1 Cup Dried Apricots in Grams

1 cup of dried apricots weighs 130 g (spooned and levelled, USDA). Dried apricot halves, sweet and tangy. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the USDA value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.

Why weighing dried apricots beats measuring it in cups

Dried apricots are a medium-confidence conversion at 130 g per cup, and the confidence reflects the two very different kinds sold in shops. Bright orange apricots are treated with sulphur dioxide to keep their colour, and they are softer, moister and slightly heavier per cup. Dark brown unsulphured apricots are drier, chewier and lighter per cup, and they taste more intensely of apricot. The 130 g figure from the USDA is an average across the two, so the apricots you buy may weigh a little more or a little less per cup depending on which kind they are.

Chopping is the other factor. Dried apricots are sold as halves, and a cup of whole halves packs differently from a cup of chopped apricots, because the chopped pieces settle tighter. Most recipes that call for a cup of dried apricots mean chopped, so chop first and then measure or weigh. Soaking also changes the weight: apricots soaked in warm water or juice absorb liquid and become heavier, so weigh them before soaking if the recipe gives a dry weight, and after soaking if it gives a soaked weight. The two numbers are not the same, and mixing them up is a common source of error.

Dried Apricots cups to grams conversion table

Cups Grams Tablespoons
1/4 cup 32.5 g 4
1/3 cup 43.3 g 5.3
1/2 cup 65 g 8
2/3 cup 86.7 g 10.7
3/4 cup 97.5 g 12
1 cup 130 g 16
1 1/2 cups 195 g 24
2 cups 260 g 32
3 cups 390 g 48
4 cups 520 g 64

One tablespoon of dried apricots weighs about 8.1 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

Apricot and almond stuffing for a roast

A stuffing for a roast dinner uses about 1 cup of dried apricots, which is 130 g, chopped and mixed with breadcrumbs, almonds and herbs. Chop the apricots first, weigh 130 g, and soak them in warm water for ten minutes so they plump up before mixing. Weighing matters because the apricots are the sweet contrast in the stuffing, and too many will make it taste like a dessert.

Apricot oat bars, a batch of 12

A batch of 12 oat bars uses about 3/4 cup of dried apricots, which is 98 g, chopped finely and mixed with oats, honey and seeds. The apricots are the glue as well as the sweetness, so the weight decides whether the bars hold together or crumble. Chop them small so they distribute evenly, and press the mixture firmly into the tin.

Moroccan chicken tagine for six

A tagine for six people uses about 1 cup of dried apricots, which is 130 g, added in the last 30 minutes of cooking. The apricots soften in the sauce and add a sweet-tart note that balances the spices. Weigh 130 g so the tagine stays savoury, and add them late so they hold their shape instead of dissolving into the sauce.

How the weight was measured

How you fill the cup decides what the cup weighs. The method used here is spooned and levelled: the ingredient is spooned into the cup and levelled with a straight edge, never scooped and never tapped down. If you scoop, you compress the ingredient and the same cup can weigh noticeably more, which is the single most common reason a recipe that worked for its author fails in another kitchen.

The value is taken from USDA with medium confidence. USDA is the reference used across this site because its chart is consistent and widely used by recipe developers. No other source was mixed in, and nothing on this page was estimated from a different ingredient. Remember that every conversion on this page is approximate: check the weight on a kitchen scale whenever accuracy matters, and use the table as a guide rather than a guarantee.

Practical guidance

Store dried apricots in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months, and refrigerate them in warm weather so they do not dry out further. If they have gone hard, soak them in warm water or juice for ten minutes and they will soften. Chop them with a lightly oiled knife so the sticky halves do not cling to the blade, and toss them in a little flour before adding to a batter so they do not sink. Check whether your apricots are sulphured or unsulphured: the bright orange ones are sulphured and softer, the dark brown ones are unsulphured and drier, and the two weigh slightly differently per cup. If you do not have a scale, chop the apricots first, spoon them loosely into the cup and level the top, remembering that the 130 g figure is approximate and medium confidence.

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 dried apricots?

1 cup of dried apricots weighs 130 g when spooned and levelled, according to the USDA. The figure is medium confidence and approximate, because sulphured and unsulphured apricots differ in moisture and weight, so verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.

What is the difference between orange and brown dried apricots?

Orange apricots are treated with sulphur dioxide to keep their colour, and they are softer and moister. Brown apricots are unsulphured, drier, chewier and more intensely flavoured. The two weigh slightly differently per cup, so weigh the ones you have.

How many cups is 100 g of dried apricots?

100 g of dried apricots is about 0.77 cups, or just over 3/4 cup. At 130 g per cup, divide 100 by 130 to get the answer, and use a scale for the most accurate result.

Should I soak dried apricots before using them?

Soak them for ten minutes in warm water or juice if they are hard or if the recipe needs them soft, as in a tagine or a stuffing. Weigh them before soaking if the recipe gives a dry weight, and after soaking if it gives a soaked weight.

Can I use dried apricots instead of raisins?

Yes, but weigh them rather than measuring by volume. A cup of dried apricots is 130 g and a cup of raisins is 149 g, so a cup-for-cup swap leaves the recipe short on fruit. Apricots are also tangier, so the flavour changes too.

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.