1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate in Grams
1/2 cup of dark chocolate weighs 85 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). Chopped dark chocolate bars, for melting or folding into batters. 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. Dark chocolate is the ingredient that turns a good dessert into a great one, which is why a half cup of it, chopped or in pieces, is the amount a ganache, a mousse or a chocolate tart all need at once, and why the weight matters more than the volume when the chocolate is the expensive part.
Why half a cup of dark chocolate is a useful amount
Half a cup of dark chocolate is the amount that goes into a batch of brownies, a tray of cookies, a chocolate cake or a pot of ganache, and it is an amount where the cup can mislead you in a very specific way: the pieces do not pack evenly. Chips and chunks leave air gaps that change with the size of the piece, while a powder settles and packs. A level half cup can weigh several grams more or less depending on how the pieces fall. Ganache, brownies, fondue and baking. The table below is built from the published King Arthur Baking weight for dark chocolate measured spooned and levelled, so you can weigh a batch once and repeat it exactly.
Dark Chocolate cups to grams conversion table
| Cups | Grams | Tablespoons (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 42.5 g | 2.7 g |
| 1/3 cup | 56.7 g | 3.5 g |
| 1/2 cup | 85 g | 5.3 g |
| 2/3 cup | 113.3 g | 7.1 g |
| 3/4 cup | 127.5 g | 8 g |
| 1 cup | 170 g | 10.6 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 255 g | 15.9 g |
| 2 cups | 340 g | 21.2 g |
| 3 cups | 510 g | 31.9 g |
| 4 cups | 680 g | 42.5 g |
The tablespoon column is a bonus for recipes that call for a spoonful or two: one tablespoon of dark chocolate weighs about 10.6 g, and one teaspoon about 3.5 g. A cup is 16 tablespoons, so the numbers in the table are just the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. For small amounts a scale that reads to the gram is far more reliable than a spoon, because a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one.
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 source for the 170 g figure 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 it exactly rather than averaging across sources, because an average of two different measuring methods is a number that matches nobody's cup.
Worked examples
A ganache for a celebration cake
A ganache for a celebration cake calls for 1/2 cup of chopped dark chocolate, which is 85 g, poured over with hot cream. The ganache is a ratio, so the chocolate weight against the cream decides whether it sets firm enough to whip or stays pourable. Weighing 85 g keeps the ganache right, and the chocolate must be chopped evenly, or the small pieces melt while the large ones stay solid.
A chocolate mousse for a dinner party
A chocolate mousse for a dinner party uses 1/2 cup of dark chocolate, which is 85 g, melted and folded into whipped cream and egg whites. The chocolate has to be melted gently and cooled slightly, or it seizes the cream and turns grainy. Weighing 85 g keeps the mousse rich without being heavy, and the mousse must chill for at least four hours, or it will not hold its shape.
A chocolate tart for a holiday
A chocolate tart for a holiday table calls for 1/2 cup of dark chocolate, which is 85 g, melted into a filling with cream and butter. The chocolate is the flavour and the structure, so its weight decides whether the tart slices cleanly or stays soft. Weighing 85 g keeps the tart firm, and the tart must cool completely before slicing, or the filling runs.
When this conversion matters most
This conversion matters most when chocolate is the expensive ingredient and the flavour driver. In a brownie, the weight of dark chocolate decides whether the result is fudgy or cakey; in a cookie, it decides the ratio of dough to chocolate in every bite; in ganache, it decides whether the mixture sets firm or stays pourable. A cup measure hides all of that behind the air gaps between the pieces, so two bakers following the same recipe with cups can end up with visibly different results. Weighing removes the guesswork and tells you exactly how much of an expensive ingredient a recipe really needs.
Common mistakes with dark chocolate
- Mixing chip sizes. Mini chips pack tighter than standard chips, so a half cup of mini chips weighs more than a half cup of large chunks. Use the weight for the size you actually have.
- Measuring cocoa like flour. Cocoa powder settles and packs, so a scooped cup weighs far more than a spooned one. Spoon it in, level it off, and never tap the cup down.
- Skipping the scale for ganache. Ganache is a ratio: chocolate to cream by weight. A cup measure of chips can be ten grams off, which is enough to make a ganache too soft to whip or too firm to pour.
- Storing chocolate warm. Chocolate blooms in warmth and humidity, and bloomed pieces weigh the same but melt differently. Keep it sealed and cool so the weight you measure is the chocolate you expect.
Storage and handling
Cool, dry place, up to 1 year. Keeping dark chocolate stored properly also keeps its weight per cup stable: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, so a sealed container is not just about freshness, it is about measurement accuracy too. If a bag has been open for months in a humid kitchen, the first thing to do before a precise bake is to weigh the ingredient rather than trusting the cup.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1/2 cup of dark chocolate?
1/2 cup of dark chocolate weighs 85 g, measured spooned and levelled according to King Arthur Baking. That is the figure to use when converting a recipe from cups to grams, and it is the value the conversion table on this page is built on.
How do I measure dark chocolate without a scale?
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. That gives the closest result to 85 g per half cup, but it is still an estimate: the honest answer is that a scale is the only way to know the exact weight, and a basic digital kitchen scale costs less than a bag of good flour.
Does dark chocolate always weigh the same per cup?
No. Brand, grind, moisture and how settled the container is all shift the weight by a few grams, and for some ingredients the swing can be much larger. The 170 g figure is the standard King Arthur Baking value for dark chocolate measured spooned and levelled, and it is the right default, but when a recipe is precise, weigh the ingredient and trust the scale over the cup.
Can I use the same conversion for a different brand of dark chocolate?
Yes, as a starting point. The 170 g figure is a standard average for dark chocolate, and most brands sit within a few grams of it. If you cook with one brand all the time, weigh one cup of it once and note the number on the bag, and you will have a conversion tuned to your own kitchen.
Can I use chocolate chips instead of chopped dark chocolate?
For most baking, yes, by weight: a half cup of dark chocolate chips is 85 g and a half cup of chopped dark chocolate is 85 g, so the weights are the same. The difference is that chips contain stabilisers that help them hold their shape, so they melt less smoothly than chopped bar chocolate. For a ganache or a mousse, chopped bar chocolate melts silkier; for cookies, chips are the better choice because they stay in shape.
How should I store dark chocolate?
Cool, dry place, up to 1 year. Good storage keeps the ingredient fresh and keeps its weight per cup consistent, because moisture absorbed from the air adds grams that the recipe did not ask for.
Related conversions
Use the cups to grams converter, tablespoons to grams converter, weight converter, chocolate substitute converter for instant answers, or browse the cups to grams hub for the full ingredient list. Related pages: Cocoa Powder in cups to grams, Dark Chocolate Chips in cups to grams, Butter in cups to grams. See also our disclaimer about approximate conversions.