1 Cup Turbinado Sugar in Grams
1 cup of turbinado sugar weighs 180 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). Coarse, golden raw sugar with a light molasses flavour. 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.
Turbinado sugar is a coarse, golden raw sugar with a light molasses flavour, made by spinning raw cane sugar in a turbine to remove most of the molasses while leaving the large crystals behind. A cup weighs 180 g, and the crystals are big enough to see and feel, which is why it is used as a topping: it stays crunchy on a muffin top and gives cookies a sparkling, crackled coating. It dissolves more slowly than granulated sugar, so it is better as a finish than as the main sweetener in a batter, and it is the sugar you will find in the packets beside the coffee in many cafes.
Why weighing turbinado sugar beats measuring it in cups
Sugar looks like the easiest ingredient to measure in cups, because the crystals pour cleanly and level neatly, but the weight per cup still varies a lot between types. A cup of granulated sugar weighs about 198 g, a cup of powdered sugar about 113 g, and a cup of packed brown sugar about 213 g, so swapping one sugar for another cup-for-cup changes the sweetness and the structure of a bake by a large margin. Sugar does more than sweeten: it holds moisture, tenderises crumb, feeds yeast, helps browning and sets the texture of everything from meringues to caramel. Getting the weight right is what keeps a cake moist instead of dry, a meringue crisp instead of weeping, and a jam setting instead of running. Because sugar dissolves, small errors are forgiving in drinks and sauces, but in baking they are not.
Turbinado Sugar cups to grams conversion table
| Cups | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 45 g | 4 |
| 1/3 cup | 60 g | 5.3 |
| 1/2 cup | 90 g | 8 |
| 2/3 cup | 120 g | 10.7 |
| 3/4 cup | 135 g | 12 |
| 1 cup | 180 g | 16 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 270 g | 24 |
| 2 cups | 360 g | 32 |
| 3 cups | 540 g | 48 |
| 4 cups | 720 g | 64 |
One tablespoon of turbinado sugar weighs about 11.2 g, and a cup is 16 tablespoons, so the tablespoon column is simply the cup weight divided by 16. 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. All the values in this table are approximate, and they assume the ingredient is measured spooned and levelled, exactly as the source measured it.
How the weight was measured
spooned and levelled means filling the cup with a spoon rather than plunging the cup into the bag or jar, then sweeping a straight knife across the top to level it off. Never scoop, 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.
Worked examples
Muffin tops with a crunchy finish
A batch of muffins that calls for a turbinado topping uses about 1/4 cup, which is 45 g, sprinkled over the batter before baking. The large crystals do not melt fully in the heat of the oven, so they stay crunchy and golden on top of the muffin, giving a contrast to the soft crumb underneath. Weigh the topping rather than guessing, because a heavy hand makes the muffins too sweet and the topping can burn.
A cookie coating
Snickerdoodle-style cookies rolled in turbinado sugar get a crackled, sparkling crust. A batch that uses 1/2 cup of sugar for rolling needs 90 g, spread in a shallow bowl so each ball of dough can be rolled evenly. The coarse crystals hold their shape in the oven and give the finished cookie a crunch that fine sugar cannot, and the light molasses flavour adds a caramel note that suits cinnamon and spice.
Sweetening a cup of coffee
Turbinado sugar is a favourite for coffee and tea because its large crystals dissolve slowly and its molasses flavour is gentle. A cup of turbinado sugar weighs 180 g, and a single teaspoon is about 4 g, so a spoonful or two is all a cup of coffee needs. Keep the sugar in an airtight container, because the coarse crystals pick up moisture from the air and clump together if the jar is left open.
When this conversion matters most
This conversion matters most in baking and preserving, where sugar controls structure as well as sweetness. In cakes it tenderises the crumb and holds moisture; in meringues it stabilises the foam; in jams it sets the pectin and preserves the fruit. It matters less in a cup of tea or coffee, where a gram or two either way is a matter of taste and you can adjust by sipping. It matters again when you scale recipes, because sugar errors multiply just like flour errors, and a doubled batch of cookies with too much sugar spreads thin and burns at the edges. When a recipe was developed by weight, matching that weight is the simplest way to match the result.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is treating all sugars as interchangeable by volume. A cup of powdered sugar is nearly half the weight of a cup of granulated sugar, so a recipe that expects one and gets the other will be badly under- or over-sweetened. The second mistake is packing brown sugar when the recipe expects it spooned, or the reverse: packed brown sugar weighs about 213 g per cup while loosely spooned brown sugar weighs around 170 g, a difference of more than 40 g. The third is measuring sticky syrups in a dry cup and losing half of it on the sides; a light wipe of oil on the cup helps a syrup slide out cleanly. And the fourth is sifting powdered sugar before measuring it, which adds air and drops the weight per cup to around 100 g. Measure first, then sift.
What to do if you do not have a scale
If you do not have a scale, use a dry measuring cup and the method the figure on this page was measured with: spooned and levelled for free-flowing sugars, firmly packed for brown and muscovado sugars, and poured at eye level for syrups. For syrups, measure in a liquid jug at eye level and use a flexible spatula to scrape every last drop out. For powdered sugar, spoon it in lightly and level it, and do not press it down. These methods get you close, but sugar is cheap to weigh and expensive to get wrong in baking, so a scale is the better investment here than for almost any other ingredient.
Storing turbinado sugar
Airtight container, cool and dry, indefinitely. Keeping turbinado sugar properly stored matters for the conversion as well as for the flavour: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, and one that has dried out weighs less. Store it in an airtight container, away from heat and light, and measure it in the state the recipe expects, not straight from a damp or stale bag.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between turbinado sugar and brown sugar?
Turbinado sugar is a coarse raw sugar with a light molasses flavour, while brown sugar is white sugar coated in molasses and is moist and soft. A cup of turbinado sugar weighs 180 g, while a cup of packed brown sugar weighs 213 g, so they are very different by volume. Use turbinado sugar where you want crunch and sparkle, and brown sugar where you want moisture and a deep molasses flavour in the bake itself.
Can I use turbinado sugar in baking?
Yes, but with care. Its large crystals dissolve slowly, so in a batter they may not dissolve fully and can leave a gritty texture. It works best as a topping or a coating, or in recipes where the sugar is dissolved in a hot liquid first, such as a syrup or a sauce. If you do use it as the main sweetener in a cake, weigh it at 180 g per cup and expect a slightly coarser crumb.
Can I use cups instead of a scale for turbinado sugar?
Yes, but a scale is more accurate. If you measure turbinado sugar spooned and levelled, exactly as the figure on this page was measured, a cup will be close to 180 g, within a few grams. The problem is that most people scoop rather than spoon, which can add 15 to 25 percent to the weight, and that error is enough to change a bake. For everyday cooking, cups are fine. For baking, where the ratio of ingredients decides the result, weigh it and check the number on the scale.
How many tablespoons are in a cup of turbinado sugar?
There are 16 tablespoons in a US cup, so a cup of turbinado sugar is 16 tablespoons, and one tablespoon weighs about 11.2 g. A teaspoon weighs about 3.8 g. Tablespoons are useful when a recipe calls for a small amount, but they carry the same packing problem as cups: a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one, so level every spoon with the back of a knife, and use a scale for small amounts when accuracy matters.
Does the weight change if I pack or sift turbinado sugar?
Yes, and this is the single biggest source of error in cup measurements. turbinado sugar is measured spooned and levelled, and a scooped cup can weigh 15 to 25 percent more than a spooned cup, because scooping packs the ingredient down. Sifting has the opposite effect: it adds air and makes the cup lighter. Always measure the way the figure on this page was measured, spooned and levelled, and the weight will match the table.