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Pounds and Cups Calculator

Please choose a cooking ingredient. A density is required for converting between cups and pounds (a cup of sugar weighs less than a cup of water). If you wish to add your own density figure, click 'add own'. add own
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Convert between pounds (lb) and cups for ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter, margarine and more. A reference table of common ingredients and their cup to pound conversion can be found in our ingredients listings.

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made in building our calculator tools, we are not to be held liable for any damages or monetary losses arising out of or in connection with their use. Full disclaimer.

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How many cups are in a pound?

The conversion of cups and pounds will vary depending on the ingredient being used. A pound of sugar measures around 2.26 US cups, and a pound of flour measures around 3.62 US cups.

If you're converting between pounds and cups, it's important to remember that the cup is a unit of volume and the pound (lb) is a unit of weight. This means that to make the conversion, you need a substance density figure.

I've listed below some common baking ingredients and their conversions. Please be aware that these approximations reference the US cup - different ingredient brands and cups sizes will vary. These measurements assume the ingredient is being spooned into the cup.

Pounds and cups for all purpose flour

Pounds to cups Cups to pounds
1/2 lb = 1.81 cups 1/2 cup = 0.14 pounds
1 lb = 3.62 cups 1 cup = 0.28 pounds
2 lb = 7.25 cups 2 cups = 0.55 pounds
3 lb = 10.87 cups 3 cups = 0.83 pounds
4 lb = 14.5 cups 4 cups = 1.1 pounds
5 lb = 18.12 cups 5 cups = 1.38 pounds

More flour conversions can be found in our article, how many cups are in a pound of flour?

Pounds and cups for bread flour

Pounds to cups Cups to pounds
1/2 lb = 1.74 cups 1/2 cup = 0.14 pounds
1 lb = 3.49 cups 1 cup = 0.29 pounds
2 lb = 6.97 cups 2 cups = 0.57 pounds
3 lb = 10.46 cups 3 cups = 0.86 pounds
4 lb = 13.94 cups 4 cups = 1.15 pounds
5 lb = 17.43 cups 5 cups = 1.43 pounds

Pounds and cups for cake flour

Pounds to cups Cups to pounds
1/2 lb = 1.99 cups 1/2 cup = 0.13 pounds
1 lb = 3.98 cups 1 cup = 0.25 pounds
2 lb = 7.96 cups 2 cups = 0.5 pounds
3 lb = 11.93 cups 3 cups = 0.75 pounds
4 lb = 15.91 cups 4 cups = 1.01 pounds
5 lb = 19.89 cups 5 cups = 1.26 pounds

Pounds and cups for granulated sugar

Pounds to cups Cups to pounds
1/2 lb = 1.13 cups 1/2 cup = 0.22 pounds
1 lb = 2.26 cups 1 cup = 0.44 pounds
2 lb = 4.52 cups 2 cups = 0.89 pounds
3 lb = 6.77 cups 3 cups = 1.33 pounds
4 lb = 9.03 cups 4 cups = 1.77 pounds
5 lb = 11.29 cups 5 cups = 2.21 pounds

More sugar conversions can be found in our article, how many cups are in a pound of sugar?

Pounds and cups for powdered sugar (unsifted)

Pounds to cups Cups to pounds
1/2 lb = 1.88 cups 1/2 cup = 0.13 pounds
1 lb = 3.75 cups 1 cup = 0.27 pounds
2 lb = 7.5 cups 2 cups = 0.53 pounds
3 lb = 11.26 cups 3 cups = 0.8 pounds
4 lb = 15.01 cups 4 cups = 1.07 pounds
5 lb = 18.76 cups 5 cups = 1.33 pounds

Pounds and cups for brown sugar (packed)

Pounds to cups Cups to pounds
1/2 lb = 1.16 cups 1/2 cup = 0.21 pounds
1 lb = 2.33 cups 1 cup = 0.43 pounds
2 lb = 4.66 cups 2 cups = 0.86 pounds
3 lb = 6.99 cups 3 cups = 1.29 pounds
4 lb = 9.32 cups 4 cups = 1.72 pounds
5 lb = 11.65 cups 5 cups = 2.15 pounds

Pounds and cups for butter

Pounds to cups Cups to pounds
1/2 lb = 1 cups 1/2 cup = 0.25 pounds
1 lb = 2 cups 1 cup = 0.5 pounds
2 lb = 4 cups 2 cups = 1 pounds
3 lb = 6 cups 3 cups = 1.5 pounds
4 lb = 8 cups 4 cups = 2 pounds
5 lb = 10 cups 5 cups = 2.5 pounds

Pounds and cups for margarine

Pounds to cups Cups to pounds
1/2 lb = 0.99 cups 1/2 cup = 0.25 pounds
1 lb = 1.97 cups 1 cup = 0.51 pounds
2 lb = 3.94 cups 2 cups = 1.02 pounds
3 lb = 5.91 cups 3 cups = 1.52 pounds
4 lb = 7.88 cups 4 cups = 2.03 pounds
5 lb = 9.85 cups 5 cups = 2.54 pounds

Which cup is which?

As you'll have noticed from the list of conversion options above, there are different types of cup depending on where in the world you are. The cup is more commonly referenced in US recipes than the rest of the world.

Conversion of cooking units

To convert between other cooking units such as grams, pounds, quarts, tablespoons, teaspoons, litres and more, give the full cooking converter a try. We also have individual converters for cups and grams, cups and ounces and ounces and mL.

Calculator created by Alastair Hazell.

References

  1. Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations. Density Database Version 2.0. https://www.fao.org/3/ap815e/ap815e.pdf
  2. Rose Levy Beranbaum. (1988). The Cake Bible. https://www.realbakingwithrose.com/the-cake-bible