Grams to Cups
By Numerly · Updated · 10 min read
One cup of flour and one cup of honey weigh wildly different amounts — 120 g and 340 g respectively. That is why a single "grams to cups" answer does not exist. The conversion depends entirely on what you are measuring.
This page gives you the right answer for every common ingredient. Use the converter below if you have a number in hand, or jump to the full density table for a reference you can bookmark.
Densities are typical US-cup values (240 ml). For Australia and New Zealand, multiply cups by 1.04 — their cup is 250 ml. For UK imperial cups, multiply by 1.18.
The short answer
For the most-searched ingredients, one US cup weighs:
- All-purpose flour120 g
- Granulated sugar200 g
- Brown sugar (packed)220 g
- Powdered sugar120 g
- Butter227 g
- Water / milk240 g
- Honey340 g
- Rolled oats90 g
Complete ingredient density table
Grams per US cup (240 ml) for 44 common ingredients. To convert grams to cups, divide your weight by the gram value. To convert cups to grams, multiply.
Flours and starches
| Ingredient | g per cup | g per tbsp |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 120 g | 7.5 g |
| Bread flour | 130 g | 8.1 g |
| Cake flour | 110 g | 6.9 g |
| Whole wheat flour | 130 g | 8.1 g |
| Almond flour | 96 g | 6.0 g |
| Cornstarch | 128 g | 8.0 g |
| Cornmeal | 138 g | 8.6 g |
| Cocoa powder | 95 g | 5.9 g |
Sugars and syrups
| Ingredient | g per cup | g per tbsp |
|---|---|---|
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 12.5 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220 g | 13.8 g |
| Powdered sugar (icing sugar) | 120 g | 7.5 g |
| Caster sugar | 200 g | 12.5 g |
| Honey | 340 g | 21.3 g |
| Maple syrup | 322 g | 20.1 g |
| Molasses | 337 g | 21.1 g |
| Corn syrup | 322 g | 20.1 g |
Dairy and fats
| Ingredient | g per cup | g per tbsp |
|---|---|---|
| Butter1 stick = ½ cup = 113 g | 227 g | 14.2 g |
| Whole milk | 244 g | 15.3 g |
| Heavy cream | 238 g | 14.9 g |
| Sour cream | 230 g | 14.4 g |
| Yogurt | 245 g | 15.3 g |
| Cream cheese | 240 g | 15.0 g |
| Greek yogurt | 245 g | 15.3 g |
Liquids and oils
| Ingredient | g per cup | g per tbsp |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 240 g | 15.0 g |
| Vegetable oil | 218 g | 13.6 g |
| Olive oil | 216 g | 13.5 g |
| Coconut oil (melted) | 218 g | 13.6 g |
Nuts, seeds, and butters
| Ingredient | g per cup | g per tbsp |
|---|---|---|
| Walnuts (chopped) | 120 g | 7.5 g |
| Almonds (sliced) | 92 g | 5.8 g |
| Pecans (chopped) | 110 g | 6.9 g |
| Peanut butter | 258 g | 16.1 g |
| Chia seeds | 170 g | 10.6 g |
Grains
| Ingredient | g per cup | g per tbsp |
|---|---|---|
| Rolled oats | 90 g | 5.6 g |
| Quinoa (uncooked) | 170 g | 10.6 g |
| Rice (uncooked, long-grain) | 185 g | 11.6 g |
| Couscous (uncooked) | 175 g | 10.9 g |
| Breadcrumbs (dry) | 108 g | 6.8 g |
Other staples
| Ingredient | g per cup | g per tbsp |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate chips | 175 g | 10.9 g |
| Raisins | 165 g | 10.3 g |
| Shredded cheese | 113 g | 7.1 g |
| Salt (table)1 tsp = 6 g | 292 g | 18.3 g |
| Baking soda1 tsp ≈ 4.6 g | 220 g | 13.8 g |
| Baking powder1 tsp ≈ 4 g | 192 g | 12.0 g |
| Yeast (active dry)1 tsp ≈ 3.1 g | 149 g | 9.3 g |
Why one cup is not one cup
A cup is a unit of volume — how much space something occupies. Grams measure mass— how much something weighs. The conversion factor is the ingredient's density.
Water is the reference point: it has a density of exactly 1 g/ml. A US cup of water (240 ml) weighs 240 g. Sugar is denser than water, so one cup of granulated sugar weighs more — about 200 g because the crystals don't pack perfectly. Flour is much less dense, with a lot of air trapped between the particles, so one cup weighs only 120 g.
This is also why how you measure matters: scoop flour directly from the bag and you can crush the air out, pushing the same cup from 120 g toward 160 g. Spoon-and-level is the standard for accuracy.
US, UK, and Australian cups
The cup itself is not standardized worldwide. The most common sizes:
| Cup type | ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| US legal cup | 240 | Used in US nutrition labels and modern American recipes. |
| US customary cup | 236.6 | Traditional measure. The difference vs the legal cup is below kitchen-noise. |
| Metric / Australian cup | 250 | Australia, New Zealand, Canada. About 4% larger than US. |
| UK imperial cup | 284 | Largely obsolete. Modern UK recipes use grams and ml. |
| Japanese cup (gou) | 200 | Used for rice in Japanese rice cookers. |
All densities in this guide are calibrated to the US legal cup (240 ml). For Australian recipes, multiply the gram value by 1.04. For UK imperial cups, multiply by 1.18. Most modern UK recipes already use grams and skip the question entirely.
Common amount conversions
For the most-searched ingredient (all-purpose flour at 120 g per cup):
| Cups | Grams (flour) | Grams (sugar) | Grams (butter) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 30 g | 50 g | 57 g |
| ⅓ cup | 40 g | 66 g | 75 g |
| ½ cup | 60 g | 100 g | 114 g |
| ⅔ cup | 80 g | 134 g | 152 g |
| ¾ cup | 90 g | 150 g | 170 g |
| 1 cup | 120 g | 200 g | 227 g |
| 1.5 cup | 180 g | 300 g | 341 g |
| 2 cups | 240 g | 400 g | 454 g |
| 3 cups | 360 g | 600 g | 681 g |
Frequently asked
- How many grams are in a cup?
- It depends on the ingredient. A US cup is 240 ml of volume, but the weight of that cup changes with density. Water and milk are roughly 240 g per cup, all-purpose flour is 120 g, granulated sugar is 200 g, and honey is 340 g. There is no universal answer.
- How many grams are in a cup of flour?
- One US cup of all-purpose flour weighs 120 grams when properly measured (spooned into the cup and leveled). Scooping directly from the bag compresses it and pushes the weight to 150 g or more, which is why baking recipes often go wrong.
- How many grams are in a cup of sugar?
- One US cup of granulated white sugar weighs 200 grams. Brown sugar packed firmly is 220 g per cup. Powdered (icing) sugar is much lighter at 120 g per cup.
- How many grams are in a cup of butter?
- One US cup of butter weighs 227 grams. A standard US stick of butter is half a cup, or 113 grams. UK butter is usually sold in 250 g blocks.
- Why do recipes use cups for some things and grams for others?
- American home cooks measure dry ingredients by volume (cups) for speed; most professional bakers and most non-American recipes use grams because mass measurement is more accurate. The difference between 120 g and 150 g of flour is the difference between a tender cake and a dense one.
- Are US cups, UK cups, and Australian cups the same?
- No. The US legal cup is 240 ml. The Australian and New Zealand metric cup is 250 ml (about 4% larger). The UK imperial cup is 284 ml but it is rarely used in modern UK recipes, which mostly use grams and millilitres. Old recipes that predate the metric switch may still reference UK cups.
- Should I weigh ingredients or measure by volume?
- Weigh whenever you can. A digital kitchen scale costs $15–25 and pays for itself the first time it saves a recipe. Volume measurement is inherently imprecise — the same cup can hold 100 g of flour or 160 g depending on how you fill it.