Cups to Grams: Flour, Sugar & More
Updated August 15, 2026
One US cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 120 grams (spooned and leveled), a cup of granulated sugar weighs 200 grams, and a cup of butter weighs 227 grams. Cups measure volume, so every ingredient converts differently — that's why bakers prefer scales.
| Ingredient | 1 cup | Note |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 120 g | Spooned & leveled; scooping packs up to 150 g |
| Bread / whole-wheat flour | 120–130 g | Same spoon-and-level rule |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | Pours consistently — low risk |
| Brown sugar, packed | 213 g | Recipes assume firmly packed |
| Powdered sugar | 113 g | Fluffs and clumps; sift first |
| Butter | 227 g | 2 sticks |
| Cocoa powder | 85 g | Spoon and level, like flour |
| Rolled oats | 90 g | — |
| Honey / maple syrup | 336 g | Dense — don't eyeball in a dry cup |
| Milk / water | 237–240 g | Liquids: 1 ml ≈ 1 g |
Flour is where recipes go wrong
Dragging a measuring cup through the flour bag compresses it — an honest "cup" lands anywhere from 120 to 150 grams, a 25% swing that turns tender cookies into hockey pucks. If you must use cups: fluff the flour, spoon it into the cup, level with a knife, never tap or pack. Or spend $15 on a scale and delete the problem — grams are the same in every kitchen on earth.
Which number wins when sources disagree
You'll see a cup of flour quoted at 120, 125, and 130 grams — different publishers standardize differently (King Arthur uses 120; the USDA uses 125). It doesn't matter which you adopt; it matters that the recipe's author and you agree. When a recipe lists its own gram weights, those override any chart, including this one.
Quick answers
- How many grams is a cup of flour?
- About 120 g spooned and leveled. Scooped and packed it can hit 150 g — the most common baking error.
- How many grams is a cup of sugar?
- 200 g for granulated sugar; 213 g for packed brown sugar; 113 g for powdered.
- Do liquids convert 1:1 from ml to grams?
- Water and milk, essentially yes (1 ml ≈ 1 g). Oils are lighter (~0.92 g/ml) and honey far heavier (~1.4 g/ml) — density is per-ingredient.