Baking conversions

Baking conversions

Baking conversions

how much does a cup of oil weigh

If you are looking to convert baking recipes from cups to grams, use the tables of baking conversions below to guide you when converting ingredients like powdered sugar from cups to grams, or flour from cups to grams, or butter from cups to grams. There’s a little math involved, but it’s worth it. Once you know how to convert a recipe from one unity of measure to another, you will be able to bake almost anything, regardless of where the recipe was developed or how the ingredients were measured.

In North America, most home bakers are used to using measuring cups to measure out ingredients for baking, whether dry ingredients, or wet ingredients. In Europe and other parts of the world, it’s more common to weigh ingredients and use a kitchen scale. To convert recipes from weights to volumes, or from metric units to imperial units, you will need to get comfortable with all the ways we express and abbreviate volumes. Get the baking conversion charts bundle to help you convert pans, ingredients, volumes, weights, temperatures, and more!

Jump to:

  • Get familiar with the units of measure and their abbreviations
  • Kitchen tools you need for measuring ingredients
  • Why “how much does 1 cup weigh” isn’t the right question to ask
  • Conversions for fats
  • Flour
  • Sugars
  • Chocolate
  • Nuts
  • Oats
  • Converting metric volumes (mL) to imperial volumes (cups)
  • Baking conversions chart

Get familiar with the units of measure and their abbreviations

Some recipe writers will spell out the units of measure in their recipe, as grams and ounces, for example, while others may abbreviate them to g and oz. Here’s a rundown of the commonly used abbreviations for the units of measure used in baking.

Volume units

In baking, volumes are usually expressed with the following units and abbreviations:

  • teaspoon is abbreviated to teaspoon or sometimes t
  • tablespoon is abbreviated to tablespoon or sometimes T
  • cups aren’t usually abbreviated but you may see them written as C or c
  • millilitre is abbreviated to mL
  • litre is abbreviated to L
  • fluid ounces are abbreviated to fl oz

Basic baking conversions to remember for volumes

While teaspoons and tablespoons are common in many countries, they aren’t common everywhere. Furthermore, 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon can mean different volumes, depending on the location, though commonly, the conversions for volumes are as follows:

  • 2.5 mL is ½ tsp
  • 5 mL is 1 tsp
  • 15 mL is 1 tablespoon (in most countries)
  • 20 mL is 1 tablespoon (in Australia)
  • 60 mL is ¼ cup
  • 80 mL is ⅓ cup
  • 125 mL is ½ cup
  • 180 mL is ¾ cup
  • 160 mL is ⅔ cup
  • 250 mL is 1 cup
  • 8 fl oz is 250 mL or 1 cup
  • 32 fl oz is 1 L

Weight units

Bakers express weights using the following units and abbreviations:

  • ounces are abbreviated to oz
  • grams are abbreviated to g
  • kilograms are abbreviated to kg
  • pounds are abbreviated to lb

Conversions for imperial to metric weights

  • 1 lb is equivalent to 16 oz or 454 g
  • 2-¼ lb is equal to 1 kg
  • 1000 g is equal to 1 kg

Kitchen tools you need for measuring ingredients

Remember that when you measure out dry ingredients, use cup measures designed for dry ingredients (like these on Amazon), like flour, sugars, oats, etc. On the other hand, use a measuring cup designed for liquids (like this one on Amazon) when you need to measure ingredients like milk, water, and anything that is fluid!

While both tools measure volumes, it’s a lot easier to fill dry measuring cups with dry ingredients and level them by running the back of a knife across. And liquid measuring cups make filling, pouring, and walking around a lot less messy. No spills! Trust me! For nut butters, I use dry measuring cups. Use the tool that you are most comfortable with.

For small quantities of ingredients, never weigh them unless you have a scale that can handle small weights of less than 10 grams. So for ingredients like baking soda, baking powder, and salt, use tablespoons and teaspoons, not your kitchen scale.

If you are unsure, consult this guide to measuring baking ingredients so you use the tools you have properly!

Get the baking conversion charts

One essential tool if you want to transition to baking with your kitchen scale by weight instead of with measuring cups is a baking ingredients conversion chart. I’ve put together an easy-to-use printable Baking Conversions Chart with all the most common baking ingredients that you will need to bake most recipes, including the ones on this blog. The baking conversions chart includes cups, metric & imperial measurements (grams & ounces), and it’s printable! Buy the complete bundle of baking conversion charts to convert ingredients, pans, temperatures, volumes, weights, and more.

Here are the tools you need to measure ingredients in your kitchen:

  • Dry measuring cups: I like heavy duty stainless steel dry measuring cups that sit flat on the counter so that I can spoon ingredients into them easily without the risk of them tipping over. I recommend this OXO set of dry measuring cups from Amazon, which hold together with a magnet.
  • Set of measuring spoons: I own this stainless steel set that you can find on Amazon. The spoons fit in most jars.
  • Liquid measuring cups: I like this set of glass Pyrex measuring cups that you can find on Amazon. Ideally, you should have a 1 cup liquid measuring cup and a 2 cup liquid measuring cup. I also have a 4 cup measuring cup, which is more useful for cooking than baking (like if you have to measure large cups of stock or water for soups and stews). Oxo makes a set of neat liquid measuring cups that are easy to read from above. If you have trouble bending down to read a cup measurer, I highly recommend the Oxo measuring cups! You can also find them on Amazon.
  • Kitchen scale: I have tried several brands but I love the Oxo kitchen scale the most. The OXO kitchen scale takes regular AA batteries, it can also be used to weigh by difference (with negative numbers!), it has a pull out display, and the stainless steel plate that you weigh on can be removed, making washing so much easier—get the OXO kitchen scale on Amazon. By the way, OXO has a new version of their popular kitchen scale on Amazon, but I haven’t tried it yet.
  • Technique is everything so make sure to read this guide to measuring ingredients for baking, so that you use the best techniques.

Below you will find a list of baking conversions that I follow when I’m baking so you can easily convert from grams to cups, or the other way around. If you have to replace one ingredient with another in your recipes, make sure to consult this list of baking substitutions to guide you through the process.

Why “how much does 1 cup weigh” isn’t the right question to ask

“How much does 1 cup weigh?” is a question that I get asked a lot, but it’s a question that is too vague for me to answer without more details: the reality is that the weight of 1 cup of anything is dependant on the density of the ingredient you are measuring. So 1 cup of all purpose flour does not weigh the same thing as 1 cup of chocolate or 1 cup of skim milk, for example. The volume of 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of milk is the same. Yes. But the weight of 1 cup of these ingredients is not. If you are wondering how to convert from volumes to weights, or vice versa, keep reading or sign up to download this baking conversions chart pdf.

Conversions for fats

Baking conversions for butter from cups to grams

As a rule: 1 stick of butter is ½ cup and weighs 115 grams; 2 sticks of butter is 1 cup and weighs 230 grams. A pound of butter is 4 sticks of butter and weighs 450 grams. You should note that 1 stick of butter is also equivalent to 8 tablespoon of butter. Half a stick of butter is equivalent to ¼ cup or 4 tablespoon of butter. Don’t confuse the big pound block of butter with the smaller baking sticks.

  • 1 cup butter weighs 230 grams
  • ¾ cup butter weighs 173 grams
  • ⅔ cup butter weighs 153 grams
  • ½ cup butter weighs 115 grams
  • ⅓ cup butter weighs 77 grams
  • ¼ cup butter weighs 58 grams

Baking conversions for oil from cups to grams

The conversion from volume to weight for oil is slightly different than butter. Oil has a lower density than butter, therefore 1 cup oil weighs a little less than 1 cup of butter. In fact, 1 cup of oil weighs 225 grams.

  • 1 cup oil weighs 225 grams
  • ¾ cup oil weighs 170 grams
  • ⅔ cup oil weighs 150 grams
  • ½ cup oil weighs 113 grams
  • ⅓ cup oil weighs 75 grams
  • ¼ cup oil weighs 56 grams

Flour

The weight of 1 cup of flour varies according to the type of flour. It also varies greatly according to how you fill the measuring cup with flour. I measure flour using the spoon-into-cup method, as opposed to the scooping method.

  • For the spoon-into-cup method, you are spooning the flour into the dry measuring cup and 1 cup of flour is equivalent to 125 grams, on average. You are not packing and compacting the flour into the cup measure. You are not tapping the measuring cup to pack the flour down so you can squeeze in more!
  • For the scooping method: if you take your measuring cup and drag it through a bag of flour to fill it, the flour is more compact in the measuring cup and therefore, 1 cup of flour will weigh 140 grams, if not more.

If you spoon flour into your measuring cup, 1 cup of flour is equivalent to 125 grams, on average. That’s the way I fill a measuring cup and so that is the conversion I use on Kitchen Heals Soul. Here are some useful conversions of cups to grams of flour.

Baking conversions for all-purpose from cups to grams

As a rule, if you fill your measuring cup by spooning in dry ingredients into the cup, then levelling the top, 1 cup of all-purpose flour weighs 125 grams.

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour weighs 125 grams
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour weighs 94 grams
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour weighs 83 grams
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour weighs 63 grams
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour weighs 42 grams
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour weighs 31 grams
  • NOTE: The above conversions also apply to whole wheat flour, buckwheat flour, bread flour, graham flour, and coconut flour,

Baking conversions for cake flour from cups to grams

Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour, and so, 1 cup of cake flour weighs 115 grams. For chestnut flour, 1 cup weighs 115 grams as well. This conversion also applies to chopped nuts: 1 cup of chopped nuts weighs 115 grams.

  • 1 cup cake flour weighs 115 grams
  • ¾ cup cake flour weighs 86 grams
  • ⅔ cup cake flour nuts weighs 77 grams
  • ½ cup cake flour weighs 58 grams
  • ⅓ cup cake flour weighs 38 grams
  • ¼ cup cake flour weighs 29 grams
  • NOTE: The above conversions also apply to chestnut flour and chopped nuts

Sugars

Baking conversions for granulated sugar & brown sugar (not packed) from cups to grams

Please note that I do not pack my brown sugar into the cup measurer. I spoon the sugar into the measurer. As a rule, 1 cup of sugar weighs 200 grams. If you are measuring brown sugar and you pack the brown sugar tightly into the cup measure, 1 cup of brown sugar will weigh 220 grams, if not more.

  • 1 cup granulated or brown sugar weighs 200 grams
  • ¾ cup granulated or brown sugar weighs 150 grams
  • ⅔ cup granulated or brown sugar weighs 133 grams
  • ½ cup granulated or brown sugar weighs 100 grams
  • ⅓ cup granulated or brown sugar weighs 67 grams
  • ¼ cup granulated or brown sugar weighs 50 grams

Remember 1 cup of packed brown sugar weighs 220 grams.

Baking conversions for icing sugar from cups to grams

I measure icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar) the same way I measure flour, using the spoon-into-cup method, as opposed to the scoop-into-cup method. This means that you are not packing and compacting sugar into the cup measure. Others may measure icing sugar differently, but this is how I measure mine. Generally, 1 cup of icing sugar weighs 125 grams.

  • 1 cup icing sugar or powdered sugar weighs 125 grams
  • ¾ cup icing sugar or powdered sugar weighs 94 grams
  • ⅔ cup icing sugar or powdered sugar weighs 83 grams
  • ½ cup icing sugar or powdered sugar weighs 63 grams
  • ⅓ cup icing sugar or powdered sugar weighs 42 grams
  • ¼ cup icing sugar or powdered sugar weighs 31 grams

Baking conversions for honey and maple syrup from cups to grams

Honey and maple syrup are quite dense and therefore 1 cup of honey or maple syrup usually weighs 340 grams (12 oz).

  • 1 cup honey or 1 cup maple syrup weighs 340 grams
  • ¾ cup honey or ¾ cup maple syrup weighs 255 grams
  • ⅔ cup honey or ⅔ cup maple syrup weighs 227 grams
  • ½ cup honey or ½ cup maple syrup weighs 170 grams
  • ⅓ cup honey or ⅓ cup maple syrup weighs 113 grams
  • ¼ cup honey or ¼ cup maple syrup weighs 85 grams

Chocolate

Baking conversions for cocoa powder from cups to grams

I measure cocoa the same way I measure flour, using the spoon-into-cup method, as opposed to the scoop-into-cup method. This means that you are not packing and compacting cocoa into the cup measure. Others may measure cocoa powder differently, but this is how I measure mine. In this way, 1 cup of cocoa powder weighs 100 grams.

  • 1 cup cocoa powder weighs 90 grams
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder weighs 68 grams
  • ⅔ cup cocoa powder weighs 60 grams
  • ½ cup cocoa powder weighs 45 grams
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder weighs 30 grams
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder weighs 23 grams

If you have a recipe with cocoa powder, but only have dark chocolate on hand, check out my guide to how to replace cocoa powder with dark chocolate.

Baking conversions for chocolate pistoles (specifically Cacao Barry brand) and chopped chocolate from cups to grams

The weight of chocolate per cup is entirely dependent on the shape and size of the pieces of chocolate. In general, 1 cup of chocolate weighs 175 grams. This obviously varies depending on if you have big chunks of chocolate or smaller chocolate chips.

  • 1 cup chocolate pistoles weighs 175 grams
  • ¾ cup chocolate pistoles weighs 131 grams
  • ⅔ cup chocolate pistoles weighs 117 grams
  • ½ cup chocolate pistoles weighs 88 grams
  • ⅓ cup chocolate pistoles weighs 58 grams
  • ¼ cup chocolate pistoles weighs 44 grams

Nuts

While 1 cup of whole almonds weighs 140 grams and may vary depending on the type of nut you are weighing, 1 cup of chopped nuts weighs 115 grams, and 1 cup of ground nuts usually weighs 120 grams. For nut butters, generally 1 cup of nut butter weighs 255 grams.

Baking conversions for whole nuts (varies according to the nut measured) from cups to grams

  • 1 cup of whole nuts weighs 140 grams
  • ¾ cup of whole nuts weighs 105 grams
  • ⅔ cup of whole nuts weighs 93 grams
  • ½ cup of whole nuts weighs 70 grams
  • ⅓ cup of whole nuts weighs 47 grams
  • ¼ cup of whole nuts weighs 35 grams

Baking conversions for chopped nuts from cups to grams

  • 1 cup of chopped nuts weighs 115 grams
  • ¾ cup of chopped nuts weighs 87 grams
  • ⅔ cup of chopped nuts weighs 77 grams
  • ½ cup of chopped nuts weighs 58 grams
  • ⅓ cup of chopped nuts weighs 38 grams
  • ¼ cup of chopped nuts weighs 29 grams

Baking conversions for ground nuts from cups to grams

  • 1 cup of ground nuts weighs 120 grams
  • ¾ cup of ground nuts weighs 90 grams
  • ⅔ cup of ground nuts weighs 80 grams
  • ½ cup of ground nuts weighs 60 grams
  • ⅓ cup of ground nuts weighs 40 grams
  • ¼ cup of ground nuts weighs 30 grams

Baking conversions for nut butters (like peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, etc.) from cups to grams

  • 1 cup of nut butter weighs 250 grams
  • ¾ cup of nut butter weighs 188 grams
  • ⅔ cup of nut butter weighs 167 grams
  • ½ cup of nut butter weighs 125 grams
  • ⅓ cup of nut butters weighs 83 grams
  • ¼ cup of nut butter weighs 63 grams

Oats

For rolled oats or large flake oats, as a rule, 1 cup of oats weighs 80 grams. If the measuring cup is packed tightly, 1 cup of oats could weigh 100 grams.

Baking conversions for rolled oats from cups to grams

  • Convert rolled oats from cups to grams
    • 1 cup of rolled oats weighs 90 grams
    • ¾ cup of rolled oats weighs 60 grams
    • ⅔ cup of rolled oats weighs 50 grams
    • ½ cup of rolled oats weighs 40 grams
    • ⅓ cup of rolled oats weighs 25 grams
    • ¼ cup of rolled oats weighs 20 grams

Converting metric volumes (mL) to imperial volumes (cups)

Some websites set 1 cup as 236 mL (or 240 mL). Others set 1 cup as 230 mL. Personally, I set 1 cup to 250 mL. The important thing is to be consistent. I’m honestly not sure any measuring cups are truly able to distinguish between 240 mL and 250 mL, so let’s call 1 cup 250 mL and stick with that. Also, I use American tablespoons and teaspoons to measure smaller amounts of ingredients. And 1 tablespoon (15 mL) is equivalent to 3 teaspoon (3 x 5 mL).

  • Conversions for US cups to millilitres
    • 1 cup = 250 mL
    • ¾ cup = 190 mL
    • ⅔ cup = 170 mL
    • ½ cup = 125 mL
    • ⅓ cup = 80 mL
    • ¼ cup = 60 mL
  • Conversions for US tablespoons & teaspoons to millilitres
    • 1 tablespoon = 15 mL
    • 1 teaspoon = 5 mL
    • ¾ teaspoon = 3.75 mL (rounded to 4 mL)
    • ½ teaspoon = 2.5 mL (rounded to 3 mL)
    • ¼ teaspoon = 1.25 mL (rounded to 1 mL)
    • ⅛ teaspoon = 0.625 mL (rounded to <1 mL)

Please don’t use the mL button on your kitchen scale, if it has one, to measure a volume. Yes, you can weigh a volume, but the button on your kitchen scale is assuming that you are weighing out water, which has a density of 1 gram per millilitre. For example, most oils have a density of 0.9 g per mL, so if you use the mL button on your kitchen scale to measure a volume, it will do so incorrectly and this may lead to problems in your recipe. If you need to measure a volume, use liquid measuring cups (like this set on Amazon).

Baking conversions chart

I created a handy chart that you can download to save on your tablet for when you bake. You can also print it and keep in your kitchen! The chart will help you easily convert recipes from volumes to weights, cups to grams, and also convert other baking elements, like fluid ounces to millilitres, temperatures from Celsius to Fahrenheit, centimetres to inches, etc. I’m giving away the charts FREE if you subscribe. Click here to get the details about the baking conversions chart pdf! You can also buy the complete bundle to convert ingredients, pans, temperatures, volumes, weights, and more.

If you ever have trouble with baking terminology, I’ve also written out a list of baking vocabulary and French pastry terms that you might find useful. There’s also have a complete list of baking abbreviations in case you need it.

This post was last modified on Tháng mười một 26, 2024 6:00 chiều