216 g of olive oil is 1 cup. Oil is lighter than water because its density is about 0.91 g per millilitre, so a cup of oil weighs noticeably less than a cup of water. This is the conversion people get wrong most often: they assume a cup of anything weighs around 240 g, and they end up adding too much oil to a dressing or a cake.
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.
Putting the numbers to work
A vinaigrette for a large salad
A dressing recipe calls for 108 g of olive oil, which is half a cup. Whisk it with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt. The oil-to-acid ratio is what makes a vinaigrette emulsify rather than separate, so measuring the oil properly matters more here than in most recipes. Half a cup from a jug is accurate enough.
Focaccia dough with an olive oil pool
A focaccia recipe lists 54 g of olive oil for the dough, a quarter of a cup, plus more for the pan and the top. The quarter cup goes into the dough itself, and the rest is drizzled over the surface before baking. Getting the dough oil right affects the crumb: too much makes it greasy, too little makes it dry and tough.
Roasting vegetables for a weeknight dinner
A tray of roast vegetables needs about 43 g of olive oil, which is roughly a fifth of a cup, or 3 tablespoons. Toss the vegetables in the oil before they go into the oven so every piece is coated. This is a case where the exact grams barely matter: a tablespoon more or less changes nothing, and your eye is a perfectly good measuring tool.
The numbers in a table
| Cups | Grams of olive oil |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 54 g |
| 1/3 cup | 72 g |
| 1/2 cup | 108 g |
| 2/3 cup | 144 g |
| 3/4 cup | 162 g |
| 1 cup | 216 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 324 g |
| 2 cups | 432 g |
| 3 cups | 648 g |
| 4 cups | 864 g |
Quick reference: 100 g of olive 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.
Tips for best results
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 216 g of olive oil means measuring 432 g, or 2 cups, and tripling it means 648 g, or 3 cups. Halving is just as easy: half a cup is 108 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 olive oil, not just half of one of them. If you are scaling a recipe by an awkward factor, like two thirds, weigh the olive 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 olive 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 olive 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, dark place away from the stove; use within 6 months of opening.
- Store olive oil in a cool, dark place away from the stove.
- Use within six months of opening for the best flavour.
- Measure oil before dry ingredients so residue does not affect the next measure.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from USDA, measured poured. Oil pressed from olives; extra virgin is best uncooked, refined suits frying. Dressings, roasting, frying and bread dipping.
A note on disputed figures. USDA gives 216 g per cup (0.91 g/ml); the King Arthur chart lists 200 g. We use the USDA density 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.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a cup of olive oil lighter than a cup of water?
Oil is less dense than water. One millilitre of olive oil weighs about 0.91 g, while one millilitre of water weighs 1 g. A US cup holds 236.6 ml, so the oil comes to about 216 g and the water to 237 g.
Is the weight the same for extra virgin and light olive oil?
Yes, for practical purposes. The difference between grades is flavour and refining, not density, and both weigh about 216 g per cup. Use the same conversion for any olive oil.
Can I measure olive oil in a dry measuring cup?
You can, but a jug is better. Oil clings to the sides of any container, and a jug with a spout lets you pour it out cleanly. If you use a cup, measure the oil before any dry ingredients so the residue does not throw off the next measurement.
How many tablespoons is 100 g of olive oil?
One tablespoon of olive oil is about 13.5 g, so 100 g is about 7 1/2 tablespoons. For dressings, round to 7 tablespoons and a teaspoon, which is close enough.
Does temperature change the weight of olive oil?
Barely. Warm oil expands slightly, so a cup measured hot weighs a gram or two less than a cup measured cold. The difference is too small to affect any recipe, so measure oil at whatever temperature it happens to be.