Brown Sugar: Cups to Grams
Quick answer: One US cup of brown sugar (packed) weighs about 220 grams (7.8 oz), and one tablespoon about 14 g.
US recipes measure brown sugar (packed) in cups; the rest of the world weighs it. Convert any amount in either direction — and measure it the way the chart assumes: recipes assume it's firmly packed — press it in until it holds the cup's shape.
Brown Sugar conversion chart
| Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|---|
| ¼ cup | 55 g | 1.9 oz |
| ⅓ cup | 73 g | 2.6 oz |
| ½ cup | 110 g | 3.9 oz |
| ⅔ cup | 147 g | 5.2 oz |
| ¾ cup | 165 g | 5.8 oz |
| 1 cup | 220 g | 7.8 oz |
| 1½ cups | 330 g | 11.6 oz |
| 2 cups | 440 g | 15.5 oz |
How it works
Cups measure volume and grams measure weight, so the conversion runs through density: brown sugar (packed) packs about 220 g into a US cup (237 ml). Volume is only as accurate as your technique — recipes assume it's firmly packed — press it in until it holds the cup's shape. That variability is exactly why serious baking recipes list grams, and why a $15 kitchen scale upgrades every bake. If your recipe uses metric cups (250 ml), the weights run about 5% higher.
Frequently asked
How many grams are in a cup of brown sugar (packed)?
About 220 grams (7.8 oz) per US cup, measured properly. A tablespoon is about 14 g.
How many cups is 250 g of brown sugar (packed)?
About 1.14 cups. Divide any gram amount by 220 to get cups — or flip the converter above to grams and it does it for you.
Light or dark brown sugar — different weight?
Same weight per packed cup (~220 g); dark just carries more molasses flavor. They swap 1:1 by cup or by gram.
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