Brown Sugar Grams to Cups
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar weighs 220 grams, so ½ cup is 110 g and 100 g is ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons.
Tip: Press brown sugar firmly into the cup. Loosely filled, a cup holds a lot less.
One US cup of brown sugar, firmly packed, weighs about 220 g (USDA). To convert grams of brown sugar to cups, divide by 220, so 110 g = ½ cup. American recipes always mean packed brown sugar unless they say otherwise. Spooned in loosely, the same cup weighs a lot less.
Brown sugar grams to cups chart
| Grams | Cups | Measure with | Tbsp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 g | about 2.25 tsp | 2 tsp | 0.7 |
| 25 g | about 2 tbsp | 2 tbsp | 1.8 |
| 50 g | about 3.5 tbsp | ¼ cup | 3.6 |
| 75 g | ⅓ cup | ⅓ cup | 5.5 |
| 100 g | ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp | ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp | 7.3 |
| 113 g | ½ cup | ½ cup | 8.2 |
| 125 g | ½ cup + 1 tbsp | ½ cup + 1 tbsp | 9.1 |
| 150 g | ⅔ cup | 2 × ⅓ cup | 10.9 |
| 200 g | ¾ cup + 2.5 tbsp | 2 × ⅓ cup + ¼ cup | 14.5 |
| 250 g | 1 cup + 2 tbsp | 1 cup + 2 tbsp | 18.2 |
| 300 g | 1 ⅓ cups + 1.5 tsp | 1 cup + ⅓ cup + 1.5 tsp | 21.8 |
| 400 g | 1 ¾ cups + 1 tbsp | 1 cup + ½ cup + ⅓ cup | 29.1 |
| 500 g | 2 ¼ cups + 1 tsp | 2 × 1 cup + ¼ cup + 1 tsp | 36.4 |
| 1000 g | 4 ½ cups + 2 tsp | 4 × 1 cup + ½ cup + 2 tsp | 72.7 |
Cups of packed brown sugar to grams
How to pack brown sugar
Brown sugar is white sugar coated in molasses, which makes it moist and clumpy. It traps a lot of air unless you press it down, which is why recipes ask for it “packed”.
- Spoon brown sugar into a dry measuring cup.
- Press it down firmly with the back of the spoon or your fingers.
- Keep adding and pressing until it’s level with the rim.
- Tip it out. It should hold the shape of the cup.
Filled this way, a cup weighs about 220 g.
Light vs dark brown sugar
Dark brown sugar has more molasses than light brown sugar, which gives it a deeper flavor. Packed into a cup, the two weigh about the same, so use 220 g per cup for both. You can swap one for the other in most recipes; dark gives a stronger caramel taste and slightly moister results.
Common recipe amounts
| Recipe calls for | Packed brown sugar |
|---|---|
| 2 tablespoons | 28 g |
| ¼ cup | 55 g |
| ⅓ cup | 73 g |
| ½ cup | 110 g |
| ⅔ cup | 147 g |
| ¾ cup | 165 g |
| 1 cup | 220 g |
Hard brown sugar
Brown sugar dries out and hardens when it’s exposed to air. To soften it, seal it in a container with a slice of bread or a damp paper towel overnight, or warm it briefly in the microwave under a damp paper towel. Store it airtight to keep it soft. Hardening doesn’t change the weight, so a scale gives the right amount even when it’s lumpy.
See also: granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
Questions
How many grams is 1 cup of brown sugar?
One cup of firmly packed brown sugar weighs about 220 g. King Arthur Baking lists 213 g. Light and dark brown sugar are measured the same way.
How many grams is ½ cup of brown sugar?
½ cup of packed brown sugar weighs 110 g. ¼ cup weighs 55 g and ¾ cup weighs 165 g.
How many cups is 100 grams of brown sugar?
100 g of packed brown sugar is ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons, a little under ½ cup.
Does "1 cup brown sugar" mean packed?
Yes. In American recipes, brown sugar is measured firmly packed unless the recipe says "lightly packed" or "loosely packed".
How many cups are in a 2 lb bag of brown sugar?
A 2 lb (907 g) bag holds about 4 cups of packed brown sugar. A 1 lb box holds about 2 cups.