218 g of coconut oil is 1 cup, measured melted. This is the figure to use when a recipe lists coconut oil in grams and you are measuring it as a liquid. Solid coconut oil packs at about 227 g per cup, like butter, because the solid packs more densely. The difference between the two states is 9 g per cup, which is small but worth knowing if you are weighing a recipe precisely.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from USDA, measured poured. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from USDA, measured poured. Oil from coconut flesh, solid below about 24 C with a mild coconut flavour. Baking, frying, curries and dairy-free recipes.
A note on disputed figures. Measured melted at 218 g per cup; solid coconut oil packs at about 227 g per cup, like butter.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the cup, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use the numbers here as a guide.
Conversion table
| Cups | Grams of coconut oil |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 54.5 g |
| 1/3 cup | 72.7 g |
| 1/2 cup | 109 g |
| 2/3 cup | 145.3 g |
| 3/4 cup | 163.5 g |
| 1 cup | 218 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 327 g |
| 2 cups | 436 g |
| 3 cups | 654 g |
| 4 cups | 872 g |
Quick reference: 100 g of coconut oil is about 0.46 cups, and 50 g is about 0.23 cups. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Three real kitchen examples
A dairy-free chocolate cake
A chocolate cake recipe uses 109 g of coconut oil, half a cup, melted and cooled slightly before it goes into the batter. The oil gives the cake a moist crumb and a faint coconut note. Melt it gently, let it cool until it is just warm, and add it with the other wet ingredients.
A Thai curry for a weeknight dinner
A curry recipe starts with 27 g of coconut oil, about 2 tablespoons, melted in the pan to fry the curry paste. The oil carries the flavour of the paste and adds richness to the coconut milk that follows. Two tablespoons is easy to measure with a spoon, and a spoon is more accurate than a cup for this amount.
Granola for the week ahead
A granola recipe uses 54 g of coconut oil, a quarter of a cup, melted and mixed with oats, nuts and honey before baking. The oil helps the granola crisp up and cluster together. If you measure the oil solid, you will use slightly more, which makes the granola greasier, so melt it first and measure it as a liquid.
Getting it right in your kitchen
Solid fats are measured scooped, and the most reliable way is to use the markings on the wrapper: one US stick of butter is 113 g, which is half a cup or 8 tablespoons. For oils, pour into a jug and read at eye level. Melted fat weighs the same as solid fat, so you can melt first and measure by weight if that is easier, but do not measure melted fat by volume and assume it matches the solid figure. When a recipe says softened butter, let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes rather than microwaving it, which melts the edges and changes how it creams with sugar.
Scaling is straightforward once you know the cup weight. Doubling a recipe that calls for 218 g of coconut oil means measuring 436 g, or 2 cups, and tripling it means 654 g, or 3 cups. Halving is just as easy: half a cup is 109 g. The key is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance. A cake scaled by half still needs half the flour, half the sugar, half the butter and half the coconut oil, not just half of one of them. If you are scaling a recipe by an awkward factor, like two thirds, weigh the coconut oil rather than trying to measure two thirds of a cup in a jug, because the jug markings are not precise enough for fractions of a cup.
When should you weigh coconut oil instead of measuring it? Whenever the recipe has to work the first time, and whenever the amount is large. A kitchen scale costs less than a single failed cake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking: the way ingredients pack into a cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the coconut oil until the display shows the number you need. There is nothing to wash afterwards except the bowl, and the result is the same every time. For small amounts, a level spoon is accurate enough, and for liquids, a jug is fine, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Cool cupboard; solid or liquid both keep for up to 1 year.
- Measure coconut oil melted when using the gram figure.
- Use refined oil for a neutral flavour.
- Store in a cool cupboard for up to a year.
Frequently asked questions
Should I measure coconut oil solid or melted?
Melted, if the recipe gives the weight in grams and you are using this conversion: 218 g per cup is the melted figure. Solid coconut oil packs at about 227 g per cup. If a recipe says a cup of solid coconut oil, measure it solid; if it says grams, melt it and weigh it.
Can I substitute coconut oil for butter?
Yes, gram for gram in most baking, though coconut oil is 218 g per cup melted and butter is 227 g. Coconut oil makes a slightly more tender crumb and adds a faint coconut flavour, and it is solid below about 24 degrees, so it behaves like butter in doughs.
Does coconut oil taste strongly of coconut?
Refined coconut oil is neutral and has almost no coconut flavour. Unrefined, or virgin, coconut oil has a clear coconut taste. Choose refined for recipes where you do not want the flavour, and unrefined where you do.
How do I melt coconut oil?
Put the jar in warm water, or microwave it in short bursts of 15 seconds. It melts at about 24 degrees, so a warm kitchen is often enough. Do not overheat it, and let it cool slightly before adding it to a batter with eggs.
How long does coconut oil keep?
Up to a year in a cool cupboard, solid or liquid. It is very stable because it is mostly saturated fat. If it smells stale or soapy, throw it away.
A note on cup sizes: every figure on this page uses the US cup, which holds 236.6 millilitres. A metric cup, used in Australia and some other countries, holds 250 millilitres, which is about six percent larger, so the same ingredient measured in a metric cup will weigh about six percent more. If your measuring cups are metric, multiply the gram figures here by 1.06, or better still, weigh the ingredient on a scale and skip the cup altogether. The scale does not care which country your cups came from.