There is no single answer to this one: it depends on what you are measuring. 1 pound of flour is 3.78 cups, while the same amount of granulated sugar is 2.29 cups. The table below covers ten ingredients that come up most.
Pounds to cups, by ingredient
| Ingredient | 1 pound | 2 pounds | Weight per cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 3.78 cups | 7.56 cups | 120 g |
| Granulated sugar | 2.29 cups | 4.58 cups | 198 g |
| Brown sugar, packed | 2.13 cups | 4.26 cups | 213 g |
| Confectioners sugar | 4.01 cups | 8.03 cups | 113 g |
| Butter | 2 cups | 4 cups | 227 g |
| Long-grain white rice | 2.45 cups | 4.9 cups | 185 g |
| Rolled oats | 5.1 cups | 10.2 cups | 89 g |
| Cocoa powder | 5.34 cups | 10.7 cups | 85 g |
| Honey | 1 1/3 cups | 2.67 cups | 340 g |
| Water | 1.92 cups | 3.83 cups | 237 g |
Every row is a level cup, spooned in and swept flat. The last column is where the difference comes from: it is the only number that changes between rows.
1 pound to cups of all-purpose flour
1 pound of all-purpose flour is 3.78 cups. A cup of it weighs 120 g, so 2 pounds comes to 7.56 cups and half that is 1.89 cups.
1 pound to cups of granulated sugar
1 pound of granulated sugar is 2.29 cups. A cup of it weighs 198 g, so 2 pounds comes to 4.58 cups and half that is 1.15 cups.
1 pound to cups of brown sugar, packed
1 pound of brown sugar, packed is 2.13 cups. A cup of it weighs 213 g, so 2 pounds comes to 4.26 cups and half that is 1.06 cups.
1 pound to cups of confectioners sugar
1 pound of confectioners sugar is 4.01 cups. A cup of it weighs 113 g, so 2 pounds comes to 8.03 cups and half that is 2.01 cups.
1 pound to cups of butter
1 pound of butter is 2 cups. A cup of it weighs 227 g, so 2 pounds comes to 4 cups and half that is 1 cup.
1 pound to cups of long-grain white rice
1 pound of long-grain white rice is 2.45 cups. A cup of it weighs 185 g, so 2 pounds comes to 4.9 cups and half that is 1.23 cups.
1 pound to cups of rolled oats
1 pound of rolled oats is 5.1 cups. A cup of it weighs 89 g, so 2 pounds comes to 10.2 cups and half that is 2.55 cups.
1 pound to cups of cocoa powder
1 pound of cocoa powder is 5.34 cups. A cup of it weighs 85 g, so 2 pounds comes to 10.7 cups and half that is 2.67 cups.
1 pound to cups of honey
1 pound of honey is 1 1/3 cups. A cup of it weighs 340 g, so 2 pounds comes to 2.67 cups and half that is 2/3 cup.
1 pound to cups of water
1 pound of water is 1.92 cups. A cup of it weighs 237 g, so 2 pounds comes to 3.83 cups and half that is 0.959 cup.
Why one number will not do
One measures weight and the other measures space, and the bridge between them is how heavy the ingredient is for its bulk. Flour is 120 g to the cup and honey is 340 g — more than double — so the same weight of each fills a very different volume.
This is why recipes that matter give weights. A weight needs no assumption about what is being weighed.
Reading it in reverse
1 cup of all-purpose flour takes 0.265 pound; 1 cup of granulated sugar takes 0.437 pound; 1 cup of butter takes 1/2 pound; 1 cup of honey takes 3/4 pound.
The spread between the lightest and the heaviest of these is the whole reason the question has no single answer.
Measuring it without getting it wrong
Sifting before measuring and sifting after measuring give different amounts. Recipes mean the order they write, and the gap is wide enough to see in the finished crumb.
Rounding: when it matters
Rounding down is the safer direction for salt, acid and anything strong. The difference can be added later; it cannot be taken back out.
Other ways this gets asked
The same question turns up in these forms, and the table covers each one:
- Pounds to Cups: Full Conversion Chart?
- How Many Dry Cups In A Pound?
- How Many Cups In 2 Pounds?
- How Many Cups In 5 Pounds?
Related conversions
For every kitchen figure in one place, see the full conversion chart.
