A 5 lb bag of granulated sugar holds about 11.5 cups. The arithmetic is simple: 5 lb is 2,268 g, and one cup of granulated sugar weighs 198 g, so 2,268 divided by 198 is 11.5 cups. Sugar is much heavier per cup than flour — 198 g compared with 120 g — because sugar crystals are dense and pack together tightly, with very little air between them. That is why a 5 lb bag of sugar holds only 11.5 cups, while a 5 lb bag of flour holds 18.9 cups. The bag is the same weight, but the sugar takes up far less space.
Eleven point five cups is about eleven cakes at 1 cup of sugar each, or twenty-three batches of cookies at half a cup each, or five large batches of jam at 2 cups each. Sugar is the most-used ingredient in baking after flour, and knowing the bag holds 11.5 cups lets you plan: if you bake a cake every weekend, a bag lasts about eleven weeks; if you make jam in the summer, a bag covers five large batches. It also tells you when to buy the bigger bag — a 10 lb bag holds about 22.9 cups, and it is usually cheaper per cup, but only if you will use it before it absorbs moisture and clumps.
Bag of sugar conversion table
The table below shows how many cups you get from fractions of a 5 lb bag, and how many cups of granulated sugar weigh how many grams. All figures use 198 g per cup.
| Amount | Cups (approx.) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 bag | 2.88 cups (about 2 7/8 cups) | 567 g |
| 1/2 bag | 5.75 cups (about 5 3/4 cups) | 1,134 g |
| 3/4 bag | 8.62 cups (about 8 5/8 cups) | 1,701 g |
| Full bag | 11.50 cups (about 11 1/2 cups) | 2,268 g |
| Cups | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 198 g |
| 2 cups | 396 g |
| 3 cups | 594 g |
| 4 cups | 792 g |
| 5 cups | 990 g |
| 10 cups | 1,980 g |
King Arthur lists 198 g per cup; the USDA rounds granulated sugar to 200 g per cup. The 2 g difference is rounding, not a real disagreement — either figure gives about 11.5 cups per 5 lb bag.
Worked examples
A cake every weekend
A household that bakes a cake every weekend uses about 1 cup of sugar per cake. One 5 lb bag holds 11.5 cups, so it lasts about eleven weeks — nearly three months of Sunday cakes. Measure the sugar by weight for consistency: 1 cup is 198 g, and weighing is more reliable than cup measurements, because sugar packs differently depending on how you fill the cup. Store the sugar in an airtight container, because sugar absorbs moisture from the air and will clump if the bag is left open in a humid kitchen.
A summer of jam making
A jam maker who puts up a large batch of strawberry jam uses about 2 cups of sugar per batch, mixed with 4 cups of fruit. One 5 lb bag holds 11.5 cups, so it covers five large batches with a cup and a half to spare — about twenty jars of jam. Weigh the sugar for jam: the sugar-to-fruit ratio matters for setting, and a cup measurement can be off by enough to make the jam runny or too firm. Use equal weights of sugar and fruit for a classic jam, and cook it until it reaches setting point on a cold plate.
A month of cookies
A household that bakes cookies twice a week uses about 1/2 cup of sugar per batch, or 1 cup a week. One 5 lb bag holds 11.5 cups, so it lasts about eleven weeks — nearly three months of cookies. Sugar is the ingredient that makes cookies spread and crisp: more sugar means a thinner, crisper cookie, and less sugar means a thicker, softer one. If your cookies are spreading too much, reduce the sugar by a tablespoon; if they are too thick, add a tablespoon. Small changes in sugar make a visible difference.
How the figure is worked out
There is no weighing involved in the headline answer — it is arithmetic on two published numbers. The package weight is a standard 5 lb (2,268 g) bag of granulated sugar. The cup weight comes from the ingredient table, and dividing one by the other gives the cups in the package. That is also why the answer is approximate: scoop a cup differently and the grams per cup change, so the cups per bag move with it. For anything where the amount truly matters, weigh the ingredient instead of counting cups. The cup weight used here is 198 g per cup, spooned and levelled, sourced from King Arthur Baking. King Arthur lists 198 g per cup; USDA FoodData Central rounds granulated sugar to 200 g per cup. The 2 g difference is rounding, not a real disagreement.
Practical guidance
Store sugar in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, and it will keep indefinitely — sugar does not go off, because it does not support bacterial growth. What it does do is absorb moisture, and damp sugar clumps into hard lumps that are difficult to measure. If your sugar has clumped, break the lumps up with a fork or pulse them in a food processor, and transfer the sugar to a sealed jar. A common trick is to put a piece of bread or a terracotta sugar saver in the jar: the bread absorbs the moisture and keeps the sugar free-flowing, and the terracotta does the same job without going stale.
Measure sugar by weight when it matters. A cup of granulated sugar weighs 198 g, but the exact weight depends on how you fill the cup — a scooped cup can weigh more, because sugar packs down. Weighing removes the variable: 1 cup is 198 g, every time. In baking, the sugar amount matters as much as the flour amount: sugar affects sweetness, moisture, spread, browning and keeping quality. A cake with too little sugar is dry and pale; a cake with too much sugar is wet and collapses. Weigh the sugar, and the cake will be consistent every time. And remember the rounding: the USDA figure of 200 g per cup is a rounding of the King Arthur figure of 198 g, not a different measurement — either figure works, but 198 g is the more precise one.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups are in a 10 lb bag of sugar?
About 22.9 cups. A 10 lb bag is 4,536 g, and at 198 g per cup that divides out to 22.9 cups. It is simply double the 5 lb bag, so if you know the 5 lb figure, double it. A 10 lb bag is better value per cup, but only if you store it properly so it does not clump.
How many cups are in a 2 lb bag of sugar?
About 4.6 cups. A 2 lb bag is 907 g, and at 198 g per cup that is 4.58 cups. That is about four cakes at 1 cup each, or nine batches of cookies at half a cup each. Small bags are useful if you bake rarely, because a large bag may absorb moisture before you finish it.
Why do different sources give 198 g and 200 g per cup?
Because of rounding. King Arthur Baking lists 198 g per cup, and the USDA rounds that to 200 g per cup in FoodData Central. The 2 g difference is rounding, not a real disagreement — it changes the cups per bag by about a tenth of a cup, which is too small to matter in cooking.
How long does sugar keep?
Indefinitely, in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Sugar does not go off, because it does not support bacterial growth. It can absorb moisture and clump, but clumped sugar is still safe to use — break the lumps up and it is as good as new. Keep it sealed and dry, and a bag of sugar will last for years.
Can I use sugar that has clumped?
Yes. Clumped sugar is still safe to eat — the clumping is caused by moisture, not by spoilage. Break the lumps up with a fork, or pulse them in a food processor, and the sugar is as good as new. To prevent clumping, store sugar in an airtight container with a piece of bread or a terracotta sugar saver.