Show the formula and working
This free tool converts cups to grams, and grams back to cups, for home bakers in the UK and Europe who are following American, Australian or Canadian recipes with digital kitchen scales. Pick the ingredient and the cup size, and it shows the weight in grams and ounces with the working.
Quick answer: To convert cups to grams, multiply the number of cups by the weight of one cup of that ingredient. One US cup (236.6 ml) holds about 120 g of plain flour, 198 g of granulated sugar, 226 g of butter and 237 g of water. A 250 ml metric cup holds about 6% more.
What Is a Cups to Grams Converter?
A cups to grams converter turns a volume measure (cups) into a weight (grams) using the density of the ingredient you are measuring. Because a cup of flour weighs far less than a cup of honey, there is no single number that works for every ingredient.
The formula in plain words: grams equals cups multiplied by the grams in one cup of that ingredient. The tool works out the grams in one cup from the ingredient’s density in grams per millilitre and the size of the cup you choose. To go the other way, it divides your grams by the weight of one cup and rounds the answer to the nearest cup measure you can actually scoop, such as 1 1/4 or 2/3 of a cup.
How Do You Use the Cups to Grams Converter?
- Choose the Direction: “Cups to grams” to weigh out a recipe, or “Grams to cups” to turn a weight back into cups.
- Type the number into Amount (cups or grams). Use decimals for part cups, for example 0.75 for 3/4 cup.
- Pick the ingredient from the Ingredient list.
- Set the Cup size. American recipes use the US cup; Australian and New Zealand recipes use the 250 ml metric cup.
- If your recipe or pack states its own weight per cup, enter it in Own weight per cup (optional). Leave it at 0 to use the built in list.
- Read the result in grams, ounces or cups, then open “Show the formula and working” to see each step of the calculation.
How Many Grams Are in a Cup of Flour?
One US cup of plain flour weighs about 120 g when you spoon the flour into the cup and level it off. That figure comes from the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart, which is based on spooning and levelling rather than scooping. If you dig the cup straight into the bag, the flour packs down and the cup holds noticeably more, which can make cakes dry and dense.
Self raising and wholemeal flour are slightly lighter at about 113 g per US cup. In a 250 ml metric cup, plain flour comes to about 127 g.
How Many Grams Are in a Cup of Sugar?
One US cup of granulated or caster sugar weighs about 198 g, roughly 65% more than the same cup of flour. Packed brown sugar is heavier still at about 213 g, because pressing it down removes the air. Icing sugar is light and fluffy, so one unsifted US cup weighs only about 113 g. Sugar weights matter most in biscuits and meringues, where small errors change spread and texture.
Is a UK Cup the Same as a US Cup?
No, a US cup holds 236.6 ml while the metric cup used in the UK, Australia and New Zealand holds 250 ml, so a metric cup holds about 5.7% more. The cup as a unit also has a US legal version of 240 ml, used on American nutrition labels. Most American recipes are written with the 236.6 ml customary cup, which is the default in this tool.
For most savoury cooking the difference is too small to notice. For baking, choose the cup size that matches where the recipe was written.
Why Is Weighing More Accurate Than Using Cups?
Weighing is more accurate because a gram is always a gram, while the weight of a cup changes with how firmly the ingredient is packed and how the cup is filled. Scales also mean fewer things to wash up: you can tare the bowl and add each ingredient in turn. Many UK bakers convert an American recipe once, write the grams in the margin and never use cups for it again.
Cups to Grams Conversion Table
| Ingredient | 1 US cup (236.6 ml) | 1 metric cup (250 ml) |
|---|---|---|
| Plain flour or bread flour | 120 g | 127 g |
| Self raising or wholemeal flour | 113 g | 119 g |
| Granulated or caster sugar | 198 g | 209 g |
| Brown sugar, packed | 213 g | 225 g |
| Icing sugar, unsifted | 113 g | 119 g |
| Butter | 226 g | 239 g |
| Cocoa powder | 84 g | 89 g |
| Rolled oats | 89 g | 94 g |
| Long grain rice, uncooked | 198 g | 209 g |
| Honey | 336 g | 355 g |
| Milk | 227 g | 240 g |
| Water | 237 g | 250 g |
| Vegetable oil | 198 g | 209 g |
| Ground almonds | 96 g | 101 g |
| Chocolate chips | 170 g | 180 g |
Values are for spooned and levelled cups. Your own flour, sugar or oats may differ slightly by brand, so enter the weight printed on the pack if it gives one.
Worked Example: Converting an American Cake Recipe
Example: an American banana bread recipe asks for 2 1/4 cups of plain flour, and you want to weigh it on kitchen scales in Leeds. Set Direction to “Cups to grams”, type 2.25 into Amount (cups or grams), choose “Plain flour (all purpose)” and leave Cup size on “US cup (236.6 ml)”.
The tool works out 2.25 cups x 120 g = 270 g, or 9.52 oz. Next, check the sugar: switching Ingredient to “Granulated or caster sugar” and entering 1 cup gives 198 g. While the oven heats, you can estimate what the bake costs to run with the electricity cost calculator.
Cups to Grams Converter FAQs
How many grams is 1 cup of butter?
One US cup of butter weighs about 226 g, which is just under a standard 250 g UK block. American butter sticks are 113 g each, so one cup equals two sticks. In a 250 ml metric cup, butter weighs about 239 g.
How many grams is half a cup of flour?
Half a US cup of plain flour weighs about 60 g when spooned into the cup and levelled. Half a metric cup of plain flour weighs about 63 g. Scooping straight from the bag packs in more flour, so weighing is the safer choice for baking.
How many grams is 1 cup of water?
One US cup of water weighs about 237 g, because one millilitre of water weighs very close to one gram. A 250 ml metric cup of water weighs about 250 g. For milk the tool uses 227 g per US cup, the figure given in the King Arthur Baking chart.
How do I convert grams to cups?
Divide the weight in grams by the weight of one cup of that ingredient. For example, 300 g of plain flour divided by 120 g per US cup is 2.5 cups. Set Direction to “Grams to cups” and the tool also rounds the answer to the nearest cup measure.
Why do other charts give different grams per cup?
Charts differ because they measure in different ways, such as scooping versus spooning flour, and because they use different cup sizes. This tool uses a single published chart and lets you enter your own figure.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 US tablespoons in one US cup, since a US tablespoon is about 14.8 ml. A 250 ml metric cup holds about 16.7 UK tablespoons of 15 ml. For very small amounts, the grams to cups result switches to tablespoons so the measure stays practical.
Looking for more practical tools for your home? Browse the full set of home calculators on HousyTools.
Checked October 2026. Sources: King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart, Wikipedia: Cup (unit), Wikipedia: Ounce.