Cups to Grams: Brown Sugar (Packed)
1 cup of brown sugar (packed) is about 213 grams. Enter any amount to convert it.
How many grams are in a cup of brown sugar (packed)?
One US cup of brown sugar (packed) weighs about 213 grams (7.5 ounces). Half a cup is about 106 g, and one tablespoon is about 13 g.
Recipes that call for brown sugar almost always mean packed firmly into the cup. Loosely scooped brown sugar weighs noticeably less, so weighing removes the guesswork.
Brown Sugar (Packed) conversion chart
| Volume | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 53 g | 1.9 oz |
| ⅓ cup | 71 g | 2.5 oz |
| ½ cup | 106 g | 3.8 oz |
| ⅔ cup | 142 g | 5.0 oz |
| ¾ cup | 160 g | 5.6 oz |
| 1 cup | 213 g | 7.5 oz |
| 1½ cups | 320 g | 11.3 oz |
| 2 cups | 426 g | 15.0 oz |
| 1 tablespoon | 13 g | 0.5 oz |
| 1 teaspoon | 4.4 g | 0.2 oz |
Packed brown sugar, and what "packed" really means
A recipe that calls for brown sugar almost always means it packed firmly into the cup, pressed in with the back of a spoon until it holds the shape of the cup when turned out. That is where the 213 g figure comes from. Loosely spooned brown sugar can weigh 40 g or more less per cup, which makes baked goods noticeably less sweet and less moist.
Light and dark brown sugar are close in weight and can be swapped one for one by weight. The difference is molasses: dark brown sugar has roughly 6.5 percent against about 3.5 percent in light, which gives it a stronger, slightly more bitter flavor and a bit more moisture.
Hard brown sugar, homemade brown sugar and cookie texture
If your brown sugar has set into a rock, a slice of bread or a damp paper towel in the sealed container softens it overnight, and a few seconds in the microwave under a damp towel works in a hurry. Hardened sugar is also nearly impossible to pack into a cup, which is a good argument for weighing it.
In a pinch you can make brown sugar by mixing 1 cup of granulated sugar (200 g) with 1 tablespoon of molasses for light brown, or 2 tablespoons for dark. In cookies, more brown sugar relative to white gives a chewier, softer cookie because the molasses holds moisture, while more white sugar gives a crisper, flatter one.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups is 100 grams of brown sugar (packed)?
100 g of brown sugar (packed) is about 0.47 cups.
How many grams is a tablespoon of brown sugar (packed)?
About 13 g, based on 213 g per cup and 16 tablespoons per cup.
How many cups is a pound of brown sugar?
A pound (454 g) of packed brown sugar is a little over 2 cups, about 2⅛ cups.
Are light and dark brown sugar measured the same way?
Yes. Both are packed firmly into the cup and weigh about the same, so you can swap them by weight or volume.
How many grams is half a cup of packed brown sugar?
About 106 g. A quarter cup is about 53 g.