Grams to Cups Converter
This converter turns a weight in grams into the equivalent measure in cups for baking and cooking, solving the problem that a cup is a fixed volume while ingredients differ enormously in density, so a cup of flour and a cup of sugar do not weigh the same. Select your ingredient from the list, covering common flours, sugars, butter, milk, oils, rice, rolled oats, cocoa, salt and more, or choose custom and enter your own grams-per-cup reference weight. Enter the weight in grams you want to convert, then pick your cup size, NZ or Australian metric (250 mL), US (240 mL), or US legal (236.6 mL). The calculator instantly returns the result in cups, the nearest common fraction such as 1/2 or 3/4 cup, and the equivalent in NZ metric tablespoons (15 mL) and teaspoons (5 mL). Below the result you get a quick reference table showing common cup fractions in grams, tablespoons and teaspoons for your chosen ingredient, plus a full conversion breakdown showing the reference weight used and the scale factor applied for your selected cup size. Reference weights are drawn from standard NZ and US food composition data, but actual weights vary by brand, moisture content, and whether an ingredient is sifted, packed or spooned and levelled. For baking where precision matters, weighing ingredients on kitchen scales is always more accurate than measuring by cup.
1. Ingredient and Weight
2. Cup Size
Quick Reference: Common Weights for This Ingredient
| Cups | Grams | Tablespoons (15 mL) | Teaspoons (5 mL) |
|---|
Conversion Breakdown
How This is Calculated
How to Convert Grams to Cups
To convert grams to cups you divide the weight in grams by the number of grams per cup for that ingredient. The number of grams per cup is not fixed because it depends on the density of the ingredient and the size of the cup being used.
The formula is: Cups = Grams / Grams per cup
Where "grams per cup" is the reference weight for 1 cup of that ingredient. For example, 1 NZ metric cup of plain flour weighs 125 g, so 250 g of flour equals 2 cups. 1 NZ metric cup of white sugar weighs 220 g, so 110 g of sugar equals 0.50 cups.
Worked Example
Convert 125 g of plain flour to NZ metric cups (250 mL):
- Reference weight for plain flour: 125 g per NZ metric cup
- Cups = 125 g / 125 g per cup = 1.00 cup
- In tablespoons: 1.00 cup x 16.67 tbsp/cup = 16.67 tablespoons
- In teaspoons: 1.00 cup x 50 tsp/cup = 50.0 teaspoons
This matches the calculator's default output above.
Cup Sizes: NZ vs US
New Zealand recipes follow the Australian metric standard where 1 cup equals 250 mL. US recipes use a US customary cup of approximately 236.6 mL (sometimes rounded to 240 mL). The difference is small for small quantities but becomes noticeable in large recipes. If you are following a US recipe on a NZ cooking site, or vice versa, select the correct cup size in this converter for accurate results.
Reference Weights for Common Ingredients
| Ingredient | g per NZ metric cup (250 mL) | g per US cup (240 mL) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour, plain / all-purpose | 125 g | 120 g | Spooned and levelled, not packed |
| Flour, self-raising | 125 g | 120 g | Same method as plain flour |
| Flour, wholemeal | 130 g | 125 g | Slightly denser than plain |
| Flour, bread (strong) | 130 g | 125 g | Higher protein, slightly heavier |
| Flour, almond | 96 g | 92 g | Blanched almond meal |
| Sugar, white granulated | 220 g | 211 g | Level cup |
| Sugar, caster (superfine) | 220 g | 211 g | Finer grain, similar weight |
| Sugar, icing (sifted) | 120 g | 115 g | Sifted before measuring |
| Sugar, brown (packed) | 200 g | 192 g | Firmly packed |
| Sugar, raw (demerara) | 220 g | 211 g | Level cup |
| Butter | 225 g | 216 g | Softened, packed |
| Milk (whole) | 250 g | 240 g | Density approx. 1 g/mL |
| Water | 250 g | 240 g | Pure water at room temperature |
| Honey | 340 g | 326 g | Dense liquid (density ~1.36 g/mL) |
| Oil, vegetable | 216 g | 207 g | Density ~0.865 g/mL |
| Oil, olive | 216 g | 207 g | Density ~0.865 g/mL |
| Rice, raw | 185 g | 178 g | Short or long grain, uncooked |
| Rolled oats | 90 g | 86 g | Light and airy |
| Cocoa powder | 100 g | 96 g | Spooned, not packed |
| Baking powder | 230 g | 221 g | Level teaspoon = approx 4.6 g |
| Salt (table) | 290 g | 278 g | Fine table salt |
| Breadcrumbs, dry | 115 g | 110 g | Dry packaged, lightly spooned |
| Desiccated coconut | 85 g | 82 g | Finely shredded, unsweetened |
| Cornflour (cornstarch) | 120 g | 115 g | Sifted |
| Peanut butter | 260 g | 250 g | Smooth, packed |
| Yoghurt (plain) | 250 g | 240 g | Full-fat, similar to water |
| Sour cream | 240 g | 230 g | Thick, full-fat |
| Cream cheese | 230 g | 221 g | Full-fat block style |
Values are reference averages. Actual weights vary by brand, how the ingredient is prepared (sifted vs unsifted, packed vs spooned), and measurement technique. For precise baking always use kitchen scales.
Tips for Accurate Baking Measurements
- Weigh in grams where possible. Kitchen scales cost less than $20 and remove all ambiguity from cup measurements.
- For dry ingredients such as flour, spoon the ingredient into the cup and level it off with a straight edge rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can pack in up to 20 percent more.
- For liquids, use a clear measuring jug at eye level to check the meniscus accurately.
- Packed vs unpacked matters for brown sugar: most recipes expect firmly packed, which is the value used in this converter.
- Icing sugar should be sifted before measuring by cup, or weighed directly.
Related Calculators
- Essential Calculators hub: all converters and general-purpose tools.
- Cooking Measurement Converter: convert between cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, and millilitres.
- Weight Converter: convert grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds.
- Kilograms to Pounds Converter: quick kg to lb conversion.
Method: Grams to cups conversion is calculated as: Cups = Grams / (reference grams per 250 mL cup) x (250 / selected cup mL). Reference ingredient weights are sourced from the USDA FoodData Central database, the New Zealand Food Composition Database (Plant and Food Research), and standard NZ/AU baking references. Tablespoon = 15 mL (NZ metric); teaspoon = 5 mL (NZ metric).
Reference weights are averages and will vary depending on how the ingredient is measured, the brand, and moisture content. For baking where precision matters, weighing ingredients in grams is always recommended over cup measurements.