1 Cup Sunflower Seeds in Grams

1 cup of sunflower seeds weighs 140 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). Hulled sunflower seeds, mild and nutty. 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 sunflower seeds beats measuring it in cups

Sunflower seeds are heavier per cup than most people expect at 140 g, because the small, flat seeds pack together tightly with very little air space. A cup of sunflower seeds looks modest, but it weighs nearly as much as a cup of hazelnuts, and that density is what makes them useful in bread: a handful scattered on top is decoration, while 140 g worked into the dough is a real ingredient that changes the loaf's texture and nutrition.

The second reason the weight matters is that sunflower seeds are often measured in handfuls rather than cups, and a handful is a wildly variable measure. One person's handful is 20 g and another's is 40 g, so a granola recipe that calls for a handful of seeds can double its seed content depending on who is cooking. The cup-to-gram conversion fixes that: 140 g per cup is a number anyone can repeat, and it lets a recipe written in cups be converted to grams for a scale without guessing what the author meant by a handful.

Sunflower Seeds cups to grams conversion table

Cups Grams Tablespoons
1/4 cup 35 g 4
1/3 cup 46.7 g 5.3
1/2 cup 70 g 8
2/3 cup 93.3 g 10.7
3/4 cup 105 g 12
1 cup 140 g 16
1 1/2 cups 210 g 24
2 cups 280 g 32
3 cups 420 g 48
4 cups 560 g 64

One tablespoon of sunflower seeds weighs about 8.8 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

Seeded wholemeal loaf, one loaf

A seeded loaf uses about 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds in the dough, which is 70 g, plus a tablespoon scattered on top before baking. Mix the 70 g into the dough after the first knead so the seeds distribute evenly, and press the topping seeds gently into the surface so they do not fall off in the oven. Weighing keeps the loaf consistent: too many seeds and the crumb tears, too few and the loaf is barely seeded at all.

Homemade granola, one large tray

A large tray of granola uses about 1 cup of sunflower seeds, which is 140 g, mixed with 300 g of rolled oats, nuts and honey. The seeds toast faster than the oats, so stir the tray halfway through baking and watch for the moment the seeds turn golden. Weighing the seeds matters here because they are one of the more expensive ingredients in the mix, and a cup measured generously can add 20 g without anyone noticing.

Sunflower seed salad topping for six

A salad for six people uses about 1/3 cup of toasted sunflower seeds, which is 47 g, scattered over the finished salad. Toast them in a dry pan for two minutes until they smell nutty, let them cool, and weigh 47 g so the topping is a garnish rather than the main event. Because the seeds are small, a cup looks like a lot of seeds, and cooks who measure by eye tend to use too many.

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 hulled sunflower seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months, and refrigerate them in warm weather, because their high oil content turns rancid and stale seeds taste bitter. Buy hulled seeds for baking and cooking, and seeds in the shell only for snacking, because shelling them for a recipe is slow work and the in-shell weight is meaningless for baking. Toast seeds in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking the pan often, and take them off the heat the moment they smell fragrant: they keep cooking from residual heat and burn quickly. If you do not have a scale, spoon the seeds into the cup and level it, and remember the 140 g figure is approximate, so check the dough or the mix rather than trusting the cup alone.

Common mistakes with nuts and seeds

The most common mistake is measuring whole nuts and chopped nuts as if they weighed the same. Chopped nuts pack tighter, so a cup of chopped pistachios weighs more than a cup of whole ones, and a recipe that calls for a cup of one and gets the other will be off by a noticeable margin. If a recipe says chopped, chop first and then measure, or better, weigh. The second mistake is using stale nuts: rancid oil in an old bag will flavour the whole bake, and no amount of sugar covers it. Taste one before you bake with it. The third is toasting by time instead of by smell: nuts go from toasted to burnt in under a minute, so stand at the oven and pull them when they smell fragrant, not when the timer says so. Finally, do not substitute one nut for another by volume alone in a recipe that depends on weight: a cup of cashews and a cup of hazelnuts differ by nearly 30 g, which changes the balance of a cake or a pesto.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1 cup of sunflower seeds?

1 cup of hulled sunflower seeds weighs 140 g when spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. The figure is approximate, because seed size and settling vary, so verify with a kitchen scale when accuracy matters.

Is that hulled or in the shell?

The 140 g figure is for hulled sunflower seeds, the kernels without the striped shells. Seeds in the shell weigh far less in edible kernel per cup, so always use hulled seeds for baking and cooking.

How many cups is 100 g of sunflower seeds?

100 g of sunflower seeds is about 0.71 cups, or just under 3/4 cup. At 140 g per cup, divide 100 by 140 to get the answer, and use a scale for the most accurate result.

Can I substitute sunflower seeds for pumpkin seeds?

Yes, in most recipes, but weigh them rather than measuring by volume, because the two seeds have different densities. Sunflower seeds are also milder in flavour, so the swap changes the taste slightly even when the weight matches.

Do sunflower seeds go bad?

Yes. Their high oil content means they go rancid within a few months at room temperature, especially in a warm kitchen. Store them airtight and cool, refrigerate for longer keeping, and taste one before using: a bitter or paint-like taste means they are past their best.

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.