Cocoa powder cups to grams
Cocoa is one of the lightest ingredients in the pantry, so its numbers look small next to flour or sugar. Most recipes use it in fractions of a cup, which is exactly where people get stuck.
| Cups | Grams | Ounces | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⅛ cup | 11 g | 0.37 oz | 2 |
| ¼ cup | 21 g | 0.74 oz | 4 |
| ⅓ cup | 28 g | 0.99 oz | 5.3 |
| ½ cup | 42 g | 1.48 oz | 8 |
| ⅔ cup | 56 g | 1.98 oz | 10.7 |
| ¾ cup | 63 g | 2.22 oz | 12 |
| 1 cup | 84 g | 2.96 oz | 16 |
| 1 ½ cups | 126 g | 4.44 oz | 24 |
| 2 cups | 168 g | 5.93 oz | 32 |
| 3 cups | 252 g | 8.89 oz | 48 |
Grams of cocoa powder to cups
| Grams | Cups (decimal) | In the kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| 10 g | 0.12 | 1 tbsp + 2 ½ tsp |
| 20 g | 0.24 | 3 tbsp + 2 ½ tsp |
| 25 g | 0.3 | ¼ cup + 2 ½ tsp |
| 30 g | 0.36 | ⅓ cup + 1 tsp |
| 40 g | 0.48 | ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 50 g | 0.6 | ½ cup + 1 tbsp + 1 ½ tsp |
| 60 g | 0.71 | ⅔ cup + 2 ½ tsp |
| 75 g | 0.89 | ¾ cup + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 100 g | 1.19 | 1 cup + 3 tbsp |
Why cocoa weighs so little
Cocoa powder is what's left after most of the fat has been pressed out of roasted cocoa beans, then ground very fine. It's light and fluffy, so a full cup weighs only about 84 grams, less than half the weight of a cup of sugar. That also means it's easy to over- or under-measure: a cup that's been tapped down or scooped from a packed tin can weigh quite a bit more.
For accurate results, stir the cocoa in its container, spoon it into the cup and level it off, or simply weigh it. Cocoa tends to form small lumps, so whisk or sift it with the flour before mixing.
Natural vs Dutch-process cocoa
Both weigh about the same per cup, so the conversions on this page work for either. They behave differently in baking, though:
- Natural cocoa is slightly acidic, with a lighter brown color and a sharper chocolate flavor. Most American supermarket cocoa is natural.
- Dutch-process (alkalized) cocoa has been treated to neutralize that acidity. It's darker, smoother and mellower.
The acidity matters when a recipe relies on baking soda to rise, because baking soda needs an acid to react with. If a recipe uses only baking soda and natural cocoa, swapping in Dutch-process cocoa can leave it flat and dense. In recipes leavened with baking powder, or that don't need to rise at all, like brownies, frosting and hot chocolate, you can use either one.
Raw cacao powder is close enough in weight that you can use the same numbers when converting. Its flavor is fruitier and more bitter, so taste as you go.
Replacing chocolate with cocoa
No baking chocolate in the house? For each ounce (28 g) of unsweetened chocolate, use 3 tablespoons of natural cocoa plus 1 tablespoon of butter or neutral oil. Three tablespoons of cocoa weigh about 16 grams. The fat stands in for the cocoa butter that was pressed out when the cocoa was made.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is ½ cup of cocoa powder?
Half a cup of cocoa powder weighs about 42 grams when spooned and leveled.
How many grams is ¾ cup of cocoa powder?
Three quarters of a cup of cocoa powder is about 63 grams.
How many grams is ⅓ cup of cocoa powder?
A third of a cup of cocoa powder is about 28 grams. Two thirds of a cup is about 56 grams.
How many grams is 1 cup of cocoa powder?
One cup of unsweetened cocoa powder weighs about 84 grams. A quarter cup is about 21 grams.
How many cups is 50 grams of cocoa powder?
50 grams of cocoa powder is about 0.6 cups, which is ½ cup + 1 tbsp + 1 ½ tsp.
Does Dutch-process cocoa weigh the same as natural cocoa?
Close enough for home baking. Use the same cup-to-gram numbers for both. The difference between them is acidity and flavor, which matters most in recipes that rely on baking soda.