The short answer: 1 cup of corn syrup weighs 312 g (poured, King Arthur Baking). The rest of this guide explains how crystal size and moisture move that number, how to measure it, and what to use instead. Glucose syrup that stays liquid and prevents crystallisation. It is used for candy, pecan pie filling, frostings and sauces. This guide covers the weight of corn syrup in every measure you will use — cups, tablespoons and teaspoons — how to measure it correctly, what to use instead when you run out, and how to store it. All weights on this page are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

Corn Syrup: weight and measurement table

The table below gives the weight of Corn Syrup in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the King Arthur Baking figure of 312 g per cup, poured. Every figure is approximate — poured is a technique, not a machine setting — so when the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.

| Amount | Weight (approx.) |

| --- | --- |

| 1 teaspoon | 6.5 g |

| 1 tablespoon | 19.5 g |

| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 78 g |

| 1/3 cup | 104 g |

| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 156 g |

| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 234 g |

| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 312 g |

| 2 cups | 624 g |

| 100 g | 0.3 cups |

There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup, so you can move between any of these measures by multiplying or dividing. If a recipe calls for 100 g and you only have measuring cups, that is about 0.3 cups. Keep the cups to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.

What is Corn Syrup?

Glucose syrup that stays liquid and prevents crystallisation. It is used for candy, pecan pie filling, frostings and sauces. Sugar does more in a recipe than sweeten it: it holds moisture, helps browning, and in baking it tenderises the crumb by interfering with gluten. Corn Syrup differs from granulated sugar mainly in crystal size and moisture, and those two things decide both its weight per cup and how it behaves. Fine crystals pack tightly and dissolve fast; coarse crystals pack loosely and stay crunchy on top of a muffin. Knowing the weight per cup lets you swap sugars by weight instead of by volume, which is the only swap that keeps the recipe balanced.

How to measure Corn Syrup correctly

Pour the liquid into a liquid measuring jug, set the jug on a flat surface, and read the level at eye height, at the bottom of the meniscus. Or weigh it directly into the bowl on a kitchen scale, which is the most accurate method of all and needs no jug at all. For sugars, crystal size is the other variable: fine sugar settles and packs more densely than coarse sugar, so two cups of two different sugars can weigh very different amounts even when both are measured the same way. The King Arthur Baking figure used on this page is 312 g per cup, and confidence in this figure is high. A kitchen scale removes all of this variation: weigh the sugar and you do not need to care about crystal size at all.

Method and source

All the figures on this page are derived from a single sourced number: 312 g per cup of corn syrup, poured, from King Arthur Baking. Confidence in that figure is high. Every other number — the teaspoon, tablespoon, quarter-cup and half-cup weights — is that number divided or multiplied, so if the cup figure is right, the rest follow. If a different source gives a different cup weight, every number on this page shifts by the same proportion. Every density-based result on this page is labelled approximate, and the honest advice is the same on every page of this site: when the recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.

Worked examples

A cake or a batch of cookies

A cake that calls for 1 1/2 cups of corn syrup needs 468 g. Sugar is hygroscopic, so it holds moisture in the crumb, and the weight matters: 468 g gives the sweetness and the texture the recipe was tested with, while a cup more or less changes both. If you are swapping corn syrup for granulated sugar, do it by weight, not by volume, because a cup of corn syrup does not weigh the same as a cup of granulated sugar.

A small batch of meringues

A small batch of meringues using 2 cups of corn syrup needs 624 g, whisked into the egg whites a spoonful at a time. Fine sugar dissolves faster than coarse sugar, which is why the crystal size of corn syrup matters here: undissolved crystals weep and leave a sticky meringue. Weighing 624 g and adding it gradually gives a glossy, stable meringue that holds its shape in the oven.

Sweetening by the spoonful

When a recipe only needs a spoonful or two — sweetening a sauce or a dressing — use the tablespoon figure: 1 tablespoon of corn syrup is about 19.5 g, and 2 tablespoons are about 39 g. Level the spoon with a knife, because a heaped tablespoon of sugar can weigh half as much again as a level one, and in a dressing that is the difference between balanced and cloying.

What to use instead

And if a recipe calls for something else and you only have corn syrup, these swaps go the other way:

  • Granulated sugar to Corn Syrup: 1 cup per cup of sugar, minus 1/4 cup other liquid. Sweeteners differ in sweetness, moisture and browning; liquid sweeteners need the recipe's liquid reduced. Do not swap 1:1 in candy-making, meringues or jam, where sugar's exact chemistry matters.

  • Honey to Corn Syrup: 1:1 (less flavour). Liquid sweeteners swap 1:1 with each other; each brings its own flavour. Do not use molasses in delicate recipes — its flavour overwhelms everything else.

One warning applies to every substitution: a swap changes the recipe. A different flour changes the crumb, a different sugar changes the browning, a different fat changes the flavour. Use the sugar substitute converter to check the swap before you commit, and when the recipe has to work the first time, buy the ingredient the recipe actually calls for.

Storage and common mistakes

Storage. Airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 year.

The most common mistake with corn syrup is measuring it like granulated sugar. A cup of corn syrup weighs 312 g, and a cup of granulated sugar weighs a different amount, so swapping them cup-for-cup changes the recipe. Swap by weight instead. The second mistake is letting sugar absorb moisture: keep it in an airtight container, because damp sugar clumps and weighs differently per cup. The third mistake is guessing at small amounts — a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one.

When the conversion matters most is when the recipe is unforgiving: a cake, a loaf, a meringue, a sauce that has to set. In those recipes, weigh the corn syrup on a kitchen scale and use the numbers on this page as a check, not as the measurement itself. For everyday cooking — a soup, a salad, a stir-fry — a level spoon or a jug is accurate enough, and the figures here will keep you close. The rule of thumb is simple: the more the recipe depends on the exact amount, the more you should weigh it.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1 cup of corn syrup?

One cup of corn syrup weighs approximately 312 g, measured poured, according to King Arthur Baking. That is the figure every other number on this page is derived from: a tablespoon is 19.5 g, a teaspoon is 6.5 g, and 2 cups are 624 g. All figures are approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

How do I measure corn syrup without a scale?

Pour the liquid into a liquid measuring jug, set the jug on a flat surface, and read the level at eye height, at the bottom of the meniscus. Or weigh it directly into the bowl on a kitchen scale, which is the most accurate method of all and needs no jug at all. For small amounts, use proper measuring spoons and level them with a knife. For liquids, use a jug on a flat surface and read the level at eye height. These methods are accurate enough for everyday cooking, but for baking — where the ratio of ingredients decides the result — a kitchen scale is worth the small cost.

What can I use instead of corn syrup?

The substitution database on this site lists no direct substitution pair for corn syrup, so there is no published ratio to give here. In practice, cooks swap in a similar ingredient by weight — the same weight, not the same volume — and accept that the flavour and texture will change. When the recipe has to work the first time, buy the ingredient the recipe actually calls for.

How should I store corn syrup?

Airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 year. Storing it properly also keeps its weight consistent: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture or dried out will not weigh the same per cup as a fresh one, so a recipe that worked last month can drift if the storage has changed.

Is corn syrup sweeter than granulated sugar?

Roughly the same, gram for gram, but not cup for cup — because a cup of corn syrup weighs 312 g, and a cup of granulated sugar weighs a different amount. If you swap by weight, the sweetness stays about the same; if you swap by volume, it does not. The other difference is flavour and behaviour: glucose syrup that stays liquid and prevents crystallisation, which changes browning and moisture as well as sweetness.

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