How Many Grams Are in a Cup of Powdered Sugar?
One US cup of unsifted powdered sugar weighs about 113 grams.
Why This One Is Not Exact
Every other conversion on this site is a definition: an inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters, and that never changes. This page is different. A cup measures volume and grams measure weight, and what bridges them is density — which depends on the ingredient and, far more, on how the cup was filled. The figure of 113 grams per cup is the standard reference, not a law of nature.
Also sold as confectioners’ or icing sugar. Sifting it first makes a cup lighter, so recipes usually specify sifted or unsifted.
Where This Comes Up
Powdered sugar — also sold as confectioners’ or icing sugar — is ground so fine that it holds a lot of air, which is why a cup of it weighs little more than half a cup of granulated sugar.
A buttercream recipe calling for 4 cups of powdered sugar wants about 452 grams, which European recipes would write as 450 grams.
What People Get Wrong
Sifted and unsifted differ by about 15 grams per cup. If a recipe says "1 cup sifted", sift first and then measure; "1 cup, sifted" means measure first. The comma genuinely changes the amount.
Powdered Sugar Cups to Grams Chart
| Recipe calls for | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 7 | 0.25 |
| 1/8 cup | 14 | 0.5 |
| 1/4 cup | 28 | 1 |
| 1/3 cup | 38 | 1.33 |
| 1/2 cup | 57 | 1.99 |
| 2/3 cup | 75 | 2.66 |
| 3/4 cup | 85 | 2.99 |
| 1 cup | 113 | 3.99 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 170 | 5.98 |
| 2 cups | 226 | 7.97 |
| 3 cups | 339 | 11.96 |
| 4 cups | 452 | 15.94 |
Weights follow the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart, the reference most American recipes are written against. For the exact, defined conversions used elsewhere on this site, see how we calculate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is powdered sugar the same as icing sugar?
Yes. Powdered sugar, confectioners’ sugar and icing sugar are the same thing, though some brands add a little cornstarch to stop it caking.
How many grams is half a cup of powdered sugar?
About 57 grams, half of the 113 grams in a full cup.
Why is it so much lighter than granulated sugar?
The crystals are ground to a powder, so far more air sits between them. The same cup holds roughly half the sugar by weight.
Can I make it from granulated sugar?
Blending granulated sugar produces something close, but it stays coarser than commercial powdered sugar and lacks the anti-caking starch.