How Many Ounces Are in a Cup of Sugar?

How many ounces are in 1 cup of each sugar type?

According to King Arthur Baking's ingredient weight chart, sugar weight per cup varies significantly by type. Granulated white sugar weighs 7 oz per cup (200 g). Brown sugar (packed) weighs 7.5 oz per cup (213 g). Powdered sugar weighs 4 oz per cup (113 g, the lightest common sugar). Coconut sugar weighs 5.1 oz per cup (145 g). Turbinado sugar weighs 6.7 oz per cup (191 g). Demerara sugar weighs 6.8 oz per cup (192 g). Date sugar weighs 3.5 oz per cup (100 g). Maple sugar weighs 6.5 oz per cup (184 g). The variation comes from crystal size and packing density: powdered sugar is the lightest because its fine particles trap more air, while brown sugar is the heaviest because packing compresses the molasses-coated crystals. For substitution in recipes, weight-based swaps work better than cup-for-cup.

Why is the cup of sugar 7 oz by weight but 8 oz by volume?

This is one of the most common kitchen measurement confusions. A US cup is 8 fluid ounces by volume (a fixed amount of space), but a cup of granulated sugar weighs only 7 ounces by weight. The difference comes from density: 8 fluid ounces measures the volume of the cup (236.6 ml), but sugar is less dense than water. Water at the same 8 fl oz volume weighs 8.3 ounces; sugar at the same volume weighs only 7 oz because the crystal structure includes air gaps between particles. This is why baking recipes that specify sugar weights (in ounces or grams) give more reliable results than cup measurements; the 'cup' volume can yield 6.5 to 8 ounces of actual sugar depending on how it's measured.

How does sugar weight scale through smaller amounts?

For granulated sugar: 1 tsp is 0.14 oz (4 g), 1 tbsp is 0.44 oz (12.5 g), 1/4 cup is 1.75 oz (50 g), 1/3 cup is 2.3 oz (67 g), 1/2 cup is 3.5 oz (100 g), 2/3 cup is 4.7 oz (133 g), 3/4 cup is 5.25 oz (150 g), and 1 cup is 7 oz (200 g). For brown sugar (packed): 1 tbsp is 0.47 oz (13 g), 1/4 cup is 1.9 oz (53 g), 1/2 cup is 3.75 oz (106 g), and 1 cup is 7.5 oz (213 g). For powdered sugar: 1 tbsp is 0.26 oz (7.5 g), 1/4 cup is 1 oz (28 g), 1/2 cup is 2 oz (57 g), and 1 cup is 4 oz (113 g).

When does the sugar cup-to-ounce math matter most?

Baking is the biggest case. Cookie spread, cake texture, and bread crust development all depend on accurate sugar quantity; weighing in ounces or grams beats cup measurements for consistency. A 5 lb bag of granulated sugar yields about 11 cups. International recipes use grams universally for sugar. Nutrition tracking apps use weight (grams) for accurate calorie and carbohydrate counting; 1 cup of granulated sugar provides about 770 calories and 200 g of carbohydrates.