A pound is a weight and a cup is a volume, so it depends on what you're measuring. A pound of all-purpose flour is about 3.78 cups, granulated sugar about 2.27 cups, and butter 2 cups (4 sticks).
Cups per pound chart
| Active dry yeast | 2.36 cups |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 3.78 cups |
| Almond flour | 4.72 cups |
| Baking powder | 2.05 cups |
| Baking soda | 2.05 cups |
| Bread flour | 3.78 cups |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 2.06 cups |
| Butter | 2 cups |
| Cake flour | 3.78 cups |
| Chocolate chips (semisweet) | 2.7 cups |
| Chopped walnuts | 3.88 cups |
| Cocoa powder (unsweetened) | 5.27 cups |
| Cornmeal | 2.89 cups |
| Cornstarch | 3.54 cups |
| Granulated sugar | 2.27 cups |
| Grated Parmesan | 4.54 cups |
| Heavy cream | 1.91 cups |
| Honey | 1.34 cups |
| Kosher salt | 3.54 cups |
| Maple syrup | 1.44 cups |
| Milk | 1.86 cups |
| Molasses | 1.35 cups |
| Olive oil | 2.1 cups |
| Peanut butter | 1.76 cups |
| Powdered sugar (unsifted) | 3.78 cups |
| Raisins | 3.13 cups |
| Rolled oats | 5.6 cups |
| Shredded cheddar cheese | 4.01 cups |
| Sour cream | 1.97 cups |
| Table salt | 1.55 cups |
| Vegetable oil | 2.08 cups |
| Water | 1.92 cups |
| White rice (uncooked, long grain) | 2.45 cups |
| Whole wheat flour | 4.01 cups |
| Yogurt (plain) | 1.85 cups |
Flours are spooned into the cup and leveled; brown sugar is packed. Values from USDA FoodData Central and King Arthur Baking; each ingredient page shows both.
Why there's no single answer
Cups, tablespoons and teaspoons measure volume; grams and pounds measure weight. Dense ingredients such as honey or salt pack more grams into the same spoon than fluffy ones such as flour or cocoa. Scooping flour straight from the bag can add 15–25% more than spooning and leveling, which is why bakers weigh.
Questions people ask
How many cups are in a pound of icing sugar?
About 3.78 cups in 1 pound of powdered sugar (spooned and leveled).
How many cups of flour in a 5 pound bag?
About 18.9 cups in 5 pounds of all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled).
How many cups in a pound of flour?
About 3.78 cups in 1 pound of all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled).
How many cups of granulated sugar are in a pound?
About 2.27 cups in 1 pound of granulated sugar.
How many cups of sugar in a 4 pound bag?
About 9.07 cups in 4 pounds of granulated sugar.
1 pound brown sugar is how many cups?
About 2.06 cups in 1 pound of brown sugar (packed).
Sources
- NIST SP 811 Appendix B.9 - Conversion factors by kind of quantity
- NIST OWM - Approximate conversions from U.S. customary measures to metric
- 21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii) - FDA nutrition labeling household measures (eCFR)
- USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) - Butter, salted (FDC 173410)
- USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) - Egg, whole, raw, fresh (FDC 171287)
- King Arthur Baking - Ingredient Weight Chart