# What is 1 lb powdered sugar to cups?

Converts pounds of powdered sugar to cups and back, from the weight of 1 cup (powdered sugar, unsifted: 120 g).

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/convert/1-lb-powdered-sugar-to-cups
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/convert/1-lb-powdered-sugar-to-cups.json
- Version: d9fd15244f7c

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Pounds (lb) 1, Ingredient Powdered sugar, unsifted, 120 g per cup): 1 lb = 3.779936 cups (Powdered sugar, unsifted, 120 g per cup).

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| value | Pounds (lb) | The amount in pounds to convert. |
| result | Cups (cup) | The same amount in cups. |
| ingredient | Ingredient | What you are measuring. A cup of flour weighs less than a cup of water. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| value | Pounds (lb) | The amount in pounds to convert. |
| result | Cups (cup) | The amount in cups. |

## Method

cups = lbs × 453.59237 ÷ 120, where grams per cup depends on the ingredient (powdered sugar, unsifted: 120 g)

## Assumptions

- Grams per cup are USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) portion weights for one level US cup (8 US fluid ounces): all-purpose flour 125 g (FDC 168894), granulated sugar 200 g (FDC 169655), brown sugar, packed 220 g (FDC 168833), powdered sugar, unsifted 120 g (FDC 169656), whole milk 244 g (FDC 171265), butter 227 g (FDC 173410), olive oil 216 g (FDC 171413), honey 339 g (FDC 169640), white rice, uncooked 185 g (FDC 169756).
- Water is pure water: 0.999975 kg per liter at 4 °C and 0.998207 kg per liter at 20 °C, from the Tanaka et al. (2001) density formula.
- How you fill the cup changes the weight: packed, sifted, or scooped flour can differ by 20% or more.
- The answer shows at most 6 decimal places (6 significant digits below 0.0001), rounded half up; the calculation keeps full precision.

## Worked examples

1. value = 1, ingredient = flour gives result = 3.628739. Source: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 168894: 1 cup = 125 g.
2. value = 2, ingredient = sugar gives result = 4.535924. Source: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 169655: 1 cup = 200 g.
3. value = 1, ingredient = powdered-sugar gives result = 3.779936. Source: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 169656: 1 cup = 120 g.

## FAQ

### What is 1 lb of powdered sugar in cups?

1 lb of powdered sugar is 3.779936 cups. The formula is cups = lbs × 453.59237 ÷ 120: USDA FoodData Central lists 1 level US cup at 120 g (powdered sugar, unsifted, FDC 169656).

### How do I convert pounds of powdered sugar to cups?

cups = lbs × 453.59237 ÷ 120, where grams per cup depends on the ingredient (powdered sugar, unsifted: 120 g). For example, 2 lbs of powdered sugar is 7.559873 cups.

### Should I sift powdered sugar before I measure it?

Sifting makes a cup lighter. USDA FoodData Central lists a cup of powdered sugar at 120 g unsifted and 100 g sifted, and this page uses unsifted. So 1 lb (453.59237 g) is 3.779936 cups unsifted, or 4.535924 cups sifted.

### How many cups is 1 lb of another ingredient?

It depends on the ingredient, because a weight does not fix the volume. 1 lb is about, in cups: all-purpose flour 3.629; granulated sugar 2.268; brown sugar, packed 2.062; water at 4 °C 1.917; water at 20 °C 1.921; whole milk 1.859; butter 1.998; olive oil 2.1; honey 1.338; white rice, uncooked 2.452. Pick the ingredient in the converter for its exact answer.

## Sources

- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 169656, Sugars, powdered: portions 1 cup unsifted = 120 g, 1 cup sifted = 100 g, retrieved 2026-10-18. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169656/nutrients
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy portion weights for 1 cup: FDC 168894 all-purpose flour 125 g; FDC 169655 granulated sugar 200 g; FDC 168833 brown sugar, packed 220 g; FDC 169656 powdered sugar, unsifted 120 g; FDC 171265 whole milk 244 g; FDC 173410 butter 227 g; FDC 171413 olive oil 216 g; FDC 169640 honey 339 g; FDC 169756 white rice, uncooked 185 g. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
- Tanaka, M. et al. (2001), Recommended table for the density of water between 0 °C and 40 °C based on recent experimental reports, Metrologia 38, 301–309: pure water 999.9749 kg/m³ at 4 °C and 998.2067 kg/m³ at 20 °C. https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/38/4/3
- NIST SP 811 (2008), Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B.8. https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811