Cups to Grams Converter
Accurately convert cups to grams for any ingredient. Different ingredients weigh different amounts per cup, get precise measurements for perfect results.
How many grams are in a cup of sugar?
A cup of granulated white sugar weighs about 200 grams. King Arthur lists it a touch lighter at 198. Powdered sugar is much lighter at roughly 120 grams a cup because it is so fine, and packed brown sugar runs heavier near 220 grams since you press it into the cup.
Is a cup of flour 120 or 125 grams?
You will see both numbers. King Arthur and many recipe writers use 120 grams for all-purpose flour, while some American sources round to 125. The five gram gap rarely changes a result. If you bake by weight a lot, pick one standard and stick with it so your recipes stay consistent.
How many grams in a half cup or a quarter cup?
Halve or quarter the one cup weight. A half cup of all-purpose flour is about 60 grams and a quarter cup about 30 grams. The reference table above already runs that math for every ingredient, including the three quarter cup amount.
Why do recipes list grams instead of cups?
Grams take the guesswork out. A cup of flour can swing by 40 grams depending on how it is packed, while 120 grams is always 120 grams. Most professional kitchens and European recipes weigh for that reason, and the results come out the same every time.
Common Ingredients Reference Table
| Ingredient | 1 Cup (g) | 3/4 Cup (g) | 1/2 Cup (g) | 1/4 Cup (g) |
|---|
Why a cup of flour is not always the same weight
Flour is the ingredient that trips people up. Spoon it into the cup loosely and level the top, and a cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 120 grams. Dip the cup straight into the bag and press it down, and that same cup can hold up to 160 grams, according to King Arthur Baking. That is a third more flour than the recipe asked for, plenty to dry out a cake or leave a loaf heavy.
That packing swing is the whole case for weighing. A scale reads 120 grams whether you scooped, spooned, or sifted. The gram values in this converter assume the spoon and level method, the same standard most recipe writers use. If your baking runs heavy on flour, a scale is the fix.
Where these numbers come from
Dry ingredient weights here follow King Arthur Baking's published ingredient weight chart, the reference most American recipe developers cite. Liquids and a few specialty items follow USDA FoodData Central, which puts a cup of milk near 244 grams and a cup of water near 237 grams by weight. Where the two sources round a little differently, we show the value home bakers meet most often.
Read every figure as a careful average, not a promise. Brand, humidity, and how you fill the cup each move the weight. When a recipe has to be exact, a digital scale beats any chart, which is why King Arthur recommends weighing for the most consistent results.
Why do cups to grams conversions vary by ingredient?
A cup is a measure of volume, not weight. Different ingredients have different densities, a cup of flour weighs about 120g while a cup of sugar weighs about 200g. Using gram measurements in baking gives more consistent results since weight is precise regardless of how tightly packed your ingredient is.
How accurate is this converter?
Our conversion values are based on standard USDA food density data and widely accepted baking references. For most home baking, these values will give excellent results. Professional bakers always weigh ingredients for maximum precision.
Should I scoop or spoon flour into the cup?
The "spoon and level" method (spooning flour into the cup and leveling with a knife) is standard. Our gram values assume this method. Scooping directly from the bag can pack flour, adding up to 30g more per cup, another reason weighing in grams is preferred.
Common questions
How many grams are in a cup of flour?
One US cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 120 grams when spooned and leveled, based on King Arthur Baking measurement data.
- All-purpose flour, about 120 grams per cup
- Bread flour, about 127 grams
- Cake flour, about 114 grams
- Whole wheat flour, about 128 grams
How do you convert cups to grams?
Convert cups to grams by multiplying the cup amount by the ingredient density, since flour is about 120 grams per cup and granulated sugar about 200.
- Flour, 120 grams per cup
- Granulated sugar, 200 grams
- Butter, 227 grams
- Water, 237 grams
- Honey, 340 grams
How much does a cup of butter weigh?
One US cup of butter weighs about 227 grams, equal to two standard sticks or 16 tablespoons, per USDA reference values.
- 1 cup butter, about 227 grams
- 1 stick butter, about 113 grams
- 1 tablespoon butter, about 14 grams