Grams to Cups Converter
Enter a weight in grams (or an amount in cups) and pick an ingredient to convert the other way, with the formula and the density's source shown. A cup of flour and a cup of sugar don't weigh the same -- so this isn't a single fixed number.
Densities are typical values from USDA data -- real products vary by brand and how they're packed.
Volume
1.000 cups
at 0.8454 g/mL
Formula
cups = (grams ÷ density) ÷ 236.5882365
Why grams to cups needs a density
A cup is a fixed volume -- exactly 236.5882 mL, by definition, regardless of what fills it. A gram is a fixed mass. The two only convert into each other once you know how much a cup of that specific ingredient actually weighs, i.e. its density -- the same fact behind this site's Grams to ml Converter, just expressed in cups instead of milliliters:
cups = (grams ÷ density in g/mL) ÷ 236.5882
grams = (cups × 236.5882) × density in g/mL
A denser or more tightly packed ingredient fits more mass into the same cup, so the same weight in grams comes out to fewer cups -- and the same number of cups weighs more in grams.
Worked example
The calculator's own defaults: 200.00 g of granulated sugar, at a density of 0.8454 g/mL (USDA FoodData Central ID 169655, "Sugars, granulated": 1 cup = 200 g -- which is exactly this example's starting weight, so the result below should land on exactly one US cup).
| Weight | 200.00 g |
| Density | 0.8454 g/mL |
| Volume | 1.000 cups |
That reconciliation -- 200 g of granulated sugar landing on exactly one US cup -- is checked independently in the site's own test suite, not just asserted here.
The same 100 g, seven different ingredients
To make the density problem concrete rather than abstract: here's what exactly 100 g comes out to in cups, for every ingredient in that comparison, using the densities on the Ingredient Density Table.
| Ingredient | 100 g in cups |
|---|---|
| Water (at 4 °C / 39 °F) | 0.423 cups |
| All-purpose flour | 0.800 cups |
| Granulated sugar | 0.500 cups |
| Powdered sugar (unsifted) | 0.833 cups |
| Butter | 0.441 cups |
| Honey | 0.295 cups |
| Cocoa powder (unsweetened) | 1.163 cups |
Cocoa powder -- a fine, aerated powder -- takes almost four times the cup volume of honey for the same 100 g. Neither figure is an error; they're both real, sourced USDA values for genuinely different substances.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cups is 100 grams?
It depends entirely on what you're measuring, because a cup is a volume and a gram is a mass. 100 g of granulated sugar is exactly 0.5 cup; 100 g of all-purpose flour (a lighter, more aerated ingredient) is about 0.8 cup; 100 g of butter is about 0.44 cup; 100 g of honey (denser and stickier) is only about 0.3 cup. Pick the actual ingredient in the calculator above for the real figure -- see the comparison table below for more.
Why isn't there one universal grams-to-cups conversion?
Grams measure mass and cups measure volume -- two different physical quantities. The ratio between them (the ingredient's density) depends on the substance: how heavy, how fine, how compressible it is. A fixed "1 cup = X grams" answer that ignores which ingredient you're measuring is wrong for every ingredient except the one it was quietly assumed for.
How many grams are in a cup of flour, sugar, or butter?
Per USDA FoodData Central household weights: 1 cup of all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) is about 125 g, 1 cup of granulated sugar is about 200 g, and 1 cup of butter is about 227 g (two sticks). Every ingredient this site covers, with its exact USDA source, is on the Ingredient Density Table.
Does it matter if flour or powdered sugar is sifted, or sugar is packed?
Yes, genuinely. USDA publishes multiple figures for some of these foods: a sifted cup of powdered sugar weighs about 100 g versus 120 g unsifted, and a packed cup of brown sugar weighs about 220 g versus 145 g unpacked -- the same ingredient, a meaningfully different weight, depending only on how it's measured. This calculator uses the standard baking measure for each (unsifted, packed, spooned-and-leveled) and notes the alternative on the Density Table; if a recipe specifically calls for "sifted" or "packed," that instruction changes the real weight.
Are dry and liquid measuring cups actually different sizes?
No -- a US cup is the same 236.5882365 mL of volume whether it's a metal dry-measure cup or a glass liquid measuring cup. The two tools are shaped differently for technique, not because they measure a different amount: a dry cup is filled level with the rim so excess can be scraped off with a knife, and a liquid cup has headroom below the rim and markings read at eye level so it doesn't spill when full. Whichever cup is used, this calculator's math is the same.
Can I use this for a liquid like milk or honey too, not just dry ingredients?
Yes -- cups measure volume regardless of whether the contents are a liquid or a dry ingredient, so the same density-based math applies. Milk, honey, oil and syrup are all in the ingredient list alongside flour, sugar and butter.
Can I enter a density that isn't in the list?
Yes -- choose "Custom density" and type in any value in g/mL. Useful for an ingredient not covered here, or a specific product whose density you already know (check the packaging or a lab data sheet).
These are conversions, not measurements -- a density or concentration you enter or pick determines the answer, and real ingredients and products vary by brand. Nothing here is medical, dosing or pharmacist advice; confirm any medicine amount against the actual product label and your pharmacist or prescriber. See the Terms.