Cups of Brown Sugar to Grams (Packed vs Loose)
1 cup of packed brown sugar weighs 213 g, per King Arthur Baking ("Brown sugar (dark or light, packed): 1 cup = 213 g"). Light and dark brown sugar share that figure. The word "packed" is doing the work: a loosely spooned cup holds far less, and recipes that say brown sugar without it are assuming you press down.
Source: Brown sugar (dark or light, packed): 1 cup = 213 g (King Arthur Baking, Ingredient Weight Chart). Packed firmly into the cup. USDA lists 220 g packed and 145 g unpacked (fdcId 168833).
| Cups | Grams (US cup) | Ounces (US cup) | Grams (metric cup, 250 ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 27 | 0.939 | 28 |
| 1/4 cup | 53 | 1.88 | 56 |
| 1/3 cup | 71 | 2.5 | 75 |
| 1/2 cup | 106 | 3.76 | 113 |
| 2/3 cup | 142 | 5.01 | 150 |
| 3/4 cup | 160 | 5.64 | 169 |
| 1 cup | 213 | 7.51 | 225 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 320 | 11.27 | 338 |
| 2 cups | 426 | 15.03 | 450 |
| 3 cups | 639 | 22.54 | 675 |
| 4 cups | 852 | 30.05 | 900 |
| Grams | US cups | Measuring-cup version |
|---|---|---|
| 25 g | 0.117 | about 1 tbsp + 2 ¾ tsp |
| 50 g | 0.235 | 3 tbsp + 2 ¼ tsp |
| 100 g | 0.469 | about ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 125 g | 0.587 | about ½ cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 150 g | 0.704 | about ⅔ cup + 2 tsp |
| 200 g | 0.939 | about ¾ cup + 3 tbsp |
| 250 g | 1.17 | about 1 cup + 2 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| 300 g | 1.41 | about 1 ⅓ cups + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 400 g | 1.88 | about 1 ¾ cups + 2 tbsp |
| 500 g | 2.35 | about 2 ⅓ cups + 1 tsp |
| 1,000 g | 4.69 | about 4 ⅔ cups + 1 tsp |
| Measure | Grams | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 tsp | 1.1 | 1.23 |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.2 | 2.46 |
| 1 tsp | 4.4 | 4.93 |
| 1 tbsp (3 tsp) | 13.3 | 14.79 |
| 2 tbsp (1/8 cup) | 26.6 | 29.57 |
| 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) | 53.2 | 59.15 |
| 8 tbsp (1/2 cup) | 106 | 118.3 |
Worked example: a chocolate chip cookie with 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
- Packed cup weight: 213 g.
- Multiply: 1.25 × 213 g = 266 g.
- Skip the pressing and use the USDA unpacked weight: 1.25 × 145 g = 181 g.
- The gap is 85 g, close to a third of the intended sugar, which is why some people complain their cookies come out pale.
- Just weigh out 266 g and nobody has to pack anything.
Packed or loose: the gap is big
Brown sugar clumps and holds moisture, so it leaves air pockets unless you press it into the cup. USDA FoodData Central lists both states: 220 g packed and 145 g unpacked. Against King Arthur Baking's 213 g packed, the loose cup is 68 g lighter, which means a baker who forgets to pack puts in about 32% less sugar.
That shows up fast in cookies: less sugar means less spread, paler colour and a drier chew.
How to pack a cup properly
- Spoon the sugar in, breaking up any lumps first.
- Press down firmly with the back of a spoon or your fingers until the sugar is compact.
- Keep adding and pressing until the sugar is level with the rim.
- Tip the cup out: it should hold its shape like a small sandcastle.
Why the two published packed figures differ
King Arthur Baking says 213 g per packed cup, while USDA says 220 g. The difference of 7 g (3%) likely reflects how firmly the cup was packed. This site uses 213 g because King Arthur Baking states that the cup is packed. If your recipe came from an American baking site, it was probably tested with a similar pack.
Brown sugar next to white
A packed cup of brown sugar (213 g) outweighs a cup of granulated (198 g) by 15 g. If you only have one type, you can swap by weight, and you should, because swapping by cup changes the weight. Demerara is 220 g per cup and turbinado is 180 g. See granulated sugar by the cup for the white-sugar side.
In the metric cup
A 250 ml cup holds about 225 g of packed brown sugar (0.9003 g per ml × 250 ml). Australian recipes say "firmly packed" for the same reason.
Soft brown sugar in metric recipes
British and Australian recipes list soft brown sugar in grams, which sidesteps the packing question entirely. A typical 250 g packet is 1.17 packed cups, or 1 ⅛ cups. If you only have a cup measure, pack it as described above and stop at that line.
Storage affects measuring
Hard, dried-out brown sugar will not pack at all and will under-measure. Soften it with a slice of bread or a damp paper towel in a closed container overnight before you measure.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in 1 cup of packed brown sugar?
1 US cup of firmly packed brown sugar is 213 g (King Arthur Baking); USDA lists 220 g.
How many grams are in 1 cup of loose brown sugar?
USDA FoodData Central lists 145 g for an unpacked cup, far less than a packed cup.
Is dark brown sugar a different weight?
King Arthur Baking gives one figure, 213 g, for both dark and light brown sugar.
How much is half a cup of brown sugar in grams?
Half a cup, packed, is 107 g; a quarter cup is 53.3 g.
Can I use white sugar instead of brown?
By weight, yes, though flavour and moisture change. Replace 213 g of brown with 213 g of granulated, not one cup of it.