Cups of Milk to Grams (and ml)
1 cup of whole milk weighs 244 g (USDA FoodData Central: "Milk, whole, 3.25% (fdcId 171265): 1 cup = 244 g; 1 tbsp = 15 g"), and the same cup holds 236.6 ml. Milk is slightly heavier than water, so a millilitre of it weighs about 1.03 g, not exactly one gram.
Source: Milk, whole, 3.25% (fdcId 171265): 1 cup = 244 g; 1 tbsp = 15 g (USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy). Skim and low-fat milk weigh within about 1% of this.
| Cups | Grams (US cup) | Ounces (US cup) | Grams (metric cup, 250 ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 30 | 1.08 | 32 |
| 1/4 cup | 61 | 2.15 | 64 |
| 1/3 cup | 81 | 2.87 | 86 |
| 1/2 cup | 122 | 4.3 | 129 |
| 2/3 cup | 163 | 5.74 | 172 |
| 3/4 cup | 183 | 6.46 | 193 |
| 1 cup | 244 | 8.61 | 258 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 366 | 12.91 | 387 |
| 2 cups | 488 | 17.21 | 516 |
| 3 cups | 732 | 25.82 | 773 |
| 4 cups | 976 | 34.43 | 1,031 |
| Grams | US cups | Measuring-cup version |
|---|---|---|
| 25 g | 0.102 | about 1 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| 50 g | 0.205 | about 3 tbsp + ¾ tsp |
| 100 g | 0.41 | about ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 125 g | 0.512 | about ½ cup + 1 tsp |
| 150 g | 0.615 | about ½ cup + 2 tbsp |
| 200 g | 0.82 | about ¾ cup + 1 tbsp |
| 250 g | 1.02 | about 1 cup + 1 tsp |
| 300 g | 1.23 | 1 cup + 3 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| 400 g | 1.64 | about 1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 500 g | 2.05 | about 2 cups + 2 tsp |
| 1,000 g | 4.1 | about 4 cups + 1 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| Measure | Grams | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 tsp | 1.3 | 1.23 |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 | 2.46 |
| 1 tsp | 5.1 | 4.93 |
| 1 tbsp (3 tsp) | 15.2 | 14.79 |
| 2 tbsp (1/8 cup) | 30.5 | 29.57 |
| 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) | 61 | 59.15 |
| 8 tbsp (1/2 cup) | 122 | 118.3 |
Worked example: a pancake recipe calls for 300 ml of milk
- Milk density: 1.0313 g per ml.
- Weight: 300 ml × 1.0313 = 309 g.
- In US cups: 300 ml ÷ 236.6 ml per cup = 1.27 cups, close to 1 ¼ cups.
- Prefer a scale? Pour until the display shows 309 g; no jug needed.
- Using the 1:1 shortcut would give 300 g, a difference of 9.39 g.
Millilitres, grams and the 1:1 shortcut
Many cooks assume 1 ml of any liquid is 1 g. Water gets close (1.002 g per ml), but milk is 1.031 g per ml. At 250 ml that is 258 g, so a recipe in metric cups holds 7.83 g more milk by weight than the shortcut says. For a bread dough or a custard this is within the noise, but for a precise batter it is worth knowing.
Dairy compared cup for cup
Every dairy product has its own density. Here is how they compare in one US cup:
- heavy cream: 238 g (lighter than milk by 6 g)
- buttermilk: 245 g (heavier than milk by 1 g)
- plain yogurt (whole milk): 245 g (heavier than milk by 1 g)
- sour cream: 230 g (lighter than milk by 14 g)
- water: 237 g (lighter than milk by 7 g)
Swapping one for another by volume is usually fine for pancakes; for custard, caramel or ganache, convert by weight and check the fat content.
Skim, low-fat and plant milks
The source note says skim and low-fat milk weigh within about 1% of the whole-milk figure, so 244 g works for all dairy milks. Plant milks vary by brand, and this data does not list them, so check the carton or weigh a cup on your scale once and write it on the lid.
Reading a liquid measure properly
- Place the jug on a flat surface and read it at eye level to avoid parallax error.
- Use a liquid measure, not a dry cup, for milk; the dry cup gives a false line.
- Fill it to the line, not above, because the meniscus curves upward at the edge.
Warm milk and scalded milk
Heating milk does not change its starting weight in any way that matters, but it does change the volume you can see in the jug as foam rises. Measure or weigh the milk cold, then warm it. If a recipe says "1 cup milk, scalded", scald after measuring, not before.
Milk in bread dough
Bread recipes count liquid by weight toward hydration. A recipe that lists 350 ml of milk contains 361 g of it, 11 g more than water would. If you swap milk for water in a dough written in grams, use the grams, not the millilitres.
Quick tablespoon maths
One tablespoon of milk is 15.3 g, so a recipe asking for 3 tablespoons is 45.8 g. For the cup-to-ml relationships behind this see the cups to ml guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in 1 cup of milk?
1 US cup of whole milk is 244 g (USDA FoodData Central); skim and low-fat milk are within about 1%.
How many grams is 250 ml of milk?
250 ml of whole milk is 258 g, using 1.0313 g per ml.
Is 1 ml of milk equal to 1 gram?
Close but not exact: 1 ml of milk is about 1.03 g.
How many grams is 1 tablespoon of milk?
One US tablespoon of milk is about 15.3 g.
Does heavy cream weigh the same as milk?
Slightly less: 238 g per cup against 244 g for whole milk.