Cups to Grams Converter
Because a cup of flour and a cup of honey weigh very different things.
Converting cups to grams is not as simple as one number. A cup measures volume; a gram measures weight. How those two translate depends entirely on what is in the cup. A cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 125 grams. A cup of honey weighs 340 grams, nearly three times as much. A cup of butter weighs 227 grams. A cup of almonds, 143 grams.
This calculator handles the math across more than 50 common cooking and baking ingredients, using scientifically-sourced density values from the FAO Density Database and King Arthur Baking reference tables. Enter your amount in cups, pick your ingredient, and get the weight in grams instantly.
Choose between US cups (240 mL, the default in most recipes), metric cups (250 mL, used in Australia and New Zealand), or Imperial cups (284 mL, sometimes found in older UK recipes). For flour-like ingredients you can also choose between the spooned method (what professionals recommend for accuracy) and the scooped method (what most home cooks accidentally do). The difference matters, up to 25% for flour.
Result
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Pick an amount and ingredient above
Quick Conversions at a Glance
One cup of the most-searched ingredients. Values for a US cup (240 mL).
| Ingredient | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour (spooned) | 125 g | 4.4 oz |
| All-purpose flour (scooped) | 156 g | 5.5 oz |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 7.1 oz |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 213 g | 7.5 oz |
| Powdered sugar (unsifted) | 120 g | 4.2 oz |
| Butter | 227 g | 8.0 oz |
| Water | 237 g | 8.4 oz |
| Milk | 245 g | 8.6 oz |
| Honey | 340 g | 12.0 oz |
| Olive oil | 216 g | 7.6 oz |
| Rolled oats | 90 g | 3.2 oz |
| Chocolate chips | 175 g | 6.2 oz |
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The Reference
All density values come from two primary sources: the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) Density Database Version 2.0, which is the authoritative scientific reference for food physical properties, and King Arthur Baking, which has published detailed measurement guides used by professional bakeries.
For flour specifically, our values assume sifted or spooned flour following the King Arthur standard; scooping directly can increase weight by up to 25%. US cup = 240 mL. Metric cup = 250 mL. Imperial cup = 284 mL.
Why Volume-to-Weight Conversion Matters
Measuring by volume (cups, spoons) is faster but less accurate than weight (grams, ounces). A 2019 study by America's Test Kitchen found that home cooks measuring 1 cup of flour produced weights ranging from 110 g to 180 g. That is a 60% variance on a single ingredient. In baking, this variance translates directly to dense cakes, tough cookies, and bread that does not rise.
Professional kitchens moved to weight-based measurement decades ago for this reason. Every professional baking school (Le Cordon Bleu, the Culinary Institute of America, King Arthur Baking School) teaches in grams. The precision matters most for baked goods where ratios of flour, sugar, and liquid affect chemistry, but it helps even in savory cooking where consistent results are valued.
Our cups-to-grams converter is built to be the fastest path from a volume-based recipe to a weight-based preparation. Drop in your cup measurement, select your ingredient, done. You can also go the reverse direction with our grams-to-cups converter when a European recipe gives you grams but your measuring tools are in cups.
Flour: The Most Contentious Measurement
Flour is where the volume-versus-weight debate gets heated. Different cookbook authors specify different methods, and the method affects weight significantly. Spooning flour into a cup and leveling it produces about 125 g. Scooping directly from the bag produces 150-160 g, compacting the flour as the cup enters it. That 25% difference can make or break a cake recipe.
The Joy of Cooking and professional pastry references use 125 g as the standard for "1 cup all-purpose flour." Some older American cookbooks assume scooped (150 g). King Arthur Baking, one of the most trusted baking authorities, explicitly specifies 120 g for their recipes. When following a recipe, check if the author specifies grams. If they do, use the scale. If they only give cups, assume spooned-and-leveled for best results.
Our ingredient density database lists both values for flour so you can use whichever matches your habit. If you are migrating from scooping to spooning (recommended for better baking), your old recipes may need a 20% reduction in flour quantity to get the same result.
How to Use
- Enter your amount in cups, or tap a quick button like ½.
- Select your ingredient from the dropdown. Fifty-plus options grouped by category.
- Pick your cup size. US is the default.
- For flour, choose spooned (recommended) or scooped method. The toggle appears automatically when you select a flour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 1 cup of flour vary from 120 g to 156 g across different websites?
Because measurement technique matters a lot for flour. Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, adding up to 25% more weight than spooning into the cup. Different sites use different defaults. We use the spooned method (125 g for all-purpose flour) because it matches what professional bakeries recommend, but we offer the scooped option (156 g) for people who measure that way.
Is 1 cup the same in the US and UK?
No. A US legal cup is 240 mL. The metric cup used in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada is 250 mL. An Imperial cup (used in older British recipes) is 284 mL. The differences are 4 to 18%, which can matter in precise baking. Our converter supports all three.
Why does 1 cup of brown sugar weigh different amounts?
Brown sugar is measured packed or loose. Packed (pressing the sugar firmly into the cup) gives about 213 g. Loose (just filling without pressing) gives about 145 g. Most recipes assume packed. That is our default.
Is it better to weigh or measure by volume?
Weight is more accurate and reproducible, especially for baking. A kitchen scale eliminates measurement variance. Professional bakers almost universally measure by weight. For everyday cooking where small variations do not matter much (soups, stews, most casseroles), volume is fine.
How do I convert a full recipe from cups to grams?
Convert each ingredient one at a time using this tool, or use our Recipe Scaler which handles entire ingredient lists. For most home baking, converting to grams once is worth the effort. You will never have to guess again.
What is the spooned method exactly?
Spoon the flour into the measuring cup lightly, do not pack it, then level off the top with a straight edge like the back of a knife. This aerates the flour slightly, preventing the compaction that happens when you scoop directly from the bag. It is the standard method in professional baking references.
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