How many cups are in a 1lb box of powdered sugar?

If you have a recipe that calls for several cups of powdered sugar, how do you know how much to buy if the package is sold in pounds?

Updated on September 28, 2022

Photo: Blaine Moats

Anyone who's ever baked anything knows it involves a bit of art and a lot of science. And should you be making a recipe that lists ingredients by weight (grams and pounds) instead of volume (cups and tablespoons), as many baking recipes do for more precise measurements, math comes into the equation too. To further complicate things, there is no simple conversion of 1 pound to cups for all ingredients because each ingredient takes up a different amount of space (volume) per pound of weight. If you're trying to determine how many cups are in a pound of powdered sugar (or flour, for that matter), there is one more variable to consider: Is your powdered sugar sifted or unsifted? Prepare for your trip to the store by knowing many cups of powdered sugar are in a pound.

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How Many Cups of Powdered Sugar in a Pound

Let your cake recipe, powdered sugar icing recipe, or whatever baking recipe you're using determine if you need to sift the powdered sugar. Sifting powdered sugar makes it lighter and fluffier, so you'll need more of it by volume to reach 1 pound. With these guidelines, you'll know the answer to "how many cups of powdered sugar is a pound?"

  • 1 pound = 3½ to 4 cups unsifted powdered sugar
  • 1 pound = 4½ cups sifted powdered sugar

How Many Cups Are in a 2-Pound Bag of Powdered Sugar?

The usual 32-ounce package (2 pounds) of powdered sugar has about 7½ cups of powdered sugar.

Whether you're an experienced pastry chef or a beginner home baker, the art of making sweet and savory baked treats all comes down to using the exact quantity of an ingredient. The only way to ensure that cake or loaf of bread turns out the same every time? Weighing ingredients. By using a scale to measure ingredients, you eliminate measuring errors and the possibility of working with inaccurate measuring cups. And after spending all that time and money on one recipe—you don't want to risk ruining the outcome. To avoid having to remember (or look up) the cups-to-pounds information, a simple kitchen scale eliminates that task and could make baking feel more like therapy (or at least make it more enjoyable). Either way, you're now equipped to more accurately measure powdered sugar in any recipe.

Is the recipe you are working on calling for several cups of powdered sugar, but you don't know how much pounds of sugar to buy? It's actually a very common question, so how many cups in a pound of powdered sugar?

In this article, we will determine the exact amount of cups in one pound of powdered sugar. If you are into baking, knowing the basic conversions is essential for a perfect result. The number of cups may vary depending on the type of powdered sugar you use: sifted or unsifted. Learn more about it below.

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How Many Cups In A Pound Of Powdered Sugar?

What Is Powdered Sugar?

How many cups are in a 1lb box of powdered sugar?

Powdered or confectioners’ sugar is a finely ground granulated sugar that contains about 3% cornstarch. The cornstarch will prevent the powdered sugar to cake. Its smooth texture suits best for making the icing, frosting, and other cake embellishments.

To bring a subtle sweetness, powdered sugar is often dusted on any baked products, like brownies and cakes. This type of sugar is grounded in three degrees of fineness: XXX, XXXX, 10X. While the finest powdered sugar, 10x, is often used in whipping cream and confections, the other two types are utilized by industrial bakers.

So, How Many Cups In A Pound Of Powdered Sugar?

How many cups are in a 1lb box of powdered sugar?

The number of cups may vary depending on the kind of powdered sugar you’ll need: sifted or unsifted. According to BHG, one pound of sugar is equal to 3 1/2-4 cups of unsifted or 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar. There is a little difference the amount of sugar because sifted powdered sugar.

You might find it bothersome to sift powdered sugar all the time, but you may consider doing it when you’re making frosting or icing. If you’ve tried sifting a powdered sugar, you’ll probably encounter those round hard nuggets left in the sifter. These hard particles will make your frosting gritty if you left them unsifted.

Measuring Powdered Sugar

How many cups are in a 1lb box of powdered sugar?

If you’re working on a recipe that calls for an unsifted powdered sugar, you can measure the sugar right away. First, you need to prepare these items: measuring cups or spoons, knife, and bowl. Just like measuring any dry ingredients, measure powdered sugar using the scoop and sweep motion.

Watch how to measure dry ingredients in this video.

Using your measuring cups or spoons, scoop your powdered sugar from its package and sweep the mounds above with a back of a knife to level it off. Transfer the measured sugar into a bowl. Don’t be tempted to shake or tap the measuring cup because it will cause more sugar to settle in your cup, leaving you with more sugar than your recipe demands.

Sifting Powdered Sugar

How many cups are in a 1lb box of powdered sugar?

Powdered sugar may develop some hardened lumps due to the moisture absorbed from the air. These lumps can be removed through sifting so it’s essential that you sift powdered sugar especially in making icing or frosting. All the equipment you need is a fine mesh strainer or a hand-cranked sifter and a wide bowl.

In a bowl, hold your sifter or strainer above and pour a couple of spoonfuls into the sifter. It’s not advisable to fill the sifter with the sugar because it tends to spill over and create a mess. Shake the strainer or work the crank gently.

If you have no fine mesh strainer or hand-cranked sifter you can remove the hard lumps by stirring the sugar with a wire whisk. You can also make the sugar fluffy with a fork.

1 Cup Powdered Sugar, Sifted Vs 1 Cup Sifted Powdered Sugar

How many cups are in a 1lb box of powdered sugar?

If a recipe calls for one cup powdered sugar, sifted, it actually means different with one cup sifted powdered sugar. See the difference in the placement of commas. The comma may divide two instructions- measuring and sifting.

When a recipe specifies one cup powd ered sugar, sifted, it means measuring the sugar first then sifting it. One cup sifted powdered sugar, on the other hand, means sifting the sugar first then measuring it. This may result in a lesser amount of powdered sugar because the sugar is aerated.

Final Thoughts

How many cups in a pound of powdered sugar? One pound is equal to 3 1/2-4 cups of unsifted powdered sugar or 4 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar. To measure, simply scoop some powdered sugar and level off the top with the back of a knife. You can sift the flour using a fine mesh strainer, hand-cranked sifter, wire whisk, or a fork.

If you have tried measuring powdered sugar using our methods in this article let us know in the comments section and we would love to know how it worked out for you. You can also share this article with your friends and family if you find this informative.

How many cups are in a box of Domino confectioners sugar?

Domino® Sugar Package Requirements (approximate)
Domino® Powdered Sugar
1 lb
=
3 3/4 cups*
2 lbs
=
7 1/2 cups*
4 lbs
=
15 cups*
Domino® Sugar Packaging Equivalentswww.dominosugar.com › baking-tips-how-tos › dominor-sugar-packaging...null

Does 4 cups of powdered sugar equal a pound?

Four cups will be roughly equivalent to one pound when measuring powdered sugar. However, this is only a somewhat accurate measurement when the sugar isn't crushed into the cup and is instead gently poured.

How many cups are in a box of powder?

1 pound or 16 ounces box of powdered sugar
Amount (In cups)
Unsifted sugar
4 cups
Sifted sugar
4.5 cups
How Many Cups Are In A Box Of Powdered Sugar? - TheFoodXPthefoodxp.com › how-many-cups-in-a-box-of-powdered-sugarnull

Is 3 cups of powdered sugar a pound?

The number of cups may vary depending on the kind of powdered sugar you'll need: sifted or unsifted. According to BHG, one pound of sugar is equal to 3 1/2-4 cups of unsifted or 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar.