Cups to Grams Converter
Converts cups to grams for a specific ingredient, because a cup of flour and a cup of honey are not the same weight.
Last updated
Your details
Result
- Grams
- 240.0 g
- In ounces
- 8.47 oz
- In tablespoons
- 32.0 tbsp
- In millilitres
- 473 ml
Flour, all-purpose (spooned), 120 g per cup
96 teaspoons
Volume, not weight — a US cup is 236.6 ml
2 cups of flour, all-purpose (spooned)…
grams = cups × grams per cup
Flour, all-purpose (spooned) weighs 120 g per cup
2 × 120
240.0 g
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Formula — written step by step
2 cups of all-purpose flour…
grams = cups × grams per cup
Flour is 120 g per cup, spooned and levelled
2 × 120
240 g
A cup measures volume and a gram measures mass, so there is no conversion between them without knowing what is in the cup. Flour is 120 g per cup and honey is 340 g — the same cup, nearly three times the weight.
A worked example
Why the same recipe fails twice
- Recipe calls for
- 2 cups flour
- Scooped straight from the bag
- about 170 g
- Spooned and levelled
- about 120 g
- Scooping compacts the flour
- 2 cups scooped ≈ 340 g
- 2 cups spooned ≈ 240 g
- A difference of 100 g
Up to 40% more flour, from the same measurement
This is the single largest source of inconsistency in home baking, and it is why professional recipes give weights. A scale removes the variable entirely: 240 g is 240 g however it got into the bowl.
How to use this calculator
- Pick the ingredient first — this is the input that actually determines the answer.
- Choose the direction, then enter the amount.
- The figures assume a US cup of 236.6 ml and flour that has been spooned into the cup and levelled, not scooped.
- For butter, the calculator also shows the volume of oil to substitute, which is not one to one.
Volume and mass are not interchangeable
A cup is a measure of space and a gram is a measure of matter. Converting between them requires the density of whatever fills the space, which is why no single number can turn cups into grams for everything.
The spread is not subtle. A cup of cocoa powder is 85 g and a cup of honey is 340 g — four times the weight in the identical volume. A converter that offers one factor for "cups to grams" is giving the right answer for at most one ingredient.
Why flour is the worst offender
Flour compresses. Scooping a cup straight from the bag packs it down and can yield 170 g where spooning it in loosely and levelling gives 120 g — a 40% difference from the same nominal measurement.
The figures here assume the spoon-and-level method, which is what published recipes are generally tested with. This is also why serious baking recipes give weights: a scale eliminates the technique entirely, and it is the single cheapest improvement to consistency in a home kitchen.
Whose cup, and substituting fats
A US customary cup is 236.6 ml. A US legal cup, used on nutrition labels, is 240 ml. A metric cup in Australia and New Zealand is 250 ml, and an imperial cup was 284 ml. The figures here use the US customary cup, which is what American recipes mean.
Butter and oil are not interchangeable by volume either. Butter is roughly 16 to 17% water and milk solids, so replacing it cup for cup with oil adds fat and removes liquid the recipe was balanced around. About three quarters as much oil is the usual guidance, and the calculator shows that figure when butter is selected.
Formula & methodology
What this calculator assumes
- Uses the US customary cup of 236.588 ml. A US legal cup is 240 ml, a metric cup 250 ml and the old imperial cup 284 ml.
- Flour figures assume the spoon-and-level method. Scooping from the bag compacts it and can yield 40% more than the recipe intended.
- Ingredient weights vary with humidity, grind and settling. Treat them as the tested convention rather than a physical constant.
Sources
Grams in one US cup
| Ingredient | Grams | Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 237 | Butter | 227 |
| Flour, all-purpose | 120 | Vegetable oil | 198 |
| Bread flour | 127 | Milk | 227 |
| Sugar, granulated | 198 | Honey or syrup | 340 |
| Sugar, brown packed | 213 | Cocoa powder | 85 |
| Sugar, powdered | 113 | Rolled oats | 89 |
| Rice, uncooked | 185 | Salt, table | 273 |
Cocoa at 85 g and honey at 340 g are four times apart in the same cup. Weights follow King Arthur Baking’s published chart, which is what most English-language recipes are tested against.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no single cups-to-grams number?
Because a cup measures volume and grams measure weight. The answer depends entirely on the ingredient — flour is 120 g per cup, honey is 340 g.
Should I scoop or spoon flour into the cup?
Spoon it in and level the top. Scooping compacts it and can add 40% more flour than the recipe intended.
Which cup does this use?
The US customary cup of 236.6 ml. A metric cup is 250 ml and the old imperial cup was 284 ml, so recipes from Australia or older British books will differ slightly.
Can I swap oil for butter one to one?
No. Use about three quarters as much oil by volume, because butter is roughly a sixth water and milk solids that the oil does not replace.