by volume, because a scale removes the filling-technique variable entirely. This calculator is most useful for converting volume-based recipes into weights you can measure precisely.
How to use this cups to grams calculator
- Enter the number of cups from your recipe. Fractions work — enter 0.5 for half a cup or 0.25 for a quarter cup.
- Select the ingredient from the list of 13 common baking ingredients.
- Read the weight in grams, along with the equivalents in ounces and tablespoons — results update instantly.
- For any ingredient not listed, check the manufacturer's packaging or a published weight chart, since densities vary widely.
The formula behind cups to grams
The conversion multiplies the number of cups by the ingredient's typical weight per US cup, taken from published baking weight charts. Ounces are derived by dividing grams by 28.3495 (grams per avoirdupois ounce), and tablespoons follow the US convention of 16 tablespoons per cup.
Worked example: 2 cups of all-purpose flour = 2 × 120 g = 240 g, which is 240 ÷ 28.3495 = 8.47 oz, and 2 × 16 = 32 tablespoons.
Common mistakes
- Scooping flour directly from the bag with the measuring cup — this compacts it and can add 20-30% more flour than the spoon-and-level weight the charts assume.
- Using one grams-per-cup figure for every ingredient — a cup of honey (about 340 g) weighs almost three times as much as a cup of all-purpose flour (about 120 g).
- Confusing weight ounces with fluid ounces — a cup is 8 fluid ounces of volume for any liquid, but 8 weight ounces only for ingredients with water-like density.
- Mixing cup standards — the US cup is about 240 ml while the Australian metric cup is 250 ml, which matters in large batches.
- Not packing brown sugar — published cup weights for brown sugar assume it is firmly packed into the cup.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
How many grams is 1 cup of flour?
One US cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 120 grams (4.23 oz) by the King Arthur Baking weight chart convention, assuming the flour is spooned into the cup and leveled off. Scooping the cup directly into the flour bag compacts it and can raise the weight by 20-30%. Some other US references list 125-130 g per cup.
How many grams is 1 cup of sugar?
One US cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 grams (7.05 oz). Packed brown sugar is heavier at about 213 grams per cup, and powdered (confectioners') sugar is lighter at about 113 grams per cup, because its fine texture traps more air.
Why do cups-to-grams values differ between charts?
Cup weights for dry ingredients depend on how the cup is filled, how settled the ingredient is, and the brand measured. Publishers standardize on slightly different values — for example, King Arthur Baking uses 120 g per cup of all-purpose flour while some other references use 125-130 g. Any published chart works if you use it consistently throughout a recipe.
Is it better to weigh ingredients or measure by volume?
Weighing on a digital scale is more accurate and repeatable than measuring by volume, and it is the method professional bakers and modern baking references recommend. A scale removes the scoop-versus-spoon variable that can change a cup of flour by 20-30%, and it eliminates the need to wash multiple measuring cups.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in one US cup. This is a volume relationship, so it holds for every ingredient: half a cup is 8 tablespoons and a quarter cup is 4 tablespoons.
Are US and metric cups the same?
No. The US customary cup is about 237 ml (the US legal cup used on nutrition labels is 240 ml), while the metric cup used in Australia and New Zealand is 250 ml. The difference is around 4-5%, which is usually negligible for a single cup but can matter when scaling a recipe up.
Quellenangaben
- King Arthur Baking Company. Ingredient Weight Chart. kingarthurbaking.com.
- USDA FoodData Central — ingredient density and weight data. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
- NIST Handbook 44 — specifications for volume measures (US customary units). nist.gov.