1 Cup Dates in Grams

1 cup of dates weighs 149 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). Chopped dried dates, intensely sweet. 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 dates beats measuring it in cups

Dates are the sweetest dried fruit in the pantry, and the weight matters because they are intensely sweet and very sticky. A cup of chopped dates is 149 g, and that cup contains more sugar than a cup of almost any other fruit, so a small error in measuring dates is a large error in sweetness. In a sticky toffee pudding, the dates are the whole point, and 30 g too many makes the pudding cloying while 30 g too few makes it bland.

Chopping is the other detail that changes the number. Whole dates and chopped dates pack differently, and a cup of whole dates chopped afterwards will not fill the same cup again, because the pieces settle tighter. The 149 g figure is for chopped dried dates, so chop first and then measure or weigh. Dates are also sold in different forms: Medjool dates are large, soft and moist, while Deglet Noor dates are smaller and drier, and the two weigh differently per cup. Medjool dates are heavier per cup because they are moister and denser, so if your recipe was written for one variety and you use the other, weigh the dates rather than measuring by volume.

Dates cups to grams conversion table

Cups Grams Tablespoons
1/4 cup 37.2 g 4
1/3 cup 49.7 g 5.3
1/2 cup 74.5 g 8
2/3 cup 99.3 g 10.7
3/4 cup 111.8 g 12
1 cup 149 g 16
1 1/2 cups 223.5 g 24
2 cups 298 g 32
3 cups 447 g 48
4 cups 596 g 64

One tablespoon of dates weighs about 9.3 g, since a cup is 16 tablespoons. That is useful when a recipe calls for a spoonful or two rather than a whole cup, though 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.

Worked examples

Sticky toffee pudding for eight

A sticky toffee pudding for eight people uses about 1 1/2 cups of chopped dates, which is 224 g, soaked in hot water with bicarbonate of soda until soft, then blended into the batter. Chop the dates first, weigh 224 g, and soak them for at least 20 minutes: the soaking softens them and the bicarbonate helps them break down into the sponge. Weighing matters because the dates are the main sweetness in the pudding, and a heavy hand makes it cloying.

Date and oat energy bars, a batch of 12

A batch of 12 energy bars uses about 2 cups of chopped dates, which is 298 g, blended with oats, nuts and seeds until the mixture holds together. The dates are the glue as well as the sweetener, so the weight decides whether the bars hold their shape or crumble. Blend the dates first into a paste, then mix in the dry ingredients, and press the mixture firmly into the tin.

Moroccan lamb tagine for six

A tagine for six people uses about 1 cup of chopped dates, which is 149 g, added in the last 30 minutes of cooking. The dates soften in the sauce and add a deep sweetness that balances the spices. Weigh 149 g so the tagine is sweet-savoury rather than a dessert, and chop the dates roughly so they hold their shape instead of dissolving completely.

How the weight was measured

The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled unless the method line says otherwise. Spooning means filling the cup with a spoon rather than plunging the cup into the bag, and levelling means sweeping a knife across the rim. Scooping packs the ingredient down and can add a fifth or more to the weight, which is why two bakers following the same cup-based recipe can get visibly different results.

Confidence in this value is high. That reflects how consistent the ingredient is from brand to brand: a uniform, factory-packed ingredient is more predictable than a fresh, variable one. Even a high-confidence figure is still an approximation, because moisture, grind size and settling all shift the weight a little. Treat the grams on this page as a reliable starting point and check with a scale when the recipe is fussy, expensive, or being made for the first time.

Practical guidance

Keep dates in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months, and refrigerate them if your kitchen is warm, because they dry out and harden with age. If a bag has gone hard, soak the dates in warm water for ten minutes and they will soften. Chop dates with a lightly oiled knife so the sticky pieces do not glue themselves to the blade, and toss them in a little flour before adding to a batter so they do not sink or clump. Check the variety: Medjool dates are larger, softer and heavier per cup than Deglet Noor, so weigh the dates you actually have. If you do not have a scale, chop the dates first, spoon them loosely into the cup and level the top, remembering that the 149 g figure is approximate.

Common mistakes with dried fruit

The most common mistake is measuring dried fruit straight from the bag without accounting for stickiness: pieces clump together, leave air gaps, and a cup can be mostly empty space or mostly fruit depending on how it was poured. Break the clumps apart and spoon the fruit in loosely. The second mistake is skipping the soak: dried fruit added dry to a batter pulls moisture out of it, leaving a dry crumb and hard fruit, so a ten-minute soak in warm water or juice pays off. The third is forgetting that dried fruit is concentrated sugar, so a recipe balanced around fresh fruit becomes much sweeter when dried fruit is swapped in cup for cup. Weighing keeps the swap honest. Finally, do not chop sticky fruit with a dry knife: oil the blade lightly and the pieces fall away cleanly instead of gluing themselves to the steel.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1 cup of dates?

1 cup of chopped dates weighs 149 g when spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. The figure is approximate, because the variety and how finely the dates are chopped both change the weight, so verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.

Are Medjool dates heavier than other dates?

Yes, per cup. Medjool dates are larger, softer and moister than Deglet Noor dates, so a cup of chopped Medjool dates weighs more than a cup of chopped Deglet Noor. Weigh the dates you have rather than assuming the figure is exact for every variety.

How many cups is 200 g of dates?

200 g of dates is about 1.34 cups, or 1 cup plus 1/3 cup. At 149 g per cup, divide 200 by 149 to get the answer, and use a scale for the most accurate result.

Do I weigh dates before or after chopping?

Chop first, then weigh. Chopped dates pack tighter than whole ones, so a cup of whole dates chopped afterwards will not fill the same cup again, and the weight is what the recipe actually needs.

Can dates replace sugar in baking?

Partly. Dates add sweetness, moisture and fibre, and a date paste can replace some of the sugar in muffins, bars and cakes. They do not behave like sugar in every recipe, because they add bulk and moisture, so replace only part of the sugar at first and adjust to taste.

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.