There are about 6.1 cups in a kilogram of semolina — approximately, because the figure depends on how the flour is measured. One US cup of semolina weighs 163 g spooned and levelled, so 1,000 g divided by 163 g gives about 6.13 cups. That is the short answer, and the rest of this guide explains where the number comes from, how much it moves when the measuring method changes, and how to use it in real recipes — from a single cake to a bakery-scale bake.

Semolina is the heaviest flour on this page: a cup weighs about 163 g, so a kilogram gives only about 6.1 cups — the fewest of any flour here. That weight comes from the coarse, golden granules of durum wheat, which pack tightly with almost no air. Semolina is the flour of pasta, and the kilogram figure is the one that pasta makers need most, because pasta dough is measured by weight and semolina is unforgiving about it.

Every figure on this page is labelled approximate, and for good reason: cup measurements vary with packing, moisture and the size of the pieces. When a recipe depends on the amount — a cake, a loaf of bread, a jam that has to set — weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead of trusting the cup. The scale is the only measuring tool that does not care how you filled the cup.

The conversion at a glance

One cup of semolina weighs 163 g spooned and levelled. A kilogram is 1,000 g, so the arithmetic is 1,000 ÷ 163 = about 6.13 cups. The table below gives the cup equivalents for the amounts you are most likely to meet, whether you are scaling a recipe up or working out how far a bag will go. All figures are approximate, and all of them use the same 163 g per cup.

Amount Grams Cups (approx.) Tablespoons (approx.)
100 g 100 g 0.6 cups 10 tbsp
250 g 250 g 1.5 cups 25 tbsp
500 g 500 g 3.1 cups 49 tbsp
1 kg 1000 g 6.1 cups 98 tbsp
2 kg 2000 g 12.3 cups 196 tbsp
5 kg 5000 g 30.7 cups 491 tbsp

A single tablespoon of semolina weighs about 10.2 g, and a teaspoon about 3.4 g — useful when a recipe calls for a spoonful rather than a cup. Note that a kilogram is about 2.2 lb, so the same kilogram works out to about 6.1 cups by the pound route as well: the two routes agree, because they are the same arithmetic with the same density. If you buy flour in pounds rather than kilograms, one pound of semolina is about 2.8 cups.

Worked examples

A kilogram of semolina and a pasta-making month

Fresh pasta is the signature use for semolina. A batch for four needs about 2 cups of semolina, about 326 g, plus eggs to make the dough. A kilogram covers three batches — three pasta nights. Knead the dough for a full ten minutes: semolina dough is stiff and needs the work to develop its gluten, and an under-kneaded dough tears when it is rolled. Rest the dough for 30 minutes before rolling, wrapped tightly so it does not dry out.

A semolina pizza dough

Pizza dough is the second great use for semolina. A dough for four pizzas needs about 3 cups of semolina blended with bread flour, about 489 g of semolina alone — or less if blended. A kilogram covers two pizza nights as a pure semolina dough, or four as a blend. Dust the peel with semolina rather than flour: semolina's coarse granules act like ball bearings and let the pizza slide, while flour burns on a hot stone and tastes bitter.

A semolina pudding for the family

Semolina pudding is the comfort-food use for this flour. A pudding for six needs about half a cup of semolina, about 82 g, simmered in milk with sugar and vanilla. A kilogram covers twelve puddings — a year's worth of Sunday puddings. Stir the semolina into the milk in a thin stream and keep stirring: semolina dumped into hot milk forms lumps that never break up, and a lumpy pudding is a ruined pudding.

How the figure is measured

The headline figure comes from the CookScale ingredient table, which lists semolina at 163 g per US cup (236.6 ml), spooned and levelled, sourced from King Arthur Baking with high confidence. Coarse, golden flour from durum wheat. The table's uses for semolina are: Pasta, pizza dough, breads and puddings.

The method matters more than most people realise. Spooned and levelled is the standard for this ingredient, and a different method gives a different weight: scooping instead of spooning compresses dry ingredients and can add 10–20% to the weight of a cup, while packing a sticky ingredient can add even more. That is why this guide states the method alongside every figure, and why the headline number is always labelled approximate. If you measure differently from the stated method, expect a different result — and if the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient instead.

One practical consequence: never convert in the wrong direction by accident. To go from cups to grams, multiply the cups by 163. To go from grams to cups, divide the grams by 163. To go from kilograms to cups, divide the grams (1,000 per kilogram) by 163. Keep the 163 g figure in mind and the rest is simple division — but always check the result against a scale when the bake depends on it.

Practical guidance

The mistake is confusing semolina with semolina flour, or with cornmeal. Semolina is coarse durum wheat at 163 g per cup; semolina flour is the same wheat ground fine, lighter per cup; and cornmeal is a different grain entirely at 138 g per cup. They look similar — all golden and granular — but they behave differently: coarse semolina gives pasta its bite, fine semolina flour gives it smoothness, and cornmeal gives it a gritty, corny flavour. Check the grind on the bag.

Storage: Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 1 year. Weighing the ingredient before you store it, and writing the weight on the container, saves a conversion later: a tub labelled '450 g' tells you instantly that it holds about 6.1 cups, without any measuring at all.

When you do not have a scale: use the cup, but use it carefully. Spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup — never scoop from the bag — and level the top with the back of a knife without tapping or shaking the cup. For sticky or wet ingredients, use a liquid measuring jug and read the level at eye height, or lightly oil the cup so the ingredient releases cleanly. Accept that the result will be approximate, and if the recipe is a cake, a loaf or a jam, borrow a scale: it is the single most useful tool in baking, and it costs less than a bag of the flour it measures.

Frequently asked questions

How many cups are in 1 kg of semolina?

About 6.1 cups. One cup of semolina weighs 163 g spooned and levelled, and a kilogram is 1,000 g, so 1,000 divided by 163 gives about 6.1 cups. A 500 g bag is about 3.1 cups and a 2 kg bag about 12.3 cups. Semolina is the heaviest flour on this site, so a kilogram gives fewer cups than a kilogram of any other flour.

What is semolina used for?

Pasta, pizza dough, breads and puddings. Semolina is coarse flour from durum wheat, and its high protein and coarse grind give pasta its firm bite and golden colour. It is also used to dust pizza peels and baking trays, where its coarse granules stop dough sticking, and in semolina pudding, where it thickens milk into a comforting dessert.

Is semolina the same as cornmeal?

No. Semolina is made from durum wheat and weighs about 163 g per cup; cornmeal is made from dried corn and weighs about 138 g per cup. They look similar — both are coarse and golden — but they taste different and behave differently: semolina has gluten and makes pasta, cornmeal has no gluten and makes cornbread. Do not swap them.

Should I weigh semolina or measure it in cups?

Weigh it whenever the recipe matters. One cup of semolina weighs 163 g spooned and levelled, but that figure assumes the stated method — and in practice, cups vary by 10–20% depending on how they are filled. A kitchen scale removes that variation entirely: 163 g is one cup, every time, regardless of who is measuring. Cups are fine for soups, salads and smoothies, where a little more or less makes no difference. For baking, jam, bread and anything where the ratio of ingredients decides the outcome, the scale is the right tool.

How accurate is the about 6.1 cups figure?

It is accurate to about plus or minus half a cup per kilogram, which is roughly the variation you get from different measuring methods and different batches of the ingredient. The figure is calculated from a single sourced density — 163 g per cup from King Arthur Baking, high confidence — and the arithmetic is exact: 1,000 ÷ 163 = 6.13 cups. The uncertainty is not in the maths but in the cup itself: a scooped cup weighs more than a spooned cup, and a packed cup weighs more than a loose one. Treat 6.1 cups as a planning figure and verify with a scale when it matters.

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