Home / Converters / Cooking Converter
Cooking Converter: Cups to Grams and Back
Choose an ingredient and convert between US cups, spoons, millilitres, grams and ounces. Volume-to-weight results rely on typical densities, so treat them as approximate and weigh when accuracy matters.
Why cups cannot be converted exactly
A cup measures volume and a gram measures mass. Turning one into the other needs the density of the ingredient, and density depends on how the ingredient is handled. Flour scooped straight from the bag can weigh 20% more than flour spooned lightly into the cup and levelled. Brown sugar changes with packing, and butter, honey and oil differ by brand and temperature. The densities in the selector are typical rounded figures used in baking charts, so the results are approximate.
Conversions that stay within the same kind of unit are exact: 1 US cup is 16 tablespoons, 48 teaspoons and 8 fluid ounces, or 236.5882365 mL. Only the cross-over between volume and weight is approximate.
Approximate reference table
| Ingredient | Grams per US cup (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Water | 237 |
| Plain flour | 125 |
| Granulated sugar | 200 |
| Brown sugar, packed | 213 |
| Butter | 227 |
| Rolled oats | 90 |
Published charts differ by a few grams either way. If a recipe lists both cups and grams, trust the gram figure.
Cups, spoons and ounces around the world
This tool uses the US customary cup of 236.5882 mL. A metric cup of 250 mL is used in some countries and recipes, and spoon sizes vary too: a US tablespoon is 14.79 mL, while a metric tablespoon is 15 mL. The difference is small for a spoonful and noticeable for a full cup. A US stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, half a cup, or about 113 g.
An ounce in a recipe may be a unit of weight or a fluid ounce of volume. Dry ingredients almost always use weight ounces (28.35 g each), while liquids use fluid ounces (29.57 mL).
Tips for better results
- Weigh ingredients on a kitchen scale whenever you can, especially for bread and cakes.
- Fluff and spoon flour into the cup, then level it with a knife.
- Use the same measuring set for a whole recipe.
- Check oven temperatures separately in the temperature converter.
- Scale a recipe before converting, not after, so rounding errors do not compound.
If a conversion produces an awkward figure such as 156.25 g, round to a practical amount like 155 g or 160 g. Baking is more sensitive than stewing or soup, so keep tighter tolerances for cakes, pastry and bread, and relax them for savoury cooking where seasoning is adjusted by taste.
Remember that the densities here are for the ingredient as commonly sold. Self-raising flour, wholemeal flour, coarse salt and different grades of cocoa all weigh slightly differently from the entries in the list.
Worked example
A recipe calls for 2 US cups of plain flour. How many grams is that, using a typical density of 125 g per cup?
Inputs
| Ingredient | Plain / all-purpose flour (125 g per cup) |
|---|---|
| Amount | 2 |
| From | US cups (cup) |
| To | Grams (g) |
Result
2 cup = 250 g (approximate for volume to weight)
| Assumed density | 125 g per US cup (approximate) |
|---|---|
| US tablespoons (tbsp) | 32 |
| US teaspoons (tsp) | 96 |
| US fluid ounces (fl oz) | 16 |
| Millilitres (mL) | 473.176473 |
| Litres (L) | 0.4731765 |
| Kilograms (kg) | 0.25 |
| Ounces (weight) (oz) | 8.81849 |
| Pounds (lb) | 0.5511557 |
- Volume to weight conversions use a typical density and vary with brand, humidity and how the ingredient is packed. Weigh ingredients for accuracy.
Accuracy note: Factors use the standard definitions stated on this page. Results are rounded for display; for engineering or legal work use the full-precision factors.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a cup of flour?
A US cup of plain flour is commonly taken as about 125 g, though charts range from roughly 120 to 150 g depending on how it is packed.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
A US cup holds 16 tablespoons, 48 teaspoons or 8 fluid ounces. This conversion is exact.
How many grams is a cup of sugar?
Granulated sugar is about 200 g per US cup, while packed brown sugar is nearer 213 g and icing sugar about 120 g.
Why do my results differ from my recipe?
Recipes use different densities and cup sizes. Metric cups are 250 mL, and a heaped or packed cup holds more than a level one. Use the recipe's own gram weights when they are provided.
Are ounces of weight and fluid ounces the same?
No. A weight ounce is 28.35 g, while a US fluid ounce is 29.57 mL. They agree only for water-like liquids and only approximately.