Cups to Pounds Converter
A pound of all-purpose flour is about 3.6 cups, but a pound of granulated sugar is only 2.3 cups. This cups to pounds converter handles both directions using each ingredient's real weight per cup. Cups measure volume and pounds measure weight, so the ingredient decides the conversion, and flour versus sugar is the classic example of how far apart they land.
Quick answer
One pound is 453.6 grams, and each ingredient packs a different number of grams into a cup.
Result
0.5512 lb
Cups
2
Pounds
0.5512
Cups per pound
3.63
What this tells you
- •One pound is 453.6 grams, and each ingredient packs a different number of grams into a cup.
- •Flour runs 125 g per cup, so a pound of flour fills about 3.6 cups.
- •Sugar is denser at 200 g per cup, so a pound is about 2.3 cups.
- •Cups to pounds multiplies by the density, pounds to cups divides.
How to Use
- 1Pick your ingredient.
- 2Enter the amount in cups or pounds.
- 3Choose the conversion direction.
- 4Read the result, with cups per pound shown for quick reference.
How It Works
Formula
pounds = cups x grams per cup / 453.59Convert the cups to grams using the ingredient's per-cup weight, then divide by the 453.59 grams in a pound. Two cups of flour weigh 250 g, and 250 / 453.59 = 0.55 lb. Going the other way, a pound of flour is 453.59 / 125 = 3.63 cups.
Calculation note: values are processed in the order shown above, using the current input units.
Worked Examples
2 cups of flour to pounds
250 grams of flour is just over half a pound.
1 pound of sugar to cups
453.59 grams divided by sugar's 200 g per cup.
5 pounds of rice to cups
A 5 lb bag of rice holds about 12 and a quarter cups uncooked.
Cups per Pound by Ingredient
How many US cups make one pound of each ingredient.
| Ingredient | Cups per pound |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 3.63 |
| Granulated sugar | 2.27 |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 2.06 |
| Powdered sugar | 3.78 |
| Butter | 2.00 |
| Rice (uncooked) | 2.45 |
| Rolled oats | 5.04 |
| Water | 1.92 |
Common mistakes
- Using one rate for every ingredient. A pound of oats is over 5 cups while a pound of butter is exactly 2.
- Confusing fluid ounces with weight ounces. A cup is 8 fluid ounces of volume, which only weighs 8 ounces for water-like liquids.
- Scooping flour hard into the cup. Packed flour weighs up to 20 percent more, which shifts every conversion.