Ounces to grams in the kitchen
Ingredient data verified against USDA FoodData Central on
An ounce in a recipe is 28.35 grams. Always the standard ounce, never the troy one used for gold and silver. The exact figure is 28.349523125 g, but no kitchen scale reads past a hundredth of a gram, so 28.35 is the number to use.
So far, simple. What ruins bakes is everything around it. A fluid ounce is not an ounce. "One cup" is not one measurement. And flour changes weight depending on how you fill the cup.
“One cup” is not one measurement
Cup sizes differ by country. Nothing printed on the cup tells you which one a recipe assumed. A recipe from Sydney and one from Seattle mean different amounts by the same word.
| Measure | Volume | In fluid ounces | Where it is standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cup, US customary | 236.588 ml | 8.00 fl oz | United States, what almost all US recipes mean |
| Cup, US legal | 240 ml | 8.12 fl oz | US nutrition labels only, not recipes |
| Cup, metric | 250 ml | 8.45 fl oz | UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada |
| Cup, Japan | 200 ml | 6.76 fl oz | Japan |
| Rice cup (gō), Japan | 180.39 ml | 6.10 fl oz | The cup supplied with a rice cooker; rice only |
| Tablespoon | 15 ml | 0.51 fl oz | Most of the world |
| Tablespoon, Australia | 20 ml | 0.68 fl oz | Australia alone, a third larger |
The "1 cup = 8 oz" rule only holds for the US cup. Even there it means 8 fluid ounces, which is a volume. A metric cup is 8.45 fl oz and a Japanese cup is 6.76. And what a cup weighs in ounces depends entirely on what is in it: a US cup of water weighs about 8.3 oz, but a US cup of flour weighs about 4.4 oz. Grams to cups, ingredient by ingredient →
Why this page is built differently. We store one number per ingredient: its density in grams per millilitre. Every cup and spoon figure is worked out from that. Most conversion sites store grams-per-cup instead. That quietly bakes one country's kitchen into the data, and it is wrong everywhere else. How we source it →
Ingredient weights, all three cup systems
One cup of each ingredient, in the cup your recipe actually means. Every figure comes from the density in the last column.
| Ingredient | US cup 236.6 ml | Metric cup 250 ml | Japan cup 200 ml | US cup in ounces | Density g/ml |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flours, grains and starches | |||||
| All-purpose flour | 125 g | 132 g | 106 g | 4.41 oz | 0.5284 |
| Bread flour | 137 g | 145 g | 116 g | 4.83 oz | 0.5791 |
| Rolled oats | 81 g | 86 g | 68 g | 2.86 oz | 0.3424 |
| Cornstarch / cornflour | 128 g | 135 g | 108 g | 4.52 oz | 0.5411 |
| White rice, long grain, raw | 185 g | 195 g | 156 g | 6.53 oz | 0.7819 |
| Whole wheat flour | 120 g | 127 g | 101 g | 4.23 oz | 0.5072 |
| Cornmeal | 122 g | 129 g | 103 g | 4.3 oz | 0.5157 |
| Semolina | 167 g | 176 g | 141 g | 5.89 oz | 0.7059 |
| Quinoa, uncooked | 170 g | 180 g | 144 g | 6 oz | 0.7185 |
| Brown rice, raw | 185 g | 195 g | 156 g | 6.53 oz | 0.7819 |
| Lentils, dry | 192 g | 203 g | 162 g | 6.77 oz | 0.8115 |
| Sugars and syrups | |||||
| Granulated sugar | 200 g | 211 g | 169 g | 7.06 oz | 0.8454 |
| Brown sugar | 220 g | 232 g | 186 g | 7.76 oz | 0.9299 |
| Powdered / icing sugar | 120 g | 127 g | 101 g | 4.23 oz | 0.5072 |
| Honey | 339 g | 358 g | 287 g | 11.96 oz | 1.4329 |
| Maple syrup | 315 g | 333 g | 266 g | 11.11 oz | 1.3314 |
| Molasses | 337 g | 356 g | 285 g | 11.89 oz | 1.4244 |
| Corn syrup, light | 341 g | 360 g | 288 g | 12.03 oz | 1.4413 |
| Fats and dairy | |||||
| Butter | 227 g | 240 g | 192 g | 8.01 oz | 0.9595 |
| Whole milk | 244 g | 258 g | 206 g | 8.61 oz | 1.0313 |
| Olive oil | 216 g | 228 g | 183 g | 7.62 oz | 0.913 |
| Vegetable oil (canola) | 218 g | 230 g | 184 g | 7.69 oz | 0.9214 |
| Heavy cream fluid | 238 g | 252 g | 201 g | 8.4 oz | 1.006 |
| Sour cream | 230 g | 243 g | 194 g | 8.11 oz | 0.9722 |
| Cream cheese | 232 g | 245 g | 196 g | 8.18 oz | 0.9806 |
| Yogurt, plain whole milk | 245 g | 259 g | 207 g | 8.64 oz | 1.0356 |
| Cottage cheese large curd, not packed | 210 g | 222 g | 178 g | 7.41 oz | 0.8876 |
| Parmesan, grated | 100 g | 106 g | 85 g | 3.53 oz | 0.4227 |
| Milk powder, whole | 128 g | 135 g | 108 g | 4.51 oz | 0.541 |
| Nuts, chocolate and other | |||||
| Cocoa powder, unsweetened | 86 g | 91 g | 73 g | 3.03 oz | 0.3635 |
| Table salt | 292 g | 309 g | 247 g | 10.3 oz | 1.2342 |
| Water | 237 g | 250 g | 200 g | 8.35 oz | 1 |
| Peanut butter, smooth | 258 g | 273 g | 218 g | 9.1 oz | 1.0905 |
| Almonds, whole whole | 143 g | 151 g | 121 g | 5.04 oz | 0.6044 |
| Walnuts, chopped chopped | 117 g | 124 g | 99 g | 4.13 oz | 0.4945 |
| Coconut, shredded sweetened shredded | 93 g | 98 g | 79 g | 3.28 oz | 0.3931 |
| Baking chocolate, grated grated | 132 g | 139 g | 112 g | 4.66 oz | 0.5579 |
Sources: the USDA record behind every figure above
Each ingredient is matched to a FoodData Central record, and the weight we store is the one USDA publishes for that portion. Search any ID at fdc.nal.usda.gov to read the source record yourself.
| Ingredient | FDC ID | USDA description | Portion measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 169761 | Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched | 1 cup |
| Bread flour | 168896 | Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched | 1 cup |
| Granulated sugar | 169655 | Sugars, granulated | 1 cup |
| Brown sugar | 168833 | Sugars, brown | 1 cup |
| Powdered / icing sugar | 169656 | Sugars, powdered | 1 cup |
| Butter | 173410 | Butter, salted | 1 cup |
| Honey | 169640 | Honey | 1 cup |
| Rolled oats | 173904 | Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry | 1 cup |
| Cocoa powder, unsweetened | 169593 | Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened | 1 cup |
| Cornstarch / cornflour | 169698 | Cornstarch | 1 cup |
| White rice, long grain, raw | 169756 | Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, unenriched | 1 cup |
| Table salt | 173468 | Salt, table | 1 cup |
| Whole milk | 171265 | Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D | 1 cup |
| Olive oil | 171413 | Oil, olive, salad or cooking | 1 cup |
| Water | — | — | 1 cup |
| Whole wheat flour | 168893 | Wheat flour, whole-grain | cup |
| Cornmeal | 169750 | Cornmeal, whole-grain, white | cup |
| Semolina | 169715 | Semolina, enriched | cup |
| Quinoa, uncooked | 168874 | Quinoa, uncooked | cup |
| Brown rice, raw | 169703 | Rice, brown, long-grain, raw | cup |
| Lentils, dry | 172420 | Lentils, raw | cup |
| Maple syrup | 169661 | Syrups, maple | cup |
| Molasses | 168820 | Molasses | cup |
| Corn syrup, light | 168837 | Syrups, corn, light | cup |
| Vegetable oil (canola) | 172336 | Oil, canola | cup |
| Heavy cream | 170859 | Cream, fluid, heavy whipping | cup, fluid |
| Sour cream | 171257 | Cream, sour, cultured | cup |
| Cream cheese | 173418 | Cheese, cream | cup |
| Yogurt, plain whole milk | 171284 | Yogurt, plain, whole milk | cup |
| Cottage cheese | 172179 | Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd | cup, large curd, not packed |
| Parmesan, grated | 171247 | Cheese, parmesan, grated | cup |
| Milk powder, whole | 170876 | Milk, dry, whole, with added vitamin D | cup |
| Peanut butter, smooth | 172470 | Peanut butter, smooth style, without salt | cup |
| Almonds, whole | 170567 | Nuts, almonds | cup, whole |
| Walnuts, chopped | 170187 | Nuts, walnuts, english | cup, chopped |
| Coconut, shredded sweetened | 168586 | Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), sweetened, shredded | cup, shredded |
| Baking chocolate, grated | 167568 | Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares | cup, grated |
Flour: the 20% problem
Flour breaks more recipes than anything else. Not because anyone converted it wrongly. Because there is no single right answer.
How you fill the cup changes how tightly the flour packs. Dipping straight into the bag presses it down. Spooning it in and levelling off does not. Sifting first makes it lighter still. Same cup, same flour, very different weight:
| Method | 1 US cup | 1 US cup in oz | 1 metric cup | vs spooned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| spooned and levelled | 125 g | 4.41 oz | 132 g | — |
| scooped from the bag | 150 g | 5.29 oz | 159 g | +20% |
| sifted before measuring | 110 g | 3.88 oz | 116 g | -12% |
This is why professional recipes are written by weight. If a recipe gives grams, use grams. You have the version with no guesswork in it. For the amounts that come up most often, the printable chart saves a trip back here.
Four ingredients a number alone will not fix
Most of the table above is a straight lookup. These four are not, because the recipe is describing something other than a plain weight, and no single figure covers it.
Butter is sold as a weight, not a volume
A US stick of butter is a quarter pound, which is 113.398 g, or exactly 4 standard ounces. That is unusual: "1 stick" is already a weight, so it converts precisely and needs no density at all. Four sticks make a pound.
Elsewhere butter comes in a 250 g block, so a recipe written around sticks does not divide neatly into it. A stick is a little under half a 250 g block, not half. A "half-pound block" is 227 g, or two sticks.
"Packed" brown sugar is an instruction, not a weight
Brown sugar is the one ingredient where the recipe usually tells you how hard to press it, and it changes the answer by a third. Firmly packed, a US cup is 220 g. Loosely spooned, the same cup holds about 165 g. That is a 33% spread between two readings of the same measure.
If a recipe says packed and you spoon it in loosely, you are a third short on the sugar and on the moisture it carries. Our table uses the packed figure, because that is what recipes overwhelmingly mean.
A Japanese rice cup is not a Japanese cup
This one catches people with a rice cooker. The plastic cup supplied with it is a gō, 180.39 ml, which is 180.39 ml and not the 200 ml Japanese cup, nor the 236.6 ml US one. The water lines inside the bowl assume it.
One rice cup of raw white rice is about 141 g. The same rice measured in a US cup is 185 g, and in a metric cup 195 g. Use the wrong cup and the water ratio is wrong before you start.
Honey weighs half as much again as it looks
Honey and syrups are where the fluid-ounce confusion below does real damage. One US fluid ounce of honey is 42.4 g, which is 1.49 weight ounces. Read "8 oz of honey" as a cup and you are nearly 50% over.
Fluid ounces are not ounces
A fluid ounce measures how much space something takes up. An ounce measures how much it weighs. They match for water. For everything else they drift apart fast:
| Ingredient | 1 US fl oz weighs | In ounces (weight) |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 29.6 g | 1.04 oz |
| Whole milk | 30.5 g | 1.08 oz |
| Olive oil | 27 g | 0.95 oz |
| Honey | 42.4 g | 1.49 oz |
Honey is the clearest case. A fluid ounce of honey weighs about 1.4 ounces. Swap the two in a recipe and you are 40% out on the sweetener.
Converting a whole recipe at once
The converter on the homepage has a batch mode. Paste your ingredient list, one line each, and it converts every line at once. It reads compound amounts like 1 lb 6 oz and fractions like ½ oz. It ignores the ingredient names around them too. So you can paste straight from a recipe without tidying it up.
Frequently asked
How many grams in a cup of flour?
It depends which cup your recipe means. In a US customary cup of 236.588 ml, all-purpose flour is about 125 g. In a metric cup of 250 ml, used in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, it is about 132 g. In a Japanese cup of 200 ml it is about 106 g. How you fill the cup matters too: scooping straight from the bag packs in up to 20% more than spooning it in and levelling.
How many grams of flour are in a cup?
About 125 g for a US cup of all-purpose flour, spooned in and levelled off. Sifted flour drops to roughly 110 g for the same cup, and flour scooped straight from the bag rises to about 150 g. This is why recipes that matter are written by weight.
How many grams is an ounce in baking?
Exactly 28.349523125 grams, usually rounded to 28.35 g. For most home baking, rounding to 28 g is close enough. For bread and pastry, where hydration ratios matter, use the full figure or weigh directly in grams.
Is a fluid ounce the same as an ounce in a recipe?
No. A fluid ounce measures volume and an ounce measures weight. They match only for water, which weighs almost exactly 1 oz per US fluid ounce. A fluid ounce of honey weighs about 1.4 oz and a fluid ounce of oil about 0.9 oz. If a recipe lists dry ingredients in ounces, it means weight.
Does a recipe in ounces ever mean troy ounces?
No. Troy ounces are used only for precious metals and gemstones. Any ounce in a recipe is a standard avoirdupois ounce of 28.349523125 grams.
Why do my converted recipes still fail?
Usually because the original measured by volume and the conversion assumed one fixed cup weight. Flour varies by up to 20% depending on whether it was scooped, spooned, or sifted, and cup sizes differ by country. Weighing in grams removes both problems at once.
How many grams is a stick of butter?
One US stick of butter is 113 grams, which is a quarter pound or exactly 4 standard ounces. Two sticks make 227 g, and four make one pound at 454 g.
How many ounces are in a cup?
A US cup holds 8 fluid ounces by volume, but its weight in ounces depends entirely on what is in it. A cup of water weighs about 8.3 oz, a cup of flour about 4.4 oz, and a cup of honey about 12 oz. Fluid ounces and weight ounces are not interchangeable.