Cups to Grams
Cups measure volume, grams measure weight — and that difference matters in the kitchen. A cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 125g, while a cup of granulated sugar weighs around 200g. The conversion depends entirely on how dense the ingredient is.
For baking especially, weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale gives far more consistent results than using cups. If you're following an American recipe without a scale, use the charts below — and remember that the way you fill the cup (sifted vs packed vs scooped) can shift the weight by up to 20%.
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How to Convert Cups to Grams
The formula is straightforward: multiply the cup volume by the ingredient's density. A standard US cup holds 236.59 ml, so the calculation is: grams = 236.59 ml × density (g/ml). For example, 1 cup of all-purpose flour has a density of approximately 0.529 g/ml, giving 236.59 × 0.529 ≈ 125 g. For water, with a density of 1 g/ml, 1 cup equals 236.59 g (rounded to 237 g in most charts).
There is no single universal formula that works across all ingredients because density varies enormously. Water has a density of 1 g/ml, honey is 1.42 g/ml, butter is 0.911 g/ml, and all-purpose flour is only 0.529 g/ml. This means 1 cup of honey (340 g) weighs nearly three times as much as 1 cup of flour (125 g). Always use ingredient-specific tables — like those on this page — rather than a single conversion factor.
US Cup vs Metric Cup vs Imperial Cup
| Standard | Volume | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| US Cup | 236.59 ml | USA — standard in most English-language recipes |
| Metric Cup | 250 ml | Australia, Canada, New Zealand |
| Imperial Cup | 284.13 ml | Historic UK — rarely used today |
Knowing which cup standard a recipe uses matters more than most people realise. The difference between a US cup (236.59 ml) and an Imperial cup (284.13 ml) is nearly 50 ml — close to a quarter of a cup. When baking bread or cakes, that gap can throw off the ratio of flour to liquid and produce a noticeably different result. If the recipe comes from Australia or New Zealand, it likely uses the 250 ml metric cup. When in doubt, check the source of the recipe.
Common Cups to Grams Conversions
The table below lists the most commonly searched cup-to-gram conversions for baking and cooking. All values are for 1 US cup (236.59 ml) and represent the typical weight for each ingredient measured at room temperature using the spoon-and-level method.
| Ingredient | 1 US Cup |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 125 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 220 g |
| Butter | 227 g |
| Honey | 340 g |
| Milk | 244 g |
| Water | 237 g |
| Rice (uncooked) | 185 g |
| Rolled oats | 90 g |
| Cocoa powder | 85 g |
Note: all values above are for a US cup (236.59 ml). If your recipe uses an Australian or Canadian metric cup (250 ml), multiply the gram values by 1.056 to get the correct weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many grams is 1 cup of flour?
1 US cup of all-purpose flour equals approximately 125 grams. This can vary slightly depending on how you measure — scooping directly from the bag can result in up to 150 g due to compaction, while spooning flour into the cup gives closer to 120 g. For baking precision, a kitchen scale is always recommended.
- How many grams is 1 cup of sugar?
1 US cup of granulated white sugar equals 200 grams. Brown sugar packed into the cup weighs around 220 g, while powdered (icing) sugar is lighter at about 120 g per cup.
- Why are cups not accurate for baking?
Cups measure volume, not weight. The weight of an ingredient inside a cup depends on its density, how it was filled (scooped, spooned, sifted), and even humidity. Professional bakers and pastry chefs worldwide use grams because weight measurements are consistent regardless of technique.
- What is ½ cup in grams for butter?
½ US cup of butter equals approximately 113 grams (equivalent to 1 stick of butter in the US measurement system). 1 full cup of butter is 227 grams.
- How do I convert cups to grams without a calculator?
Use these quick reference values: for flour, multiply cups × 125; for sugar, multiply cups × 200; for water or milk, multiply cups × 237. These are approximations for US cups — for exact values, use the ingredient tables on this page.