Brown Sugar (packed): Grams to Cups
1 cup of brown sugar (packed) = 220 grams
One US cup of brown sugar (packed) weighs 220 grams. One 250 ml metric cup — the one used in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — holds 232 grams. To convert any weight, divide the grams by the figure for your cup.
Firmly packed brown sugar weighs 220 g per cup (USDA FoodData Central); King Arthur Baking lists 213 g for light or dark. American recipes that say "1 cup brown sugar" mean packed unless they say otherwise.
Packed means pressed until it holds the shape of the cup
Brown sugar is white sugar coated in molasses, which makes it moist and sticky. Loosely spooned into a cup it traps air and weighs only about 145 g (USDA's unpacked figure). Pressed down firmly with your fingers or the back of a spoon until it holds the cup's shape when turned out, it weighs 213–220 g.
That gap — about a third — is why recipes specify packed. If a recipe just says "1 cup brown sugar", assume packed; if it gives grams, weigh.
Light, dark and hard brown sugar
Light and dark brown sugar weigh the same by the cup; dark simply has more molasses (about 6.5% against 3.5%) and a stronger flavour. Brown sugar that has dried into a brick weighs the same once softened: seal it in a container with a slice of bread or a damp terracotta disc overnight, or microwave briefly under a damp towel.
Swapping brown sugar and white sugar
Packed brown sugar can replace white sugar gram for gram — 200 g of brown for 200 g of white — and gives a moister, chewier, more caramel-flavoured result. Measured by the cup the swap is less even, because a packed cup of brown sugar weighs about 20 g more than a cup of white. To make your own, mix 1 cup (200 g) of white sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses for light brown, or 2 tablespoons for dark.
Where the 220 g figure comes from
- USDA FoodData Central: 1 cup packed of “Sugars, brown” = 220 g (FDC ID 168833)
- King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart: Brown sugar (dark or light, packed), 1 cup = 213 g (chart)
This site uses 220 g per US cup of brown sugar (packed), spooned and levelled. References checked September 2026.
How many cups is X grams of brown sugar (packed)?
| Grams | US cups | Metric cups | Tablespoons | Ounces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 g brown sugar (packed) | ⅛ | ⅛ | 1.82 | 0.88 |
| 50 g brown sugar (packed) | ¼ | ¼ | 3.64 | 1.76 |
| 75 g brown sugar (packed) | ⅓ | ⅓ | 5.45 | 2.65 |
| 100 g brown sugar (packed) | ½ | ⅜ | 7.27 | 3.53 |
| 110 g brown sugar (packed) | ½ | ½ | 8 | 3.88 |
| 120 g brown sugar (packed) | ½ | ½ | 8.73 | 4.23 |
| 125 g brown sugar (packed) | ⅝ | ½ | 9.09 | 4.41 |
| 130 g brown sugar (packed) | ⅝ | ½ | 9.45 | 4.59 |
| 140 g brown sugar (packed) | ⅝ | ⅝ | 10.18 | 4.94 |
| 150 g brown sugar (packed) | ⅔ | ⅝ | 10.91 | 5.29 |
| 170 g brown sugar (packed) | ¾ | ¾ | 12.36 | 6.00 |
| 175 g brown sugar (packed) | ¾ | ¾ | 12.73 | 6.17 |
| 200 g brown sugar (packed) | ⅞ | ⅞ | 14.55 | 7.05 |
| 225 g brown sugar (packed) | 1 | 1 | 16.36 | 7.94 |
| 240 g brown sugar (packed) | 1⅛ | 1 | 17.45 | 8.47 |
| 250 g brown sugar (packed) | 1⅛ | 1⅛ | 18.18 | 8.82 |
| 275 g brown sugar (packed) | 1¼ | 1⅛ | 20 | 9.70 |
| 300 g brown sugar (packed) | 1⅜ | 1¼ | 21.82 | 10.58 |
| 350 g brown sugar (packed) | 1⅝ | 1½ | 25.45 | 12.35 |
| 400 g brown sugar (packed) | 1⅞ | 1¾ | 29.09 | 14.11 |
| 450 g brown sugar (packed) | 2.05 | 1.94 | 32.73 | 15.87 |
| 500 g brown sugar (packed) | 2¼ | 2⅛ | 36.36 | 17.64 |
How to measure brown sugar (packed) accurately
The 220 g figure assumes the spooned-and-levelled method: spoon the brown sugar (packed) into a dry measuring cup and sweep the top flat with a straight edge. Scooping the cup through the bag compacts it and gives a heavier cup.
- 1 US cup of brown sugar (packed) = 220 g
- 1 metric cup (250 ml) of brown sugar (packed) = 232 g
- ¾ cup = 165 g
- ½ cup = 110 g
- ⅓ cup = 73 g
- ¼ cup = 55 g
- 1 tablespoon = 13.8 g
Frequently asked questions
How many cups is 100 grams of brown sugar (packed)?
100 grams of brown sugar (packed) is about ½ US cups, based on 220 g per cup, or ⅜ metric cups.
How many grams in a cup of brown sugar (packed)?
One US cup of brown sugar (packed) weighs 220 grams. A 250 ml metric cup holds 232 grams.
How many cups is 250 grams of brown sugar (packed)?
250 grams of brown sugar (packed) is about 1⅛ US cups, or 1⅛ metric cups.
Does a UK cup of brown sugar (packed) weigh the same as a US cup?
No. A UK, Australian or Canadian metric cup is 250 ml against the US 236.6 ml, so it holds about 5.7% more — 232 g of brown sugar (packed) rather than 220 g.
How many tablespoons is 100 grams of brown sugar (packed)?
100 grams of brown sugar (packed) is about 7.27 tablespoons.
More sugars and sweeteners conversions: Brown Sugar (loose) grams to cups and Raw Sugar (turbinado) grams to cups.