A cup of dried cranberries is 114 g — the King Arthur Baking figure, measured spooned and levelled. Sweetened dried cranberries, tart and chewy. It is used for salads, stuffing, baking and trail mix. They are much lighter per cup than raisins at 114 g, and tarter too, which is the combination that defines them: a cup of dried cranberries is a smaller, sharper mouthful than a cup of raisins, and recipes that swap the two by volume end up with the wrong amount and the wrong flavour. This guide covers the weight of dried cranberries 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.
Dried Cranberries: weight and measurement table
The table below gives the weight of Dried Cranberries in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the King Arthur Baking figure of 114 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 | 2.4 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 7.1 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 28.5 g |
| 1/3 cup | 38 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 57 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 85.5 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 114 g |
| 2 cups | 228 g |
| 100 g | 0.88 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 0.88 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 Dried Cranberries?
Sweetened dried cranberries, tart and chewy. Dried Cranberries is used for salads, stuffing, baking and trail mix. The ingredient is a familiar one in most kitchens, but it is worth knowing what it actually is before you measure it, because the form it comes in decides how it behaves in a recipe. Dried Cranberries as sold is the form the weight on this page refers to: 114 g per cup, spooned and levelled, from King Arthur Baking. If you buy it in a different form — chopped, ground, toasted, sweetened or unsweetened — the weight per cup changes, sometimes by a lot, so weigh the ingredient in the form the recipe asks for, or weigh it before you change its form. That single habit, weighing before chopping, grinding or toasting, is what keeps the recipe consistent from one bake to the next.
How to measure Dried Cranberries
Spoon the dried cranberries lightly into the measuring cup or spoon, then level the top with the back of a knife. Do not scoop the measure straight from the bag or the jar, because scooping packs the ingredient down and adds weight with every spoonful. Do not press it down or shake the measure to settle it, because that packs it too. The spooned and levelled method is a technique, not a machine setting, so two people measuring the same ingredient can still differ by a few grams, which is why the figures on this page are approximate. When the recipe matters, weigh the dried cranberries on a kitchen scale instead: put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the dried cranberries until the scale reads the weight you need.
How to store Dried Cranberries
Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 6 months. That storage advice is worth following, because dried cranberries goes stale faster than most cooks expect, and stale dried cranberries will spoil a whole batch of baking. Keep it sealed, because air and moisture are what make it go stale, and keep it away from strong smells, because it absorbs odours from the cupboard. Check the ingredient before you use it: smell it, taste a little, and look at it. If it smells sharp, stale or off, or if it has changed colour or texture, replace it rather than risking a recipe on it. A small amount of fresh dried cranberries is always better than a large amount of stale dried cranberries, and the cost of replacing it is far less than the cost of a ruined bake.
What to use instead of Dried Cranberries
If you run out of dried cranberries, the closest swaps are Raisins at 149 g per cup, Dried Apricots at 130 g per cup. Swap by weight, not by volume, because the cup weights differ, and a volume swap gives the wrong amount. Each substitute changes the flavour a little, so choose the one that suits the dish: a mild substitute for a delicate bake, and a stronger one where the flavour can carry it. Taste the finished dish before serving, because a substitute that works in a salad may not work in a cake, and the other way round.
Worked examples: Dried Cranberries in real recipes
1. A Christmas stuffing with cranberries
A Christmas stuffing for a large turkey uses 10 tablespoons of dried cranberries, about 71.2 g, stirred through breadcrumbs, sausage meat and herbs. The cranberries add a tart sweetness that cuts through the richness of the stuffing, and their colour makes the dish look festive. Weigh the cranberries so the stuffing stays balanced: too many and it tastes like a fruit pudding, too few and the tart note disappears. Stir them in last, so they stay plump and chewy instead of going soft in the hot mixture.
2. A winter salad with cranberries and walnuts
A winter salad of bitter leaves, walnuts and dried cranberries uses 8 tablespoons of cranberries, about 57 g, scattered over the top just before serving. The cranberries give the salad its sweetness and its colour, and their chewiness contrasts with the crisp leaves and the crunchy walnuts. Scatter them at the end, because cranberries left sitting in dressing go soft and bleed colour into the leaves.
3. Cranberry and white chocolate cookies
A batch of cranberry and white chocolate cookies uses 12 tablespoons of dried cranberries, about 85.5 g, folded into the dough with white chocolate chips. The tart cranberries balance the sweet white chocolate, which is the whole point of the combination, and the weight matters: too many cranberries and the cookies turn tart and fall apart, too few and they taste of nothing but chocolate. Chop the larger cranberries in half so they distribute evenly through the dough.
Why the weight of Dried Cranberries matters
Dried cranberries matter by weight because they are almost always sweetened, and the sugar content is part of what you are measuring. A cup weighs only 114 g against 149 g for raisins, so a recipe that swaps them cup-for-cup is short by more than a third of the weight, and the bake ends up less sweet and less fruity than intended. The tartness matters too: cranberries bring a sharp note that balances rich food, which is why they suit stuffing and salads, while raisins suit sweet baking. In a stuffing, the cranberry content decides the balance between savoury and sweet, and a 20 g error is enough to tip it. Weighing them keeps the balance right, and it also helps with cost, because dried cranberries are not cheap and a recipe that says a cup can hide a wide range of amounts.
The King Arthur Baking figure, and how it was measured
The King Arthur Baking figure for dried cranberries is not disputed: 114 g per cup, spooned and levelled, is the accepted value, and other sources agree within a few grams. Small differences between brands and batches are normal, because natural ingredients vary, but the variation is small enough that the figure on this page is a reliable guide for everyday cooking. The figure on this page, 114 g per cup, was measured spooned and levelled, which is the standard method for this kind of ingredient. If you measure it differently — scooping instead of spooning, packing instead of levelling, or measuring after chopping — the weight changes, and the recipe changes with it. The source matters too: King Arthur Baking is the reference used throughout this site, because its figures are consistent and widely used in baking, and the USDA figures are used where King Arthur does not publish one. When two sources disagree, this site says so, and the figure given is the one judged most reliable for everyday cooking.
Common mistakes with Dried Cranberries
The most common mistake is swapping dried cranberries for raisins cup-for-cup without adjusting: cranberries are lighter, so the same cup holds 35 g less fruit. Swap by weight instead. The second mistake is using unsweetened dried cranberries in a recipe written for sweetened ones: unsweetened cranberries are sharply sour and will make a salad or a stuffing taste tart. Check the packet. The third mistake is adding them to a hot stuffing too early, where they go soft and lose their chew. Stir them in at the end. Finally, do not store them in an open bag, because they dry out and harden, and hard cranberries stay hard in the finished dish.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of dried cranberries?
One cup of dried cranberries weighs about 114 g, spooned and levelled, using the King Arthur Baking figure. That is for sweetened dried cranberries as sold, and the weight is much lower than raisins at 149 g per cup, because cranberries are lighter and flatter. The figure is approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.
How many tablespoons is 100 grams of dried cranberries?
100 grams of dried cranberries is about 14 tablespoons, spooned and levelled, because one tablespoon weighs about 7.1 g. Fourteen level tablespoons is just under 100 g, so add a small pinch more, or weigh them on a scale for accuracy.
Can I substitute raisins for dried cranberries?
Yes, by weight: 100 g of raisins replaces 100 g of dried cranberries. The result will be sweeter and less tart, because raisins are sweeter than cranberries, and the colour changes from red to brown. Remember that raisins are heavier per cup, so do not swap by volume: a cup of raisins is 149 g against 114 g for cranberries.
Are dried cranberries sweetened?
Usually, yes. Most dried cranberries sold for cooking are sweetened with sugar or fruit juice, because unsweetened cranberries are very tart. Check the packet: if the recipe was written for sweetened cranberries and you use unsweetened ones, the dish will taste sharply sour. Unsweetened cranberries suit savoury cooking better than baking.
How should I store dried cranberries?
Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. An open bag lets them dry out and harden, and hard cranberries stay hard in the finished dish. If they have hardened, soak them in warm water for ten minutes to soften them again.