To convert teaspoons of granulated sugar into grams, multiply by 4.1666667: one teaspoon comes to 4.1666667 grams. Every ingredient has its own figure here, because the units are measuring different things and only the density links them.
Put next to water — 1 g per mL exactly — granulated sugar measures 0.84535 g per mL. That ratio, 84.54%, is what separates this page from every other ingredient in the same units, and it is measured rather than defined.
A level teaspoon of granulated sugar weighs 4.167 g. A kitchen scale that reads to the nearest gram is therefore working at roughly 24% resolution on a single spoonful, which is why measuring spoons beat scales below about 5 g and lose to them above it. Three teaspoons make a tablespoon, so the same spoonful is 12.5 g if the recipe scales up.
Grams are the unit this conversion is really for. A domestic scale resolves to a gram, which is 0.5% of a cup of granulated sugar, so weighing gets an accuracy no measuring cup can reach. A 500 g pack of it is 2.5 cups, and a 1 kg pack 5.
How the figure is arrived at: One of the most reliable ingredients to measure by volume: the crystals are uniform and do not compact under their own weight.
The formula
teaspoons- The amount of granulated sugar you are converting, in teaspoons
4.16666666667- Grams per teaspoon for granulated sugar, from its density of 0.84535 g/mL
grams- The equivalent quantity in grams
How it works, step by step
- Enter the quantity in teaspoons.
- It is multiplied by 4.16666666667, the grams-per-teaspoon figure for granulated sugar.
- The result appears in grams, with a second reading in oz beneath it.
- Use the measure table if you want a standard recipe quantity rather than a number you type in.
Worked examples
3/4 tsp of granulated sugar in grams
A recipe calling for 3/4 tsp of granulated sugar needs 3.125 grams on the scale. The arithmetic is 0.75 × 4.1666667 = 3.125, and halving the recipe halves the weight to 1.5625 grams.
1 1/2 tsp of granulated sugar in grams
A recipe calling for 1 1/2 tsp of granulated sugar needs 6.25 grams on the scale. The arithmetic is 1.5 × 4.1666667 = 6.25, and halving the recipe halves the weight to 3.125 grams.
4 tsp of granulated sugar in grams
4 tsp of granulated sugar weighs out at 16.6667 grams. Divide 16.6667 by 4.1666667 and you get back to 4 tsp, which is the quickest check that the factor is the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in 1 tsp of granulated sugar?
One teaspoon of granulated sugar is 4.1666667 grams. Half that quantity is 2.08333 grams and double it is 8.33333 grams, so the figure scales straight up and down — there is no offset in this conversion, only the factor.
Why is a cup of granulated sugar not 236 g like water?
Because weight per cup depends on what is in the cup. Granulated sugar has a density of 0.84535 g per mL where water has 1.00, so a cup of it weighs 200 g rather than 236.6 g. That is a difference of 36.6 g per cup, and it is the reason a single volume-to-weight factor cannot be applied to every ingredient.
Does how I measure it change the weight?
Yes, and by more than most people expect. Handling changes the weight of a cup of granulated sugar by roughly 20% — about 20 g either side of 200 g — because one of the most reliable ingredients to measure by volume: the crystals are uniform and do not compact under their own weight. Weighing removes the question entirely.
Is a fluid ounce of granulated sugar the same as an ounce?
No. A fluid ounce is a volume — one eighth of a US cup, 29.57 mL — and an ounce is a weight. One fluid ounce of granulated sugar weighs 0.8818 oz, so the two readings differ by 11.8%. They coincide only for something with the density of water, and then only roughly.
Is this a US cup or a metric cup?
US customary: 236.59 mL, which is the cup every US recipe means. A metric cup is 250 mL, so the same cup of granulated sugar would weigh 211.34 g instead of 200 g — 11.3 g more, or 5.67%. Australian and some European recipes use the metric cup, and the difference is large enough to matter in baking.
Do I need a scale for this, or will measuring cups do?
At this size the spoon wins. One teaspoon of granulated sugar is 4.167 g, and a scale reading to the nearest gram is working at 24% resolution on that — a measuring spoon is the more accurate instrument below about 5 g, which is why spice quantities are still written in spoons.
How many teaspoons of granulated sugar is 500 g?
500 g of granulated sugar is 120 teaspoons — 0.24 teaspoons to one gram, so 500 × 0.24 = 120. Going that way is a division by 4.16667, or a multiplication by 0.24 if you prefer.
Granulated sugar in teaspoons and grams
| Teaspoons | Grams | Unrounded |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 tsp | 1.04167 g | 1.041666667 |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.08333 g | 2.083333333 |
| 3/4 tsp | 3.125 g | 3.125 |
| 1 tsp | 4.16667 g | 4.166666667 |
| 1 1/2 tsp | 6.25 g | 6.25 |
| 2 tsp | 8.33333 g | 8.333333333 |
| 3 tsp | 12.5 g | 12.5 |
| 4 tsp | 16.6667 g | 16.66666667 |
| 6 tsp | 25 g | 25 |
Based on 200 g per cup of granulated sugar. One teaspoon of granulated sugar is 4.1666667 grams.
| Measure | Grams | Ounces | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 200 g | 7.05 oz | 236.6 mL |
| 1 tbsp | 12.5 g | 0.441 oz | 14.79 mL |
| 2 tsp | 8.333 g | 0.294 oz | 9.858 mL |
| 1 tsp | 4.167 g | 0.147 oz | 4.929 mL |
| 3/4 tsp | 3.125 g | 0.11 oz | 3.697 mL |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.083 g | 0.0735 oz | 2.464 mL |
| 1/4 tsp | 1.042 g | 0.0367 oz | 1.232 mL |
| 1/8 tsp | 0.5208 g | 0.0184 oz | 0.6161 mL |
US customary measures: 1 cup = 236.59 mL, 1 tbsp = 14.79 mL, 1 tsp = 4.93 mL.
| Ingredient | Grams per cup | Ounces per cup | Density (g/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncooked white rice | 185 g | 6.526 oz | 0.7819 |
| Uncooked brown rice | 190 g | 6.702 oz | 0.8031 |
| Dried lentils | 192 g | 6.773 oz | 0.8115 |
| Granulated sugar (this page) | 200 g | 7.055 oz | 0.8454 |
| Arborio rice | 200 g | 7.055 oz | 0.8454 |
| Dried chickpeas | 200 g | 7.055 oz | 0.8454 |
| Packed brown sugar | 220 g | 7.76 oz | 0.9299 |
Ordered by weight. The spread across this group is why a single generic cups-to-grams factor cannot work.