How Many Grams in a Cup of Sugar? | The Baker’s Standard

One cup of standard granulated white sugar weighs 200 grams under US volume standards, though brown and powdered sugars differ significantly by packing and preparation.

That 200-gram number is the bedrock conversion for granulated sugar. But sugar is not uniform — brown sugar packed into the cup weighs more than airy powdered sugar, and even granulated sugar can vary by about 5 percent between brands. A digital scale eliminates guesswork, but knowing which sugar type and preparation your recipe assumes keeps cookies from spreading flat and cakes from sinking.

Weight By Sugar Type: What One US Cup Actually Holds

Every value below uses the standard US cup volume of 240 mL. The way you prepare the sugar — scoop and level, pack, or sift — changes the gram count as much as the sugar type itself. Granulated white sugar is the reference point at 200 grams per cup. Brown sugar must be firmly packed to reach its standard 220 grams; loosely scooped brown sugar weighs only about 180 grams, throwing off moisture balance in recipes like chocolate chip cookies. Powdered or confectioners’ sugar is the lightest at 120 grams per cup when sifted, but unsifted can weigh up to 125 grams — a small difference that matters in buttercream. Caster or superfine sugar weighs about 225 grams per cup. Raw sugars such as turbinado or demerara range from 220 to 250 grams depending on crystal size and moisture content. King Arthur Baking lists Baker’s Special Sugar at 190 grams per cup — a reminder that even within “granulated,” products vary. The 200-gram average is a safe starting point, but checking your recipe’s source prevents the 10-gram gap that changes a dough.

How To Measure Sugar Accurately By Volume

Start by stirring the sugar to break up clumps. Use a spoon to scoop sugar into a dry measuring cup — never scoop directly with the cup, which compacts granules. Fill until it overflows, then use the straight edge of a knife to level off without pressing. The exception is brown sugar: scoop it firmly into the cup and press until it holds the shape when tipped out. That packed cup is what the 220-gram standard assumes. For powdered sugar, if the recipe says “sifted powdered sugar,” sift it into the cup and then level; if it says “powdered sugar, sifted,” measure unsifted first and sift afterward. Professional bakers use a digital scale for every ingredient; the same scooped cup can vary by 25 grams depending on how aggressively it is filled. A heaped cup of granulated sugar can reach 225 grams, a 12.5 percent increase that turns tender shortbread into a crunchy biscuit. A gently filled cup can under-sweeten and alter a cake’s crumb structure.

Common Measurement Mistakes To Avoid

The three most frequent errors are packing brown sugar loosely, skipping the sift on powdered sugar, and leveling inconsistently. Loose brown sugar can under-sweeten and shift the fat-to-sugar ratio. Unsifted powdered sugar adds extra weight, making frostings denser and ganaches stiffer. Using a liquid measuring cup for dry sugar introduces the wrong meniscus line and makes leveling impossible; dry measuring cups with straight rims are the only correct tool. Regional cup sizes add confusion: a UK cup is 250 mL versus the US 240 mL, meaning a UK cup of granulated sugar weighs about 218 grams compared to the US 200 grams. Australian and Canadian recipes sometimes use the metric cup standard. If a recipe does not specify the cup system, weigh the sugar using the 200-gram-per-cup baseline as your conversion ratio.

When To Use A Scale Instead Of Cups

For recipes that call for sugar by weight — increasingly common in modern cookbooks and serious baking blogs — use a digital kitchen scale set to grams. Place your mixing bowl on the scale, zero it out, and add sugar until you reach the specified weight. This bypasses every variable: packing, crystal fineness, and humidity that makes granules clump. King Arthur Baking’s ingredient weight chart publishes specific gram weights for dozens of ingredients precisely because volume measurements are unreliable. Any baker who has struggled with a recipe that worked once and failed the second time will find the culprit is almost always a volume measurement that shifted.