There are about 53 grams in a cup of shredded coconut when it's unsweetened, according to King Arthur Baking. Sweetened shredded coconut is much heavier at about 85 g per cup, so always check which bag you've got before you measure.
| Amount | Unsweetened shredded | Sweetened shredded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 3.3 g | 5.3 g |
| 1/4 cup | 13.3 g | 21.3 g |
| 1/3 cup | 17.7 g | 28.3 g |
| 1/2 cup | 26.5 g | 42.5 g |
| 2/3 cup | 35.3 g | 57 g |
| 3/4 cup | 39.8 g | 64 g |
| 1 cup | 53 g | 85 g |
That's a 32 g difference for the same cup. If a macaroon or granola recipe was written with one and you use the other, the texture and sweetness will both shift.
Why coconut weights are all over the place
Coconut comes in more forms than most baking ingredients, and King Arthur's chart shows how different they are per cup:
- Unsweetened shredded: about 53 g per cup.
- Unsweetened large flakes: about 60 g per cup.
- Sweetened shredded: about 85 g per cup.
- Unsweetened desiccated: about 85 g per cup.
- Toasted: about 85 g per cup.
Why the spread? Sweetened coconut is moist and soft, so it settles into the cup and packs together. Unsweetened shreds are dry and springy and leave lots of air. Desiccated coconut is cut very fine, so it fills the gaps. Big flakes stack loosely.
On top of that, packing matters a lot. Some recipes say "lightly packed" and some don't say anything. Pressing coconut into the cup can add a surprising number of grams.
Measuring grams in a cup of shredded coconut
- Read the bag. Sweetened or unsweetened? Shredded, flaked or desiccated? Pick the matching number above.
- Set your bowl on the scale and press tare.
- Add coconut by hand, breaking up clumps as you go, until you hit your target.
- If you're toasting, weigh it first and toast after, so your recipe weight matches what you started with.
Sweetened coconut tends to clump in the bag. Rub it between your fingers before weighing so it mixes evenly into batters.
Coconut weights in real recipes
- Macaroons. These are mostly coconut, so the type and weight make or break the cookie. If a recipe was tested with sweetened coconut, 1 cup means about 85 g. Using 1 cup of unsweetened would give you only about 53 g.
- Granola. A cup of unsweetened shreds is about 53 g. Weighing helps you keep the oats to coconut ratio steady when you make a double batch.
- Cake frosting and toppings. Sprinkling isn't fussy, but if a recipe tells you to press 1/2 cup of sweetened coconut onto a cake, that's about 42.5 g.
- Substituting. Want to swap unsweetened for sweetened? Match by weight rather than by cup, and remember you'll also be changing the sugar in the recipe.
Common coconut measuring mistakes
- Assuming all coconut weighs the same. It ranges from about 53 to 85 g per cup.
- Packing when the recipe didn't say to. Spoon it in loosely unless told otherwise, or weigh it.
- Swapping desiccated for shredded by volume. Desiccated is much heavier per cup.
- Weighing after toasting when the recipe meant raw. Weigh first.
A practical tip: for smaller amounts, like a couple of tablespoons stirred into overnight oats or sprinkled on a smoothie bowl, a MeasureMate digital measuring spoon scoops and weighs in one step, with a display that reads in 0.1 g steps. Press tare between ingredients and you can measure several toppings without washing a thing.
Quick questions
How many grams is 1/2 cup of shredded coconut?
About 26.5 g unsweetened or about 42.5 g sweetened, based on King Arthur Baking.
How many grams of coconut are in a tablespoon?
About 3.3 g of unsweetened shredded coconut or about 5.3 g of sweetened.
Is desiccated coconut the same as shredded coconut?
No. Desiccated coconut is cut much finer and weighs about 85 g per cup, compared with about 53 g for unsweetened shredded.
Weights based on the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart.