1/3 cup of self-rising flour weighs approximately 37.7 g. That figure comes from the published weight of a full cup — 113 g, spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking — divided by three. All the gram figures on this page are approximate: cup weights vary with how the ingredient is packed, levelled or poured, and with the batch itself, so verify with a kitchen scale whenever the result matters, especially in baking.
In baking, flour is the ingredient where a few extra grams change the crumb, the rise and the chew, so a third of a cup is worth weighing rather than guessing. All-purpose flour with baking powder and salt already mixed in. It is used for quick breads, scones, pancakes and biscuits., and a third of a cup is one of the most common amounts in those recipes, small enough for a half batch or a glaze, large enough to matter to the result.
Conversion table for self-rising flour
| Amount | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 28.2 g |
| 1/3 cup | 37.7 g |
| 1/2 cup | 56.5 g |
| 2/3 cup | 75.3 g |
| 3/4 cup | 84.8 g |
| 1 cup | 113 g |
| 2 cups | 226 g |
| 3 cups | 339 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 7.1 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 14.1 g |
| 1 teaspoon | 2.4 g |
The table is built from a single number — 113 g per cup — multiplied by each amount. A third of a cup is also 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, which is handy when your 1/3-cup measure is in the dishwasher: five level tablespoons (35.3 g) plus one level teaspoon (2.4 g) add up to 37.7 g. Read every figure as approximate and check it on a scale when precision matters.
Why a third of a cup is an awkward amount to eyeball
A third of a cup sits in an awkward spot. It is too small to judge by eye in a large bowl and too large to ignore, and most measuring-cup sets include a 1/3-cup measure precisely because guessing it goes wrong so often. People commonly fill a 1/2-cup measure two thirds full, or a 1-cup measure one third full, and both tricks are unreliable: the eye is poor at judging a third of a volume, and the error is usually on the generous side. Weighing 37.7 g removes the judgement entirely.
There is a second reason the weight matters for self-rising flour specifically. All-purpose flour with baking powder and salt already mixed in. That character changes how it behaves in the cup — how it settles, how it packs, how much air it holds — and therefore how much a cup actually weighs on any given day. The published per-cup figure of 113 g is the standardised value, measured spooned and levelled by King Arthur Baking, and dividing it by three is the honest way to get a third of a cup. Any recipe that asks for a third of a cup of self-rising flour was developed with that standard measure in mind.
Worked examples: scaling a recipe up and down with a third of a cup
The most useful way to learn a conversion is to use it. The examples below start with a single third of a cup, then double it, then scale a full recipe around it, using the same per-cup weight of 113 g throughout. Every gram figure is the per-cup weight multiplied by the amount needed — nothing here comes from a different source or a guess.
Example 1
A small batch of scones or biscuits. A recipe for a half batch of scones calls for 1/3 cup of self-rising flour. Weigh out 37.7 g, spooned and levelled. If you decide to make the full batch instead, you need 2/3 cup, which is 75.3 g. The difference between weighing and scooping matters here: scooping directly from the bag can pack in 10 to 20 percent extra flour, which is enough to make scones dry and heavy instead of tender and flaky.
Example 2
Adjusting a dough that feels too wet or too dry. Suppose a dough recipe lists 2 cups of self-rising flour — 226 g — but the dough is sticky after mixing. Adding flour a third of a cup at a time (37.7 g per addition) lets you correct it in controlled steps instead of dumping in an unknown amount. Two additions bring you to 2 and 2/3 cups, or 301.3 g in total, and you can stop the moment the dough clears the side of the bowl.
Example 3
Halving a recipe that calls for 2/3 cup. A recipe written for a full tray calls for 2/3 cup of self-rising flour (75.3 g). Halving it for a smaller pan leaves exactly 1/3 cup — 37.7 g. That is the cleanest kind of scaling there is, because a third of a cup is exactly half of two thirds, and the weight follows the same ratio.
How the weight was measured: method and source
The per-cup weight of self-rising flour is 113 g, measured spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. The method is part of the number, not a footnote: the same ingredient measured a different way weighs a different amount, and a recipe developed with spooned-and-levelled flour will not behave the same if the flour was scooped and packed. There is no competing published figure for self-rising flour in the data used for this page, so the headline number is simply the published per-cup weight divided by three. It is still labelled approximate, because any cup measure depends on how the ingredient is packed, levelled or poured, and on the batch itself.
If you are converting a recipe from another country, remember that a US cup is 236.6 ml while a metric cup is 250 ml, so a metric third of a cup is a slightly larger volume. The gram figures here are tied to the US cup through the published per-cup weight, so use them with US cup measures, or weigh the ingredient directly and ignore the cup altogether — which is the most reliable approach of all.
Measuring self-rising flour without a scale
Self-Rising Flour is measured spooned and levelled: spoon it loosely into a dry measuring cup until it heaps above the rim, then sweep a straight edge across the top. Never scoop the cup through the bag and never tap the cup to settle it — both pack the ingredient down and add grams you did not ask for. On a scale, 37.7 g is the target and the method stops mattering.
When you have no scale at all, use the proper dry or liquid measure for the ingredient, level it carefully, and accept that the result will be approximate. For self-rising flour, the most common mistakes are packing a spooned ingredient, leaving air pockets in a scooped one, reading a liquid measure from above instead of at eye level, and using a coffee mug or teacup as a measuring cup — none of which holds a standard third of a cup. If a recipe has failed before and you suspect the measuring, the scale is the cheapest fix in the kitchen: a basic digital scale costs less than the ingredients of two ruined bakes.
A useful habit is to weigh the empty bowl first, press tare, and add the ingredient until the display reads the target. For 1/3 cup that target is 37.7 g; for 2/3 cup it is 75.3 g; for a full cup it is 113 g. Tare between ingredients and you can build a whole recipe in one bowl without washing a single measuring cup.
Storage and keeping self-rising flour at its best
Airtight container, cool and dry; use within 6 months so the raising agents stay active. Keeping self-rising flour in the conditions the data recommends matters for weighing as well as for flavour: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, and a dried-out ingredient weighs less. If your self-rising flour has been open for months in a humid kitchen, the per-cup weight will have drifted from the published 113 g, and the scale — which measures what is actually in the bowl — is the only way to know what you really added.
Buy self-rising flour in quantities you will use within its storage life, keep the container sealed, and label it with the date you opened it. That small discipline keeps both the flavour and the weight predictable, which is what a conversion table depends on.
When a third of a cup is the wrong amount to use
Not every recipe should be scaled by thirds. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of self-rising flour and you want a smaller batch, halving to 1/2 cup (56.5 g) is usually safer than cutting to a third, because halving keeps the ratios of the other ingredients simple too. A third of a cup earns its place when the recipe itself asks for it, when you are correcting a batter a little at a time, or when you are halving a recipe that started at 2/3 cup.
The other case to watch is leavening and setting agents mixed into self-rising flour — if the flour in question already contains raising agents, changing the flour amount changes the raising power as well. Measure the flour accurately and do not adjust the raising agents separately unless the recipe tells you to.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1/3 cup of self-rising flour?
1/3 cup of self-rising flour weighs approximately 37.7 g. It is calculated from the published per-cup weight of 113 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking) divided by three. Treat it as approximate and verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.
How many tablespoons is 1/3 cup of self-rising flour?
1/3 cup equals 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. One tablespoon of self-rising flour weighs about 7.1 g and one teaspoon about 2.4 g, so five tablespoons plus a teaspoon come to approximately 37.7 g. Use level spoon measures, not heaped ones.
Is 37.7 g exact for 1/3 cup of self-rising flour?
No. It is the published per-cup weight divided by three, rounded to one decimal place, and every cup weight is approximate because it depends on how the ingredient is spooned and levelled and on the batch. A kitchen scale reading of the actual ingredient is the exact figure for that batch; 37.7 g is the best standard estimate.
Can I use a 1/2-cup measure to get 1/3 cup of self-rising flour?
You can fill it about two thirds full, but it is unreliable — the eye judges a third of a volume poorly and the error is usually generous. Weighing 37.7 g on a scale, or using a proper 1/3-cup measure, is more accurate. If you must estimate, fill the 1/2-cup measure, level it, and remove roughly a third.
Does the weight change if my self-rising flour is old or damp?
Yes. Airtight container, cool and dry; use within 6 months so the raising agents stay active. Moisture absorbed from the air adds weight per cup, so old or damp self-rising flour can weigh more than the published 113 g per cup. Store it sealed and weigh what you use rather than trusting the volume alone.
What is 2/3 cup of self-rising flour in grams?
2/3 cup of self-rising flour weighs approximately 75.3 g — twice the 1/3-cup figure of 37.7 g. A full cup is 113 g and 1/4 cup is 28.2 g, all from the same per-cup weight of 113 g.