There are 4 cups in a quart of heavy cream. That is the answer: 1 US quart of heavy cream equals 4 cups, which equals 2 pints, which equals 32 fluid ounces, which equals 946 ml. If a recipe calls for a quart of heavy cream, you need 4 cups. If it calls for 2 cups, you need half a quart. This page gives you the table, real kitchen examples, and the reason the quart carton is the unit that ties cream together — because cream is sold by the pint and the quart, and the quart is 4 cups.
The conversion table
| Quarts of heavy cream | Cups | Pints | Fluid ounces | Millilitres | Grams (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 quart | 1 cup | 1/2 pint | 8 fl oz | 237 ml | 240 g |
| 1/2 quart | 2 cups | 1 pint | 16 fl oz | 473 ml | 480 g |
| 3/4 quart | 3 cups | 1 1/2 pints | 24 fl oz | 710 ml | 720 g |
| 1 quart | 4 cups | 2 pints | 32 fl oz | 946 ml | 960 g |
| 1 1/2 quarts | 6 cups | 3 pints | 48 fl oz | 1,419 ml | 1,440 g |
| 2 quarts | 8 cups | 4 pints | 64 fl oz | 1,893 ml | 1,920 g |
The millilitre figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, and the gram figures are approximate, because a cup of heavy cream weighs about 240 grams. A US quart is 946.35 ml, and a US cup is 236.59 ml, so the maths is exact: 4 cups make a quart.
Worked example 1: a quart carton and a week of cooking
You buy a quart of heavy cream on Monday, and your recipes for the week need 1 cup for a pasta sauce on Tuesday, 1 cup for a soup on Wednesday, and 2 cups for a whipped cream dessert on Friday. That is 4 cups in total, which is exactly a quart, so the carton will be empty on Friday night. Knowing that a quart is 4 cups lets you plan the week: 4 cups minus 1 cup is 3 cups, and you can see at a glance whether the carton will last. If you buy a pint instead, that is 2 cups, and you will run out on Wednesday, so buy the quart.
Worked example 2: a large batch of ice cream
An ice cream recipe calls for 1 quart of heavy cream, and your measuring jug holds 2 cups. One quart is 4 cups, so you need to fill the jug twice. If you are halving the recipe for a small batch, you need half a quart, which is 2 cups, or 1 pint, and that is a single jugful. The quart-to-cup conversion is most useful at this scale, where you are portioning and scaling rather than measuring for a single meal, and where a mistake means an ice cream that is too rich or too icy.
Worked example 3: whipping cream and its volume
A quart of heavy cream is 4 cups of liquid cream, but when you whip it, it doubles in volume, so 1 cup of cream makes about 2 cups of whipped cream, and a quart makes about 8 cups. That matters when a dessert recipe calls for 4 cups of whipped cream: you need 2 cups of liquid cream, which is half a quart, not a quart. The conversion from liquid to whipped is the one that catches people out, because the recipe may say "cups of whipped cream" or "cups of cream" without making the distinction clear. Check which one it means before you measure.
Method and source
A US liquid quart is defined as a quarter of a US gallon, and a US gallon is defined as 231 cubic inches, which makes a quart 57.75 cubic inches, or 946.35 millilitres. A US cup is 8 fluid ounces, or 236.59 millilitres, and 946.35 divided by 236.59 is exactly 4. The arithmetic is clean because the American system was built that way: cups, pints, quarts, and gallons are all powers of two. Heavy cream is sold by the pint and the quart in the United States, and the quart carton is the most common size for a home cook who uses cream regularly. A cup of heavy cream weighs about 240 grams, so a quart weighs about 960 grams, which is just under a kilogram.
Practical guidance
Learn the chain: 1 quart is 2 pints, 1 pint is 2 cups, 1 cup is 8 fluid ounces. If you know that, you can convert a quart to cups by multiplying by 4, to pints by multiplying by 2, and to fluid ounces by multiplying by 32. When a recipe says "cups of cream", it usually means liquid cream, and when it says "cups of whipped cream", it means cream after whipping, which is double the volume. Store heavy cream in the fridge, and use it within 5 to 7 days of opening — or by the date printed on the carton, whichever comes first. And when a recipe calls for cream by weight, remember that a cup weighs about 240 grams, so a quart is about 960 grams.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups are in a quart of heavy cream?
There are 4 cups in a quart of heavy cream. That is the standard American conversion, and it is the same for any liquid. A quart carton of cream holds 4 cups.
How many cups are in half a quart of heavy cream?
There are 2 cups in half a quart of heavy cream. Half a quart is also 1 pint, 16 fluid ounces, and about 473 ml. A pint carton of cream holds 2 cups.
How many pints are in a quart of heavy cream?
There are 2 pints in a quart of heavy cream. Two pints is also 4 cups, 32 fluid ounces, and about 946 ml.
How much does a quart of heavy cream weigh?
A quart of heavy cream weighs about 960 grams, or 2.1 pounds. A cup of cream weighs about 240 grams, so 4 cups is about 960 grams. The exact weight varies slightly between brands.
How many cups of whipped cream does a quart make?
A quart of liquid cream makes about 8 cups of whipped cream, because cream doubles in volume when it is whipped. One cup of liquid cream makes about 2 cups of whipped cream, so a quart, which is 4 cups, makes about 8 cups whipped.
How long does heavy cream last?
Usually 5 to 7 days after opening, or until the date printed on the carton, whichever comes first. Store it in the fridge, not in the door, and do not use cream that smells sharp or has gone lumpy. Unopened cream keeps until the date on the carton, which is usually a few weeks.
Heavy cream, whipping cream, and the quart carton
Heavy cream must contain at least 36 percent milk fat in the United States, while whipping cream needs only 30 percent, which is why heavy cream whips stiffer and holds its shape longer. Both are sold by the quart in most supermarkets, and a quart is the size a home baker reaches for when a recipe calls for cream across several dishes, from soup to dessert. Ultra-pasteurized cream keeps for weeks unopened in the fridge, but once opened it should be used within about a week, so buy the quart only if you will use it. If you need less, the pint is the better buy, and leftover cream freezes well in tablespoon portions for sauces.