Ounces to Cups Converter (Weight & Fluid Ounces)
8 fluid ounces make 1 US cup, but 8 ounces by weight is about 1 ¾ cups + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp of flour and about ⅔ cup of honey. Use the right converter below.
Two ounces, two different questions
“Ounce” names two units. A fluid ounce (fl oz) measures volume: 29.57 ml in the US, and exactly 8 of them fill a US cup. A weight ounce (oz) measures mass: 28.35 g, and 16 of them make a pound. The two only line up for water-like liquids, and even then only roughly: a cup of water weighs 8.36 oz, not 8.
The top converter handles fluid ounces and needs no ingredient. The second converter turns weight ounces into cups and does need one, because 8 oz of flour fills a very different amount of cup than 8 oz of honey. Use the first for milk, water, stock and juice measured in fl oz. Use the second for anything sold or specified by weight, such as 8 oz of cream cheese or 6 oz of chocolate chips.
Fluid ounces to cups
Fluid ounces convert the same way for every liquid, because they are a unit of volume. Divide by 8 to get US cups.
| Fluid ounces | US cups | Milliliters | Measuring-cup version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 fl oz | 1/8 | 29.57 | 2 tbsp |
| 2 fl oz | 1/4 | 59.15 | ¼ cup |
| 4 fl oz | 1/2 | 118.3 | ½ cup |
| 6 fl oz | 3/4 | 177.4 | ¾ cup |
| 8 fl oz | 1 | 236.6 | 1 cup |
| 12 fl oz | 1 1/2 | 354.9 | 1 ½ cups |
| 16 fl oz | 2 | 473.2 | 2 cups |
| 32 fl oz | 4 | 946.4 | 4 cups |
Weight ounces to cups, ingredient by ingredient
Because dry ingredients differ in density, the table gives the ounces in one US cup, then what 8 oz and 4 oz look like in a measuring cup. Notice that butter and cream cheese come out at almost exactly 8 oz per cup, while flour is closer to 4.23 oz and powdered sugar to 3.99 oz.
| Ingredient | oz in 1 US cup | 8 oz is | 4 oz is |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 4.23 | about 1 ¾ cups + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp | about ¾ cup + 3 tbsp |
| Bread flour | 4.23 | about 1 ¾ cups + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp | about ¾ cup + 3 tbsp |
| Granulated sugar | 6.98 | 1 cup + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp | about ½ cup + 1 tbsp |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 7.51 | about 1 cup + 1 tbsp | about ½ cup + 2 tsp |
| Powdered sugar (unsifted) | 3.99 | about 2 cups | about 1 cup |
| Butter | 8.01 | about 1 cup | ½ cup |
| Honey | 11.96 | about ⅔ cup | about ⅓ cup |
| Milk (whole) | 8.61 | about ¾ cup + 3 tbsp | about ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp |
| Water | 8.36 | about ¾ cup + 3 tbsp + 1 tsp | ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| Rolled oats | 3.14 | about 2 ½ cups + 2 tsp | about 1 ¼ cups + 1 tsp |
| Cocoa powder (unsweetened) | 2.96 | about 2 ⅔ cups + 2 tsp | about 1 ⅓ cups + 1 tsp |
| Chocolate chips | 6 | 1 ⅓ cups | ⅔ cup |
| Cream cheese | 8.01 | about 1 cup | ½ cup |
| White rice (long-grain, uncooked) | 6.53 | about 1 cup + 3 tbsp + 2 tsp | about ½ cup + 1 tbsp + 2 tsp |
Worked example: 6 oz of chocolate chips
- Convert ounces to grams: 6 oz × 28.35 g = 170.1 g.
- Look up the density: chocolate chips are 170 g per US cup (Chocolate Chips: 1 cup = 170 g).
- Divide: 170.1 g ÷ 170 g = 1 cup.
- Result: a 6 oz bag is 1 cup.
Tips for converting ounces in recipes
- If a recipe says “8 oz” for a liquid in an American recipe, it almost always means fluid ounces. For a block of butter, cheese or chocolate it means weight.
- Cooking from a British recipe? The imperial fluid ounce is 28.41 ml, about 4% smaller than the US one, so a UK pint is not a US pint.
- A kitchen scale set to ounces removes the guesswork. Press tare, add the ingredient, and read the weight directly.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
How many cups is 8 ounces?
8 fluid ounces is exactly 1 US cup. 8 ounces by weight depends on the ingredient: about 1 ¾ cups + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp of all-purpose flour, 1 cup + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp of granulated sugar, or about 1 cup of butter.
Is 1 cup equal to 8 ounces?
Only for fluid ounces. By weight, a cup of all-purpose flour is 4.23 oz, a cup of granulated sugar is 6.98 oz and a cup of honey is 11.96 oz.
How many ounces are in a cup of flour?
A US cup of all-purpose flour is 120 g, which is 4.23 oz by weight (spooned and levelled).
What is the difference between oz and fl oz?
Oz measures weight (28.35 g each). Fl oz measures volume (29.57 ml each in the US). A fluid ounce of water weighs about 1.04 oz, but a fluid ounce of honey weighs 1.49 oz.
Is a UK fluid ounce the same as a US one?
No. The imperial fluid ounce is 28.41 ml and the US fluid ounce is 29.57 ml. A UK pint is 20 imperial fl oz; a US pint is 16 US fl oz.
How many ounces are in a stick of butter?
A US stick of butter is 4 oz, 113.4 g, or ½ cup, which is 8 tablespoons.