Sorghum flour

One US cup of sorghum flour weighs between 121 and 161 grams, depending on how the cup is filled and which source measured it. That range is the answer; a single number would not be. Every figure behind it is below, with the method each source used.

Also called whole grain sorghum flour, sweet sorghum flour, jowar flour, gluten-free sorghum flour, milo flour.

Three data points from two authoritative sources, spanning a 33% range that reflects genuinely different sorghum flour products sold under the same general name. USDA FoodData Central publishes two SR Legacy records for sorghum flour: FDC 168943 for the whole-grain form (121 g per cup, 0.5114 g/mL, back-calculated from 434 kcal per cup and 359 kcal per 100 g) and FDC 173262 for the refined, unenriched form (161 g per cup, 0.6805 g/mL, direct cup portion). King Arthur's Ingredient Weight Chart lists sorghum flour at 138 g per cup (0.5833 g/mL) without specifying refinement level; the figure sits between USDA's two records, consistent with either a partially-refined product or a commercial average across whole-grain and refined lines.

This entry publishes the range 121 to 161 g per cup at low confidence rather than picking one figure. The whole-grain versus refined distinction is real and physical: whole-grain sorghum flour retains the bran layer and germ from the original grain, which are lower in starch and higher in fiber, protein and oil than the endosperm. Bran fragments and germ particles trap more air between them when the flour is scooped, producing a lower bulk density. Refined sorghum flour removes these components, leaving only the starchy endosperm, which grinds to a finer, more uniform powder that packs more tightly.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a cereal grain native to Africa and now grown worldwide as one of the top five cereal crops. It is gluten-free, drought-tolerant, and rich in tannins and antioxidants. In American home baking, sorghum flour is a common base in gluten-free flour blends, often paired with rice flour and starch (tapioca, potato, or corn) to approximate the behavior of wheat flour. In Indian cooking, sorghum flour is called jowar and is used to make traditional flatbreads (jowar roti, bhakri). In many African cuisines, sorghum is a staple grain for porridges (Ethiopian genfo, Nigerian tuwo, South African bogobe) and for the fermented flatbread injera, though the primary grain for injera is actually tef, a distinct smaller grain.

Sorghum flour sits in the milled category alongside all other flours. The 10% category tolerance applies here, and the 33% observed gap between the two USDA records clearly exceeds it, making the range publish the honest outcome. A shopper buying whole-grain sorghum flour will get closer to 121 g per cup; a shopper buying refined sorghum flour will get closer to 161 g per cup. Both products are legitimately labeled 'sorghum flour' in retail, so the range applies to anyone searching for the ingredient generically.

Home bakers should weigh rather than measure by volume, particularly when substituting one brand for another or converting a recipe from cups to grams: the 40 g difference across the range significantly changes hydration in gluten-free bread and cake recipes.

Related products not covered by this entry: whole sorghum grain (used in pilafs and grain bowls), sorghum syrup (a distinct sweetener made from sweet sorghum stalks, not the grain), popped sorghum, and sorghum bran isolated as a fiber supplement. Milo is an older American name for sorghum, still occasionally used commercially.

No standards body publishes a bulk density for sorghum flour. Codex Alimentarius standards for sorghum grains (CXS 172-1989) cover moisture content, defect tolerances, foreign matter and grade rather than physical density. Two authoritative sources with the USDA record itself splitting into two documented product types, so this entry is held at low confidence and range published until either a third independent source resolves the whole-grain versus refined distinction with matching figures or USDA restructures its records.