Chia Seeds — Grams & Cups Converter
1 cup of chia seeds weighs about 170 g. Half a cup is 85 g, a tablespoon about 10.6 g, and a full cup is 6 ounces on a scale.
💡 Tip: Make a chia "egg" by mixing 1 tbsp chia with 3 tbsp water and resting 10 minutes until gelled. Chia also thickens puddings and jams.
How many cups is a given weight of chia seeds?
| Grams | Amount | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 2 7/8 tsp | 0.35 |
| 25 | 2 1/3 tbsp | 0.88 |
| 30 | 2 7/8 tbsp | 1.06 |
| 50 | 1/3 cup | 1.76 |
| 75 | 1/2 cup | 2.65 |
| 100 | 5/8 cup | 3.53 |
| 125 | 3/4 cup | 4.41 |
| 150 | 7/8 cup | 5.29 |
| 200 | 1 1/8 cups | 7.05 |
| 250 | 1 1/2 cups | 8.82 |
| 300 | 1 3/4 cups | 10.6 |
The chia egg, and how chia swells
Chia seeds absorb up to about 10 times their weight in liquid, forming a gel — which is what thickens chia pudding and lets them bind baked goods. A cup of dry seeds weighs about 170 g.
To make a chia egg, stir 1 tablespoon of chia seeds into 3 tablespoons of water and rest 10–15 minutes until it gels; it replaces one egg for binding and moisture (not for leavening).
From cups to grams: chia seeds
| Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 | 21.3 | 0.75 |
| 1/4 | 42.5 | 1.5 |
| 1/3 | 56.7 | 2 |
| 1/2 | 85 | 3 |
| 2/3 | 113 | 4 |
| 3/4 | 128 | 4.5 |
| 1 | 170 | 6 |
| 1 1/2 | 255 | 8.99 |
| 2 | 340 | 12 |
Spoon reference: 1 tablespoon ≈ 10.6 g, 1 teaspoon ≈ 3.54 g. See the full tablespoon chart for chia seeds.
Where chia seeds sits by weight
At 170 g per cup, chia seeds is the heaviest of the 13 nuts & seeds charted here — 72% heavier per cup than pecans, the lightest at 99 g.
Substituting by volume shifts the weight: a cup of hemp hearts in place of chia seeds is about 10 g lighter, so convert to grams before swapping.
Questions people ask about chia seeds
- How many cups is 100g of chia seeds?
- Just over or under 5/8 cup, depending how firmly you fill the cup. 100 g ÷ 170 g per cup = 5/8 cup.
- How many grams is 2 cups of chia seeds?
- About 340 g, at roughly 170 g per cup.
- How many cups is 150g of chia seeds?
- About ⅞ cup of chia seeds.
- How do I make a chia egg?
- Mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit 10–15 minutes until it thickens into a gel; this replaces one egg.
- How much liquid do chia seeds absorb?
- Up to about 10 times their weight, forming a thick gel — which is why they set puddings and act as a binder.
- Can I substitute chia seeds for flax in baking?
- Yes, 1:1 as a gel egg-substitute (1 tablespoon seeds plus 3 tablespoons water). Chia can be used whole or ground; flax works best ground.
- How many grams is 1 cup of chia seeds?
- A level US cup of chia seeds comes to roughly 170 g (6 oz on a scale).
- How many cups is 50g of chia seeds?
- 50 g of chia seeds works out at roughly 1/3 cup.
- Why do my numbers differ slightly?
- How it is cut changes everything. Whole nuts leave large gaps in a cup, chopped ones pack closer, and ground ones closer still — so a cup of the same nut can swing by a third depending on the knife work.