One cup of beaten eggs weighs 243 g, poured, according to the USDA. A whole large egg weighs about 50 g, so a cup is roughly five eggs — and that ratio is exactly why the cup weight matters. Recipes that call for eggs by weight, or that need a fraction of an egg, all depend on this number, because you cannot split an egg by eye. This guide covers the weight of eggs in every measure, how to measure a fraction of an egg, what to use instead, and how to store them. All weights on this page are approximate; eggs vary in size, and a tablespoon of white alone weighs slightly less than a tablespoon of yolk, so verify with a scale when precision matters.
Eggs: weight and measurement table
The table below gives the weight of eggs in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the USDA figure of 243 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 | 5.1 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 15.2 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 60.8 g |
| 1/3 cup | 81 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 121.5 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 182.2 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 243 g |
| 2 cups | 486 g |
| 100 g | 0.4 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 0.4 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 Eggs?
Eggs are whole raw eggs, lightly beaten; one large egg is about 50 g. An egg is two ingredients in one shell: the white, about 30 g, which is mostly water and protein and sets the structure of a bake; and the yolk, about 20 g, which is fat, protein and emulsifiers and adds richness and colour. Together they bind, leaven, enrich and emulsify — no other ingredient does so many jobs. Eggs are used for baking, custards, omelettes and binding, and they are the ingredient that most recipes are written around. They should be refrigerated in the carton and used by the date on the box, and they should be brought to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, because cold eggs do not emulsify well with butter.
How to measure Eggs correctly
Eggs is measured poured, and the method matters more than most cooks realise. For dry ingredients, spoon the ingredient into the measure with a smaller spoon, letting it fall loosely, then sweep a knife across the top to level it — never dip the measuring cup into the bag, because dipping compresses the ingredient and adds up to 20 percent. For liquids, pour into a liquid measuring jug and read the level at eye height, or weigh directly into the bowl, which is the most accurate method of all. The USDA figure used on this page is 243 g per cup, and it is the figure the site's converters use, so the numbers here and the numbers in the tool always agree. Confidence in this figure is medium.
Worked examples
Halving a cake recipe
A cake recipe written for a 20 cm tin uses 3 eggs, and you want to make a half batch in a small tin. That means 1.5 eggs — an impossible number until you weigh them. Three large eggs weigh about 150 g, so half is 75 g, or about 5 tablespoons of beaten egg. Beat the eggs, weigh 75 g into the batter, and the recipe is perfectly halved. This is the standard professional method for scaling egg quantities, and it is far more reliable than guessing at half an egg by eye. The same trick works for any odd number: a recipe needing 2.5 eggs is simply 125 g of beaten egg.
A custard for a trifle
A custard for a trifle uses 6 egg yolks — about 120 g — whisked with 100 g of sugar and 750 g of milk. The weight matters because custard is a ratio of yolk to milk: 120 g of yolks against 750 g of milk gives a custard that sets softly and coats the back of a spoon, while too many yolks gives a thick, eggy custard and too few gives a thin sauce that never sets. Weighing the yolks keeps the ratio exact, and the milk is heated to just below boiling, then poured over the yolks in a thin stream while whisking — tempering, which stops the eggs scrambling. The custard is cooked gently until it reaches 80 C, then cooled.
A meringue for a pavlova
A meringue for a pavlova uses 4 egg whites — about 120 g — whisked with 200 g of sugar. The weight is useful because meringue is a ratio: 120 g of whites to 200 g of sugar is a 1:1.7 ratio, which gives a meringue that is crisp on the outside and marshmallowy inside. Weighing the whites keeps the ratio exact — a white too many and the meringue is soft, a white too few and it is dry and brittle. The whites must be at room temperature and free of any yolk, because fat stops egg whites whipping, and the sugar is added gradually, a tablespoon at a time, until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks.
Size, temperature and structure
Eggs vary in size, and that variation is the most common source of error in baking. A medium egg weighs about 44 g, a large egg about 50 g, and an extra-large egg about 56 g — a difference of 12 g between the smallest and largest, which is nearly a quarter of an egg. A recipe written for large eggs and made with extra-large eggs will have 36 g too much egg across three eggs, and the batter will be wetter, the cake will take longer to bake, and the crumb will be denser. The practical rule is to weigh eggs whenever a recipe depends on them — 50 g per large egg is the standard — and to use the weight, not the count, when scaling. Temperature matters too: cold eggs do not emulsify well with butter, and a batter made with cold eggs can curdle, separating into a lumpy mess. Bring eggs to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, or warm them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. And for structure, remember that the white and the yolk do different jobs: the white sets the crumb and provides lift, the yolk adds richness and emulsifies the fat. A recipe that needs structure — meringue, angel food cake — uses whites; a recipe that needs richness — custard, brioche — uses yolks; and most cakes use both.
What to use instead
If you run out of eggs, these are the tested substitutes from our substitution data, with the ratio and the case where each one does not work. Use the ratio by weight where it is given, and check the warning before you commit the batter.
Eggs to Flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, rested 5 minutes. Do not use in meringues, custards, angel food cake, or any recipe where egg is the main structure. — see the full guide: Eggs to flax egg
Eggs to Chia egg: 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water per egg, rested 10 minutes. Do not use in meringues, custards, angel food cake, or any recipe where egg is the main structure. — see the full guide: Eggs to chia egg
Eggs to Applesauce: 1/4 cup per egg. Do not use in meringues, custards, angel food cake, or any recipe where egg is the main structure. — see the full guide: Eggs to applesauce
Eggs to Mashed banana: 1/4 cup per egg. Do not use in meringues, custards, angel food cake, or any recipe where egg is the main structure. — see the full guide: Eggs to mashed banana
The golden rule for any substitution is to match the job, not just the ingredient: a substitute that works in a sauce may fail in a cake, because the two recipes ask different things of the ingredient. When in doubt, use a recipe written for the substitute rather than adapting one written for the original.
Storage
Refrigerate in the carton; use by the date on the box. That is the headline, but the details matter. Store eggs in an airtight container, away from heat, light and strong smells — dry ingredients absorb odours readily, and a bag of flour stored next to the spices will taste of them within a week. Label the container with the date you opened it, so you know how long it has been there, and check it before you bake: if it smells off, tastes bitter, or shows any sign of moisture or insects, discard it. Buying in smaller quantities and using it promptly is better than buying in bulk and storing it for a year, because every ingredient loses flavour with time, even the ones that never truly go bad.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of beaten eggs?
One cup of lightly beaten whole eggs weighs 243 g, poured, according to the USDA. One tablespoon weighs 15.2 g. A large egg weighs about 50 g — the white is about 30 g and the yolk about 20 g.
How do I measure half an egg?
Beat the egg lightly, then weigh half of it. A large egg is about 50 g, so half an egg is about 25 g, or roughly 1.5 tablespoons of beaten egg. This is the standard professional method for halving recipes that use an odd number of eggs.
Can I use egg whites instead of whole eggs?
It depends on the recipe. Two egg whites replace one whole egg by volume, but the result will be leaner and less rich, because the yolk carries the fat and emulsifiers. In meringues and angel food cake, whites are the point; in a rich cake, replacing whole eggs with whites will dry it out.
What can I use instead of eggs in baking?
For one egg, use 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water, rested 5 minutes; or 1/4 cup of applesauce, mashed banana or yogurt. Do not use egg replacers in meringues, custards or angel food cake, where egg is the main structure.
How long do eggs last?
Several weeks in the fridge, in the carton, past the date on the box if they pass the float test — an egg that sinks in water is fresh, one that floats has gone bad. Beaten egg keeps for about 1 day in a sealed container. Never use cracked eggs in a recipe that will not be fully cooked.
Related pages
If you cook with this ingredient regularly, these pages will help: the cups to grams converter for any amount, the ingredient density lookup for the full table of 120 ingredients, the Eggs cups to grams page for cup conversions, the Eggs grams to cups page for working backwards from grams, and the Eggs tablespoons to grams page for spoon measures. You may also want Butter, Milk.