Cups to Grams Converter – Accurate Baking Conversions

Cups to Grams Converter: Accurate Baking Measurements for Every Ingredient

Converting cups to grams is one of the most common challenges when baking from recipes that use different measurement systems. Volume measurements like cups are convenient but imprecise for dry ingredients — the actual weight per cup varies significantly with ingredient type and packing method. This guide gives you accurate cups-to-grams conversions for the most common baking ingredients, and explains why weighing ingredients produces more consistent results.

Cups to Grams: The Essential Conversion Table

All values assume standard US measuring cups (240ml). 'Spooned and leveled' means flour is spooned into the cup and leveled with a straight edge — not scooped directly from the bag.

Ingredient	1 Cup	¾ Cup	½ Cup	⅓ Cup	¼ Cup
All-purpose flour (spooned)	120g	90g	60g	40g	30g
Bread flour	127g	95g	64g	42g	32g
Cake flour	100g	75g	50g	33g	25g
Whole wheat flour	130g	98g	65g	43g	33g
Almond flour	96g	72g	48g	32g	24g
Granulated sugar	200g	150g	100g	67g	50g
Powdered sugar	120g	90g	60g	40g	30g
Brown sugar (packed)	220g	165g	110g	73g	55g
Unsalted butter	227g	170g	113g	76g	57g
Cocoa powder	85g	64g	43g	28g	21g
Rolled oats	90g	68g	45g	30g	23g
Honey / maple syrup	340g	255g	170g	113g	85g
Milk / water	240g	180g	120g	80g	60g
Greek yogurt	245g	184g	122g	82g	61g
Vegetable oil	224g	168g	112g	75g	56g

Tablespoons and Teaspoons to Grams

Small quantities are often measured in tablespoons and teaspoons. Here are the weight equivalents for common baking ingredients:

Ingredient	1 Tablespoon	1 Teaspoon
All-purpose flour	8g	3g
Granulated sugar	12g	4g
Baking powder	12g	4g
Baking soda	15g	6g
Salt (fine)	18g	6g
Cocoa powder	5g	2g
Butter	14g	5g
Honey	21g	7g
Yeast (dry active)	9g	3g

Why Cup Measurements Vary

The weight of 1 cup of flour can range from 110g to 160g depending on:

Packing method: Scooping directly from the bag compresses flour, adding 20–30% more weight. Spooning and leveling is the standard technique.
Flour type: Cake flour is lighter and finer; bread flour is denser. The same cup volume yields different weights.
Humidity: Flour absorbs moisture from the air, increasing weight slightly in humid conditions.
Settling: Flour that has settled in the bag or been shaken down is denser than freshly sifted flour.

This is why professional bakers and serious home bakers work in grams — it eliminates all of these variables and makes recipes reproducible.

How to Use This Converter for Baking Success

To convert a volume-based recipe to weights:

Identify each volume measurement in the recipe (cups, tablespoons, teaspoons).
Look up the ingredient in the conversion table above.
Multiply by the appropriate fraction (e.g., ¾ cup × 120g/cup = 90g).
Write the weight next to each ingredient.
Weigh ingredients directly into your mixing bowl for minimal washing-up.

Once you've converted a recipe to grams, save it in RecipeFlow with weight-based quantities. The next time you make it, you have a precise, reproducible recipe that produces consistent results every time.

Cups to Grams — FAQ

How many grams is 2 cups of flour?

2 cups of all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) = approximately 240g. If you scoop directly from the bag, you may get 280–320g. For consistent baking results, always spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it, or better yet, use a kitchen scale.

How many grams is ½ cup of butter?

½ cup of unsalted butter = 113g (one US standard stick). 1 cup = 227g (2 sticks). 1 tablespoon of butter = approximately 14g.

Is 1 cup always 240ml?

1 US cup = 240ml. However, the UK cup is 284ml and the Australian cup is 250ml. Most modern international recipes specify US cups or metric volumes, but older British recipes may use UK cups. When in doubt, specify the volume in ml rather than cups to avoid systematic measurement errors.

How do I convert grams back to cups?

Divide the weight in grams by the grams-per-cup value for that ingredient. For example, 180g all-purpose flour ÷ 120g/cup = 1.5 cups. RecipeFlow converts in both directions automatically within saved recipes.

Why does 1 cup of sugar weigh more than 1 cup of flour?

Because sugar is denser than flour. Granulated sugar crystals pack more tightly into a cup than loose flour particles, resulting in more mass per volume. This difference in density is why ingredient-specific conversion tables are necessary — a single 'cups to grams' ratio doesn't work for different ingredients.