Pounds to Cups Converter

It depends on the ingredient. For water, 1 pound equals about 1.92 US cups. For all-purpose flour, 1 pound is approximately 3.62 cups, and for granulated sugar it's about 2.26 cups. Because pounds measure weight and cups measure volume, the density of each ingredient determines the conversion.

Use the formula: cups = (pounds × 453.592) ÷ (density in g/mL × cup volume in mL). First find the ingredient's density in g/mL, then divide the weight in grams by the volume of one cup. Our calculator handles this automatically when you select your ingredient.

One pound of butter equals approximately 2 US cups, since butter has a density of about 0.911 g/mL. A standard US stick of butter is ½ cup, so one pound contains 4 sticks or 2 cups.

One pound of all-purpose flour equals roughly 3.62 US cups. Bread flour yields about 3.49 cups per pound, and cake flour gives approximately 4.0 cups per pound due to its lighter texture and lower density.

One pound of granulated sugar equals about 2.26 US cups. Powdered (confectioners') sugar is lighter, measuring around 3.63 cups per pound, while packed brown sugar comes in at roughly 2.34 cups per pound.

A US cup holds 236.588 mL, a metric cup holds 250 mL, and a UK imperial cup holds approximately 284.131 mL. This means a UK cup is about 20% larger than a US cup, so always check which measurement system your recipe uses to get accurate results.

Because every ingredient has a different density. A pound of feather-light cake flour takes up much more space than a pound of dense honey or salt. Using a single conversion factor would lead to significant measurement errors in baking and cooking.

For half a pound (0.5 lb) of all-purpose flour, you get about 1.81 cups. For half a pound of granulated sugar, expect around 1.13 cups, and for half a pound of butter you'll have approximately 1 cup. Use the converter above to get the exact result for any ingredient.