A cup of hazelnuts is 142 g — the King Arthur Baking figure, measured spooned and levelled. Round, sweet nuts with a thin brown skin. It is used for nutella-style spreads, praline, baking and salads. They are heavier per cup than most nuts at 142 g, and that density is the first thing to know: a cup of hazelnuts weighs the same as a cup of almonds, so the two swap by volume, but not by flavour, and hazelnuts bring a stronger, more roasted note to anything they touch. This guide covers the weight of hazelnuts 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.
Hazelnuts: weight and measurement table
The table below gives the weight of Hazelnuts in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the King Arthur Baking figure of 142 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 | 3 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 8.9 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 35.5 g |
| 1/3 cup | 47.3 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 71 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 106.5 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 142 g |
| 2 cups | 284 g |
| 100 g | 0.7 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 0.7 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 Hazelnuts?
Round, sweet nuts with a thin brown skin. Hazelnuts is used for nutella-style spreads, praline, baking and salads. 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. Hazelnuts as sold is the form the weight on this page refers to: 142 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 Hazelnuts
Spoon the hazelnuts 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 hazelnuts on a kitchen scale instead: put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the hazelnuts until the scale reads the weight you need.
How to store Hazelnuts
Airtight container, cool and dry; refrigerate for longer. That storage advice is worth following, because hazelnuts goes stale faster than most cooks expect, and stale hazelnuts 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 hazelnuts is always better than a large amount of stale hazelnuts, and the cost of replacing it is far less than the cost of a ruined bake.
What to use instead of Hazelnuts
If you run out of hazelnuts, the closest swaps are Almonds at 142 g per cup, Pecans at 114 g per cup, Walnuts at 113 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: Hazelnuts in real recipes
1. A hazelnut praline for a celebration cake
A hazelnut praline for a celebration cake uses 10 tablespoons of hazelnuts, about 88.8 g, roasted, skinned and caramelised with sugar, then ground to a coarse paste. The praline is folded into buttercream or scattered over the top of the cake, and its flavour depends entirely on the nuts: too few and the praline tastes of sugar, too many and it turns bitter. Roast the nuts until their skins loosen, rub them clean in a tea towel, and weigh them before they go into the caramel, because once the sugar sets you cannot adjust the balance.
2. A chocolate hazelnut spread from scratch
Homemade chocolate hazelnut spread uses 12 tablespoons of hazelnuts, about 106.5 g, roasted and ground with cocoa, sugar and a little oil until smooth. The spread keeps for weeks in a jar and tastes far more of hazelnut than the shop-bought version, because the nuts are the main ingredient rather than an afterthought. Grind the nuts for several minutes until they release their own oil and turn into a butter, then add the cocoa and sugar; adding them too early makes the spread gritty.
3. A hazelnut and green bean salad
A salad of green beans, hazelnuts and shaved parmesan uses 6 tablespoons of toasted hazelnuts, about 53.2 g, scattered over the beans just before serving. The nuts add crunch and a roasted sweetness that suits the beans and the salty cheese, and toasting them first is essential: raw hazelnuts taste flat and woody by comparison. Chop them roughly rather than finely, so each mouthful gets a piece of nut, and dress the salad at the table so the nuts stay crisp.
Why the weight of Hazelnuts matters
Hazelnuts matter by weight because they are almost always used ground or chopped, and grinding changes the volume completely. A cup of whole hazelnuts weighs 142 g, but the same nuts ground fill barely two-thirds of a cup, so a recipe that says a cup of ground hazelnuts needs a very different amount from a cup of whole ones. Weighing the nuts before grinding is the only reliable way to get it right. The skin matters too: the thin brown skin is bitter, and most baking recipes want the nuts skinned, which loses a little weight and a lot of bitterness. In a praline or a chocolate spread, the hazelnut content decides the flavour, and a 20 g error is the difference between a spread that tastes of chocolate and one that tastes of hazelnut.
The King Arthur Baking figure, and how it was measured
The King Arthur Baking figure for hazelnuts is not disputed: 142 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, 142 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 Hazelnuts
The most common mistake is measuring hazelnuts after grinding them, which packs them down and over-measures by a third. Always weigh whole nuts first. The second mistake is skipping the skinning step: the papery skins are bitter and spoil a smooth praline or cake, so roast the nuts for ten minutes and rub them in a tea towel to remove the skins. The third mistake is using stale hazelnuts, which taste flat and woody; smell them before you use them, and buy small amounts often. Finally, do not store hazelnuts in a warm cupboard, because their oils turn rancid faster than most nuts, and rancid hazelnuts will ruin a whole batch of baking.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of hazelnuts?
One cup of whole hazelnuts weighs about 142 g, spooned and levelled, using the King Arthur Baking figure. That is for whole nuts with their skins on; skinned nuts weigh very slightly less, and ground hazelnuts weigh much more per cup because they pack tighter. The figure is approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.
How many tablespoons is 100 grams of hazelnuts?
100 grams of hazelnuts is about 11.3 tablespoons, spooned and levelled, because one tablespoon weighs about 8.9 g. Eleven level tablespoons is just under 100 g, so add a small pinch more, or weigh the nuts on a scale for accuracy.
Do I need to remove the skins from hazelnuts?
For baking, yes. The thin brown skins are bitter and they spoil the flavour of praline, cakes and spreads. Roast the nuts in a hot oven for about ten minutes until the skins loosen, then rub them in a clean tea towel. For salads and snacking, the skins matter less and can be left on.
Can I substitute almonds for hazelnuts?
Yes, by weight: 100 g of almonds replaces 100 g of hazelnuts, and both weigh about 142 g per cup, so the volume swap is the same too. The flavour changes, though, because hazelnuts are stronger and more roasted-tasting than almonds, so a hazelnut cake made with almonds will taste milder and less distinctive.
How should I store hazelnuts?
Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, and refrigerate them for longer keeping. Hazelnut oils turn rancid faster than most nuts, so buy small amounts and use them within a few months. Smell them before baking: rancid hazelnuts smell sharp and stale, and they will ruin a recipe.