1/2 Cup Rice Flour in Grams

1/2 cup of rice flour weighs 71 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). A full cup weighs 142 g, so the half cup is exactly half of that. Finely ground white rice; a staple of gluten-free baking. 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 rice flour beats measuring it in cups

Half a cup of rice flour weighs 71 g, the heaviest of the half-cup flours on this page except semolina, because rice flour is finely ground white rice and the dense particles pack tightly into the cup. A half cup of rice flour weighs 11 g more than a half cup of wheat flour, which is a large difference in a small recipe, and it is why swapping rice flour for wheat flour cup for cup without adjusting the weight leaves the recipe with too much flour. Rice flour is a staple of gluten-free baking, where it is usually mixed with other flours and starches, because on its own it makes bakes gritty and dry.

Rice flour gives shortbread a delicate, sandy texture and tempura batter a light, crisp coating, and those are the recipes where it shines. It has no gluten, so it does not build structure, and it absorbs less water than wheat flour, so a batter made with rice flour is thinner than the same batter made with wheat flour. Half a cup is the amount in a small batch of shortbread, a tempura batter for two, or a gluten-free blend where rice flour is one of several flours. Weighing the flour keeps the blend exact, because the weight difference between rice flour and the other flours in the blend is large.

Rice Flour cups to grams conversion table

Cups Grams Tablespoons
1/8 cup 17.8 g 2
1/4 cup 35.5 g 4
1/3 cup 47.3 g 5.3
1/2 cup 71 g 8
2/3 cup 94.7 g 10.7
3/4 cup 106.5 g 12
1 cup 142 g 16
1 1/2 cups 213 g 24
2 cups 284 g 32
3 cups 426 g 48

The table is built around the half cup, which is the measure this page is about, with the full-cup weight of 142 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 rice flour weighs about 8.9 g, which is useful when a recipe calls for a spoonful rather than a cup.

Worked examples

Rice flour shortbread, a batch of 12

A batch of 12 shortbread fingers uses about 1/2 cup of rice flour, which is 71 g, mixed with white flour, butter and sugar. Weigh 71 g rather than measuring by cups, because rice flour is dense and a scooped half cup can be 10 g heavy. The shortbread will be delicate and sandy, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture that wheat flour alone cannot give.

Tempura batter for two

A tempura batter for two people uses about 1/2 cup of rice flour, which is 71 g, mixed with iced water and an egg yolk. Weigh the flour so the batter is thin and light: too much rice flour and the batter is thick and heavy, too little and it does not coat the vegetables. Keep the batter cold and use it immediately for the crispest result.

Gluten-free blend for a small cake

A small gluten-free cake uses about 1/2 cup of rice flour, which is 71 g, mixed with tapioca starch, potato starch and xanthan gum. Weigh each ingredient so the blend is exact: rice flour is the heaviest flour in the blend, and a cup-for-cup swap with a lighter flour changes the whole balance. The cake will be tender if the blend 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.

Practical guidance

Store rice flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year, because it is a dry flour that keeps well. Always spoon the flour into the cup and level it, never scoop, because rice flour is dense and a scooped cup can be heavy. Use rice flour in blends rather than on its own, because on its own it makes bakes gritty and dry. For shortbread, mix rice flour with white flour for a delicate texture, and for tempura, keep the batter cold and use it immediately. If you do not have a scale, spoon the flour loosely into the half cup and level it, remembering that the 71 g figure is approximate.

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 rice flour?

1/2 cup of rice flour weighs 71 g when spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking, which lists 142 g per cup. The figure is approximate, because flour settling varies, so verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.

Why is rice flour heavier than wheat flour?

Because rice flour is finely ground white rice and the dense particles pack tightly into the cup. A cup of rice flour is 142 g and a cup of wheat flour is 120 g, so the same volume holds more weight.

Can I use rice flour on its own for baking?

Not usually. Rice flour has no gluten and makes bakes gritty and dry on its own. Use it in a blend with other flours and starches, usually with tapioca and potato starch, and weigh each ingredient so the blend is exact.

Is rice flour gluten-free?

Yes, rice flour is naturally gluten-free, because it is made from rice. It is a staple of gluten-free baking, though it is usually mixed with other flours for the best texture.

How many cups is 100 g of rice flour?

100 g of rice flour is about 0.70 cups, or just over 2/3 cup. At 142 g per cup, divide 100 by 142 to get the answer, and use a scale for the most accurate result.

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.