A cup of demerara sugar is 220 g — the King Arthur Baking figure, measured spooned and levelled. If you have only ever weighed granulated sugar, that number may surprise you, and the difference is exactly why swapping sugars cup-for-cup does not always work. Large-crystal golden cane sugar with a toffee note. It is used for crumble toppings, shortbread and sweetening hot drinks. This guide covers the weight of demerara sugar 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.

Demerara Sugar: weight and measurement table

The table below gives the weight of Demerara Sugar in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the King Arthur Baking figure of 220 g per cup, spooned and levelled. Every figure is approximate — spooned and levelled 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 | 4.6 g |

| 1 tablespoon | 13.8 g |

| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 55 g |

| 1/3 cup | 73.3 g |

| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 110 g |

| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 165 g |

| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 220 g |

| 2 cups | 440 g |

| 100 g | 0.5 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 0.5 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 Demerara Sugar?

Large-crystal golden cane sugar with a toffee note. It is used for crumble toppings, shortbread and sweetening hot drinks. 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. Demerara Sugar 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 Demerara Sugar correctly

Spoon the ingredient loosely into the measuring cup with a smaller spoon, then sweep a straight knife across the top to level it. Never dip the cup into the bag or jar: dipping packs the ingredient down and can add up to 20 percent to the weight of a cup. 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 220 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: 220 g per cup of demerara sugar, spooned and levelled, 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 2 1/2 cups of demerara sugar needs 550 g. Sugar is hygroscopic, so it holds moisture in the crumb, and the weight matters: 550 g gives the sweetness and the texture the recipe was tested with, while a cup more or less changes both. If you are swapping demerara sugar for granulated sugar, do it by weight, not by volume, because a cup of demerara sugar does not weigh the same as a cup of granulated sugar.

A small batch of meringues

A small batch of meringues using 1 cup of demerara sugar needs 220 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 demerara sugar matters here: undissolved crystals weep and leave a sticky meringue. Weighing 220 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 demerara sugar is about 13.8 g, and 2 tablespoons are about 27.5 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

When you run out of demerara sugar, the substitution data lists these swaps. Every ratio below comes from the site's substitution database, and each one has a page of its own in the substitutions section:

  • Demerara Sugar to Brown sugar: 1:1. 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.

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

  • Granulated sugar to Demerara Sugar: 1:1 (crunchier texture). 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.

  • Brown sugar to Demerara Sugar: 1:1. 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.

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, cool and dry, indefinitely.

The most common mistake with demerara sugar is measuring it like granulated sugar. A cup of demerara sugar weighs 220 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 demerara sugar 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 demerara sugar?

One cup of demerara sugar weighs approximately 220 g, measured spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. That is the figure every other number on this page is derived from: a tablespoon is 13.8 g, a teaspoon is 4.6 g, and 2 cups are 440 g. All figures are approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

How do I measure demerara sugar without a scale?

Spoon the ingredient loosely into the measuring cup with a smaller spoon, then sweep a straight knife across the top to level it. Never dip the cup into the bag or jar: dipping packs the ingredient down and can add up to 20 percent to the weight of a cup. 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 demerara sugar?

The substitution database lists Brown sugar as a swap for demerara sugar: 1:1. 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. See the substitution section above for the full list of swaps, and remember that any substitution changes the flavour or texture of the finished dish — a swap is a rescue, not a replica.

How should I store demerara sugar?

Airtight container, cool and dry, indefinitely. 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 demerara sugar sweeter than granulated sugar?

Roughly the same, gram for gram, but not cup for cup — because a cup of demerara sugar weighs 220 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: large-crystal golden cane sugar with a toffee note, which changes browning and moisture as well as sweetness.

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