There are about 2.1 cups in a pound of demerara sugar. A pound is 453.59 g, and one cup of demerara sugar weighs 220 g when measured spooned and levelled, so 453.59 divided by 220 gives 2.1 cups. The figure is approximate: cup weights vary with how the cup is filled, how settled the ingredient is, and the brand you buy, so if the recipe matters, weigh the demerara sugar on a kitchen scale instead of counting cups. For everyday cooking, 2.1 cups per pound is the number to use.

Large-crystal golden cane sugar with a toffee note. Crumble toppings, shortbread and sweetening hot drinks. That is why the cup count for demerara sugar is different from the cup count for other ingredients: a pound of flour fills nearly four cups, while a pound of honey fills fewer than one and a half, because a cup of honey weighs 336 g and a cup of demerara sugar weighs 220 g. Weight is the same for every ingredient — a pound is always 453.59 g — but volume is not, and the cup count per pound is simply the pound divided by the weight of one cup.

Pounds to cups conversion table

The table below converts pounds of demerara sugar to cups, using 220 g per cup (spooned and levelled). Every figure is approximate, and the gram column is exact — a pound is 453.59 g whatever you are weighing.

Weight Cups (approx.) Grams
0.25 lb 0.5 cups 113.4 g
0.5 lb 1 cups 226.79 g
0.75 lb 1.5 cups 340.19 g
1 lb 2.1 cups 453.59 g
1.5 lb 3.1 cups 680.38 g
2 lb 4.1 cups 907.18 g
3 lb 6.2 cups 1360.77 g
4 lb 8.2 cups 1814.36 g
5 lb 10.3 cups 2267.95 g
10 lb 20.6 cups 4535.9 g

For the amounts most recipes use, the useful rows are the small ones: a quarter pound is 0.5 cups, half a pound is 1 cups, and three quarters of a pound is 1.5 cups. If your recipe is written in pounds and your measuring tools are cups, read the cups column; if your recipe is written in cups and you buy by the pound, read it the other way — a recipe that needs 2 cups takes 1 lb, and a recipe that needs 3 cups takes 1.5 lb.

Cups to grams and ounces

The table below works in the other direction: cups of demerara sugar to grams and ounces. One cup is 220 g, which is 7.8 oz, and every other row is a multiple of that.

Cups Grams (approx.) Ounces (approx.)
1/4 cup 55 g 1.9 oz
1/3 cup 73.33 g 2.6 oz
1/2 cup 110 g 3.9 oz
2/3 cup 146.67 g 5.2 oz
3/4 cup 165 g 5.8 oz
1 cup 220 g 7.8 oz
2 cups 440 g 15.5 oz
3 cups 660 g 23.3 oz
4 cups 880 g 31 oz

These are the figures to write on a recipe card. A recipe that calls for 1/2 cup needs 110 g, a recipe that calls for 2 cups needs 440 g, and a recipe that calls for 4 cups needs 880 g. Weighing removes the cup entirely: put the bowl on the scale, tare it, and pour until the display reads the gram figure. It is faster than measuring cups, it uses one less tool to wash, and it is the same every time, whatever brand of demerara sugar you bought.

Worked examples

A cookie batch that needs 1 1/2 cups

A cookie recipe that calls for 1 1/2 cups of demerara sugar needs 330 g, which is 0.7 lb. A pound of demerara sugar holds 2.1 cups, so one bag covers this recipe with about 0.6 cups to spare. The measuring method matters more than the number: demerara sugar is measured spooned and levelled, and a loosely filled cup can be far lighter than the 220 g figure. If your cookies spread too much, the usual suspect is too little flour, but the second suspect is sugar measured loosely — less sugar means less spread and a cakier cookie. Weigh the sugar on the scale and the result is repeatable from batch to batch.

Frosting that needs 3 cups

A buttercream frosting for a layer cake can easily need 3 cups of demerara sugar, which is 660 g — 1.5 lb, more than a single pound bag. Frosting is weighed sugar more than it is anything else, so the cup count from a pound is the planning number: buy the 2 lb bag and you have 4.1 cups, which covers the frosting and leaves 1.1 cups for dusting or a second batch. Sift the sugar before measuring if the recipe says so, because lumps pack into the cup and throw the weight off, and a frosting made with under-measured sugar will be soft and will not hold its shape.

Scaling a cake recipe up

A cake recipe that serves eight uses 1 cup of demerara sugar — 220 g. Doubled for a crowd, that is 2 cups or 440 g, which is 1 lb. A pound bag holds 2.1 cups, so a doubled cake uses nearly the whole bag. Sugar scales cleanly by weight, unlike leavening or baking time, so doubling by grams is safe: weigh 440 g and you have exactly twice the sugar. The thing to watch is not the sugar but the pan — a doubled cake needs a bigger pan or two pans, not a deeper one, or the middle will stay raw while the edges dry out.

How the figure is worked out

The calculation is a single division. A pound is defined as 453.59 g. One cup of demerara sugar weighs 220 g, measured spooned and levelled from a US cup of 236.6 ml, according to King Arthur Baking. Divide the pound by the cup weight — 453.59 divided by 220 — and the answer is 2.1 cups. There is no other step, and no other number involved, which is why the figure is easy to check: if you know the grams per cup, you know the cups per pound.

The cup weight itself is where the uncertainty lives. One cup of demerara sugar weighs 220 g, measured spooned and levelled from a US cup of 236.6 ml. The figure comes from King Arthur Baking and carries high confidence in our table. A cup is a volume, not a weight, so anything that changes how much of the ingredient fits in that volume changes the weight: how firmly it is packed, how fine the grind is, how much moisture it has absorbed, and whether it was spooned or scooped That is why this page labels every result approximate and why a scale is the only way to be certain.

The spoon measures follow from the same cup weight. A cup holds 16 tablespoons, so one tablespoon of demerara sugar weighs 13.8 g, and one teaspoon weighs 4.6 g. The small table below gives the figures you will actually use when a recipe calls for spoonfuls rather than cups.

Measure Grams (approx.)
1 teaspoon 4.6 g
1 tablespoon 13.8 g
2 tablespoons 27.5 g
1/4 cup 55 g
1/2 cup 110 g
1 cup 220 g

Practical guidance

Large-crystal golden cane sugar with a toffee note. Crumble toppings, shortbread and sweetening hot drinks. Airtight container, cool and dry, indefinitely.

The most common mistake with demerara sugar is measuring it the wrong way for its form. Sugar is measured spooned and levelled, and the method is the whole story: a loosely filled cup can be far lighter than the 220 g figure, so two bakers measuring the same recipe in cups can end up with different amounts of sugar. For demerara sugar, spoon it in and level it without pressing down — packing it adds weight you cannot see. Store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, and if it hardens into a lump, a slice of bread in the jar overnight softens it again.

If you do not have a scale, the cup figures on this page will get you close enough for everyday cooking, but not for precision baking. A basic digital kitchen scale costs little, weighs in grams, and removes the single biggest source of variation in baking. Until you have one, spoon and level dry ingredients, use a liquid jug for liquids, and never scoop from the bag.

Frequently asked questions

How many cups are in a pound of demerara sugar?

About 2.1 cups. A pound is 453.59 g, and one cup of demerara sugar weighs 220 g, so 453.59 divided by 220 is 2.1. The figure is approximate, because the cup weight depends on how the cup is filled — spooned and levelled gives 220 g, while a scooped cup can weigh considerably more.

How many grams are in a pound of demerara sugar?

453.59 g. A pound is always 453.59 g whatever the ingredient is; what changes is how many cups that weight fills. For demerara sugar, 453.59 g fills about 2.1 cups.

Is a pound of demerara sugar the same as 2 cups?

Yes, almost exactly — a pound of demerara sugar is 2.1 cups, so 2 cups is a very good approximation. Measuring by weight avoids the error entirely.

Should I pack demerara sugar into the cup?

No — demerara sugar is measured spooned and levelled. Spoon it in and level the top without pressing down; packing it adds weight you cannot see and makes the recipe too sweet. The 220 g per cup figure assumes the spooned and levelled method.

Does the cup count change if the sugar is lumpy or damp?

Yes. Lumps and moisture both change how much sugar fits in a cup, which is why the 2.1 cups per pound figure is approximate. Break up lumps before measuring, and store the sugar in an airtight container so it stays dry. If the sugar has hardened into a solid block, soften it with a slice of bread in the sealed jar overnight rather than chipping pieces off and measuring those.

How many tablespoons are in a pound of demerara sugar?

About 32.99 tablespoons. A pound is 2.1 cups, and there are 16 tablespoons in a cup, so 2.1 times 16 is 32.99. That is 98.97 teaspoons. Spoon measures are useful for small amounts, but for a whole pound, weighing is faster and more accurate.

Related conversions