Cups ↔ Grams Sugar Converter
Convert cups of sugar to grams or grams to cups for accurate baking. Bidirectional conversion for granulated, brown, powdered, and raw sugar.
Reviewed by the Calcura editorial team · Last reviewed
- Question
- How many grams are in a cup of sugar?
- Answer
- 1 US cup of granulated (white) sugar = 200 g. Brown sugar, packed, = 220 g because molasses adds density. Powdered/confectioners' sugar is much lighter at ~120 g per cup because the fine milling traps air. Raw/turbinado ≈ 220 g, caster (superfine) ≈ 200 g. Always check the sugar type — a cup of powdered is 80 g lighter than a cup of granulated, a 40% swing that ruins a recipe if substituted blindly.
▸Show formula & caveatsHide formula & caveats
- Formula
granulated = 200 g/cup; brown (packed) = 220 g/cup; powdered = 120 g/cup- Caveats
- Brown sugar must be packed — loosely spooned brown sugar is closer to granulated density.
- Powdered sugar should be sifted before measuring by volume to get a consistent cup.
- Swapping sugar types 1:1 by cup changes sweetness and moisture; swap by weight instead.
Sugar Cups to Grams Conversion Table
Weights assume US customary cups. Brown sugar is packed; powdered sugar is sifted before measuring.
| Cups | Granulated (g) | Brown, Packed (g) | Powdered (g) | Raw/Turbinado (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 50 | 55 | 30 | 55 |
| ⅓ cup | 67 | 73 | 40 | 73 |
| ½ cup | 100 | 110 | 60 | 110 |
| ⅔ cup | 133 | 147 | 80 | 147 |
| ¾ cup | 150 | 165 | 90 | 165 |
| 1 cup | 200 | 220 | 120 | 220 |
| 1½ cups | 300 | 330 | 180 | 330 |
| 2 cups | 400 | 440 | 240 | 440 |
| 3 cups | 600 | 660 | 360 | 660 |
| 4 cups | 800 | 880 | 480 | 880 |
What This Calculator Does
This converter translates between US cups of sugar and grams, using sugar-type-specific densities. Granulated sugar: 200 g/cup. Brown sugar, packed: 220 g/cup (denser from molasses). Powdered (confectioners') sugar: 120 g/cup (milled fine, traps air). Raw/turbinado: 220 g/cup. Caster (superfine): 200 g/cup. The type matters: 1 cup of powdered sugar is 80 g lighter than 1 cup of granulated — a 40% difference that changes recipe outcomes when substituted blindly.
When To Use This Calculator
Adapting a UK recipe using caster sugar
A UK meringue recipe calls for '250 g caster sugar.' Convert: 250 / 200 = 1.25 cups. In the US, use superfine sugar (or pulse granulated 10 s in a food processor) at 1¼ cups.
Buying brown sugar in bulk
A 2-lb (907 g) bag of brown sugar contains 907 / 220 = 4.12 cups packed. Useful for inventory when scaling up a cookie batch.
Cutting a cake recipe in half
Recipe calls for 1½ cups granulated = 300 g. Halved = 150 g = ¾ cup. Weighing bypasses the awkwardness of measuring '¾ cup' when you'd rather just weigh once.
Swapping powdered sugar for granulated
A frosting recipe calls for 4 cups powdered (480 g). Substituting granulated at 480 g = 2.4 cups would give a grainy frosting — the types aren't interchangeable by weight OR volume for texture reasons.
How It Works
Sugar's mass per cup depends on crystal size and packing. Granulated sugar is dense crystalline sucrose, about 0.85 g/mL, giving ~200 g per 236.588 mL cup. Brown sugar has 3.5–6.5% molasses filling the crystal interstices and binding particles, so packed brown measures 220 g/cup. Powdered sugar is sucrose milled to 10–20 μm powder with 3% cornstarch; the fine particles trap air, dropping bulk density to ~0.51 g/mL (120 g/cup). Raw/turbinado has larger crystals with a thin molasses coating (~220 g/cup when packed firmly). These are US-tradition figures; European references sometimes use slightly different values (e.g., 210 g/cup granulated).
Formula
grams = cups × sugar_density_per_cup
granulated: 200 g/cup
brown (packed): 220 g/cup
powdered: 120 g/cup
raw/turbinado: 220 g/cup
caster: 200 g/cupReal-World Example
Scenario
A baker making classic chocolate chip cookies wants to weigh all sugars: recipe calls for ¾ cup granulated + ¾ cup packed brown.
Calculation
Granulated: 0.75 × 200 = 150 g Brown (packed): 0.75 × 220 = 165 g Total sugar: 315 g for the batch Sugar-to-flour ratio: if recipe has 2¼ cups flour (281 g), ratio is 315/281 = 1.12 — slightly sugar-heavy, which is typical for chewy cookies
Result
Weigh 150 g granulated and 165 g brown. Packing variance on brown is eliminated — one cook's '¾ cup packed' can be 150 g or 180 g depending on how firm, which measurably changes cookie spread and color. Weighing gives reproducible results batch to batch.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake: Swapping brown and white sugar 1:1 by weight
Solution: Brown adds 6–10% moisture (molasses water content), making the recipe wetter. Substituting 200 g brown for 200 g white in a cake makes it gummier. If subbing, reduce liquid slightly or accept the texture change.
Mistake: Not sifting powdered sugar before measuring
Solution: Powdered sugar settles in storage; scooped unsifted it can measure 130–140 g/cup rather than 120. For frostings, this creates lumps; for meringues, too-sweet batter. Sift first, then spoon and level.
Mistake: Packing brown sugar inconsistently
Solution: 'Packed' has no universal standard — firm enough to hold cup shape when inverted. Light packing → 190 g/cup; hard packing → 230 g/cup. 20% variance. Weigh directly for consistency, especially across batches.
Mistake: Treating 'caster' and 'superfine' as granulated
Solution: Caster (UK) and superfine (US) are both ~300 μm crystals — finer than standard granulated (~500 μm). In meringues and custards, caster dissolves faster; substituting regular granulated leaves grainy texture. Same weight/cup, different performance.
Cups to Grams Sugar vs. Related Calculators
Cups to Grams (Flour)
For flour conversions. Flour's density varies with type (AP, bread, cake, whole wheat) — similar logic, different ingredient.
Cups to Grams (Butter)
Butter has a single density (227 g/cup) regardless of brand. Simpler conversion than sugar.
Grams to Tablespoons
For small sugar quantities (1–2 tbsp in coffee, tea, or sauces) where cups are too coarse.
When This Isn't the Right Tool
Sugar-free baking with alternative sweeteners
Use instead: Erythritol, stevia, allulose, and monk fruit each have different densities and sweetness intensities. Use a sugar-substitute conversion chart, not this tool.
Liquid sweeteners (honey, syrup, molasses)
Use instead: Honey is 1.42 g/mL, maple syrup 1.32, molasses 1.40. Use the mL-to-grams calculator with the correct density. Substituting by weight for granulated sugar also changes the recipe's water content.
Specialty crystal sugars (rock sugar, jaggery)
Use instead: Demerara, muscovado, jaggery, piloncillo, and rock sugar have irregular crystal sizes and packing behavior. Weigh each variety directly or consult the specific producer's chart.
Caramelized or syrup-dissolved sugar
Use instead: Once sugar is dissolved in water (simple syrup at 1:1) or caramelized, volume and mass relationships change entirely. Use a syrup-density brix table if working with confectionery.
How to Verify This Calculation
Weigh an entire bag of granulated sugar (often 4 lb = 1,814 g) against its printed weight — matches within 1%. Then measure out 1 cup carefully: should read 200 g ± 10 g depending on how firmly packed. Large deviations suggest either scale error or atypical sugar granulation.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — Sugars, Granulated — USDA entry for granulated sugar with reference density and nutrient data per 100 g and per teaspoon.
- The Sugar Association — Technical Information — Industry reference for sugar crystal sizes, moisture, and handling characteristics that drive density differences between types.
- NIST — Handbook 44 — Defines US weighing and measuring standards referenced by sugar packaging and scale calibration.
Reviewed by the Calcura editorial team · Last reviewed