Grams to cups depends on the ingredient. Using King Arthur Baking’s all-purpose flour portion of 120 g per recipe cup, 500 g of flour is approximately 4.1667 cups. The same 500 g of granulated sugar occupies a different number of cups. Choose the ingredient, cup definition and recipe multiplier before converting.
How to use the grams-to-cups calculator
- Choose the ingredient that matches the recipe, including whether brown sugar is packed.
- Select the source recipe cup, a 240 mL nutrition-label cup or a 250 mL cup.
- Choose grams-to-cups or cups-to-grams and enter the quantity.
- Use a fraction such as 1/2 or a mixed number such as 1 1/4 for a cup amount.
- Set the recipe multiplier to 1 for the original quantity, 2 to double or 0.5 to halve it.
- Read the selected grams-per-cup value before using the result in another recipe.
Grams to cups formula and ingredient source
Cups = grams ÷ grams per cup. In reverse, grams = cups × grams per cup. Ingredient weights come from the King Arthur Baking ingredient chart. They are recipe portions, not a universal density for every brand or packing method. Butter is derived from its published 113 g per half cup, doubled to 226 g without adding another rounding step.
The default setting reproduces those portions directly. For the optional volume-defined cups, the tool estimates the ingredient weight by scaling the source portion relative to a US customary cup. This assumes that the source’s recipe cup can be treated as a US customary cup and that ingredient packing stays comparable. That assumption is visible beside the result.
Ingredient conversion chart
| Ingredient | Source recipe cup, g | Half cup, g | 500 g, cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 120 | 60 | 4.167 |
| Granulated white sugar | 198 | 99 | 2.525 |
| Brown sugar, packed | 213 | 106.5 | 2.347 |
| Butter | 226 | 113 | 2.212 |
| Old-fashioned or quick oats, dry | 89 | 44.5 | 5.618 |
| Confectioners’ sugar, unsifted | 113 | 56.5 | 4.425 |
The chart is calculated from the same ingredient portions used by the widget. Choose your own grams-per-recipe-cup value if the recipe author or ingredient package gives a different amount. Do not use the flour row for sugar, oats or a liquid.
Half of a cup in grams
For all-purpose flour, half of the source recipe cup is 120 × 0.5 = 60 g. For granulated white sugar it is 198 × 0.5 = 99 g. For packed brown sugar it is 213 × 0.5 = 106.5 g. A search for “half of a cup in grams” therefore needs an ingredient before it has one meaningful answer.
Which cup should I choose?
A US customary cup is derived from the NIST liquid-volume relationships: 16 cups make one US liquid gallon. A US nutrition-label cup is defined as 240 mL in 21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii). The third option lets you use a cup defined as 250 mL. Choose the size stated by the recipe or on the actual measuring cup; the word “cup” alone does not establish it.
The 250 mL setting is an explicit selected capacity, rather than a claim that every recipe from a particular country uses that size. If the recipe is from King Arthur and gives both grams and cups, its stated gram amount is usually the clearest way to preserve the intended ingredient quantity.
Scaling a recipe
The recipe multiplier scales the final amount after conversion. For 250 g of flour doubled, the total is 500 g and approximately 4.1667 source recipe cups. For half of a recipe requiring 1 1/2 cups of flour, enter that mixed number, select cups-to-grams and use a multiplier of 0.5. The result is 90 g with the source portion.
Scale each ingredient separately. Multiplying the flour amount does not establish the density of another ingredient. When a recipe’s original gram weights are available, scale those gram amounts directly to avoid introducing a volume estimate.
Packing, flour scooping and precision
A cup is volume while a gram is mass. Compaction, air spaces, moisture and ingredient differences can change the mass occupying a cup. Packed brown sugar and loosely filled sugar are different inputs, just as dry oats and prepared oatmeal are different ingredients.
Displayed decimal precision belongs to the arithmetic; it does not remove uncertainty in the source portion. For baking where a small ratio change matters, weigh the ingredient. Use the grams-to-teaspoons converter for smaller measures, or the cake size and servings calculator when planning the finished cake.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups is 500 g of flour?
Using the 120 g all-purpose-flour source recipe cup, 500 ÷ 120 is about 4.1667 cups. Other flour types, cup sizes or packing methods may differ.
How many grams is half a cup?
It depends on the ingredient. The source portions give 60 g for all-purpose flour and 99 g for granulated white sugar.
Is a cup always 240 mL?
No. The US nutrition-label cup is 240 mL, while a US customary cup has a different volume. Check the cup specified in your recipe.
Can I enter cup fractions?
Yes. Enter fractions such as 1/2 or mixed numbers such as 1 1/4 in the cups field.
Why is butter shown as 226 g per cup?
The selected source lists 113 g for half a cup. This tool doubles that published rounded portion, giving 226 g.
What if my recipe lists a different flour weight per cup?
Use the custom grams-per-recipe-cup input or, preferably, scale the recipe’s stated gram amount directly.
Sources & method
- King Arthur Baking — ingredient weight chart (recipe cup portions)
- NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C — US liquid volume units
- 21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii) — 240 mL nutrition-label cup
Results are estimates for general information. Found an error? It helps everyone — see our methodology.