A 32 oz tub of yogurt holds about 3 3/4 cups. The tub weighs 907 g in total, and at the USDA figure of 245 g per cup, that divides out to 3.7 cups — just under 3 3/4. In practice, spooning yogurt into a measuring cup gives you about 3 3/4 cups from a full tub, because yogurt settles and a level cup holds a touch less than the arithmetic suggests. The figure is approximate, and that is fine: no recipe fails because it got 3 2/3 cups of yogurt instead of 3 3/4.
The big tub is the economical way to buy yogurt, and it is the size that home cooks reach for when a recipe calls for yogurt in cups — marinades, tzatziki, baking, smoothies, raita. A recipe calling for 1 cup uses just over a quarter of the tub; a marinade calling for 2 cups uses just over half; a batch of tzatziki calling for 3 cups uses most of it. Knowing the tub is about 3 3/4 cups lets you plan a week of cooking around one tub, and it tells you when the big tub is a false economy: if you only need half a cup, most of the tub will go off before you use it.
Tub of yogurt conversion table
The table below breaks a 32 oz tub into fractions, with tablespoons alongside. Yogurt is thick, so spoon it into the measure and level it off.
| Amount | Cups (approx.) | Tablespoons | Fluid ounces |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 container | 1 cups | 15.0 tbsp | 7.5 fl oz |
| 1/2 container | 1.88 cups (about 1 7/8 cups) | 30.0 tbsp | 15.0 fl oz |
| 3/4 container | 2.81 cups (about 2 3/4 cups) | 45.0 tbsp | 22.5 fl oz |
| Full container | 3.75 cups (about 3 3/4 cups) | 60.0 tbsp | 30.0 fl oz |
| 2 containers | 7.50 cups (about 7 1/2 cups) | 120.0 tbsp | 60.0 fl oz |
By weight, 1 cup of plain yogurt is about 245 g (USDA), so 3 3/4 cups weigh about 919 g — very close to the 907 g tub weight, which confirms the figures are consistent within the usual rounding.
Worked examples
A yogurt marinade for grilled chicken
A marinade for eight chicken thighs uses 2 cups of plain yogurt — just over half a tub — mixed with garlic, lemon juice, cumin, paprika and salt. The yogurt tenderises the chicken and helps the spices cling, and the lactic acid works gently, so the chicken can marinate for four hours or overnight without turning mushy the way a vinegar marinade would. Coat the chicken thoroughly, cover and refrigerate, and scrape off most of the marinade before grilling so it does not burn. The remaining 1 3/4 cups of yogurt will keep for several days and is enough for a batch of tzatziki or a round of smoothies.
Tzatziki for a mezze spread
A tzatziki for eight people uses 2 cups of yogurt — again, just over half the tub — mixed with grated and squeezed cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, dill and a pinch of salt. The key step is squeezing the water out of the grated cucumber, because wet cucumber makes the tzatziki runny. Stir everything together and chill for at least thirty minutes so the garlic mellows. One tub makes two batches of tzatziki, which is convenient when you are serving a crowd over two nights.
Yogurt in a cake batter
A yogurt cake for ten people uses 1 cup of plain yogurt in the batter, which gives it a moist crumb and a gentle tang that works well with lemon or berries. That is just over a quarter of the tub. Measure the yogurt at room temperature and fold it in after the eggs, before the flour, so it blends smoothly. The remaining 2 3/4 cups will keep in the fridge for a few days and are enough for breakfast bowls, smoothies, or a second cake later in the week.
How the figure is worked out
There is no weighing involved in the headline answer — it is arithmetic on two published numbers. The package weight is a standard 32 oz tub of plain yogurt. The cup weight comes from the ingredient table, and dividing one by the other gives the cups in the package. That is also why the answer is approximate: scoop a cup differently and the grams per cup change, so the cups per bag move with it. For anything where the amount truly matters, weigh the ingredient instead of counting cups. The cup weight used here is 245 g per cup, spooned and levelled, sourced from USDA.
Practical guidance
Plain yogurt and Greek yogurt are not the same by the cup. Greek yogurt is strained, so it is thicker and denser — a cup of Greek yogurt weighs more than a cup of plain yogurt, and it behaves differently in baking. This page is about a tub of plain yogurt; if your tub is Greek yogurt, the volume is still about 3 3/4 cups, because the tub is the same size, but the weight per cup is higher and the texture is thicker. In a marinade or a dip, the swap is fine. In a cake batter, Greek yogurt makes the batter stiffer, so thin it with a tablespoon or two of milk.
Spoon yogurt into your measuring cup and level it off — do not pour it, because pouring leaves air pockets and gives you less than a cup. A tub of yogurt keeps for a week to ten days after opening if refrigerated and sealed, but always check the date and trust your senses: yogurt that smells sharp and clean is fine, while yogurt that smells bitter or has mould should be thrown away. Do not freeze yogurt you plan to eat plain — freezing makes it watery and grainy. Frozen yogurt is only usable in smoothies and cooked dishes, where the texture change is hidden.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in a tub of yogurt?
About 907 g — a 32 oz tub multiplied by 28.35 g per ounce. At the USDA figure of 245 g per cup, 3 3/4 cups weigh about 919 g, so the weight and volume figures agree within a spoonful. Use 907 g when a recipe works in grams.
Is a 32 oz tub of yogurt the same as 4 cups?
Nearly, but not quite. A 32 oz tub is about 3 3/4 cups, not 4, because yogurt is denser than water — a cup of yogurt weighs 245 g, while a cup of water weighs 237 g, and the tub is sold by weight. The missing quarter cup is about 4 tablespoons, which matters in a recipe that calls for exactly 4 cups.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt?
Yes, cup for cup, in most recipes. Greek yogurt is thicker and tangier, so in a batter it makes things stiffer — thin it with a tablespoon of milk if needed. In dips and marinades the swap is seamless, and many cooks prefer Greek yogurt there because it is thicker and less likely to make a dip runny.
How long does an opened tub of yogurt keep?
About a week to ten days in the fridge, sealed, if it was fresh when opened — but always check the date on the tub. Discard it if it smells bitter, tastes off, or has any mould. A little whey on the surface is normal; stir it back in.
What can I do with leftover yogurt from a big tub?
Use it in smoothies, breakfast bowls, marinades, dressings, tzatziki and baking. A cup of yogurt in a cake batter makes the crumb moist and tender, and a cup in a curry at the end of cooking adds richness. If you regularly have yogurt left over, buy the smaller tubs instead — they cost more per cup but waste less.