Why cups to grams depends on the ingredient
Cups and spoons measure volume; grams and ounces measure weight. A cup of flour weighs about 125 g while a cup of sugar weighs 200 g and a cup of honey 340 g, because they have different densities. That's why the converter asks for the ingredient whenever you convert between volume and weight. Volume-to-volume (cups to mL) and weight-to-weight (grams to ounces) conversions don't need one.
Cup and spoon sizes differ by country. A metric cup (used in India, the UK, Australia and New Zealand) is 250 mL; a US cup is 236.6 mL, about 5% smaller. Tablespoons are 15 mL (metric), 14.8 mL (US) or 20 mL (Australia), and teaspoons are 5 mL everywhere except the US (4.93 mL). Pick your system with the buttons at the top of the converter.
Ingredient weight chart
Grams per cup, tablespoon and teaspoon, for metric (250 mL) and US (236.6 mL) cups:
| Ingredient | Metric cup | US cup | 1 tbsp (15 mL) | 1 tsp (5 mL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 250 g | 237 g | 15 g | 5 g |
| Milk | 258 g | 244 g | 15 g | 5.2 g |
| Vegetable / cooking oil | 230 g | 218 g | 14 g | 4.6 g |
| Cream (heavy / whipping) | 251 g | 238 g | 15 g | 5 g |
| Condensed milk (sweetened) | 323 g | 306 g | 19 g | 6.5 g |
| Honey | 359 g | 340 g | 22 g | 7.2 g |
| Maple syrup | 333 g | 315 g | 20 g | 6.7 g |
| All-purpose flour (maida) | 132 g | 125 g | 7.9 g | 2.6 g |
| Whole wheat flour (atta) | 127 g | 120 g | 7.6 g | 2.5 g |
| Bread flour | 134 g | 127 g | 8.1 g | 2.7 g |
| Gram flour (besan) | 97 g | 92 g | 5.8 g | 1.9 g |
| Semolina (sooji / rava) | 176 g | 167 g | 11 g | 3.5 g |
| Rice flour | 167 g | 158 g | 10 g | 3.3 g |
| Cornflour / cornstarch | 135 g | 128 g | 8.1 g | 2.7 g |
| Almond flour | 101 g | 96 g | 6.1 g | 2 g |
| Rolled oats | 95 g | 90 g | 5.7 g | 1.9 g |
| Rice, uncooked (basmati / white) | 195 g | 185 g | 12 g | 3.9 g |
| Lentils / dal, uncooked | 203 g | 192 g | 12 g | 4.1 g |
| Sugar (granulated) | 211 g | 200 g | 13 g | 4.2 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 225 g | 213 g | 14 g | 4.5 g |
| Powdered / icing sugar | 127 g | 120 g | 7.6 g | 2.5 g |
| Butter | 240 g | 227 g | 14 g | 4.8 g |
| Ghee (clarified butter) | 230 g | 218 g | 14 g | 4.6 g |
| Yogurt / curd (dahi) | 259 g | 245 g | 16 g | 5.2 g |
| Cheese, grated (cheddar) | 119 g | 113 g | 7.2 g | 2.4 g |
| Peanut butter | 273 g | 258 g | 16 g | 5.5 g |
| Cocoa powder | 90 g | 85 g | 5.4 g | 1.8 g |
| Baking powder | 233 g | 221 g | 14 g | 4.7 g |
| Baking soda | 233 g | 221 g | 14 g | 4.7 g |
| Dry / instant yeast | 157 g | 149 g | 9.4 g | 3.1 g |
| Salt (table) | 309 g | 292 g | 19 g | 6.2 g |
| Chocolate chips | 180 g | 170 g | 11 g | 3.6 g |
| Raisins | 153 g | 145 g | 9.2 g | 3.1 g |
| Walnuts, chopped | 124 g | 117 g | 7.4 g | 2.5 g |
| Almonds, whole | 151 g | 143 g | 9.1 g | 3 g |
How to measure accurately
- Flour, atta, besan: stir it, spoon it lightly into the cup and level it with a knife. Scooping straight from the bag packs in up to 25% more.
- Brown sugar: press it firmly into the cup. Recipes assume “packed”.
- Butter, ghee, honey: weigh if you can. For honey, oil the spoon first so it slides out.
- Liquids: use a clear jug at eye level. For baking, an inexpensive kitchen scale is more accurate than any cup.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of flour?
About 125 g of all-purpose flour (maida) in a US cup, or 132 g in a 250 mL metric cup. Whole wheat flour (atta) is slightly lighter at about 120 g per US cup.
How many grams is 1 cup of sugar?
About 200 g of granulated sugar in a US cup, or 211 g in a 250 mL metric cup.
Is an Indian measuring cup 240 mL or 250 mL?
Standard Indian and metric measuring cup sets are 250 mL. Some recipes written for US readers assume 240 mL (the US “legal” cup used on nutrition labels) or 236.6 mL (the customary US cup). The difference is under 6%.
Why do my results differ from another website?
Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity and how you fill the cup. Sites also use different reference weights. These figures follow King Arthur Baking and USDA FoodData Central.