Granulated Sugar:
Grams to Cups
By Stefan Ulrich · Last updated
Granulated sugar is one of the most reliably measured baking ingredients: 1 cup weighs 200 grams. Unlike flour, sugar doesn't compress significantly when scooped, so the cup-to-gram conversion stays consistent whether you spoon or scoop.
How much Granulated Sugar weighs at each cup measure.
Convert Granulated Sugar
1 cup = 200 grams
= — grams
= — cups
Quick reference
Measurement Table
| Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 4 g | 0.14 oz |
| 1 tbsp | 13 g | 0.46 oz |
| ⅛ cup | 25 g | 0.88 oz |
| ¼ cup | 50 g | 1.76 oz |
| ⅓ cup | 67 g | 2.36 oz |
| ½ cup | 100 g | 3.53 oz |
| ⅔ cup | 133 g | 4.69 oz |
| ¾ cup | 150 g | 5.29 oz |
| 1 cup | 200 g | 7.05 oz |
| 1¼ cups | 250 g | 8.82 oz |
| 1½ cups | 300 g | 10.58 oz |
| 2 cups | 400 g | 14.11 oz |
| 3 cups | 600 g | 21.16 oz |
About Granulated Sugar
Sugar's uniform crystal size means it settles predictably in a measuring cup — far more reliably than flour, which varies dramatically with technique. This consistency makes granulated sugar one of the few ingredients where cup measurements are nearly as accurate as weighing.
That said, even a small measurement error can affect baked goods significantly. Sugar does more than sweeten — it tenderizes gluten, absorbs moisture, helps browning, and aids in leavening by creaming with butter. Too little sugar can result in dense, pale cakes; too much can cause spreading in cookies and crunchy tops on muffins.
When scaling recipes, the 200 g/cup conversion makes math straightforward: 1½ cups = 300 g, 2 cups = 400 g, and 2½ cups = 500 g. For recipes calling for large amounts of sugar — like jam or caramel — weighing is still faster and cleaner than multiple measuring cups.
Tips for measuring Granulated Sugar
- Sugar can be scooped directly — it doesn't compact like flour.
- 200 g/cup is the standard for all major brands of white granulated sugar.
- For ultra-fine (caster) sugar, the weight is the same but it measures more consistently.
- 1 lb of granulated sugar ≈ 2¼ cups (454 g ÷ 200 g/cup = 2.27 cups).
- Granulated sugar is easy to overpack in a cup; a scale gives the most repeatable results.
- If a recipe uses both sugar and eggs, whisk the sugar into the eggs until glossy before adding dry ingredients.
- A quick shake after filling the cup helps level the top without compacting the sugar.
Common mistakes
- Confusing granulated sugar (200 g) with powdered sugar (120 g/cup) — very different weights
- Substituting by volume when converting between sugar types
- Using a wet spoon for sugar, which makes it stick and heap unevenly
- Assuming all brands weigh the same per cup when baking at high altitude
- Packing sugar into the cup makes cookies too dense and can throw off the sugar balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many grams in a cup of Granulated Sugar?
- 1 cup of Granulated Sugar weighs 200 grams — the standard used in most American recipes. Use the converter above for any other amount.
- How many grams is 1 tablespoon of Granulated Sugar?
- 1 tablespoon of Granulated Sugar weighs about 13 grams. The full table above lists every common cup fraction.
- What's the most common mistake when measuring Granulated Sugar?
- Confusing granulated sugar (200 g) with powdered sugar (120 g/cup) — very different weights. Weighing on a kitchen scale avoids it entirely.
- Do I pack Granulated Sugar into the cup?
- Only pack brown sugars; granulated and powdered granulated Sugar are spooned in loosely and levelled. Packing the wrong type adds significant weight.