Many bakers prefer to measure their ingredients by weight instead of volume, as this creates a more consistent final product.
If your recipe asks you to measure using volume, however, converting to weight can be tricky. Knowing how much a cup of an ingredient, such as peanut butter, weighs can make baking or cooking much easier.
How much does a cup of peanut butter weigh?
One full cup of peanut butter weighs about 9 ounces. Nine ounces is equal to just slightly over 255 grams. Many recipes ask for 250 grams of peanut butter, which means you would need just a tiny bit less than a full cup.
Do crunchy and smooth peanut butter weigh different amounts?
Although 1 cup of peanut butter usually weighs about 9 ounces or 255 grams, there will generally be some slight fluctuations in weight.
For example, different brands of peanut butter use different ingredients, and this can change the density and, therefore, the weight of the final product.
A cup of crunchy and a cup of smooth peanut butter also weigh slightly different amounts. Smooth peanut butter is denser than crunchy peanut butter, so even though it doesn’t contain whole peanuts, it’s usually a bit heavier than crunchy.
If you want to measure out a cup of crunchy peanut butter by weight, you might want to measure out an amount closer to 9.5 ounces or about 270 grams.
What is the easiest way to measure peanut butter?
Because it’s so sticky, measuring peanut butter accurately can be challenging, whether you measure it by weight or volume.
One of the easiest ways to measure peanut butter is to measure by weight and scoop the peanut butter directly into the bowl with the rest of your batter or dough. There are a few ways to do this. First, you can place the bowl on the scale and subtract its weight.
Most scales have a button that allows you to zero out an item’s weight, meaning the scale will ignore the weight of the bowl and measure a weight of zero.
You can then add peanut butter until the scale reads 9 ounces or 255 grams.
If your scale doesn’t allow you to zero out a weight, you can simply place the bowl and any ingredients on the scale.
One cup of peanut butter weighs about 9 ounces.
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Then, add 9 or 255 to the weight the scale reads, depending on whether you’re measuring in ounces or grams. Measure in peanut butter until you reach the combined number.
For example, if your bowl and ingredients weigh 300 grams, measure in peanut butter until the scale reads 555 grams.
You can also measure peanut butter using a separate container, but moving the peanut butter from the measuring container into your recipe can leave peanut butter behind.
To keep this from happening, grease the measuring cup or container. Spraying the container with a non-stick cooking spray is easiest, but you can also brush the inside of the cup with a thin layer of butter.
Then, measure in your peanut butter. When you transfer the peanut butter from the cup, the butter or spray should help to ensure that very little peanut butter is left behind.
Is it better to bake with smooth or creamy peanut butter?
You can use either smooth or creamy peanut butter in most baking recipes. Which one to choose depends on your personal preferences.
However, smooth peanut butter tends to work better for baked goods that start with a batter, such as cakes, muffins, and pancakes, as the smooth peanut butter blends more evenly into the looser batter.
Although natural peanut butters are often delicious, they don’t work as well for baking. Natural peanut butters are a bit thinner than commercial peanut butters.
Natural peanut butters also tend to separate, and you must stir the oils back into the peanut butter before using it.
However, these oils can separate again during baking, which can make baked goods seem oily.