Reference table
Ingredient weights by cup
Cups measure volume; grams measure mass. The answer changes with the ingredient and, for powders and chopped foods, with the way the cup is filled. This page brings every ingredient reference together in one place for quick comparison.
A plain gram figure is cross-checked against a directly comparable published measure. A gram figure marked (approximate) is this site's editorial estimate because no directly comparable published measure has confirmed it yet — see the editorial standards page for how each figure is checked.
Flours
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| All-Purpose Flour | 120 g | Spoon-and-level into the cup, then sweep level with a straight edge. Published baking guidance reports that scooping or packing can add up to about 25% more flour; brand and humidity can shift the figure further. |
| Bread Flour | 127 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, same method as all-purpose flour. Milled from harder wheat, so it settles slightly denser than all-purpose at the same handling. |
| Cake Flour | 114 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level; break up clumps first, since finely milled flour compacts in the box. Sifting before measuring lightens the cup further. |
| Whole Wheat Flour | 113 g | Spoon-and-level. Bran flakes are bulky, so a spooned cup weighs less than white flour even though it feels denser; scooping compacts it substantially. |
| Rye Flour | 102 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level. Coarser whole-grain rye meal packs heavier than the fine milled flour listed here. |
| Almond Flour | 96 g | Spoon-and-level, clumps broken up first. Brands vary by roughly 10–15 g per cup depending on grind size. |
| Oat Flour | 92 g | Spoon-and-level. Home-ground oat flour packs tighter than commercially milled flour and can run heavier. |
| Rice Flour | 158 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level. Brown rice flour (bran retained) weighs slightly more per cup than the white rice flour listed here. |
| Cornmeal | 165 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, medium grind. Fine grind packs heavier per cup; coarse stone-ground grind packs lighter. |
Starches
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Cornstarch | 120 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level. A fine powder that compacts under the cup's rim if scooped instead of spooned. |
Sugars and syrups
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Granulated Sugar | 200 g | Spoon-and-level or scooped — granulated sugar's crystal size is consistent enough that both methods land close to the same weight. |
| Light Brown Sugar | 213 g | Firmly packed with the back of a spoon until it holds the cup's shape when turned out — the measurement every recipe that says “packed” assumes. Loose-scooped brown sugar weighs meaningfully less in the same cup. |
| Dark Brown Sugar | 230 g (editorial estimate) | Firmly packed, same method as light brown sugar. Carries more molasses than light brown, which affects moisture more than volume. |
| Powdered Sugar | 113 g | Sifted, then spooned into the cup. Scooped straight from the box without sifting weighs more because the powder compacts. |
| Honey | 340 g (editorial estimate) | Poured from a cup coated lightly in oil (or warmed) and scraped clean. Poured from a dry, unscraped cup, roughly a tablespoon stays behind. |
| Maple Syrup | 322 g (editorial estimate) | Poured and scraped from the cup, same method as honey. |
| Molasses | 337 g (editorial estimate) | Poured from an oiled cup and scraped clean. Molasses is thick enough that an unscraped cup leaves noticeably more behind than honey does. |
Fats and oils
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 227 g | Two US sticks, cut at the wrapper's tablespoon marks. European-style butter carries a few percentage points less water, which changes its weight per cup only slightly. |
| Vegetable Oil | 218 g (editorial estimate) | Measured in a liquid measuring cup at room temperature. Neutral refined oils (canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower) fall within about 2 g of each other per cup. |
| Olive Oil | 216 g (editorial estimate) | Measured in a liquid measuring cup at room temperature, light or extra-virgin. |
| Coconut Oil | 218 g (editorial estimate) | Measured melted, in a liquid measuring cup. Solid coconut oil measured by scooping and packing will not match this figure. |
| Vegetable Shortening | 205 g (editorial estimate) | Packed into a dry measuring cup, then leveled — the same handling as solid fat in most recipes. |
Dairy
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 244 g (editorial estimate) | Measured in a liquid measuring cup at room temperature, whole milk. |
| Buttermilk | 245 g (editorial estimate) | Measured in a liquid measuring cup, cultured low-fat buttermilk. |
| Heavy Cream | 238 g (editorial estimate) | Measured in a liquid measuring cup, standard 36% fat heavy cream. |
| Sour Cream | 230 g (editorial estimate) | Spooned into a dry measuring cup and leveled, full-fat sour cream. |
| Plain Greek Yogurt | 245 g (editorial estimate) | Spooned into a dry measuring cup and leveled, whole-milk plain Greek yogurt. |
| Cream Cheese | 232 g (editorial estimate) | Packed into a dry measuring cup, brick-style full-fat cream cheese. Whipped or tub varieties hold more air and weigh less per cup. |
Liquids
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 237 g (editorial estimate) | Measured in a liquid measuring cup at room temperature. Applies the common 1 mL ≈ 1 g water approximation to the exact US customary cup (236.5882365 mL). |
| Vanilla Extract | 208 g (editorial estimate) | Measured in a liquid measuring cup, standard extract at about 35% alcohol by volume. |
| Lemon Juice | 244 g (editorial estimate) | Measured in a liquid measuring cup, freshly squeezed juice. |
Baking ingredients
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Unsweetened Cocoa Powder | 85 g | Spoon-and-level, unsweetened cocoa. Natural and Dutch-processed cocoa weigh about the same per cup. |
| Chocolate Chips | 170 g | Measured by pouring into a dry measuring cup and leveling, standard-size semi-sweet chips. Mini chips pack tighter and weigh more per cup. |
Leaveners
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Baking Powder | 192 g | Spoon-and-level. Rarely measured by the cup in practice — listed here for completeness alongside the other units. |
| Baking Soda | 220 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, pure sodium bicarbonate. |
| Active Dry Yeast | 144 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level. Almost always measured by the packet or the teaspoon rather than the cup in practice. |
Seasoning
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Table Salt | 292 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, fine iodized table salt. Coarser salts weigh far less per cup at the same volume. |
| Kosher Salt (Diamond Crystal) | 152 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, Diamond Crystal brand. Morton's kosher salt is a different crystal shape and weighs noticeably more per cup. |
Grains and rice
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Rolled Oats | 81 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, old-fashioned (not instant) oats. Steel-cut oats are a denser cut and are not interchangeable by volume. |
| White Rice (Long Grain, Uncooked) | 185 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, long-grain white rice, uncooked. Basmati and jasmine sit within a few grams of this figure. |
| Brown Rice (Long Grain, Uncooked) | 190 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, long-grain brown rice, uncooked. |
| Quinoa (Uncooked) | 170 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, uncooked quinoa. |
Nuts and nut butters
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Whole Almonds | 143 g | Spoon-and-level, raw whole unblanched almonds. Sliced almonds pack much lighter because of the air gaps between slices. |
| Walnut Halves | 100 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, walnut halves and pieces. Chopping the nuts first reduces the volume they occupy, so a chopped cup weighs more. |
| Pecan Halves | 99 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, pecan halves. |
| Peanut Butter | 258 g (editorial estimate) | Packed into a dry measuring cup, creamy no-stir peanut butter. |
Fruits and dried fruit
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Raisins | 165 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, seedless dark raisins, not packed. |
| Dried Cranberries | 120 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, sweetened dried cranberries. |
| Shredded Coconut (Sweetened) | 93 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, sweetened shredded coconut. Unsweetened desiccated coconut is a finer cut and weighs more per cup. |
| Fresh Blueberries | 148 g | Measured by gently filling a dry measuring cup, fresh (or thawed frozen) cultivated blueberries. Berry size affects how much air remains between them. |
Spices
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Cinnamon | 105 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, ground cinnamon. Rarely measured by the cup — listed for completeness alongside the smaller units. |
| Ground Ginger | 88 g (editorial estimate) | Spoon-and-level, ground dried ginger. |
Vegetables
| Ingredient and form | 1 US cup | Measurement note |
|---|---|---|
| Diced Tomatoes (Canned, Drained) | 180 g (editorial estimate) | Measured by filling a dry measuring cup after draining, canned diced tomatoes. |
| Chopped Onion | 160 g (editorial estimate) | Measured by filling a dry measuring cup, medium-diced yellow onion. |
How to use the table
- Find the exact ingredient and form—not merely a similar name.
- Use the stated handling method. Packed, scooped, sifted, chopped, and melted are different measurements.
- Multiply the grams-per-cup value by the number of cups in the recipe.
- For a direct conversion, choose the ingredient in the converter and enter the amount.
Methodology and limitations
The values are working cooking references, not exact values for every brand or preparation. A nutrition value reported per 100 grams cannot, by itself, be converted into grams per cup; a volume conversion needs a directly comparable household measure or a measured density. We consult published household measures and baking charts where they are available and publish the dataset's handling assumptions.
The volume basis for every record is the exact US customary cup (236.5882365 mL) — not the FDA nutrition-label rounded cup (240 mL) and not the Australian/UK metric cup (250 mL). Where an ingredient behaves like water, the gram figure reflects that exact volume at roughly 1 gram per mL rather than a rounded 240-gram reference. Current handling assumptions: Dry goods are spoon-and-level unless a record says packed. Brown sugar and cream cheese are firmly packed. Butter assumes salted or unsalted stick butter at room temperature. Liquids are measured by volume in a liquid measuring cup. Water and other liquids close to water's density are derived from the common 1 mL ≈ 1 g approximation applied to the exact US customary cup (236.5882365 mL) — not from the FDA's rounded 240 mL nutrition-label reference.
If a package label or recipe author gives a weight for the exact ingredient and form you are using, follow that number. It is more specific than a general reference table.
Questions or corrections
A useful correction identifies the ingredient, form, filling method, observed weight, and a package label or published household-measure source. Read the measurement and correction method or use the contact guidance.