Sugar Unit Converter

How to use this calculator

Four inputs. The result shows grams, cups, tablespoons, and calories all at once.

Sugar type is the first dropdown and the most important one. Options include granulated white sugar, brown sugar (light and dark), powdered/icing sugar, raw/turbinado sugar, caster sugar, and sometimes coconut sugar. Select your type before entering any numbers. The density used in the calculation changes depending on which type you pick.

Amount is the quantity you’re starting with. Type it in. Decimals work fine: 0.5 cups, 2.5 tablespoons, 175 grams.

From unit is your source unit: cup, tablespoon (tbsp), teaspoon (tsp), gram (g), or ounce (oz).

To unit is your target. Same options.

Click Calculate and the blue results panel shows the converted value plus 4 simultaneous outputs: Grams, Cups, Tablespoons, and Calories. The calorie figure uses standard values per gram for each sugar type (approximately 3.87 kcal/g for most sugars) applied to the gram equivalent.

The Visualization section below the results renders a proportional cup graphic showing how much of a cup your amount represents.

Why sugar type changes the conversion

Sugar density varies because the crystals pack differently. Granulated sugar has medium-sized crystals that settle into a moderately dense arrangement. Powdered sugar is ground to a fine dust with added cornstarch; it’s airy and compressible. Brown sugar is granulated sugar with molasses added, making the crystals sticky and prone to clumping. Packed firmly into a cup, it’s heavier than granulated. Raw sugar has large, coarse crystals with gaps between them.

Volume measurements (cups, tablespoons) capture a fixed space. Weight measurements (grams, ounces) capture actual mass regardless of how the crystals are arranged. That’s why recipes from professional bakers almost always specify sugar by weight: 200g is 200g no matter how the crystals are sized or how you happened to scoop the cup.

"1 cup" of sugar is only a precise measurement if you specify the type and the scooping method. A loosely spooned cup of powdered sugar can weigh 30-40% less than a firmly packed cup of the same type. Gram measurements eliminate all of that ambiguity.

Density reference by sugar type

Sugar type	Grams per cup	Grams per tbsp	Grams per tsp	Calories per cup
Granulated white	200	12.5	4.2	774
Caster (superfine)	200	12.5	4.2	774
Brown sugar (packed)	220	13.8	4.6	836
Brown sugar (unpacked)	160	10.0	3.3	616
Powdered / icing sugar	120	7.5	2.5	465
Raw / turbinado	180	11.3	3.8	697
Coconut sugar	160	10.0	3.3	592
Demerara	200	12.5	4.2	774

The formulas

All conversions go through grams using the density for the selected sugar type.

Calorie values per gram by sugar type:

The calorie output is the gram equivalent multiplied by the appropriate factor. It’s an estimate: actual calorie content varies slightly by brand and moisture content.

Granulated white sugar: full conversion table

The most common sugar in baking. This is the baseline most recipes assume when they just say “sugar.”

Cups	Tablespoons	Teaspoons	Grams	Ounces	Calories
1/8	2	6	25	0.88	97
1/4	4	12	50	1.76	194
1/3	5.33	16	67	2.35	259
1/2	8	24	100	3.53	387
2/3	10.67	32	133	4.71	515
3/4	12	36	150	5.29	581
1	16	48	200	7.05	774
1.5	24	72	300	10.58	1,161
2	32	96	400	14.11	1,548
2.5	40	120	500	17.64	1,935
3	48	144	600	21.16	2,322

Brown sugar: packed vs unpacked

Brown sugar recipes almost always mean packed unless otherwise stated. The difference is significant enough to affect recipes.

Cups (packed)	Grams	Cups (unpacked)	Grams	Difference
1/4	55	1/4	40	15g
1/3	73	1/3	53	20g
1/2	110	1/2	80	30g
2/3	147	2/3	107	40g
3/4	165	3/4	120	45g
1	220	1	160	60g
1.5	330	1.5	240	90g
2	440	2	320	120g

Powdered / icing sugar conversion table

Powdered sugar is significantly lighter than granulated. A recipe substitution without accounting for density gives far too little sugar by weight.

Cups	Tablespoons	Grams	Ounces	Calories
1/4	4	30	1.06	116
1/3	5.33	40	1.41	155
1/2	8	60	2.12	232
2/3	10.67	80	2.82	310
3/4	12	90	3.17	348
1	16	120	4.23	465
1.5	24	180	6.35	697
2	32	240	8.47	929
3	48	360	12.70	1,394

Grams to cups: quick lookup for international recipes

European and professional recipes specify sugar in grams. This table converts to US cup measurements for the 3 most common sugar types.

Grams	Granulated (cups)	Brown packed (cups)	Powdered (cups)
25	0.125 (1/8)	0.114	0.208
50	0.25 (1/4)	0.227	0.417
75	0.375	0.341	0.625
100	0.5 (1/2)	0.455	0.833
120	0.6	0.545	1.0
150	0.75 (3/4)	0.682	1.25
175	0.875	0.795	1.458
200	1.0	0.909	1.667
220	1.1	1.0	1.833
250	1.25	1.136	2.083
300	1.5	1.364	2.5
400	2.0	1.818	3.333
500	2.5	2.273	4.167

Common recipe amounts decoded

Recipe says	Granulated (g)	Brown packed (g)	Powdered (g)	Tbsp
1 tsp	4.2	4.6	2.5	0.33
1 tbsp	12.5	13.8	7.5	1
2 tbsp	25	27.6	15	2
1/4 cup	50	55	30	4
1/3 cup	67	73	40	5.33
1/2 cup	100	110	60	8
3/4 cup	150	165	90	12
1 cup	200	220	120	16
1.5 cups	300	330	180	24
2 cups	400	440	240	32

Real-world examples

Scaling a cake recipe

A chocolate cake recipe calls for 1.5 cups of granulated sugar. You want to make half the batch.

Converting a UK recipe

A British Victoria sponge recipe calls for 175g of caster sugar. You’re in the US with granulated sugar and cup measures.

Reducing sugar in a recipe

A cookie recipe calls for 1 cup of granulated sugar. You want to reduce by 25% to cut calories.

Making a simple syrup

A bar recipe calls for 2:1 simple syrup: 2 cups sugar to 1 cup water. You want to make a smaller batch using grams.

Common mistakes people make

Scooping instead of spooning into the cup. Scooping a measuring cup directly into the sugar bag compresses the sugar and adds 10-30% more by weight compared to spooning sugar gently into the cup and levelling off. Professional baking recipes are calibrated to the spoon-and-level method. Using a scoop can add 30-60g extra per cup of granulated sugar, enough to meaningfully affect cookies and cakes.

Substituting powdered sugar for granulated by volume. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of granulated sugar (200g) and you substitute 1 cup of powdered sugar (120g), you’re using 40% less sugar by weight. Powdered sugar also contains cornstarch (about 3-5% by weight), which affects texture. For most baked goods, these are not interchangeable by volume.

Assuming “sugar” always means granulated. In the US, “sugar” in a recipe typically means granulated white sugar. In UK recipes, “caster sugar” is more common as the default. French recipes often specify “sucre en poudre” (fine sugar similar to caster). When a recipe’s origin isn’t clear, granulated white is the safe assumption for US recipes; caster for British.

Ignoring the calorie output for portion sizing. 1 cup of sugar is 774 calories. A batch of cookies using 2 cups of sugar has 1,548 calories from sugar alone, before any other ingredients. The calorie output in the calculator is useful not for guilt but for understanding where the calorie density in baked goods actually comes from. Sugar typically contributes 20-40% of total calories in cookies and cakes.

Not accounting for moisture in brown sugar conversions. Brown sugar has a slightly higher moisture content than white due to the molasses. In recipes where moisture balance is critical (bread, macarons, meringues), substituting brown sugar for white doesn’t just change sweetness: it adds moisture. The conversion tables here are by weight; the moisture effect is separate and recipe-dependent.

Sugar types and when to use each

Sugar type	Crystal size	Molasses	Best used for
Granulated white	Medium	None	All-purpose baking, beverages, cooking
Caster / superfine	Fine	None	Meringues, fine-textured cakes, cocktails
Powdered / icing	Dust	None (+ cornstarch)	Frosting, dusting, fudge, glazes
Light brown	Medium	~3.5%	Cookies, marinades, some cakes
Dark brown	Medium	~6.5%	Gingerbread, BBQ rubs, molasses-forward baking
Raw / turbinado	Coarse	Small amount	Topping, coffee, rustic cookies
Demerara	Coarse	Trace	Coffee, crumbles, caramelised toppings
Coconut sugar	Medium-fine	None (sap-based)	Lower-GI substitute, caramel notes

The bottom line

Sugar conversion is more specific than most cooking conversions because the type matters as much as the amount. A cup of powdered sugar and a cup of granulated sugar are not equivalent; the weight difference is 40% and the behaviour in a recipe is completely different.

Select the sugar type first, then enter your amount. The calorie output is a useful bonus: it makes the energy contribution of sugar in a recipe visible without separate calculation.

When in doubt, weigh it. A kitchen scale eliminates every density question permanently, for sugar and for everything else.