Sugar Conversion Calculator

About the Sugar Conversion Calculator

Sugar comes in many forms, and each packs into a cup differently. Granulated sugar pours and settles evenly. Caster sugar is finer and packs a little tighter. Brown sugar is moist and is meant to be pressed into the cup. Icing sugar is so fine and airy that a cup of it weighs little more than half a cup of granulated. Honey and maple syrup are liquids, and much heavier again.

This sugar conversion calculator converts any of them between cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, grams and ounces, using typical weights for each type. It also suggests a substitution: how to replace granulated sugar with honey, or how much granulated sugar has the same weight as another sweetener.

How to Use the Sugar Conversion Calculator

Enter the amount.

Choose the unit: cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, grams or ounces.

Choose the type of sugar or sweetener.

How Sugar Is Converted

  grams  =  cups × weight of one cup of that sugar
  cups   =  grams ÷ weight of one cup
  1 cup  =  16 tablespoons  =  48 teaspoons

Step-by-Step Example

One cup of granulated sugar.

  Weight:     1 × 200 g               =  200 g  (7.05 oz)
  With honey: ¾ cup of honey, and ¼ cup less liquid

150 grams of brown sugar, packed.

  One cup:    about 220 g
  Cups:       150 ÷ 220               =  0.68 cups
  To measure: 10 tbsp + 2¾ tsp

Weight per Cup by Sugar Type

Measuring Each Type

Granulated and caster sugar are poured or spooned into the cup and levelled. They settle consistently, so volume measures are fairly reliable.

Brown sugar is pressed firmly into the cup until it holds the shape of the cup when turned out. Recipes almost always mean packed brown sugar.

Icing sugar is spooned lightly into the cup and levelled, or better, weighed. It clumps, so sift it after measuring if the recipe needs it smooth.

Honey and syrups stick to the cup. A light coating of oil inside the cup lets them slide out, so the full amount reaches the bowl.

Substituting Sweeteners

Honey for sugar. Honey is sweeter than sugar and contains water. Use about three quarters as much honey as the sugar called for, reduce other liquids in the recipe by about a quarter cup for each cup of sugar replaced, and lower the oven by about 15 °C or 25 °F, because honey browns faster.

Maple syrup for sugar. Follow the same approach as honey, with slightly more syrup since it is a little less sweet.

Caster sugar for granulated. They can be swapped by weight. Caster dissolves faster, which helps in meringues and delicate sponges.

Brown sugar for white. Swap by weight for a softer, moister result with a light caramel flavour. Dark brown sugar has a stronger flavour than light.

Icing sugar for granulated. Not a good swap in most baking, because the fine texture and added starch change the structure.

Sugar's Role in Recipes

Sugar does more than sweeten. It keeps cakes moist, helps them brown, feeds yeast in bread, stabilises whipped egg whites and affects how cookies spread. That is why cutting the sugar in a baking recipe by more than about a quarter can change the texture, not just the taste. In savoury cooking, sugar is mostly for balance and can be adjusted freely.

Storing Sugar

Granulated and caster sugar keep almost indefinitely in a dry, airtight container. Brown sugar dries out and hardens when exposed to air; keep it sealed, and soften a hard block by placing a slice of bread or a damp paper towel in the container overnight. Icing sugar can absorb moisture and clump, so sift it before use if it has been open for a while.

Reducing Sugar Carefully

Many people want to use less sugar. In drinks, sauces and dressings it can be cut freely to taste. In baking, reducing it by up to a quarter usually works, with a slightly less tender, paler result. Beyond that, texture changes noticeably: cakes become drier and denser, and cookies spread less and turn crisp. Adding a little extra liquid or fruit purée can help make up some of the lost moisture.

Sugar Names Around the World

Granulated sugar is simply called sugar or white sugar in many countries. Caster sugar is known as superfine sugar in the US. Icing sugar is powdered or confectioners' sugar. Light and dark brown sugars are sometimes called soft brown sugars in the UK, and demerara and muscovado are coarser or darker varieties with their own flavours.

A Note on Sweetness

Different sweeteners taste differently sweet at the same weight, so adjust to taste in anything that is not baked.

Understanding Your Result

Sugar is the weight in grams.

In cups gives the volume, with a measurable spoon breakdown.

In ounces gives the weight in ounces.

Substitution shows a honey swap for granulated sugar, or the equivalent granulated sugar for other types.

Worth knowing gives measuring advice for the chosen sugar.

When Should You Use This Calculator?

Converting a recipe between cups and grams.

Replacing sugar with honey or syrup.

Checking brown or icing sugar quantities.

Scaling a recipe by weight.

Buying the right size of bag for a recipe.

Common Mistakes

Swapping icing sugar for granulated cup for cup.

Not packing brown sugar.

Replacing sugar with honey without reducing the liquid.

Cutting sugar heavily in baking without expecting a texture change.

Measuring syrups in a dry, unoiled cup.