1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour in Grams

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour weighs 60 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). A full cup weighs 120 g, so the half cup is exactly half of that. The standard white wheat flour for most baking, milled from a blend of hard and soft wheat. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the King Arthur Baking value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.

Why weighing all-purpose flour beats measuring it in cups

Half a cup of all-purpose flour weighs 60 g, and that small measure is where weighing matters most. A half cup is the amount in a small batch of cookies, a single-serving mug cake, a sauce thickened with a roux, or a recipe halved for one person, and a scooped half cup can easily weigh 70 g instead of 60 g. That is a 15 percent error in a recipe that may only contain two or three cups of flour in total, and it is enough to turn a tender cookie tough or a smooth sauce lumpy. Small measures carry the largest relative errors, so the scale earns its keep here more than anywhere else.

The dispute over flour weight is also at its sharpest at this size. King Arthur Baking lists 120 g per cup spooned and levelled, while other sources quote 125 g, 130 g and up to 142 g for a scooped cup, which means a half cup could be quoted anywhere from 60 g to 71 g depending on the source and the method. This page uses the King Arthur spooned-and-levelled value of 60 g per half cup, and says so plainly, so you know exactly which number you are working with and why it might differ from a number you saw elsewhere.

All-Purpose Flour cups to grams conversion table

Cups Grams Tablespoons
1/8 cup 15 g 2
1/4 cup 30 g 4
1/3 cup 40 g 5.3
1/2 cup 60 g 8
2/3 cup 80 g 10.7
3/4 cup 90 g 12
1 cup 120 g 16
1 1/2 cups 180 g 24
2 cups 240 g 32
3 cups 360 g 48

The table is built around the half cup, which is the measure this page is about, with the full-cup weight of 120 g as the anchor. Every row is the full-cup weight multiplied by the fraction, so the numbers stay consistent as you scale up or down. One tablespoon of all-purpose flour weighs about 7.5 g, which is useful when a recipe calls for a spoonful rather than a cup.

Worked examples

Halving a cookie recipe for one evening

A cookie recipe for 24 cookies calls for 2 cups of flour, and halving it for 12 cookies needs 1 cup, but halving it again for 6 cookies needs just 1/2 cup, which is 60 g. Weigh 60 g rather than measuring by cups, because a scooped half cup can be 10 g heavy and the error is proportionally larger at this size. The six cookies will be tender and evenly baked, and the recipe scales cleanly because the weight was exact.

A roux for a cheese sauce

A cheese sauce for four people starts with a roux of 1/2 cup of flour, which is 60 g, cooked in 60 g of butter before the milk is added. Weigh the flour so the roux is balanced: too much flour and the sauce is thick and pasty, too little and it never thickens. Cook the roux for two minutes to remove the raw flour taste, then add the milk gradually, whisking constantly.

A mug cake for one

A mug cake for one person uses about 1/2 cup of flour, which is 60 g, mixed with sugar, cocoa, milk and oil in a mug and microwaved for 90 seconds. Weigh 60 g so the cake is light rather than dense: a mug cake has no room for error, because the whole recipe is small and a 10 g error in the flour is a large share of the total. The cake will rise, set, and stay moist if the flour is right.

How the weight was measured

Spooned and levelled means spooning the ingredient into the measuring cup until it is heaped, then sweeping a straight knife across the top to level it off. Never scoop the cup through the bag or jar, and never tap the cup down, because both pack the ingredient and add weight. The difference between a spooned cup and a scooped cup can be 15 to 25 percent, which is enough to change a bake from tender to tough, so the method matters as much as the number.

The source for the figure on this page is King Arthur Baking, and the confidence in the value is high. King Arthur Baking publishes a standard ingredient weight chart that recipe developers use as a reference, and this page follows that chart rather than any single cookbook. Where the chart gives a range or a note, we say so plainly instead of hiding the uncertainty. All the figures here are approximate conversions: natural ingredients vary by brand, variety, moisture and how finely they are chopped or ground, so when a recipe really matters, verify the weight with a kitchen scale.

Flour weight is the most disputed conversion in baking: King Arthur lists 120 g per cup spooned and levelled, while other sources quote 125 g, 130 g and up to 142 g for a scooped cup. We use the King Arthur spooned-and-levelled value as primary.

Practical guidance

Store all-purpose flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year, because it absorbs moisture and kitchen smells. Always spoon the flour into the cup and level it, never scoop, because scooping compresses the flour and a scooped half cup can weigh 70 g or more. Use a dry measuring cup, not a liquid jug, because the jug has no level line for dry ingredients and the flour will be over- or under-filled. If a recipe calls for sifted flour, sift it first and then measure, because sifted flour is lighter per cup. If you do not have a scale, spoon the flour loosely into the half cup and level it with a knife, remembering that the 60 g figure is approximate and that other sources quote up to 71 g for a scooped half cup.

Common mistakes with half-cup measures

The most common mistake is treating a half cup as a casual measure. Half a cup of flour is 60 g, and a scooped half cup can easily weigh 70 g or more, which is a 15 percent error in a recipe that may only contain two or three cups of flour in total. Small measures carry the largest relative errors, so weighing matters more, not less, at this size. The second mistake is using a liquid measuring jug for dry flour: the meniscus line is designed for liquids, and flour measured in a jug is almost always over- or under-filled. Use a dry cup, or a scale. The third is assuming every flour weighs the same per half cup: the flours on this page range from about 42 g to about 82 g per half cup, so swapping flours cup for cup without adjusting the weight changes the recipe. Finally, do not pack flour into the half cup to make it look full: spoon and level, every time.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour?

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour weighs 60 g when spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. The figure is approximate, because flour weight is disputed: other sources quote 125 g, 130 g and up to 142 g per cup for a scooped cup, which would make a half cup 62 to 71 g. This page uses the King Arthur spooned-and-levelled value.

Why do sources disagree on flour weight?

Because flour is compressible, and the weight depends on how the cup is filled. A spooned and levelled cup is 120 g, while a scooped cup can be 130 g or more. Different sources use different methods, so their numbers differ. Spoon and level, and use the King Arthur value, for consistency.

How many cups is 100 g of all-purpose flour?

100 g of all-purpose flour is about 0.83 cups, or roughly 3/4 cup plus a tablespoon. At 120 g per cup, divide 100 by 120 to get the answer, and use a scale for the most accurate result.

Can I use a liquid measuring jug for flour?

No. A liquid jug has no level line for dry ingredients, and flour measured in a jug is almost always over- or under-filled. Use a dry measuring cup, or a scale, which is the most reliable method.

Does sifting change the weight of a half cup?

Yes. Sifted flour is lighter per cup because sifting introduces air, so a half cup of sifted flour weighs less than a half cup of unsifted flour. If a recipe calls for sifted flour, sift it first and then measure or weigh.

Related conversions

If you need a different amount, the table above scales in both directions, and the converter tool will do the maths for any quantity. When a recipe really matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale rather than trusting the cup alone, because the figures on this page are approximate and natural ingredients vary by brand, variety and moisture.