Cups to Grams Converter

One cup of all-purpose flour weighs 125 grams when measured using the spoon-and-level method. To measure correctly, spoon flour into the measuring cup until it overflows, then use a straight edge to level off the top. Never scoop the measuring cup directly into the flour bag. Scooping packs the flour and can add 20 to 30 grams per cup, which changes the texture and density of baked goods.

One cup of granulated white sugar weighs 200 grams. One cup of packed brown sugar weighs 220 grams because it is more densely packed. One cup of powdered or confectioners sugar weighs only 120 grams because it is much lighter and airier than granulated sugar. Raw cane sugar weighs 200 grams per cup, the same as granulated. Always specify the sugar type when converting cups to grams.

One cup of butter weighs 227 grams, which equals 2 full sticks of US butter or 8 ounces. One-half cup of butter is 113 grams or 1 stick. One-quarter cup of butter is 57 grams or half a stick. Butter from European brands may have slightly different moisture content, but the difference in weight is small enough to use the same gram conversions for home baking.

Cups measure volume, not weight. Different ingredients have different densities, so the same volume can weigh very different amounts. One cup of honey weighs 340 grams because honey is very dense. One cup of rolled oats weighs only 90 grams because oats are light and airy. One cup of water weighs 237 grams. This is why professional bakers and most European and UK recipes specify ingredient weights in grams instead of volume in cups.

One cup of rolled oats weighs 90 grams. One cup of quick oats also weighs approximately 90 grams. Steel-cut oats are denser and weigh approximately 175 grams per cup. Oats are one of the lightest common baking ingredients by volume, which is why a full cup of oats weighs significantly less than a cup of flour at 125 grams or a cup of sugar at 200 grams.

One cup of honey weighs 340 grams. Honey is one of the densest common baking ingredients, which is why it weighs nearly 3 times more per cup than rolled oats. One tablespoon of honey weighs approximately 21 grams. One teaspoon of honey weighs approximately 7 grams. When substituting honey for sugar in a recipe, use 0.75 cups of honey for every 1 cup of sugar and reduce other liquids by 3 tablespoons.

The most accurate way to measure baking ingredients is by weight using a digital kitchen scale. Weight measurement removes all variability from how ingredients are scooped, packed, or leveled in a cup. A digital scale accurate to 1 gram costs as little as $10 and produces consistent results every time. If using cups, use the spoon-and-level method for dry ingredients and fill liquid measuring cups at eye level on a flat surface.