How Many Grams in a Cup? Complete Conversion Guide

If you’ve ever followed an international recipe, you’ve probably wondered: How many grams are in a cup?

The answer isn’t always straightforward because cups measure volume, while grams measure weight. The number of grams in one cup depends on:

The ingredient you’re measuring
Whether you’re using a U.S. cup or a metric cup
How densely the ingredient is packed

For example:

1 U.S. cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 120 grams
1 U.S. cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 grams
1 U.S. cup of butter weighs about 227 grams

In this guide, you’ll learn the most common cup-to-gram conversions for baking and cooking, understand the difference between U.S. and metric cups, and find practical conversion charts.

Quick Answer

There is no single answer to “How many grams are in a cup?”

Here are some common conversions using a U.S. cup:

Ingredient	1 US Cup
All-purpose flour	120 g
Bread flour	125 g
Granulated sugar	200 g
Brown sugar (packed)	220 g
Powdered sugar	120 g
Butter	227 g
Rolled oats	90 g
White rice (uncooked)	185 g
Honey	340 g
Milk	240 g
Water	236 g

Why Cups and Grams Are Different

A cup measures volume, while grams measure weight.

Imagine filling two identical cups:

One with feathers
One with sand

Both fill the same amount of space (one cup), but the sand weighs much more. The same principle applies to flour, sugar, rice, oats, and other ingredients.

US Cup vs. Metric Cup

Recipes from different countries may use different cup sizes.

Cup Type	Volume
U.S. Cup	236.6 mL
Metric Cup (Australia, New Zealand, etc.)	250 mL

A metric cup is slightly larger than a U.S. cup, so ingredient weights increase slightly.

Common Ingredient Conversion Chart (US & Metric Cups)

Ingredient	US Cup	Metric Cup
All-purpose flour	120 g	125 g
Bread flour	125 g	130 g
Cake flour	110 g	115 g
Granulated sugar	200 g	210 g
Brown sugar	220 g	230 g
Powdered sugar	120 g	125 g
Butter	227 g	250 g
Rolled oats	90 g	95 g
White rice	185 g	195 g
Honey	340 g	355 g
Water	236 g	250 g
Milk	240 g	250 g

These values are approximate and may vary slightly depending on the brand and measuring method.

Flour Conversion

Flour is one of the most common baking ingredients, but it’s also one of the easiest to measure incorrectly.

Flour Type	US Cup
All-purpose flour	120 g
Bread flour	125 g
Cake flour	110 g
Whole wheat flour	130 g

For the most accurate results:

Spoon flour into the measuring cup.
Level it with a straight edge.
Avoid packing it down.

Sugar Conversion

Different types of sugar have different weights.

Sugar Type	US Cup
Granulated sugar	200 g
Brown sugar (packed)	220 g
Powdered sugar	120 g
Caster sugar	200 g

Packed brown sugar weighs more because it is compressed.

Butter Conversion

Butter is often measured in cups and grams.

Butter	Weight
¼ cup	57 g
½ cup	113 g
¾ cup	170 g
1 cup	227 g

Many butter packages also include measurement markings to make cutting easier.

Rice, Oats, and Grains

Ingredient	US Cup
White rice	185 g
Brown rice	195 g
Rolled oats	90 g
Quinoa	170 g

These weights refer to uncooked grains.

Liquid Ingredients

For liquids, the weight is often close to the volume because many liquids have a density similar to water.

Ingredient	US Cup
Water	236 g
Milk	240 g
Vegetable oil	218 g
Honey	340 g
Maple syrup	315 g

Why Professional Bakers Use Grams

Professional bakers prefer grams because they are:

More accurate
Easier to scale
Consistent worldwide
Not affected by packing or measuring technique

Using a digital kitchen scale can improve baking results.

Tips for Accurate Measuring

Use dry measuring cups for dry ingredients.
Use liquid measuring cups for liquids.
Level dry ingredients with a straight edge.
Do not pack flour unless a recipe specifically says to do so.
Always check whether a recipe uses U.S. or metric cups.

Common Kitchen Conversions

Measurement	Equivalent
1 U.S. cup	236.6 mL
1 Metric cup	250 mL
½ cup	118 mL (US)
¼ cup	59 mL (US)
1 tablespoon	15 mL
1 teaspoon	5 mL

FAQs

How many grams are in one cup?

It depends on the ingredient.

For example:

Flour: 120 g
Sugar: 200 g
Butter: 227 g

Why doesn’t one cup always weigh the same?

Because cups measure volume, while grams measure weight. Different ingredients have different densities.

Is a U.S. cup the same as a metric cup?

No.

U.S. cup = 236.6 mL
Metric cup = 250 mL

How many grams are in a cup of flour?

One U.S. cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 120 grams.

How many grams are in a cup of sugar?

One U.S. cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 grams.

Should I use cups or grams for baking?

Grams are more accurate and are recommended for the best baking results.

Can I use a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups?

Yes. A digital kitchen scale provides the most consistent and accurate measurements.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming every ingredient weighs the same.
Mixing U.S. and metric cup sizes.
Packing flour into the cup.
Ignoring recipe measurement systems.
Estimating instead of weighing ingredients.

Avoiding these mistakes helps ensure better cooking and baking results.

Quick Facts

Cups measure volume.
Grams measure weight.
1 U.S. cup = 236.6 mL
1 Metric cup = 250 mL
Flour: 120 g per U.S. cup
Sugar: 200 g per U.S. cup
Butter: 227 g per U.S. cup
A kitchen scale provides the most accurate measurements.

Final Thoughts

The answer to “How many grams are in a cup?” depends entirely on the ingredient you’re measuring. While cups measure volume, grams measure weight, so flour, sugar, butter, rice, and liquids all have different gram values.

For the most accurate cooking and baking, especially when using recipes from different countries, it’s best to use a digital kitchen scale and verify whether the recipe uses U.S. cups or metric cups. With the conversion charts in this guide, you’ll be able to measure ingredients confidently and achieve consistent results every time.