244 g of milk is exactly 1 cup. That is the number most home cooks need when a recipe from a European cookbook lists milk in grams and the only jug in the cupboard is marked in cups. Milk is slightly heavier than water because of its dissolved solids and fat, which is why a cup of milk weighs 244 g rather than the 237 g a cup of water weighs.
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.
Conversion table
| Cups | Grams of milk |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 61 g |
| 1/3 cup | 81.3 g |
| 1/2 cup | 122 g |
| 2/3 cup | 162.7 g |
| 3/4 cup | 183 g |
| 1 cup | 244 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 366 g |
| 2 cups | 488 g |
| 3 cups | 732 g |
| 4 cups | 976 g |
Quick reference: 100 g of milk is about 0.41 cups, and 50 g is about 0.2 cups. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from USDA, measured poured. Whole cow's milk, about 3.25% fat. Drinking, baking, sauces, custards and cereals.
A note on disputed figures. USDA lists whole milk at 244 g per cup; the King Arthur chart rounds milk to 227 g (8 oz by weight). We use the USDA value.
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.
Worked examples
Pancake batter for a family breakfast
A Saturday pancake recipe calls for 488 g of milk, and the jug is marked in cups. Two cups is the answer, since each cup is 244 g. Pour the milk to the 2-cup line, check it at eye level, and the batter will be the right consistency. If you had guessed that milk weighs the same as water and measured 500 g instead, the extra liquid would make the pancakes thin and hard to flip.
A bechamel sauce that must not split
A bechamel for lasagne needs 366 g of milk, which is 1 1/2 cups. Warm the milk first, then add it to the roux a splash at a time, whisking between additions. Getting the milk right matters here because too much liquid makes a sauce that slides off the pasta, while too little leaves it gluey. Weighing is best, but 1 1/2 cups from a jug is close enough for a sauce that simmers.
Scaling a custard recipe down
A creme anglaise recipe serves eight and calls for 732 g of milk, or 3 cups. For four people, halve it to 366 g, which is 1 1/2 cups. Custard is a case where the milk quantity genuinely matters, because the ratio of milk to egg yolks decides whether the sauce coats a spoon or scrambles. Measure the halved amount in the jug rather than eyeballing half of a larger pour.
Practical guidance
Dairy products vary in thickness, so the method matters. Thin dairy like milk and buttermilk is poured into a jug; thick dairy like sour cream, yogurt and cream cheese is spooned into a dry cup and levelled, pressing out air pockets as you go. Bring dairy to room temperature before adding it to a batter unless the recipe says cold, because cold dairy can seize melted butter and leave lumps. If a recipe gives dairy by weight and you only have cups, use the table below rather than guessing: a cup of cream cheese is noticeably heavier than a cup of milk, and the two are not interchangeable by volume.
Scaling is straightforward once you know the cup weight. Doubling a recipe that calls for 244 g of milk means measuring 488 g, or 2 cups, and tripling it means 732 g, or 3 cups. Halving is just as easy: half a cup is 122 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 milk, not just half of one of them. If you are scaling a recipe by an awkward factor, like two thirds, weigh the milk 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 milk 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 milk 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. Refrigerate; use within 5 days of opening.
- Pour milk into a jug on the counter, never while holding the jug in the air.
- Warm milk gently before adding it to hot mixtures to stop it splitting.
- Use milk within 5 days of opening and keep it refrigerated.
Frequently asked questions
Is 244 g of milk the same as 1 cup of water?
No. A cup of water weighs 237 g, while a cup of milk weighs 244 g because milk contains fat, protein and lactose dissolved in the water. The 7 g difference is small, but it is real, and it is why this page uses the USDA figure for milk rather than the water figure.
Can I use a measuring jug instead of a scale for milk?
Yes, milk is one of the easiest ingredients to measure by volume. Pour it into a clear jug, set the jug on a flat surface, and read the level at eye level. A scale is still more accurate, but for milk the difference between a careful jug measurement and a weighed one is usually under 2 g.
Does skimmed milk weigh the same as whole milk?
Almost. Skimmed milk is about 1 g lighter per cup because it has less fat, so 243 g rather than 244 g. In practice the difference is too small to matter in any recipe, and you can use 244 g per cup for any type of cow's milk.
How many cups is 500 g of milk?
500 g of milk is just over 2 cups: 500 divided by 244 is 2.05 cups, so measure 2 cups plus about a tablespoon. For most recipes, 2 cups is close enough, but for custards and sauces, add the extra tablespoon.
Why do some charts say a cup of milk is 227 g?
The King Arthur Baking chart rounds milk to 227 g, which is 8 ounces by weight. The USDA lists whole milk at 244 g per cup based on its actual density. We use the USDA value because it matches what a scale shows when you pour a cup of milk and weigh it.