One cup of sunflower seeds is 4.9383547 ounces, so converting cups of sunflower seeds to ounces means multiplying by 4.9383547. That factor is specific to this ingredient — it comes from its density, not from any relationship between the two units.
Put next to water — 1 g per mL exactly — sunflower seeds measures 0.59175 g per mL. That ratio, 59.17%, is what separates this page from every other ingredient in the same units, and it is measured rather than defined.
A cup of sunflower seeds is 140 g when it is measured the standard way, but how it gets into the cup changes the answer: between about 131.6 g and 156.8 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.
One cup of sunflower seeds is 4.938 oz. US kitchen scales usually step in eighths of an ounce, which is 3.54 g — around 2.53% of a cup of this ingredient, so the scale is precise enough for a full cup and coarse for a spoonful. That is why recipes mix the two systems: ounces for the bulk, spoons for the small amounts.
The condition this weight assumes: Hulled kernels, not the striped whole seeds sold as bird food — the whole seed is mostly hull and weighs far less per cup, which is the difference that trips up bulk-bin shopping.
The formula
cups- The amount of sunflower seeds you are converting, in cups
4.93835467294- Ounces per cup for sunflower seeds, from its density of 0.59175 g/mL
ounces- The equivalent quantity in ounces
How it works, step by step
- Enter the quantity in cups.
- It is multiplied by 4.93835467294, the ounces-per-cup figure for sunflower seeds.
- The result appears in ounces, 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 sunflower seeds in ounces
A recipe calling for 1/3 cup of sunflower seeds needs 1.64612 ounces on the scale. The arithmetic is 0.333333 × 4.9383547 = 1.6461182, and halving the recipe halves the weight to 0.823059 ounces.
3/4 cup of sunflower seeds in ounces
3/4 cup of sunflower seeds weighs out at 3.70377 ounces. Divide 3.70377 by 4.9383547 and you get back to 3/4 cup, which is the quickest check that the factor is the right way up.
3 cup of sunflower seeds in ounces
A recipe calling for 3 cup of sunflower seeds needs 14.8151 ounces on the scale. The arithmetic is 3 × 4.9383547 = 14.815064, and halving the recipe halves the weight to 7.40753 ounces.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many ounces are in 1 cup of sunflower seeds?
One cup of sunflower seeds is 4.9383547 ounces. Half that quantity is 2.46918 ounces and double it is 9.87671 ounces, so the figure scales straight up and down — there is no offset in this conversion, only the factor.
Why is a cup of sunflower seeds not 236 g like water?
Because weight per cup depends on what is in the cup. Sunflower seeds has a density of 0.59175 g per mL where water has 1.00, so a cup of it weighs 140 g rather than 236.6 g. That is a difference of 96.6 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 sunflower seeds by roughly 12% — about 8.4 g either side of 140 g — because hulled kernels, not the striped whole seeds sold as bird food — the whole seed is mostly hull and weighs far less per cup, which is the difference that trips up bulk-bin shopping. Weighing removes the question entirely.
Is a fluid ounce of sunflower seeds 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 sunflower seeds weighs 0.6173 oz, so the two readings differ by 38.3%. 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 sunflower seeds would weigh 147.94 g instead of 140 g — 7.94 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 sunflower seeds — roughly 16.8 g on a 140 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 sunflower seeds is 16 oz?
16 oz of sunflower seeds is 3.2399 cups — 0.202497 cups to one ounce, so 16 × 0.202497 = 3.2399. Going that way is a division by 4.93835, or a multiplication by 0.202497 if you prefer.
Sunflower seeds in cups and ounces
| Cups | Ounces | Unrounded |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 0.617294 oz | 0.6172943341 |
| 1/4 cup | 1.23459 oz | 1.234588668 |
| 1/3 cup | 1.64612 oz | 1.646118224 |
| 1/2 cup | 2.46918 oz | 2.469177336 |
| 2/3 cup | 3.29224 oz | 3.292236449 |
| 3/4 cup | 3.70377 oz | 3.703766005 |
| 1 cup | 4.93835 oz | 4.938354673 |
| 1 1/2 cup | 7.40753 oz | 7.407532009 |
| 2 cup | 9.87671 oz | 9.876709346 |
| 3 cup | 14.8151 oz | 14.81506402 |
| 4 cup | 19.7534 oz | 19.75341869 |
Based on 140 g per cup of sunflower seeds. One cup of sunflower seeds is 4.9383547 ounces.
| Measure | Grams | Ounces | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 140 g | 4.94 oz | 236.6 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 105 g | 3.7 oz | 177.4 mL |
| 2/3 cup | 93.33 g | 3.29 oz | 157.7 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 70 g | 2.47 oz | 118.3 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 46.67 g | 1.65 oz | 78.86 mL |
| 1/4 cup | 35 g | 1.23 oz | 59.15 mL |
| 1 tbsp | 8.75 g | 0.309 oz | 14.79 mL |
| 1 tsp | 2.917 g | 0.103 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin seeds | 130 g | 4.586 oz | 0.5495 |
| Frozen peas | 135 g | 4.762 oz | 0.5706 |
| Cashews | 140 g | 4.938 oz | 0.5917 |
| Sunflower seeds (this page) | 140 g | 4.938 oz | 0.5917 |
| Whole almonds | 142 g | 5.009 oz | 0.6002 |
| Sesame seeds | 144 g | 5.079 oz | 0.6087 |
| Raisins | 145 g | 5.115 oz | 0.6129 |
Ordered by weight. The spread across this group is why a single generic cups-to-grams factor cannot work.