100 grams of demerara sugar is about 7.3 tablespoons. One tablespoon of demerara sugar weighs about 13.8 g, and one teaspoon is about 4.6 g. Its large amber crystals and toffee flavour make it the sugar for crumble toppings and shortbread, where a plain white sugar would disappear without a trace.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Large-crystal golden cane sugar with a toffee note. Crumble toppings, shortbread and sweetening hot drinks. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. One US cup is 16 tablespoons, so every figure here is the cup weight of 220 g divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. Large-crystal golden cane sugar with a toffee note. Crumble toppings, shortbread and sweetening hot drinks.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the spoon, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use the numbers here as a guide.
Conversion table
| Amount | Grams of demerara sugar |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.6 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 13.8 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 27.5 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 41.2 g |
| 4 tablespoons | 55 g |
| 5 tablespoons | 68.8 g |
| 6 tablespoons | 82.5 g |
| 8 tablespoons | 110 g |
| 10 tablespoons | 137.5 g |
| 12 tablespoons | 165 g |
| 1 cup (16 tablespoons) | 220 g |
| 100 g | 7.3 tablespoons |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is simply the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. The last row is the headline figure for this page: 100 g of demerara sugar is about 7.3 tablespoons. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Three real kitchen examples
A crumble topping for baked apples
A crumble topping for baked apples uses 8 tablespoons of demerara sugar, about 110 g, rubbed into flour and cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. The large crystals stay crunchy in the oven and give the topping its golden, toffee flavour, which is the whole point of a crumble. Rub the butter in quickly with cold hands so it does not melt, and scatter the topping loosely over the fruit rather than pressing it down.
Shortbread for a Christmas tin
Shortbread made with demerara sugar has a crunchier, more caramel-flavoured crumb than shortbread made with white sugar. Six tablespoons, about 82.5 g, is right for a small batch, and the sugar should be weighed: the large crystals heap easily, and a heaped spoon can hold far more than a level one. Press the dough into the tin and chill it before baking so the fingers hold their shape.
Sweetening a pot of black tea
A pot of black tea for three takes 3 tablespoons of demerara sugar, about 41.2 g, stirred in while the tea is hot. The toffee note of the sugar suits strong black tea better than plain white sugar, and the large crystals dissolve slowly, so stir for a few seconds and let the tea sit before pouring. Three spoonfuls sweetens the pot without masking the tea.
Getting it right in your kitchen
Demerara sugar matters because of its crystals and its flavour. The crystals are large and amber, with a distinct toffee note from the molasses left on them, and they survive baking as a crunchy topping where finer sugars melt away. That makes demerara the right sugar for crumble, shortbread and flapjacks, and a good sugar for hot drinks. At 220 g per cup it is heavier than granulated sugar, so 100 g is only about 7.3 tablespoons, and a tablespoon weighs about 13.8 g. The weight difference is the trap: swapping demerara for white sugar spoon-for-spoon adds weight and a stronger flavour, so swap by weight instead.
Scaling with tablespoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of demerara sugar, count out about 7.3 tablespoons, and for 50 g, about 3.6 tablespoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 100 g means using 50 g, and doubling it means 200 g, or about 14.5 tablespoons. The key is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance. For large amounts, switch to a cup measure or a scale: counting out more than 16 tablespoons is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
Storage. Airtight container, cool and dry, indefinitely.
- Use demerara where crunch and toffee flavour matter: crumble, shortbread, flapjacks.
- Swap by weight, not by spoonfuls: demerara is heavier than white sugar per cup.
- Level every spoon; large crystals heap easily and over-measure.
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons is 100 grams of demerara sugar?
100 grams of demerara sugar is about 7.3 tablespoons, spooned and levelled, using the King Arthur Baking value of 220 g per cup. One tablespoon weighs about 13.8 g. The figure is approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.
How many grams is 1 tablespoon of demerara sugar?
One level tablespoon of demerara sugar weighs about 13.8 g, and one teaspoon is about 4.6 g. That is more than a tablespoon of granulated sugar, because demerara crystals are larger and the sugar is denser per cup.
What is the difference between demerara and turbinado sugar?
They look similar, but demerara is heavier at 220 g per cup against 180 g for turbinado, and its flavour is more strongly toffee-like. Turbinado crystals are slightly coarser and paler. For toppings they can be swapped, but swap by weight, not by spoonfuls.
Can I use demerara sugar instead of brown sugar?
In toppings and drinks, yes, but in baking the swap changes the recipe: brown sugar is moist and packed, while demerara is dry and crunchy. A cookie made with demerara instead of brown sugar will be crisper and less chewy. By weight the swap is simple, 100 g for 100 g, but the texture will differ.
Why is demerara sugar good for crumble?
Its large crystals do not melt away in the oven, so the topping stays crunchy and golden, and its toffee flavour suits baked fruit. Fine sugar would melt into the topping and make it soggy. Scatter the topping loosely and bake until the fruit bubbles at the edges.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is using demerara sugar in a smooth cake, where the large crystals do not dissolve and leave a gritty crumb. The second mistake is measuring it with a heaped spoon, because the big crystals heap easily and a heaped spoon can weigh far more than a level one. The third mistake is confusing demerara with turbinado sugar: they look similar, but demerara is heavier at 220 g per cup against 180 g, so the same number of spoonfuls gives a different weight. Finally, do not store demerara in a damp cupboard, because the crystals stick together and lose their free-flowing crunch.