Granulated Sugar Measurements and Conversions
200 g
1 US cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 grams (7.05 oz), according to USDA FoodData Central.
1 tbsp ≈ 12.5 g · 1 tsp ≈ 4.2 g
Granulated sugar: cups to grams and ounces
| Amount | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 25 g | 0.882 oz |
| 1/4 cup | 50 g | 1.76 oz |
| 1/3 cup | 66.7 g | 2.35 oz |
| 1/2 cup | 100 g | 3.53 oz |
| 2/3 cup | 133 g | 4.7 oz |
| 3/4 cup | 150 g | 5.29 oz |
| 1 cup | 200 g | 7.05 oz |
| 1 1/2 cups | 300 g | 10.6 oz |
| 2 cups | 400 g | 14.1 oz |
| 1 tablespoon | 12.5 g | 0.44 oz |
| 1 teaspoon | 4.2 g | 0.15 oz |
How to measure granulated sugar accurately
Granulated sugar, also called white or table sugar, pours freely. Dip a dry measuring cup into the canister or spoon the sugar in, then sweep the top flat with a straight edge. Sugar crystals do not squash together the way flour does, so the method you choose matters less.
The weight of a cup still shifts a little. Lumps from damp storage leave gaps, and a heaped cup that is not leveled adds sugar you did not plan for. Even USDA has two figures: a newer lab measurement found a slightly lighter cup than the older household portion this site uses.
Weigh sugar for candy, caramel, meringue and macarons, where small differences change the result. A scale also helps with recipes in grams, and with doubling or halving a batch, since you can skip the awkward fractions of a cup.
Granulated sugar by the piece
| Unit | Grams | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 packet | 2.8 g | 0.672 tsp |
| 1 cube | 2.3 g | 0.552 tsp |
How many calories are in a teaspoon of granulated sugar?
One teaspoon of granulated sugar (4.2 g) has about 16 calories, 0 g of protein, 0 g of fat and 4.2 g of carbohydrate, according to USDA FoodData Central.
| Measure | Grams | Calories | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Sugars (g) | Sodium (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 200 | 774 | 0 | 0 | 200 | 199.6 | 2 |
| 1 tablespoon | 13 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 0 |
| 1 teaspoon | 4.2 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 0 |
| 1 ounce | 28 | 110 | 0 | 0 | 28.3 | 28.3 | 0 |
| 100 grams | 100 | 387 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 99.8 | 1 |
| 1 packet | 2.8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 0 |
| 1 cube | 2.3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 0 |
USDA’s values per 100 grams, scaled to each measure; a dash means USDA lists no value. Records: FDC 169655 (Sugars, granulated), checked .
Packets, cubes and teaspoons of sugar
The by-the-piece table above uses USDA's weights for a serving packet and a single sugar cube. Both hold less than a level teaspoon: a packet is about two-thirds of one, and a cube a little over half.
That makes coffee math easy. Three packets add up to about two level teaspoons, and two cubes come close to one. A full cup holds 48 teaspoons, so it would take about seventy packets to fill it.
For baking, skip packets and cubes and reach for measuring spoons, since recipe amounts are written in spoons, cups or grams. Keep the packet math for sweetening a mug of tea.
Granulated, caster and powdered sugar
This page covers regular granulated sugar. Caster sugar (superfine sugar in the US) has finer crystals and is not in the data here, so weigh it when a recipe gives grams.
Powdered sugar is a different product by the cup. A cup of it weighs 120 grams, against 200 grams for granulated sugar, because the fine powder holds much more air. Swapping one for the other cup for cup changes both sweetness and texture, so use the powdered sugar page for its own weights.
Granulated sugar: questions
How much does a teaspoon of sugar weigh?
A level teaspoon of granulated sugar weighs 4.2 grams, the same as USDA's own teaspoon portion. A heaped teaspoon holds noticeably more, so level the spoon when a recipe depends on accuracy.
How many grams are in a tablespoon of sugar?
About 12.5 grams. USDA has no tablespoon portion for granulated sugar, so this value is scaled from its cup weight. It agrees with the teaspoon figure, since a tablespoon holds 3 teaspoons.
Is a cup of sugar 8 ounces?
Only by volume. A cup holds 8 fluid ounces of space, but the sugar in it weighs about 7.1 ounces. A recipe that lists 8 ounces of sugar by weight needs about 1.13 cups.
How many cups of sugar are in a pound?
About 2.27 cups, or roughly 2 1/4 cups. By the same math, a 4 lb bag holds about 9 cups and a 5 lb bag about 11 cups. Those counts assume level cups, so heaped scoops empty the bag sooner.
How many cups are in a kilogram of sugar?
A 1 kg bag of granulated sugar fills about 5 US cups. In metric cups (250 ml) it comes to about 4.7, because each metric cup holds about 211 grams.
Related
Source: USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169655 (Sugars, granulated; portion “1 cup” = 200 g). USDA also lists 1 tsp = 4.2 g. Newer USDA Foundation measurements (2006) found 188 g per cup; the site uses the SR Legacy household portion.
Sources: Weights: USDA FoodData Central · Last reviewed · Report an error
https://howmanyounces.com/ingredients/granulated-sugar/