Grams to Cups Conversion Chart: Common Baking Ingredients

A grams to cups conversion chart lists how many grams one cup of each ingredient weighs, so you find your ingredient’s row, check its state (packed, sifted, raw, melted), and divide your gram amount by that grams per cup figure. On this site, 1 US cup holds 120 g of all-purpose flour, 200 g of granulated sugar, 227 g of butter, 240 g of milk, and 340 g of honey. The spread is wide because each ingredient has a different density, so a chart only works if you read the right row and the right state.

This article explains how to read and use a chart, why its numbers differ from one ingredient to the next, and what each value assumes. The tables below are deliberately selective. For a fast, printable lookup with more columns, use the baking conversion chart, and for any amount not shown here, use the grams to cups converter.

How to Read a Grams to Cups Conversion Chart

A well-built chart has at least 3 pieces of information in every row:

1. The ingredient name. It should be specific: “bread flour”, not “flour”; “brown sugar”, not “sugar”.
2. The state or measuring method. Packed or loose, sifted or unsifted, raw or cooked, solid or melted. The same ingredient can have two rows with different weights.
3. The grams per cup value. This is the weight of one level US cup of the ingredient in that state.

Some charts add grams per tablespoon, ounces per cup, or a column of common gram amounts already converted. Those extra columns are all derived from the grams per cup value, so that single number is what you need to check.

Reading one row, step by step

Take the row “Brown sugar | Packed | 220 g”. It tells you that one US cup of brown sugar, pressed firmly into the cup until it holds its shape, weighs 220 g. To use it:

1. Confirm the state. Does your recipe say packed brown sugar? Most US recipes that list “brown sugar” in cups mean packed.
2. Divide. A recipe that asks for 100 g of brown sugar needs 100 ÷ 220 = 0.45 cup.
3. Convert the decimal. 0.45 cup × 16 = 7.27 tbsp, so measure about 7¼ tbsp, which is ½ cup minus about ¾ tbsp.

Reading a chart in reverse

The same row converts cups to grams. Multiply the number of cups by the grams per cup value: ⅔ cup of packed brown sugar is 0.667 × 220 = 147 g. ⅓ cup of honey is 0.333 × 340 = 113 g.

Getting tablespoons and teaspoons from a chart

If a chart has no tablespoon column, divide grams per cup by 16 for grams per tablespoon, or by 48 for grams per teaspoon. Cocoa powder at 84 g per cup is about 5.3 g per tablespoon and 1.8 g per teaspoon.

Checking which cup the chart uses

Every value on this site is based on the US customary cup of 236.588 milliliters (ml). Charts from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or South Africa may use the 250 ml metric cup, which holds about 5.7% more. If your measuring cups are metric and the chart is US-based, the chart will slightly understate what your cup holds.

Why Each Ingredient Needs Its Own Row

A cup measures volume and a gram measures mass. The link between the two is density, and density varies widely in the kitchen.

Flour is fine powder with a lot of air between particles, so a cup of all-purpose flour weighs 120 g. Granulated sugar crystals sit closer together, so a cup weighs 200 g. Honey is a dense syrup with almost no air, so a cup weighs 340 g. The cup is identical in all three cases.

That is why a chart cannot collapse into one conversion factor, and why the “1 cup = 240 g” shortcut only fits milk, water, and similar liquids. If you want the full explanation with worked examples, see how to convert grams to cups.

Density also explains why the state column matters. Packing brown sugar squeezes out air and raises its weight per cup. Sifting powdered sugar adds air and lowers it. A chart value without a state is only half the information.

Flour: Grams per Cup by Type

All flour values below assume the spoon and level method: spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup without pressing, then sweep the top flat with a straight edge.

Flour	State	Grams per cup	Grams per tbsp
All-purpose flour	Spooned and leveled	120 g	7.5 g
Bread flour	Spooned and leveled	120 g	7.5 g
Cake flour	Spooned and leveled	114 g	7.1 g
Whole wheat flour	Spooned and leveled	113 g	7.1 g
Self-rising flour	Spooned and leveled	125 g	7.8 g
Almond flour	Clumps broken up, spooned	96 g	6.0 g

How to use the flour rows

Pick the row for the flour named in the recipe. Wheat flours cluster between 113 and 125 g per cup, so the difference per cup is small, but it adds up over a large batch: 4 cups of self-rising flour weigh 500 g, and 4 cups of whole wheat flour weigh 452 g, a 48 g gap.

The bigger risk is the fill method. This site states that scooping all-purpose flour straight from the bag adds 20 to 30 g per cup compared with spoon and level. A cup scooped that way can weigh 140 to 150 g, even though the chart says 120 g. The chart cannot correct for that, so match your technique to the chart’s stated method.

For more amounts, see the all-purpose flour conversions. Almond flour usually cannot replace wheat flour one for one, by volume or by weight, because recipes written for it use different liquid and binder amounts.

Granulated, Brown, and Powdered Sugar

Sugars are where the state column earns its place. The same “cup of sugar” ranges from 100 g to 220 g depending on the type and how it is handled.

Sugar	State	Grams per cup	Grams per tbsp
Granulated sugar	Leveled, not packed	200 g	12.5 g
Caster sugar	Leveled, not packed	210 g	13.1 g
Brown sugar	Firmly packed	220 g	13.8 g
Brown sugar	Loose, unpacked	180 g	11.3 g
Powdered sugar	Unsifted, spooned	120 g	7.5 g
Powdered sugar	Sifted, then measured	100 g	6.3 g

Granulated sugar

Granulated sugar flows and settles evenly, so a leveled cup is consistent. It converts cleanly: 100 g is exactly ½ cup and 50 g is exactly ¼ cup. The granulated sugar page lists more amounts.

Brown sugar: packed or loose

A cup of packed brown sugar weighs 220 g and a loose cup weighs 180 g, so loose brown sugar is about 18% lighter per cup. If a recipe calls for 80 g of brown sugar, that is 0.36 cup packed or 0.44 cup loose. Reading the wrong row gives you the wrong amount of sugar even though the division is correct. For more on the packed standard, see the packed brown sugar page.

Powdered sugar: sifted or unsifted

Powdered sugar weighs 120 g per cup unsifted and about 100 g per cup when sifted before measuring. The wording in the recipe decides the row. “1 cup sifted powdered sugar” means sift first, then measure (100 g). “1 cup powdered sugar, sifted” means measure first, then sift (120 g).

Butter, Milk, Cream, and Oil

Fats and dairy liquids are the most stable rows in any chart, because they have little trapped air. Their main caveat is state: solid, softened, or melted.

Ingredient	State	Grams per cup	Grams per tbsp
Butter	Solid, pressed without gaps	227 g	14.2 g
Milk	Liquid, read at eye level	240 g	15.0 g
Heavy cream	Liquid, read at eye level	238 g	14.9 g
Water	Liquid, room temperature	236.6 g	14.8 g
Vegetable oil	Liquid, read at eye level	218 g	13.6 g
Olive oil	Liquid, read at eye level	216 g	13.5 g

Butter

One US cup of butter is 227 g, or 2 sticks. A single US stick is 113.5 g (4 ounces (oz), 8 tbsp). In the UK, Europe, and Australia, butter is usually sold in 250 g blocks, and a 250 g block is about 1.10 US cups, or 17⅔ tbsp. Wrapper markings are easier than a measuring cup for butter. The butter conversions page covers sticks and tablespoons in detail.

Melted butter and solid butter are not interchangeable in a recipe even when the weight matches, because the fat behaves differently in the batter. Measure butter in the state the recipe names.

Milk, cream, and water

Milk weighs 240 g per cup, very close to water at 236.6 g. That closeness is why liquid measuring cups work well for milk. Use a clear liquid measuring cup on a flat surface and read the line at eye level. See the milk page for common amounts.

Oils

Oils are lighter than water, so they weigh less per cup: vegetable oil is 218 g and olive oil is 216 g. If you measure oil in a jug marked in milliliters, 100 g of vegetable oil takes up about 108 ml, not 100 ml.

Cocoa Powder, Oats, and Rice

These dry ingredients have large differences between forms, so read the state column carefully.

Ingredient	State	Grams per cup	Grams per tbsp
Cocoa powder	Sifted if clumpy, spooned and leveled	84 g	5.3 g
Rolled oats	Raw, loosely filled	90 g	5.6 g
Steel-cut oats	Raw	170 g	10.6 g
White rice	Raw, uncooked	185 g	11.6 g
Brown rice	Raw, uncooked	190 g	11.9 g
Basmati rice	Raw, uncooked	180 g	11.3 g

Cocoa powder

Cocoa powder clumps in storage. Break up or sift the lumps, then spoon it into the cup and level it. Packed cocoa weighs more than the chart value. Most recipes use cocoa in tablespoons or fractions of a cup, so the tablespoon column is often more useful: 3 tbsp of cocoa is about 16 g. The cocoa powder page has more amounts.

Rolled oats vs steel-cut oats

Rolled oats weigh 90 g per cup and steel-cut oats weigh 170 g per cup, nearly double. Rolled oats are flattened flakes with air between them; steel-cut oats are chopped groats that pack densely. Do not use a rolled oats row for steel-cut oats. The rolled oats page covers common amounts.

Rice: raw values only

Rice rows on a chart describe raw, uncooked grains. Cooked rice absorbs water and changes volume, so its weight per cup depends on the water ratio and cooking method. Convert the raw amount the recipe gives, then cook. White and jasmine rice are 185 g per cup raw, brown rice 190 g, and basmati 180 g; other grains are in the ingredient database.

Honey and Other Syrups

Syrups are the densest common rows in a baking chart. They weigh far more than water per cup.

Syrup	State	Grams per cup	Grams per tbsp
Honey	Liquid, room temperature	340 g	21.3 g
Molasses	Liquid, room temperature	328 g	20.5 g
Maple syrup	Liquid, room temperature	322 g	20.1 g

A cup of honey weighs almost three times as much as a cup of all-purpose flour. That makes volume measuring risky with a jug marked in milliliters: 100 g of honey takes up only about 70 ml. Divide by 340 instead: 100 g of honey is 0.29 cup, about 4⅔ tbsp.

Honey sticks to the cup, so some stays behind. Coat the measuring cup lightly with oil so the full amount releases. The honey page lists more conversions.

Selected Gram Amounts Already Converted

This table shows 3 gram amounts for the ingredients above so you can see how the rows behave. Values are US cups with a practical measure in parentheses. For other amounts, the converter or the printable chart is faster.

Ingredient (state)	50 g	100 g	250 g
All-purpose flour (spooned)	0.42 cup (6⅔ tbsp)	0.83 cup (13⅓ tbsp)	2.08 cups (2 cups + 1⅓ tbsp)
Granulated sugar	0.25 cup (¼ cup)	0.5 cup (½ cup)	1.25 cups (1¼ cups)
Brown sugar (packed)	0.23 cup (3⅔ tbsp)	0.45 cup (7¼ tbsp)	1.14 cups (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
Powdered sugar (unsifted)	0.42 cup (6⅔ tbsp)	0.83 cup (13⅓ tbsp)	2.08 cups (2 cups + 1⅓ tbsp)
Butter (solid)	0.22 cup (3½ tbsp)	0.44 cup (7 tbsp)	1.10 cups (1 cup + 1½ tbsp)
Cocoa powder	0.60 cup (9½ tbsp)	1.19 cups (1 cup + 3 tbsp)	2.98 cups (about 3 cups)
Rolled oats (raw)	0.56 cup (½ cup + 1 tbsp)	1.11 cups (1 cup + 1¾ tbsp)	2.78 cups (2¾ cups + ½ tbsp)
White rice (raw)	0.27 cup (about ¼ cup)	0.54 cup (½ cup + 2 tsp)	1.35 cups (about 1⅓ cups)
Honey	0.15 cup (2⅓ tbsp)	0.29 cup (4⅔ tbsp)	0.74 cup (about ¾ cup)
Milk	0.21 cup (3⅓ tbsp)	0.42 cup (6⅔ tbsp)	1.04 cups (1 cup + 2 tsp)
Vegetable oil	0.23 cup (3⅔ tbsp)	0.46 cup (7⅓ tbsp)	1.15 cups (1 cup + 2⅓ tbsp)

Look at the 100 g column. The same weight ranges from under ⅓ cup of honey to more than 1 cup of rolled oats. All-purpose flour and unsifted powdered sugar share a row of results because both weigh 120 g per cup, but that is a coincidence of density, not a sign that they can be swapped.

What the Chart Assumes About State and Method

Every value in a grams to cups chart is an average for a specific way of measuring. Before you trust a row, check these 5 assumptions:

• Fill method. Flour, cocoa, and powdered sugar assume spoon and level. Scooping compresses them and raises the weight.
• Packing. Brown sugar rows state packed or loose. Other dry ingredients assume no packing.
• Sifting. A sifted row applies only when you sift before measuring.
• Temperature and form. Butter is measured solid, coconut oil melted, and honey at room temperature, where it pours.
• Raw vs cooked. Grain, bean, and pasta rows are for the dry, uncooked ingredient.

Brand, grind, and storage can also shift the real weight of a cup by a small amount. Treat chart values as reliable averages, not exact weights for every bag.

Why Two Charts Can Show Different Numbers

Different charts often disagree, and the difference is usually a matter of measuring convention rather than an error. King Arthur Baking’s ingredient weight chart lists 1 cup of all-purpose flour at 120 g, matching this site, but gives 198 g for granulated sugar (this site: 200 g), 213 g for packed brown sugar (this site: 220 g), and 113 g for a cup of rolled oats (this site: 90 g).

Small gaps of about 1 to 3% between charts rarely matter in home baking. Larger gaps, like the rolled oats figures, reflect different assumptions about how the cup is filled and which product is measured.

Three rules keep this from causing problems:

1. Use the recipe’s own weights first. If a recipe gives both grams and cups, weigh the grams.
2. Use the recipe author’s chart if known. A recipe developed with one company’s chart converts most accurately with that same chart.
3. Stick to one chart per recipe. Mixing sources for different ingredients in the same recipe can shift the ratios in unpredictable directions.

Measuring Well After Reading the Chart

A correct chart reading still depends on the measuring technique that follows. The chart value is only reproduced when you measure the way the chart assumes.

• Spoon and level dry powders. Fluff flour or cocoa, spoon it into a dry measuring cup, and sweep the top flat.
• Pack brown sugar firmly if the recipe says packed, until it holds the cup’s shape when turned out.
• Use nested dry cups for solids and clear liquid cups for milk, water, and oil.
• Read liquids at eye level on a flat counter, at the bottom of the curved surface.
• Coat the cup with oil for syrups so honey, molasses, and maple syrup release fully.
• Level spoons with a straight edge for cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

A kitchen scale removes most of these steps. Weighing sidesteps packing, sifting, and fill method, which is why a gram amount is more repeatable than any cup conversion.

When to Use This Article, the Printable Chart, or the Converter

Each resource on the site does a different job.

• Use this article to understand what a chart row means, which state applies, and why charts disagree.
• Use the printable baking conversion chart when you want a one-page lookup on the counter with grams per cup, grams per tablespoon, and cups to grams for 11 baking staples.
• Use the converter when you have an exact gram amount, such as 185 g of flour or 65 g of honey, and want cups, tablespoons, and a fraction in one step.
• Use an ingredient page when one ingredient is the focus and you want its full list of amounts and measuring tips.

For flour and sugar, remember the two numbers that cause the most mistakes: 120 g per cup of all-purpose flour only when spooned and leveled, and 220 g per cup of brown sugar only when packed.

Frequently asked questions

Is 1 cup equal to 250 grams?+

No, not for most ingredients. A 250 ml metric cup of water weighs about 250 g, but a US cup of water weighs about 236.6 g. 250 g of all-purpose flour fills about 2.08 US cups, and 250 g of granulated sugar fills 1.25 US cups.

Why does my recipe's conversion differ from the chart?+

The recipe author may have filled cups differently or used another reference. A cup of flour scooped from the bag can weigh 20 to 30 g more than a spooned and leveled cup. If a recipe prints both grams and cups, the gram amount is the one to follow.

Can I use a grams to cups chart for cooked rice or cooked oats?+

No. Chart values for rice and oats describe the raw, dry ingredient. Cooked grains absorb water, so their weight per cup depends on the water ratio and cooking method. Convert the raw amount, then cook.

Does a grams to cups chart work with metric cups?+

Only with an adjustment if the chart is based on the US cup. A 250 ml metric cup holds about 5.7% more than a 236.6 ml US cup, so multiply the chart's grams per cup by about 1.057. Granulated sugar becomes about 211 g per metric cup.