243 g of eggs is 1 cup. That is the weight of whole raw eggs, lightly beaten, and it works out to about five large eggs per cup, since one large egg weighs about 50 g. The figure matters for recipes that list eggs by weight, which is common in professional baking, and for scaling recipes up or down when you need a fraction of an egg.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from USDA, measured poured. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
Method and source
The figure on this page comes from USDA, measured poured. Whole raw eggs, lightly beaten; one large egg is about 50 g. Baking, custards, omelettes and binding.
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.
Conversion table
| Cups | Grams of eggs |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 60.8 g |
| 1/3 cup | 81 g |
| 1/2 cup | 121.5 g |
| 2/3 cup | 162 g |
| 3/4 cup | 182.2 g |
| 1 cup | 243 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 364.5 g |
| 2 cups | 486 g |
| 3 cups | 729 g |
| 4 cups | 972 g |
Quick reference: 100 g of eggs is about 0.41 cups, and 50 g is about 0.21 cups. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Three real kitchen examples
A sponge cake scaled up for a party
A sponge cake recipe serving twelve calls for 486 g of eggs, which is 2 cups, or about ten large eggs. Cracking ten eggs into a jug and weighing them is faster and more accurate than counting, and it lets you scale the recipe precisely. Weigh the eggs first, then scale the flour, sugar and butter to match.
A custard that needs a precise egg ratio
A creme brulee recipe uses 243 g of eggs, one cup, which is about five yolks rather than five whole eggs. The recipe means yolks, and yolks weigh about 18 g each, so one cup of yolks is about thirteen yolks. This is a case where the recipe must say yolks or whole eggs, because the two are not interchangeable.
Scaling a recipe down to a single serving
A pancake recipe for one uses 50 g of egg, which is about a fifth of a cup, or one large egg. When a recipe calls for half an egg, beat an egg, weigh out 25 g, and save the rest for scrambled eggs. Weighing is the only accurate way to use part of an egg.
Getting it right in your kitchen
Grains, seeds and similar dry goods should be spooned into the cup and levelled, without shaking or tapping the cup to settle them, which packs them down and inflates the weight. If the recipe calls for rinsed rice or oats, measure before rinsing: the water they absorb changes their weight, and a recipe written for dry weight will not work with wet grain. Store grains in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, and check for a stale or rancid smell before using older stock, because whole grains carry oils that go off faster than refined flour.
Scaling is straightforward once you know the cup weight. Doubling a recipe that calls for 243 g of eggs means measuring 486 g, or 2 cups, and tripling it means 729 g, or 3 cups. Halving is just as easy: half a cup is 121.5 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 eggs, not just half of one of them. If you are scaling a recipe by an awkward factor, like two thirds, weigh the eggs 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 eggs 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 eggs 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. Refrigerate in the carton; use by the date on the box.
- Weigh eggs rather than counting them when a recipe gives grams.
- One large egg is about 50 g.
- Beat an egg and weigh out 25 g for half an egg.
Frequently asked questions
How many eggs are in a cup?
About five large eggs, since one large egg is about 50 g and a cup of beaten egg is 243 g. Medium eggs are about 44 g each, so a cup is about five and a half medium eggs. Always weigh rather than count when a recipe gives eggs in grams.
Is a cup of egg whites the same weight as whole eggs?
Nearly. A cup of egg whites is about 240 g, very close to the 243 g for whole eggs. A cup of yolks is much heavier per cup, about 250 g, but yolks are rarely measured by the cup.
Can I use a scale to measure half an egg?
Yes, and it is the only accurate way. Beat the egg, weigh out 25 g for half an egg, and keep the rest in the fridge for a day. This is useful when halving a recipe that uses an odd number of eggs.
Do egg sizes matter in baking?
Yes. A large egg is about 50 g, a medium about 44 g, and a small about 38 g. A cake recipe using four eggs can vary by 48 g of egg between small and large, which is enough to change the texture. Use large eggs unless a recipe says otherwise.
How do I measure beaten eggs in a jug?
Beat the eggs lightly, pour them into a measuring jug, and read the level at eye level. Eggs foam when beaten hard, so beat them gently and let the foam settle before reading, or the volume will read high.
Why recipes disagree: if you have ever found two charts giving different weights for the same ingredient, the reason is almost always the method. One chart measured the ingredient spooned and levelled, the other scooped it from the bag, and the two can differ by twenty percent. Brand and humidity add a few more grams of variation. That is why this page states the method alongside every figure, and why a kitchen scale is the only way to be certain. When two sources disagree, trust the one that tells you how it measured.