Granulated sugar grams to cups
To convert grams to cups, divide the grams by 200. For example, 100 g of granulated sugar ≈ ½ cup (0.5 cups).
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Granulated sugar is one of the few baking staples where a cup is genuinely reliable: the crystals are uniform, free-flowing, and don't compress, so 1 US cup lands at 200 g almost every time. That consistency is exactly why bakers trust it for ratios.
Granulated sugar grams to cups chart (US cup)
| Grams | Cups (approx.) | Decimal cups |
|---|---|---|
| 25 g | ⅛ cup | 0.12 |
| 50 g | ¼ cup | 0.25 |
| 75 g | 0.38 cup | 0.38 |
| 100 g | ½ cup | 0.5 |
| 125 g | 0.62 cup | 0.62 |
| 150 g | ¾ cup | 0.75 |
| 175 g | ⅞ cup | 0.88 |
| 200 g | 1 cup | 1 |
| 250 g | 1¼ cups | 1.25 |
| 300 g | 1½ cups | 1.5 |
| 400 g | 2 cups | 2 |
| 500 g | 2½ cups | 2.5 |
Why granulated sugar weighs what it does
Granulated (white table) sugar is nearly pure sucrose milled to a medium, even crystal, so it pours and settles predictably at about 200 g per US cup. Unlike flour or brown sugar, it doesn't pack or aerate much: tapping the cup changes the weight only slightly because the hard crystals already sit close together. Crystal size is what shifts the number, superfine (caster) sugar packs denser, around 225 g per cup, while coarse sanding or sparkling sugar runs lighter and chunkier. Humidity has little effect since the crystals don't readily absorb moisture, which is part of why volume measuring is forgiving here.
How to measure granulated sugar
Because the crystals don't compact, you don't need spoon-and-level care here, dip the cup, scoop, and sweep the top flat with a straight edge. No need to pack or tap. The one habit worth keeping: break up any hardened lumps first, since clumped sugar traps air pockets and reads low on the scale. For caster or superfine, weigh it; it's noticeably denser than standard granulated.
Common mistake
Swapping in caster or superfine sugar cup-for-cup without adjusting. It looks the same but packs tighter (~225 g/cup), so a "cup" delivers more sugar than the recipe wants, throwing off sweetness, spread, and browning. The reverse trips people up too: measuring coarse sanding sugar as if it were standard granulated.
Other cup sizes
| Cup type | 1 cup of granulated sugar |
|---|---|
| US cup (240 ml) | 200 g |
| Metric cup (250 ml) | 208 g |
| Australian / South African cup (250 ml) | 208 g |
| Imperial cup (284 ml) | 237 g |
Where it matters
It's the backbone of creamed cookies, cakes, meringues, simple syrups, and anything where sugar dissolves into the batter. Precision matters most in meringues and caramels, too much or too little sugar changes structure and set point. For everyday cookies and cakes a few grams off is harmless, but a scale removes guesswork when you're scaling a recipe up or down.
FAQ
Is granulated sugar the same as caster or superfine sugar?
No. They're both pure sucrose, but caster (superfine) sugar is milled to smaller crystals. It dissolves faster and packs denser, about 225 g per cup versus 200 g for standard granulated, so they're not a 1:1 swap by volume.
Does it matter if my sugar is packed or settled in the cup?
Barely. Unlike brown sugar, granulated sugar's hard crystals don't compress much, so tapping or pressing changes the weight only a little. Just level the top and break up any lumps first.
How many cups is 1 kg of granulated sugar?
About 5 cups, since 1 US cup weighs 200 g and 1 kg is 1000 g. It's an unusually clean conversion compared to flour or powdered sugar.
Can I substitute brown sugar by the same cup measure?
Not directly. Brown sugar is measured packed and weighs more per cup, plus it adds moisture and molasses flavor. Stick to weights and check the recipe before swapping.