138 g of cornmeal is 1 cup. Cornmeal is heavier than wheat flour per cup because the grains are coarser and pack more tightly, with less air between them. It is the main ingredient in cornbread, polenta and hush puppies, and in all of those the cornmeal quantity decides whether the result is tender or gritty and dry.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
Putting the numbers to work
Southern cornbread in a cast iron skillet
A cornbread recipe uses 207 g of cornmeal, which is 1 1/2 cups, mixed with flour, buttermilk and an egg. The skillet should be hot and oiled before the batter goes in, so the outside crisps. The cornmeal-to-flour ratio is what makes the bread tender rather than crumbly, so measure the cornmeal carefully.
Creamy polenta for a dinner party
A polenta recipe serving four uses 138 g of cornmeal, exactly 1 cup, whisked into a litre of simmering water or stock. Add the cornmeal in a slow stream, whisking constantly to stop lumps forming. Cook it for 40 minutes, stirring often, until it pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Hush puppies for a fish fry
A hush puppy batter uses 138 g of cornmeal, one cup, with flour, onion and buttermilk, dropped by spoonfuls into hot oil. The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape on the spoon. If the cornmeal is short, the hush puppies will be soft and oily; too much and they will be dry inside.
The numbers in a table
| Cups | Grams of cornmeal |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 34.5 g |
| 1/3 cup | 46 g |
| 1/2 cup | 69 g |
| 2/3 cup | 92 g |
| 3/4 cup | 103.5 g |
| 1 cup | 138 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 207 g |
| 2 cups | 276 g |
| 3 cups | 414 g |
| 4 cups | 552 g |
Quick reference: 100 g of cornmeal is about 0.72 cups, and 50 g is about 0.36 cups. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Tips for best results
Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a straight edge. Scooping straight from the bag packs the flour down and can add 20 g or more per cup, which is enough to turn a tender cake dry and dense. Do not sift before measuring unless the recipe says sifted, because sifting adds air and changes the weight. If you bake often, the single best upgrade is a kitchen scale: weighing flour removes the biggest source of variation in home baking entirely. Until then, spoon and level every time, and use the same cup for the whole recipe so any small error stays consistent.
Scaling is straightforward once you know the cup weight. Doubling a recipe that calls for 138 g of cornmeal means measuring 276 g, or 2 cups, and tripling it means 414 g, or 3 cups. Halving is just as easy: half a cup is 69 g. The key is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance. A cake scaled by half still needs half the flour, half the sugar, half the butter and half the cornmeal, not just half of one of them. If you are scaling a recipe by an awkward factor, like two thirds, weigh the cornmeal rather than trying to measure two thirds of a cup in a jug, because the jug markings are not precise enough for fractions of a cup.
When should you weigh cornmeal instead of measuring it? Whenever the recipe has to work the first time, and whenever the amount is large. A kitchen scale costs less than a single failed cake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking: the way ingredients pack into a cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the cornmeal until the display shows the number you need. There is nothing to wash afterwards except the bowl, and the result is the same every time. For small amounts, a level spoon is accurate enough, and for liquids, a jug is fine, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Airtight container, cool and dry; refrigerate whole-grain cornmeal.
- Whisk cornmeal into simmering liquid in a slow stream.
- Store whole-grain cornmeal in the fridge.
- Use a hot, oiled skillet for cornbread.
Method and source
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Coarsely ground dried corn; King Arthur lists whole cornmeal at 138 g per cup. Cornbread, polenta, muffins and breading.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the cup, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use the numbers here as a guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is cornmeal the same as polenta?
Almost. Polenta is a type of cornmeal, usually a coarser grind, and cornmeal sold as polenta is the same product. Fine cornmeal makes a smoother polenta, coarse cornmeal makes a heartier one. Both weigh 138 g per cup.
Can I substitute cornmeal for flour?
Only in recipes written for it. Cornmeal has no gluten, so it cannot replace flour in bread or cakes on its own. In cornbread, the usual ratio is roughly equal parts cornmeal and flour, with the cornmeal providing the flavour and the flour providing the structure.
Should I use yellow or white cornmeal?
Either. Yellow cornmeal has a slightly stronger flavour and a golden colour, while white cornmeal is milder. They weigh the same and behave the same in recipes, so choose based on the colour and flavour you want.
How do I stop polenta going lumpy?
Add the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream into simmering liquid, whisking constantly. If lumps do form, keep whisking and they will usually break up, or pass the polenta through a sieve. A whisk is essential; a spoon is not enough.
How long does cornmeal keep?
About a year in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Whole-grain cornmeal goes rancid faster, so refrigerate it if you buy it in bulk, and check for a stale smell before using older stock.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake with flour is scooping it straight from the bag, which packs it down and can add 20 g or more per cup. The second is shaking or tapping the cup to settle the flour, which has the same effect. The third is measuring flour that has just been sifted as if it were unsifted, because sifted flour is lighter and a cup of it weighs less. The fourth mistake is using a wet cup or spoon, because damp flour clumps and sticks, and the measurement becomes unreliable. Finally, do not assume that all flours weigh the same: a cup of whole wheat flour is 113 g, a cup of almond flour is 96 g, and a cup of rice flour is 142 g, and swapping them cup for cup without adjusting will change the recipe. When in doubt, weigh the flour, because a scale removes every one of these mistakes at once.