Brown sugar cups to grams
Every number here assumes the brown sugar is firmly packed, which is what American recipes mean unless they say otherwise. Light and dark brown sugar weigh the same, so the chart works for both.
| Cups | Grams | Ounces | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⅛ cup | 27 g | 0.94 oz | 2 |
| ¼ cup | 53 g | 1.88 oz | 4 |
| ⅓ cup | 71 g | 2.5 oz | 5.3 |
| ½ cup | 107 g | 3.76 oz | 8 |
| ⅔ cup | 142 g | 5.01 oz | 10.7 |
| ¾ cup | 160 g | 5.64 oz | 12 |
| 1 cup | 213 g | 7.51 oz | 16 |
| 1 ½ cups | 320 g | 11.27 oz | 24 |
| 2 cups | 426 g | 15.03 oz | 32 |
| 3 cups | 639 g | 22.54 oz | 48 |
Grams of brown sugar to cups
| Grams | Cups (decimal) | In the kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| 25 g | 0.12 | 1 tbsp + 2 ½ tsp |
| 50 g | 0.23 | 3 tbsp + 2 ½ tsp |
| 100 g | 0.47 | ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp + ½ tsp |
| 125 g | 0.59 | ½ cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 150 g | 0.7 | ⅔ cup + 2 tsp |
| 200 g | 0.94 | ¾ cup + 3 tbsp |
| 250 g | 1.17 | 1 cup + 2 tbsp + 2 ½ tsp |
| 300 g | 1.41 | 1 ⅓ cups + 1 tbsp + ½ tsp |
| 500 g | 2.35 | 2 ⅓ cups + ½ tsp |
What "packed" actually means
Brown sugar is soft and slightly damp because each crystal is coated in molasses. Spoon it loosely into a cup and you'll get a lot of air pockets, so a loosely filled cup weighs a lot less than a packed one. That's enough to make cookies spread less and taste less caramel-y than the recipe intended.
To pack it properly, press the sugar into the measuring cup with the back of a spoon or your fingers, add more, and press again until it's level with the rim. When you turn the cup over, the sugar should slide out in one piece and hold the cup's shape. If it crumbles, it wasn't packed firmly enough.
Some recipes say "lightly packed." There's no standard weight for that, so if you see it, aim for somewhere between loose and firm and don't worry about a few grams.
Light vs dark brown sugar
Both are white sugar with molasses mixed back in. Dark brown sugar has roughly twice as much molasses, which gives it a deeper color, a stronger toffee flavor and slightly more moisture. By the cup they weigh the same, about 213 grams packed, so you can swap one for the other in any recipe. Expect dark brown sugar to make cookies a little chewier and darker.
Muscovado is a less refined cousin with an even stronger molasses flavor and a stickier texture. It packs into a cup a bit differently, so if a recipe gives a gram weight for muscovado, use it.
How much is a pound of brown sugar?
A 1-pound (454 g) bag holds a little over 2 cups of packed brown sugar: about 2.13 cups by our numbers. Domino, one of the biggest US brands, lists roughly 2⅓ cups per pound. The difference comes down to how hard you press, which is one more reason to weigh brown sugar if you can.
Out of brown sugar? Make your own
Stir or blend 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses for light brown sugar, or 2 tablespoons of molasses for dark. By weight, that's 198 g of sugar plus about 21 g of molasses, which lands within a few grams of a packed cup of store-bought brown sugar. A fork works, but a food processor gets the color even in about 30 seconds.
Rock-hard brown sugar
Brown sugar hardens when the moisture in the molasses evaporates. It hasn't gone bad, it just needs the moisture back:
- Overnight: seal it in a container with a slice of bread or a few apple slices. By morning it will be soft again.
- Right now: put it in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a damp paper towel and heat in 20-second bursts, breaking it up between each one. Use it quickly, as it hardens again as it cools.
Hardened sugar is also the moment a scale pays for itself. You can't pack lumps into a cup, but you can weigh them and let them dissolve into the butter as you cream it.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of brown sugar?
One cup of packed brown sugar weighs about 213 grams. That goes for both light and dark brown sugar.
How many grams is ½ cup of brown sugar?
Half a cup of packed brown sugar is about 107 grams. A quarter cup is about 53 grams, and a third of a cup about 71 grams.
How many grams is 2 cups of brown sugar?
Two cups of packed brown sugar weigh about 426 grams, which is close to a full 1-pound bag.
How many cups is 100 grams of brown sugar?
100 grams of brown sugar is about 0.47 cups packed, or ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp + ½ tsp.
Does dark brown sugar weigh more than light brown sugar?
No. Packed into a cup, both weigh about 213 grams. Dark brown sugar has more molasses, which changes the flavor and color, not the weight per cup.
Should brown sugar be packed when measuring?
Yes, unless the recipe says otherwise. American recipes assume brown sugar is pressed firmly into the cup so that it holds its shape when you tip it out.