To convert cups of whole flaxseed into pounds, multiply by 0.36376273: one cup comes to 0.36376273 pounds. Every ingredient has its own figure here, because the units are measuring different things and only the density links them.
The density behind that figure is 0.69741 g per mL, against 1.00 for water. A cup of water weighs 236.6 g and a cup of whole flaxseed weighs 165 g, so this ingredient is 69.74% as heavy as the same volume of water — the single fact the whole page rests on.
A cup of whole flaxseed is 165 g when it is measured the standard way, but how it gets into the cup changes the answer: between about 155.1 g and 184.8 g covers the range from lightly spooned to firmly packed. That 12% spread is larger than most of the adjustments recipes fuss over, and it disappears entirely the moment the ingredient is weighed instead.
Pounds are how whole flaxseed is bought rather than cooked, so this is the bag-size arithmetic: one pound is 2.749 cups, a 2 lb pack is 5.498 cups and a 5 lb sack is 13.75. That last figure is the one worth knowing before a large bake — it tells you whether one bag covers the recipe.
How the figure is arrived at: Whole seeds. Ground flax is much lighter per cup and goes rancid far faster.
The formula
cups- The amount of whole flaxseed you are converting, in cups
0.363762732605- Pounds per cup for whole flaxseed, from its density of 0.69741 g/mL
pounds- The equivalent quantity in pounds
How it works, step by step
- Enter the quantity in cups.
- It is multiplied by 0.363762732605, the pounds-per-cup figure for whole flaxseed.
- The result appears in pounds, with a second reading in g beneath it.
- Use the measure table if you want a standard recipe quantity rather than a number you type in.
Worked examples
1/3 cup of whole flaxseed in pounds
A recipe calling for 1/3 cup of whole flaxseed needs 0.121254 pounds on the scale. The arithmetic is 0.333333 × 0.36376273 = 0.12125424, and halving the recipe halves the weight to 0.0606271 pounds.
3/4 cup of whole flaxseed in pounds
A recipe calling for 3/4 cup of whole flaxseed needs 0.272822 pounds on the scale. The arithmetic is 0.75 × 0.36376273 = 0.27282205, and halving the recipe halves the weight to 0.136411 pounds.
3 cup of whole flaxseed in pounds
3 cup of whole flaxseed weighs out at 1.09129 pounds. Divide 1.09129 by 0.36376273 and you get back to 3 cup, which is the quickest check that the factor is the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many pounds are in 1 cup of whole flaxseed?
One cup of whole flaxseed is 0.36376273 pounds. Half that quantity is 0.181881 pounds and double it is 0.727525 pounds, so the figure scales straight up and down — there is no offset in this conversion, only the factor.
Why is a cup of whole flaxseed not 236 g like water?
Because weight per cup depends on what is in the cup. Whole flaxseed has a density of 0.69741 g per mL where water has 1.00, so a cup of it weighs 165 g rather than 236.6 g. That is a difference of 71.6 g per cup, and it is the reason a single volume-to-weight factor cannot be applied to every ingredient.
Does how I measure it change the weight?
Yes, and by more than most people expect. Handling changes the weight of a cup of whole flaxseed by roughly 12% — about 9.9 g either side of 165 g — because whole seeds. Weighing removes the question entirely.
Is a fluid ounce of whole flaxseed the same as an ounce?
No. A fluid ounce is a volume — one eighth of a US cup, 29.57 mL — and an ounce is a weight. One fluid ounce of whole flaxseed weighs 0.7275 oz, so the two readings differ by 27.2%. They coincide only for something with the density of water, and then only roughly.
Is this a US cup or a metric cup?
US customary: 236.59 mL, which is the cup every US recipe means. A metric cup is 250 mL, so the same cup of whole flaxseed would weigh 174.35 g instead of 165 g — 9.35 g more, or 5.67%. Australian and some European recipes use the metric cup, and the difference is large enough to matter in baking.
Do I need a scale for this, or will measuring cups do?
A scale, if the result matters. Volume measuring carries a spread of about 12% for whole flaxseed — roughly 19.8 g on a 165 g cup — while a domestic scale is accurate to a gram or two. For anything where the ratio of ingredients drives the outcome, bread and pastry above all, weigh it.
How many cups of whole flaxseed is 1 lb?
1 lb of whole flaxseed is 2.749 cups — 2.74904 cups to one pound, so 1 × 2.74904 = 2.749. Going that way is a division by 0.363763, or a multiplication by 2.74904 if you prefer.
Whole flaxseed in cups and pounds
| Cups | Pounds | Unrounded |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 0.0454703 lb | 0.04547034158 |
| 1/4 cup | 0.0909407 lb | 0.09094068315 |
| 1/3 cup | 0.121254 lb | 0.1212542442 |
| 1/2 cup | 0.181881 lb | 0.1818813663 |
| 2/3 cup | 0.242508 lb | 0.2425084884 |
| 3/4 cup | 0.272822 lb | 0.2728220495 |
| 1 cup | 0.363763 lb | 0.3637627326 |
| 1 1/2 cup | 0.545644 lb | 0.5456440989 |
| 2 cup | 0.727525 lb | 0.7275254652 |
| 3 cup | 1.09129 lb | 1.091288198 |
| 4 cup | 1.45505 lb | 1.45505093 |
Based on 165 g per cup of whole flaxseed. One cup of whole flaxseed is 0.36376273 pounds.
| Measure | Grams | Ounces | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 165 g | 5.82 oz | 236.6 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 123.8 g | 4.37 oz | 177.4 mL |
| 2/3 cup | 110 g | 3.88 oz | 157.7 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 82.5 g | 2.91 oz | 118.3 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 55 g | 1.94 oz | 78.86 mL |
| 1/4 cup | 41.25 g | 1.46 oz | 59.15 mL |
| 1 tbsp | 10.31 g | 0.364 oz | 14.79 mL |
| 1 tsp | 3.438 g | 0.121 oz | 4.929 mL |
US customary measures: 1 cup = 236.59 mL, 1 tbsp = 14.79 mL, 1 tsp = 4.93 mL.
| Ingredient | Grams per cup | Ounces per cup | Density (g/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blueberries | 148 g | 5.221 oz | 0.6256 |
| Crumbled feta | 150 g | 5.291 oz | 0.634 |
| Corn kernels | 150 g | 5.291 oz | 0.634 |
| Whole flaxseed (this page) | 165 g | 5.82 oz | 0.6974 |
| Sliced strawberries | 166 g | 5.855 oz | 0.7016 |
| Chocolate chips | 170 g | 5.997 oz | 0.7185 |
| Chia seeds | 192 g | 6.773 oz | 0.8115 |
Ordered by weight. The spread across this group is why a single generic cups-to-grams factor cannot work.