Cornmeal — Measurement Converter
1 cup of cornmeal (also called polenta) weighs about 157 g. Half a cup is 78.5 g, a tablespoon about 9.81 g, and a full cup is 5.54 ounces on a scale.
💡 Tip: Cornmeal and polenta are largely interchangeable, but polenta is usually coarser. Finer grinds pack heavier per cup — these figures are for medium grind.
Cornmeal cup measurements, in grams
| Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 | 39.3 | 1.38 |
| 1/3 | 52.3 | 1.85 |
| 1/2 | 78.5 | 2.77 |
| 2/3 | 105 | 3.69 |
| 3/4 | 118 | 4.15 |
| 1 | 157 | 5.54 |
| 1 1/2 | 236 | 8.31 |
| 2 | 314 | 11.1 |
| 2 1/2 | 393 | 13.8 |
| 3 | 471 | 16.6 |
| 4 | 628 | 22.2 |
Cornmeal, polenta and grind size
Cornmeal and polenta come from the same dried, ground corn and are largely interchangeable, but polenta is usually a coarser grind sold for slow cooking. Grind size changes the weight in your cup: medium cornmeal lands around 157 g per cup, while finer grinds pack heavier and coarse polenta a touch lighter. For US recipes, note that "cornflour" in Britain means cornstarch — a completely different white thickening powder, not ground cornmeal.
Use medium or coarse for cornbread and polenta where you want bite; fine cornmeal suits dusting pizza peels and coating fish.
Cornmeal by weight: grams to cups
| Grams | Amount | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 2 1/2 tbsp | 0.88 |
| 50 | 1/3 cup | 1.76 |
| 100 | 5/8 cup | 3.53 |
| 125 | 3/4 cup | 4.41 |
| 150 | 1 cup | 5.29 |
| 175 | 1 1/8 cups | 6.17 |
| 200 | 1 1/4 cups | 7.05 |
| 250 | 1 5/8 cups | 8.82 |
| 300 | 1 7/8 cups | 10.6 |
| 400 | 2 1/2 cups | 14.1 |
| 500 | 3 1/8 cups | 17.6 |
Spoon reference: 1 tablespoon ≈ 9.81 g, 1 teaspoon ≈ 3.27 g.
How cornmeal compares with other flours & starches
A cup of cornmeal weighs 157 g, which puts it 14th by weight among the 15 flours & starches on this site. Its nearest neighbours are vital wheat gluten at 145 g and potato starch at 160 g per cup.
That gap matters when you substitute by volume: use a cup of potato starch where the recipe wanted cornmeal and you have added about 3 g extra — 2% more than intended. Weighing instead of scooping removes the problem.
Frequently asked questions
- How many grams is 1 cup of cornmeal?
- A level US cup of cornmeal comes to roughly 157 g (5.54 oz on a scale).
- How many grams is 2 cups of cornmeal?
- About 314 g, based on roughly 157 g per cup of medium grind.
- How many cups is 150g of cornmeal?
- Just under 1 cup.
- Is cornmeal the same as polenta?
- Largely, yes — both are ground dried corn and can be swapped. Polenta is typically a coarser grind sold for cooking into a creamy porridge, while cornmeal covers a range of grinds for baking and coating.
- Is cornmeal the same as cornflour?
- In the US, cornmeal is ground dried corn and cornstarch is the fine white thickener. In the UK, "cornflour" means cornstarch — so a British recipe's cornflour is not cornmeal.
- How many cups is a 1 lb bag of cornmeal?
- A 1 lb (454 g) bag is about 2 ⅞ cups of medium cornmeal.
- How many cups is 100g of cornmeal?
- 100 grams of cornmeal is about 5/8 cup.
- How many grams is a tablespoon of cornmeal?
- Roughly 9.81 grams. Three teaspoons make a tablespoon, so a teaspoon is about 3.27 g.
- Why do my numbers differ slightly?
- Flour compresses. Dipping the cup into the bag can pack in 20% more than spooning it in loosely and levelling the top, and sifting first makes it lighter still. A scale removes the guesswork.