How Do I Convert Brown Sugar From Pounds to Cups?

Brown sugar measurement conversions can be done using teaspoon increments.

Brown sugar, an essential ingredient in many baking recipes, is often sold by the pound in various sized bags at grocery stores. Some recipes ask for brown sugar measured in cups. Poundage is a weight measurement, while cups are a unit of volume measurement. A rough conversion from pounds to cups is possible by applying simple math to the "teaspoons per package" measurement listed on the package's nutritional information panel.

Things You'll Need

• 2 lb. bag brown sugar
• Dry measuring cup

Instructions

1. Read the nutritional information on the package to see how many teaspoons are included. A standard 2 lb. bag of brown sugar contains about 226 teaspoons of sugar. There are 48 teaspoons in one cup.

2. Calculate the conversion by dividing 226 teaspoons by 48, which works out to about 4.7 cups in the package.

3. Continue dividing until the desired cup measurement is reached. With about 4.7 cups in a 2 lb. bag, that equates to about 2 1/3 cups in a pound. So 1 cup would be just under 1/2 lb., 3/4 cup would equate to about 1/3 lb., and 1/2 cup would be just under 1/4 lb. of brown sugar.

4. Measure out the sugar. Use a dry measuring cup to ensure accuracy. Remember to compress the sugar to remove any air pockets, and to sweep away any heaped excess with a spatula or the back of a butter knife.

References

• Traditional Oven: Sugar Conversion Calculator
• Cooks Illustrated: Measuring 101--Techniques & Shortcuts
• Joy of Baking: Sugars