One cup of maple syrup weighs 312 g, poured, according to King Arthur Baking. Maple syrup is a concentrated sugar solution boiled from maple tree sap, and its cup weight of 312 g reflects its density — heavier than water, lighter than honey, and nearly a third heavier than the same volume of sugar. The figure matters for pancakes, glazes, baking and dressings, where maple syrup is measured by the cup and the weight decides the sweetness and the moisture. All weights on this page are approximate; syrup clings to the measuring jug, so verify with a scale when precision matters.
Maple Syrup: weight and measurement table
The table below gives the weight of maple 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 Maple Syrup?
Maple syrup is syrup boiled from maple tree sap; graded by colour and flavour. It takes about 40 litres of sap to make 1 litre of syrup, which is why real maple syrup is expensive. The sap is boiled to evaporate the water, leaving a syrup that is about 66 percent sugars — mostly sucrose — with a distinctive flavour that comes from the compounds formed during boiling. It is graded by colour: golden syrup is delicate, amber is rich, dark is robust, and very dark is strong. It is used for pancakes, glazes, baking and dressings, and it brings a flavour that no other sweetener can match. It should be refrigerated after opening and used within 1 year, because it can grow mould at room temperature.
How to measure Maple Syrup correctly
Maple Syrup 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 King Arthur Baking figure used on this page is 312 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 high.
Worked examples
Pancakes for a Sunday morning
A pancake breakfast for four uses 1 cup of maple syrup — 312 g — poured over the stack. The weight matters because the serving is generous: 312 g across four people is 78 g each, or about 4 tablespoons, which is more sugar than most people realise — about 50 g of sugars per person. Weighing the syrup lets you pour a measured serving instead of a freehand glug, and it also tells you how much is left in the bottle: a standard 250 ml bottle holds about 330 g, so one bottle covers a single pancake breakfast for four with a little left over. The syrup is warmed gently before serving, because warm syrup flows better and tastes sweeter.
A maple glaze for salmon
A glaze for four salmon fillets uses 1/4 cup of maple syrup — about 78 g — whisked with soy sauce, garlic and ginger. The weight is useful because the glaze's balance depends on it: 78 g of syrup against 60 ml of soy sauce gives a sweet-savoury coating that caramelises under the grill without burning. Weighing the syrup lets you adjust the glaze — a tablespoon more and it is sweeter and stickier, a tablespoon less and it is saltier. The glaze is brushed on in the last 5 minutes of cooking, because the syrup's sugars burn if they are exposed to high heat for too long.
Maple roasted vegetables
A tray of roasted carrots and parsnips uses 3 tablespoons of maple syrup — about 58.5 g — tossed with the vegetables and olive oil before roasting. The weight matters because the syrup is a glaze, not a sauce: 58.5 g is enough to coat 800 g of vegetables in a thin, even layer that caramelises in the oven, while a tablespoon more makes them sticky and burnt. The vegetables are roasted at 200 C for 35 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the syrup has darkened to a deep gold. The maple flavour suits root vegetables particularly well, and a sprinkle of thyme at the end lifts the whole dish.
Grades and what they mean
Maple syrup is graded by colour, and the grade tells you the flavour. Golden syrup, with a delicate taste, is the lightest grade — it is made early in the season, when the sap is sweetest, and it suits pancakes and drizzling, where a light flavour is wanted. Amber syrup, with a rich taste, is the most common grade, and it is the all-rounder for cooking and baking. Dark syrup, with a robust taste, is made later in the season, when the sap has more flavour compounds, and it suits baking and glazes, where a stronger flavour is wanted. Very dark syrup, with a strong taste, is the darkest grade, and it is mostly used as a flavouring in commercial food production. All four grades weigh the same per cup — 312 g — because the sugar concentration is the same; only the flavour differs. The practical rule is to use golden or amber for the table, where the syrup is the star, and dark for cooking, where its stronger flavour stands up to other ingredients. And never buy imitation pancake syrup and expect the same result: it is mostly corn syrup and water with flavouring, it weighs differently, and it tastes nothing like real maple syrup.
What to use instead
If you run out of maple syrup, 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.
Maple syrup to Granulated sugar: 1 cup sugar + 3 tbsp liquid per cup of maple syrup. Do not swap 1:1 in candy-making, meringues or jam, where sugar's exact chemistry matters.
Maple syrup to Brown sugar: 1 cup brown sugar + 3 tbsp water per cup of maple syrup. Do not use a liquid sweetener in candy-making without adjusting the recipe — the extra water changes the set.
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 after opening; up to 1 year. That is the headline, but the details matter. Store maple syrup 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 maple syrup?
One cup of maple syrup weighs 312 g, poured, according to King Arthur Baking. One tablespoon weighs 19.5 g and one teaspoon weighs 6.5 g. A standard 250 ml bottle holds about 330 g.
How many tablespoons of maple syrup are in 100 g?
There are about 5 tablespoons in 100 g of maple syrup (100 divided by 19.5 is 5.1). A tablespoon carries about 52 calories and 13 g of sugars.
Can I use maple syrup instead of sugar?
Yes, with adjustments. Use 3/4 cup of maple syrup per cup of sugar, reduce the other liquid by 3 tablespoons, and lower the oven temperature by 25 F, because maple syrup browns faster. Do not use it in candy-making without adjusting — the extra water changes the set.
Does maple syrup need to be refrigerated?
Yes, once opened. Real maple syrup can grow mould at room temperature after opening, so keep the bottle in the fridge and use it within a year. If mould appears, skim it off and bring the syrup to a brief boil.
What is the difference between maple syrup grades?
Only colour and flavour. Golden is delicate, amber is rich, dark is robust, and very dark is strong. All grades weigh 312 g per cup. Use golden or amber for the table, and dark for cooking and baking where a stronger flavour is wanted.
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 Maple Syrup cups to grams page for cup conversions, the Maple Syrup grams to cups page for working backwards from grams, and the Maple Syrup tablespoons to grams page for spoon measures. You may also want Honey, Brown Sugar.