What this calculator does
A cup is a volume, so what it weighs depends entirely on what is in it. A cup of flour is about 120 g, a cup of granulated sugar 200 g and a cup of honey 340 g. Using one figure for everything is the source of a great many failed bakes.
Flour is the worst offender, and not only because of its density. How it is put into the cup changes the weight by 20% or more: scooped straight from the bag it compacts, spooned in and levelled it does not. That variation is larger than most recipe tolerances, which is why weighing is so consistently recommended for baking.
The formula
The cup quantity is multiplied by the grams per cup for the selected ingredient. The figures are standard reference densities for each ingredient, measured by the spoon-and-level method for flour. The tablespoon figure divides the cup into 16, which is the US customary relationship.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Density | Grams per cup, which differs by a factor of nearly four across common baking ingredients. |
| Spoon and level | Spooning flour into the cup and levelling the top without packing, which is what standard weights assume. |
| Scoop and sweep | Dipping the cup into the bag, which compacts the flour and gives a noticeably heavier cup. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Amount (cups) | The number of cups. Fractions are fine, so half a cup is 0.5. |
| Ingredient | The ingredient, which sets the grams per cup used. |
When to use it
Following a recipe written in cups
Converting to weight before starting removes the measurement variability that cups introduce, which matters most in baking where ratios are tight.
Converting a recipe to metric
Recipes written in cups need every ingredient converted at its own density, not a single conversion applied across the board.
Scaling a recipe
Scaling is far easier in weights than in cups, since a third of 240 g is a straightforward 80 g while a third of a cup plus two tablespoons is not.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
What does one cup of each ingredient weigh?
A single cup of each of six common baking ingredients.
| Ingredient | Weight | In ounces | Grams per cup used |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 120 g | 4.23 oz | 120 g/cup |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 7.05 oz | 200 g/cup |
| Butter | 227 g | 8.01 oz | 227 g/cup |
| Honey | 340 g | 11.99 oz | 340 g/cup |
| Rolled oats | 90 g | 3.17 oz | 90 g/cup |
| Cocoa powder | 85 g | 3.00 oz | 85 g/cup |
Questions
How many grams is a cup of flour?
About 120 g for all-purpose flour measured by spooning into the cup and levelling. Scooping the cup through the bag compacts the flour and can give 145 g or more, which is a 20% difference and enough to make a cake dry.
Why does the same cup weigh different amounts?
Because a cup measures volume and different ingredients have different densities. Honey is nearly three times as dense as flour, so a cup of it weighs nearly three times as much. There is no single cups-to-grams conversion.
Should I weigh or measure by volume?
Weigh, for baking. Volume measurement of flour alone introduces enough variation to change a result noticeably, and weighing is both more accurate and faster once a scale is on the bench. For liquids and for cooking rather than baking, volume is usually fine.
Is a US cup the same as a metric cup?
No. A US cup is about 237 ml and a metric cup is 250 ml, roughly 6% larger. The weights here are for US cups. Using a metric cup against a US recipe over-measures every volume ingredient by that amount.
For the full range of kitchen volume units, see the grams to cups converter. For dough ratios by weight, see the baker percentage calculator.