Grams to Cups Converter
Convert grams to cups, or cups to grams, for flour, sugar, butter, milk, rice, oats, honey and other baking ingredients, using USDA weights for one cup.
Results
| Item | Value |
|---|
Quick Answer
Grams to cups = grams ÷ the weight of one cup of that ingredient. One cup of all-purpose flour weighs 125 g (USDA), so 250 g of flour is 2 cups. One cup of granulated sugar weighs 200 g and one cup of butter 227 g, so the same number of grams gives a different number of cups for each ingredient.
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Table of Contents
- Grams to Cups Converter
- Quick Answer
- Related Calculators
- How This Grams to Cups Converter Works
- How to Use the Grams to Cups Converter
- Grams and Cups Formulas
- Key Terms
- Worked Example
- Real-Life Examples
- Weight vs Volume in Recipes
- Grams in One Cup
- Why Weighing Beats Measuring Cups
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Frequently Asked Questions
- References & Sources
How This Grams to Cups Converter Works
Grams measure weight and cups measure volume, so there is no single conversion: a cup of honey weighs almost three times as much as a cup of flour. Choose the ingredient, choose grams to cups or cups to grams, and enter the amount. The converter uses the USDA FoodData Central weight for one level US cup of that ingredient, then shows the result in cups (with the nearest kitchen fraction), tablespoons, teaspoons and ounces.
Quick explanation: cups = grams ÷ grams per cup.
- Flour: 125 g per cup.
- Sugar: 200 g per cup.
- Butter: 227 g per cup (two sticks).
How to Use the Grams to Cups Converter
- Choose the ingredient.
- Choose grams to cups or cups to grams.
- Enter the amount, using fractions such as 3/4 for cups if you like.
- Press Calculate.
- Read the cups, tablespoons, teaspoons and ounces.
Grams and Cups Formulas
- Grams to cups: cups = grams ÷ (grams in 1 cup of the ingredient)
- Cups to grams: grams = cups × (grams in 1 cup)
- Spoons: 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons
- US cup: 236.6 mL, so 1 cup of water weighs about 237 g
- Ounces: grams ÷ 28.35
Key Terms
- Gram: a metric unit of weight; 1,000 g = 1 kg.
- US cup: a volume of 236.6 mL, or 16 tablespoons.
- Level cup: a cup filled and scraped flat, the standard for recipes.
- Packed: pressed firmly into the cup, as for brown sugar.
- Sifted: passed through a sieve, which makes powders lighter per cup.
Worked Example
A European recipe asks for 300 g of flour, 150 g of sugar and 100 g of butter.
- Flour: 300 ÷ 125 = 2.4 cups (2 1/3 cups)
- Sugar: 150 ÷ 200 = 0.75 cup (3/4 cup)
- Butter: 100 ÷ 227 = 0.44 cup, just under 1/2 cup, or about 7 tablespoons
- For the best result, weigh the flour, because a packed cup can hold much more.
Real-Life Examples
- Bread flour: 500 g of all-purpose flour is 4 cups.
- Sugar: 1 1/2 cups of sugar weighs 300 g.
- Rice: 200 g of uncooked white rice is about 1.08 cups.
- Honey: 1/4 cup of honey weighs about 85 g.
Weight vs Volume in Recipes
- Weight (grams, ounces): exact and the same however the ingredient is packed.
- Volume (cups, spoons): quick, but the amount depends on packing and the ingredient.
- Fluid ounces vs ounces: fluid ounces measure volume; ounces measure weight. They match only for water.
Grams in One Cup
| Ingredient | Grams per cup | Grams per tablespoon |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 125 g | 7.8 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 12.5 g |
| Brown sugar, packed | 220 g | 13.8 g |
| Powdered sugar, unsifted | 120 g | 7.5 g |
| Butter | 227 g | 14.2 g |
| Water | 236.6 g | 14.8 g |
| Whole milk | 244 g | 15.2 g |
| Heavy cream (liquid) | 238 g | 14.9 g |
| Olive oil | 216 g | 13.5 g |
| Honey | 339 g | 21.2 g |
| Maple syrup | 315 g | 19.7 g |
| White rice, uncooked | 185 g | 11.6 g |
| Rolled oats | 81 g | 5.1 g |
| Cocoa powder, unsweetened | 86 g | 5.4 g |
| Cornstarch | 128 g | 8.0 g |
| Table salt | 292 g | 18.2 g |
| Peanut butter, smooth | 258 g | 16.1 g |
| Almonds, whole | 143 g | 8.9 g |
| Parmesan, grated | 100 g | 6.2 g |
Why Weighing Beats Measuring Cups
How much flour fits in a cup depends on whether you scoop it straight from the bag, spoon it in, or sift it first. Scooping can pack in 20% or more extra flour, which makes cakes dry and cookies tough. Brown sugar is measured packed, and powdered sugar changes a lot when sifted (USDA lists 100 g sifted and 120 g unsifted). A kitchen scale removes the guesswork, which is why many bakers and most European recipes use grams.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using one conversion for every ingredient. Each ingredient has its own weight per cup.
- Scooping flour from the bag. It packs the cup; spoon and level instead.
- Confusing fluid ounces and ounces. They only match for water.
- Mixing US and metric cups. A metric cup is 250 mL, a US cup 236.6 mL.
- Forgetting to pack brown sugar. Recipes mean packed unless they say otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
About 125 g of all-purpose flour, according to USDA FoodData Central.
About 200 g of granulated sugar.
About 227 g, which is two US sticks.
It depends on the ingredient: 0.8 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, or 0.44 cup of butter.
Divide the grams by the weight of one cup of that ingredient.
About 237 g, because a US cup is 236.6 mL.
Close: USDA lists 244 g for a cup of whole milk.
Recipe writers often use their own cup weights, such as 120 g or 130 g for flour.
No, the rice weight is for uncooked white rice.
References & Sources
| Source | Used For | Link |
|---|---|---|
| USDA FoodData Central | Gram weights for one cup of each ingredient (SR Legacy food measures). | https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/ |
| USDA FoodData Central, Wheat flour, white, all-purpose (FDC 168894) | 1 cup = 125 g. | https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168894/measures |
| NIST, Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8 | The US cup and other volume units. | https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811/nist-guide-si-appendix-b-conversion-factors/nist-guide-si-appendix-b8 |