How many grams in a cup of sugar
A cup of granulated sugar weighs 198 grams: pick the sugar, and for brown or powdered, how the cup is filled.
198 g granulated sugar
1 cup
- 1 cup×1
US cup of 236.6 mL
How this is measured
1 US cup of granulated sugar weighs 198 g. Based on America's Test Kitchen's baking conversion chart: dip and sweep (as America's Test Kitchen's guide to measuring ingredients describes).
How many grams in a cup of sugar?
A US cup of granulated white sugar weighs 198 grams. That is America's Test Kitchen's weight for a cup filled by dip and sweep, and King Arthur Baking's chart lists the same weight. So 100 grams of sugar is ≈ ½ cup, 2 cups weigh 396 grams and a tablespoon of sugar weighs 12.38 grams.
For granulated sugar the sources agree closely: USDA's SR Legacy table lists 200 grams per cup, about 1% more than King Arthur and America's Test Kitchen. Brown and powdered sugar are different: the same cup holds a different weight depending on whether you pack or sift.
White, brown and powdered sugar
| Sugar | How the cup is filled | Grams in 1 US cup | Ounces | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granulated sugar | Scooped | 198 g | 6.98 oz | B |
| Brown sugar | Packed | 213 g | 7.51 oz | A |
| Brown sugar | Unpacked | 145 g | 5.11 oz | C |
| Powdered sugar | Unsifted | 113 g | 3.99 oz | A |
| Powdered sugar | Sifted | 100 g | 3.53 oz | C |
Sources: A — King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart; B — America's Test Kitchen baking conversion chart; C — USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy.
- Granulated sugar: 198 grams per cup, dip and sweep (America's Test Kitchen).
- Brown sugar, packed: 213 grams, King Arthur Baking's weight for light or dark brown sugar packed into the cup. Loose, it is 145 grams (USDA); the brown sugar page has both in charts. Sources that all say "packed" list from 198 to 220 grams, and none says how firmly, so the cause of that spread is not stated.
- Powdered sugar, unsifted: 113 grams (King Arthur Baking; America's Test Kitchen lists the same). Sifted, it is 100 grams (USDA); see the powdered sugar page for cups in a pound.
Caster (superfine) sugar is finer than granulated: a cup of it weighs 190 grams in King Arthur Baking's chart, where it is called Baker's Special Sugar. Pick it in the converter's list.
Sugar grams to cups chart
Common gram amounts in US cups, for granulated, packed brown and unsifted powdered sugar:
US cups, as the cups and spoons to fill; ≈ marks the nearest measure.
| Grams | Granulated sugar | Brown sugar, packed | Powdered sugar, unsifted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 g | ≈ 2 tbsp | ≈ 1 tbsp + 2 tsp + ½ tsp + ⅛ tsp | ≈ 3 tbsp + 1 tsp + ½ tsp |
| 50 g | ≈ ¼ cup | ≈ 3 tbsp + 2 tsp + ¼ tsp | ≈ ¼ cup + 3 tbsp |
| 100 g | ≈ ½ cup | ≈ ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp + ½ tsp | ≈ ¾ cup + 2 tbsp |
| 110 g | ≈ ½ cup + 1 tbsp | ≈ ½ cup + 1 tsp | ≈ ⅔ cup + 5 tbsp |
| 150 g | ≈ ¾ cup | ≈ ⅔ cup + 2 tsp | ≈ 1⅓ cups |
| 175 g | ≈ ¾ cup + 2 tbsp | ≈ ¾ cup + 1 tbsp | ≈ 1½ cups + 1 tbsp |
| 200 g | ≈ 1 cup | ≈ ¾ cup + 3 tbsp | ≈ 1¾ cups |
| 250 g | ≈ 1¼ cups | ≈ 1 cup + 3 tbsp | ≈ 2¼ cups |
| 300 g | ≈ 1½ cups | ≈ 1⅓ cups + 1 tbsp | ≈ 2⅔ cups |
| 400 g | ≈ 2 cups | ≈ 1¾ cups + 2 tbsp | ≈ 3½ cups |
| 500 g | ≈ 2½ cups | ≈ 2⅓ cups | ≈ 4½ cups |
Cups of sugar to grams
| Cups | Granulated sugar | Brown sugar, packed | Powdered sugar, unsifted |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⅛ cup | 24.75 g | 26.63 g | 14.13 g |
| ¼ cup | 49.5 g | 53.25 g | 28.25 g |
| ⅓ cup | 66 g | 71 g | 37.67 g |
| ½ cup | 99 g | 106.5 g | 56.5 g |
| ⅔ cup | 132 g | 142 g | 75.33 g |
| ¾ cup | 148.5 g | 159.8 g | 84.75 g |
| 1 cup | 198 g | 213 g | 113 g |
| 1½ cups | 297 g | 319.5 g | 169.5 g |
| 2 cups | 396 g | 426 g | 226 g |
By the pound: a pound of granulated sugar is ≈ 2¼ cups, a pound of brown sugar ≈ 2 cups + 2 tbsp packed, and a pound of powdered sugar ≈ 4 cups unsifted.
How to measure sugar
- Granulated: dip the cup into the sugar and sweep it level with a straight edge. America's Test Kitchen gets a 7-ounce cup this way.
- Brown sugar: press it into the cup. Our weight is for a packed cup, as King Arthur's chart states.
- Powdered sugar: if the recipe says "sifted", sift first, then measure; if not, measure it straight from the bag. The two give the two weights above.
A scale removes all of this: America's Test Kitchen's advice is to always weigh flour and sugar for absolute reliability.
Questions
What is the weight of 1 cup of sugar?
198 grams for granulated white sugar, or 6.98 ounces. Packed brown sugar is 213 grams, powdered sugar 113 grams unsifted.
Is 1 cup of sugar 250 grams?
No. A US cup of granulated sugar is 198 grams, so 250 grams is ≈ 1¼ cups.
How many grams are in 2 cups of granulated sugar?
396 grams.
How many grams is ⅓ cup of sugar?
66 grams of granulated sugar. ½ cup is 99 grams and ¾ cup is 148.5 grams.
Is 8 oz of sugar 1 cup?
Not quite. 8 ounces is 226.8 grams, which is ≈ 1 cup + 2 tbsp of granulated sugar. A cup weighs 6.98 ounces. Eight fluid ounces is a cup, but that is volume, not weight.
How many cups are in 6 ounces of sugar?
≈ ¾ cup + 2 tbsp of granulated sugar.
What is 200 grams of brown sugar in cups?
≈ ¾ cup + 3 tbsp, packed. Loose, the same 200 grams fills ≈ 1⅓ cups + 1 tbsp.
How much is one cup of light brown sugar?
213 grams packed. King Arthur's chart gives one weight for light and dark brown sugar.
Sources
- 21 CFR 101.9 (US nutrition labeling)
- America's Test Kitchen baking conversion chart
- America's Test Kitchen, Baking Basics: Measuring Ingredients
- King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart
- Manufacturer's label serving size, as listed in USDA FoodData Central (Branded Foods)
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C
- NIST Special Publication 430, Household Weights and Measures
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy
- Weights and Measures Act 1985 (UK), Schedule 1
- Grams to cups converterPick the ingredient, type the grams and get US cups and spoons, with the fill method the weight assumes.
- 1 cup brown sugar in grams, packed and looseA packed cup of brown sugar weighs 213 grams: type grams or cups and pick packed or loose.
- 1 cup powdered sugar in grams, sifted and unsiftedAn unsifted cup of powdered sugar weighs 113 grams: type grams or cups and pick sifted or unsifted.
- How many grams in a cup of flourA cup of all-purpose flour weighs 120 grams spooned and leveled: pick the flour and the way you fill the cup.
- 1 cup cocoa powder in gramsA US cup of unsweetened cocoa powder weighs 84 grams: type grams, cups or spoons and get the others.
- Cups to grams converter and conversion tableOne US cup weighs 198 grams of granulated sugar but 227 grams of butter: pick the ingredient and type the cups.
- Ingredient weight chartOne US cup of every ingredient we have a sourced weight for, in grams; change the amount or unit and every row follows.