One cup of semolina weighs 163 g, spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. That single number decides whether a loaf rises properly or comes out dense, because flour is the ingredient most recipes use most of, and the easiest one to measure wrong. Coarse, golden flour from durum wheat. It is used for pasta, pizza dough, breads and puddings. This guide covers the weight of semolina 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.

Semolina: weight and measurement table

The table below gives the weight of Semolina in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the King Arthur Baking figure of 163 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 | 3.4 g |

| 1 tablespoon | 10.2 g |

| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 40.8 g |

| 1/3 cup | 54.3 g |

| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 81.5 g |

| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 122.2 g |

| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 163 g |

| 2 cups | 326 g |

| 100 g | 0.6 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 0.6 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 Semolina?

Coarse, golden flour from durum wheat. It is used for pasta, pizza dough, breads and puddings. Flour is the backbone of baking, and semolina plays a particular role in it. The weight of a cup matters more for flour than for almost any other ingredient, because flour is compressible: the same cup can weigh 20 percent more if you scoop it instead of spooning it, and that extra flour is enough to turn a tender crumb dry and heavy. Recipes written in cups assume a particular way of filling the cup, and the King Arthur Baking figure used on this page assumes spooned and levelled. If your recipe was written by someone who scoops, your spooned cup will be lighter than theirs — another reason to weigh flour when the bake matters.

How to measure Semolina correctly

Flour is the ingredient where measuring technique matters most. 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. The King Arthur Baking figure used on this page is 163 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. If you bake regularly, a kitchen scale is the single best purchase you can make: weigh the flour, and the scooping problem disappears entirely.

Method and source

All the figures on this page are derived from a single sourced number: 163 g per cup of semolina, 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. Flour weight is the most disputed conversion in baking: King Arthur Baking lists 120 g per cup of all-purpose flour spooned and levelled, while other sources quote 125 g, 130 g and up to 142 g for a scooped cup. The figure for this flour comes from the same source and the same method, so it is consistent with the rest of the site — but it is still approximate, and the only way to be certain is to weigh the flour yourself. 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 loaf of pasta

A loaf of pasta that calls for 2 cups of semolina needs 326 g weighed out. If you scoop those cups straight from the bag, you can easily add 20 percent more flour — about 65.2 g extra — and the dough will be stiff, dry and slow to rise. Weighing 326 g keeps the hydration right, and the loaf comes out with an open crumb instead of a brick. If the recipe was written in cups by someone who scoops, your spooned cups will be lighter than theirs, which is another reason the scale settles the argument.

A batch of muffins or a cake

A batch of muffins using 3/4 cup of semolina needs 122.2 g. Muffins are forgiving of small errors, but a cake is not: 122.2 g of flour against a fixed amount of butter, sugar and eggs is a ratio, and adding an extra scooped cup throws it off by 163 g. Weigh the flour, level the leavening, and the cake rises evenly instead of doming in the middle or sinking.

Halving and doubling

Halving a recipe that calls for 1 1/2 cups of semolina means weighing 122.2 g; doubling it means 489 g. The trick is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, including the leavening and the salt, because changing the flour without changing the rest throws the recipe out of balance. Write the scaled weights down before you start, and weigh each ingredient into the bowl on a scale with the tare button — it is faster than counting cups and far more accurate.

What to use instead

When you run out of semolina, 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:

  • Semolina to All-purpose flour: 1:1 in pasta (firmer bite). Grains swap 1:1 by volume, but cooking time and water change with each grain. Do not swap grains without adjusting the cooking time and liquid — brown rice takes twice as long as white.

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

  • All-purpose flour to Semolina: 1:1 in pasta (softer). Grains swap 1:1 by volume, but cooking time and water change with each grain. Do not swap grains without adjusting the cooking time and liquid — brown rice takes twice as long as white.

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 flour 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, up to 1 year.

The most common mistake with semolina is scooping the cup straight from the bag. Dipping packs the flour down and can add up to 20 percent to the weight, which is enough to make a cake dry and a loaf dense. Spoon and level, every time, or weigh the flour. The second mistake is storing flour in the bag it came in: transfer it to an airtight container, keep it cool and dry, and it will last far longer. The third mistake is using old flour without checking it — smell it first, and if it smells stale or bitter, throw it out.

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 semolina 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 semolina?

One cup of semolina weighs approximately 163 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 10.2 g, a teaspoon is 3.4 g, and 2 cups are 326 g. All figures are approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

How do I measure semolina 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 semolina?

The substitution database lists All-purpose flour as a swap for semolina: 1:1 in pasta (firmer bite). Grains swap 1:1 by volume, but cooking time and water change with each grain. Do not swap grains without adjusting the cooking time and liquid — brown rice takes twice as long as white. 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 semolina?

Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 1 year. 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.

Can I use semolina instead of all-purpose flour?

Sometimes, but not cup-for-cup. semolina weighs 163 g per cup while all-purpose flour weighs 120 g, so a straight cup swap changes the amount of flour in the recipe. Swap by weight instead, and expect a different crumb: coarse, golden flour from durum wheat. For breads, a blend — part semolina, part wheat flour — usually works better than a full swap, because wheat flour provides the gluten structure that semolina may not.

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