A 13.5 fl oz can of coconut milk holds about 1.7 cups. The container holds 400 ml, and one US cup is 236.6 ml, so 400 divided by 236.6 is 1.7. The figure is approximate, because cup weights vary with how the cup is filled and how settled the contents are, so if the recipe matters, weigh the coconut milk on a kitchen scale instead of counting cups from the package. For everyday cooking, 1.7 cups is the number to plan with.

Rich liquid pressed from grated coconut flesh; shake canned coconut milk before using. Curries, soups, smoothies and dairy-free baking. Knowing how many cups are in the package answers the question every cook asks in the shop: is this bag enough for the recipe, or do I need two? A 13.5 fl oz can that holds 1.7 cups covers a recipe needing 1 cup 1.69 times over, but falls 0.3 cups short of a recipe needing 2 cups — for that recipe, buy two. Buy the size that covers your regular recipes with a little to spare, and you will stop running out halfway through a bake.

Package sizes to cups conversion table

Bottle or can size Volume Cups (approx.) Weight (approx.)
8 fl oz 236.59 ml 1 cups 239.99 g
12 fl oz 354.88 ml 1.5 cups 359.98 g
16 fl oz 473.18 ml 2 cups 479.98 g
32 fl oz 946.35 ml 4 cups 959.95 g
52 fl oz 1537.82 ml 6.5 cups 1559.92 g

The table covers the common bottle and can sizes for coconut milk. The 13.5 fl oz can in the headline is the 400 ml size, which holds 1.7 cups and weighs about 405.75 g. The gram column is the reliable one: package weights are printed on the label and do not change, while cup counts depend on how the cup is filled. If you are scaling a recipe, work in grams — a cup of coconut milk is 240 g — and the package arithmetic becomes exact.

Cups, grams and tablespoons

One cup of coconut milk weighs 240 g, measured poured. The table below breaks that cup down into the smaller measures recipes actually use, so you can measure a spoonful from the package without opening a second container.

Measure Grams (approx.)
1 teaspoon 5 g
1 tablespoon 15 g
2 tablespoons 30 g
1/4 cup 60 g
1/2 cup 120 g
1 cup 240 g

A tablespoon of coconut milk is 15 g and a teaspoon is 5 g. For small amounts, spoon measures are more accurate than cups: a recipe that needs 2 tablespoons takes 30 g, and measuring that in a cup would mean eyeballing an eighth of a cup, which nobody can do reliably. Use the spoon figures for anything under a quarter cup, and the cup figures for anything above it.

Worked examples

A curry or soup for four

A curry or a pot of soup for four people uses about 1 cup of coconut milk, which is 240 g. The 13.5 fl oz can holds 1.7 cups, so one container covers 1.7 cups of cooking — enough for 1.69 pots at one cup each. Add the coconut milk after the aromatics have cooked and the spices have bloomed in the fat, so it picks up their flavour rather than diluting it. Simmer gently rather than boiling hard: a rolling boil can split a creamy liquid and make the sauce grainy. Taste at the end and adjust the salt — the coconut milk mellows the heat of the spices, and the salt is what brings the flavours back into focus.

Smoothies for the week

A smoothie for two uses about 1/2 cup of coconut milk, which is 120 g. The 13.5 fl oz can holds 1.7 cups, so one container makes about 3.38 smoothies. Pour the coconut milk into the blender first, then add the fruit and the ice — liquid at the bottom helps the blades catch and blend smoothly instead of spinning in air. Blend in short bursts rather than one long run, and stop to scrape the sides down once, so nothing hides under the blades unblended. Drink the smoothie straight away: it separates as it sits, and a quick shake or a stir brings it back together.

A baking batch that needs 1 cup

A cake or a batch of muffins that calls for 1 cup of coconut milk needs 240 g. The 13.5 fl oz can holds 1.7 cups, so one container covers 1.7 cups of baking — 1.69 batches at one cup each, with 0.7 cups left over if the count is not whole. Measure coconut milk in the right tool for its form: a liquid in a jug read at eye level, a dry ingredient spooned and levelled in a dry cup. If the recipe is one you make often, weigh the full cup once and write the gram figure on the card — 240 g — so you can skip the measuring cups entirely next time.

How the figure is worked out

The calculation depends on whether the package is sold by weight or by volume. This 13.5 fl oz can is sold by volume: it contains 400 ml, and one US cup is 236.6 ml, so 400 divided by 236.6 is 1.7 cups. The weight follows from the cup weight: 1.7 cups at 240 g per cup is about 405.75 g. There is no other step. The package size is printed on the label, the cup weight comes from USDA, and the division gives the answer.

The cup weight itself is where the uncertainty lives. One cup of coconut milk weighs 240 g, measured poured from a US cup of 236.6 ml. The figure comes from USDA and carries medium confidence in our table. A cup is a volume, not a weight, so anything that changes how much of the ingredient fits in that volume changes the weight: how it is poured, its temperature, and how settled it is. That is why this page labels every result approximate and why a scale is the only way to be certain.

Practical guidance

Rich liquid pressed from grated coconut flesh; shake canned coconut milk before using. Curries, soups, smoothies and dairy-free baking. Refrigerate after opening; use within 3 days.

The most common mistake with coconut milk is measuring it the wrong way for its form. Measure coconut milk in the right tool for its form — a liquid in a jug read at eye level, a dry ingredient spooned and levelled in a dry cup, a thick paste pressed into the cup to remove air pockets. A cup of coconut milk weighs 240 g, and that figure assumes the standard method (poured), so a different method gives a different weight. When a recipe depends on the amount — a sauce that must thicken, a dough that must hold together — weigh it instead of measuring it, and write the gram figure on the recipe card for next time.

If you do not have a scale, the cup figures on this page will get you close enough for everyday cooking, but not for precision baking. A basic digital kitchen scale costs little, weighs in grams, and removes the single biggest source of variation in baking. Until you have one, spoon and level dry ingredients, use a liquid jug for liquids, and never scoop from the bag.

Frequently asked questions

How many cups are in a 13.5 fl oz can of coconut milk?

About 1.7 cups. The headline figure comes from the package size divided by the cup weight: one cup of coconut milk weighs 240 g, so the contents of the 13.5 fl oz can work out to 1.7 cups. The figure is approximate, because cup weights vary with how the cup is filled and how settled the contents are.

How many grams are in a 13.5 fl oz can of coconut milk?

About 405.75 g. The 13.5 fl oz can holds about 1.7 cups, and one cup of coconut milk weighs 240 g, so 1.7 times 240 is about 405.75 g. The package label gives the net weight, so the gram figure is exact where the cup figure is approximate.

How many tablespoons are in a 13.5 fl oz can of coconut milk?

About 27.05 tablespoons. There are 16 tablespoons in a cup, and the 13.5 fl oz can holds 1.7 cups, so 1.7 times 16 is 27.05. That is 81.15 teaspoons.

Is the cup count exact, or should I weigh it?

It is approximate. The cup count is worked out from the cup weight of 240 g, and that weight assumes the standard method (poured). If the recipe matters — a cake, a frosting, a sauce that must set — weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead of counting cups from the package. For everyday cooking, the 1.7-cup figure is close enough.

How should I store the rest of the 13.5 fl oz can once it is open?

Refrigerate after opening; use within 3 days. Once opened, keep the container sealed between uses so the contents stay fresh and the weight per cup stays consistent — an open bag absorbs moisture from the air, which changes both the flavour and the cup weight.

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