Ingredient Weight Converter · spice
Ground Ginger: cups to grams
1 cup of ground ginger weighs 88 grams. Use the converter below for any other amount, or check the quick-reference table.
By Andrew Flores, Editor and publisher, Nathan Management. Last reviewed .
Density source: USDA FoodData Central, cross-checked against the King Arthur Baking weight chart. How these figures are derived and corrected is documented in our editorial standards.
Ground Ginger baseline: 1 cup = 88 g.
Common amounts
| Cups | Tablespoons | Grams | Ounces (weight) | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 4.0 | 22 g | 0.78 oz | 59 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 5.3 | 29 g | 1.03 oz | 79 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 8.0 | 44 g | 1.55 oz | 118 mL |
| 2/3 cup | 10.7 | 59 g | 2.07 oz | 158 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 12.0 | 66 g | 2.33 oz | 177 mL |
| 1 cup | 16.0 | 88 g | 3.10 oz | 237 mL |
| 1.5 cups | 24.0 | 132 g | 4.66 oz | 355 mL |
| 2 cups | 32.0 | 176 g | 6.21 oz | 473 mL |
| 3 cups | 48.0 | 264 g | 9.31 oz | 710 mL |
| 4 cups | 64.0 | 352 g | 12.42 oz | 946 mL |
Spoon weights
Derived from the same 88 g per cup — a US tablespoon is 1/16 of a cup and a teaspoon is 1/48.
| Amount | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 5.5 g |
| 1 teaspoon | 1.8 g |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 0.92 g |
| 1/4 teaspoon | 0.46 g |
Ground Ginger at a glance
- Per teaspoon
- about 1.8 g
- Fresh-to-ground
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ≈ 1/4 teaspoon ground for heat, though the flavors are genuinely different
- Chemistry
- Drying turns gingerol into shogaol — sharper, more pungent, less bright
What a cup of ground ginger actually weighs
The published 88 g assumes one specific way of filling the cup. Here is what the same cup weighs under the other common handling methods and product forms, and how far off the recipe you end up.
| How it was measured | Grams per cup | vs. published | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground ginger, spooned | 88 g | published figure | Listed for completeness — this is a teaspoon ingredient at about 1.8 g per teaspoon. |
Why measuring ground ginger by cup goes wrong
Ground ginger weighs about 88 grams per cup, but again the per-teaspoon figure is what matters: roughly 1.8 grams. Ground ginger and fresh ginger are not interchangeable on a 1:1 basis — drying converts gingerol into shogaol, which is sharper and more pungent, and fresh ginger is mostly water besides.
Practical tips for working with ground ginger
Conversion rule of thumb: 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger equals about 1/4 teaspoon ground in heat intensity, but not in flavor character. Ground ginger is warmer and sharper; fresh ginger is citrusy and herbal. For gingerbread and spice cookies, ground is correct. For stir-fries, marinades, and ginger tea, fresh is essential and the ground version will taste dusty in its place.
Note from this ingredient's record: Loses potency in the jar after about a year. Fresh ginger is not a 1:1 swap — 1 tablespoon fresh equals about 1/4 teaspoon ground.
Substitutions that work — and what they cost you
Fresh ginger for ground
Ratio: 1 tablespoon grated fresh per 1/4 teaspoon ground
Trade-off: Only in wet applications. In a dry cookie dough, fresh ginger adds water and its flavor reads completely differently.
Crystallised ginger
Ratio: Chopped fine, adds heat and sugar
Trade-off: It is roughly half sugar — pull back the recipe's sugar if you add much.
When ground ginger ruins the recipe
| What you see | What went wrong | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Gingerbread tastes flat and one-note | Ground ginger that has been in the cupboard for years. | Replace it annually. Ground ginger fades faster than most bakers expect. |
Storing ground ginger
Sealed, dark, cool. Ground ginger holds usable flavor about a year; fresh ginger root keeps a month in the fridge and freezes well — grate it straight from frozen.
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