1 Cup Heavy Cream in Millilitres
1 cup of heavy cream is 236.6 ml and weighs 238 g (poured, USDA). Cream with at least 36% fat that whips to firm peaks. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the USDA value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Dairy is measured two different ways — liquids are poured, soft and grated cheeses are spooned — and the method is part of the number. The volume never changes: one US cup is 236.6 ml. The weight does, and this page states the method and the source next to every figure so you know exactly what the grams mean.
Why millilitres and grams are two different answers
Millilitres measure space and grams measure mass. A cup of dairy is always 236.6 ml, but the weight depends on water content, fat content and — for grated cheese — how much air sits between the shreds. A cup of grated parmesan weighs less than half as much as a cup of ricotta, even though both fill the same cup. The method matters too: liquids are poured and read at eye level, while soft cheeses are spooned and levelled. That is why this page gives both numbers, with the method stated. Use millilitres for a jug, grams for a scale, and grams whenever a bake depends on the amount.
Heavy Cream cups to millilitres conversion table
| Cups | Millilitres | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 59.1 ml | 59.5 g | 4 tbsp |
| 1/3 cup | 78.9 ml | 79.3 g | 5.3 tbsp |
| 1/2 cup | 118.3 ml | 119 g | 8 tbsp |
| 2/3 cup | 157.7 ml | 158.7 g | 10.7 tbsp |
| 3/4 cup | 177.4 ml | 178.5 g | 12 tbsp |
| 1 cup | 236.6 ml | 238 g | 16 tbsp |
| 2 cups | 473.2 ml | 476 g | 32 tbsp |
| 3 cups | 709.8 ml | 714 g | 48 tbsp |
| 4 cups | 946.4 ml | 952 g | 64 tbsp |
The table covers the amounts recipes actually ask for, from a quarter cup up to four cups. One tablespoon of heavy cream is about 14.9 g and 14.8 ml, which is handy when a recipe calls for a spoonful rather than a cup: divide the cup weight by 16 and you have the tablespoon weight. Remember that the millilitre column never changes — 1 cup is always 236.6 ml — while the gram column depends on the USDA density of 238 g per cup, measured poured. If your recipe was written in grams, read the gram column; if it was written in cups or millilitres, read the millilitre column.
How much is 100 ml, 250 ml and 500 ml of heavy cream?
| Millilitres | Cups | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 ml | 0.4 cups | 100.6 g |
| 250 ml | 1.1 cups | 251.5 g |
| 500 ml | 2.1 cups | 503 g |
Recipes written in metric units often call for round millilitre amounts rather than cups, so this table bridges the two. 250 ml of heavy cream is just over a cup — 1.1 cups — and weighs 251.5 g, while 500 ml is 2.1 cups and 503 g. A standard measuring jug usually has both millilitre and cup markings, so you can pour to either scale, but the gram column is the one to use on a scale. Note that 100 ml is 0.4 of a cup, which is why metric recipes rarely line up neatly with cup measures.
Worked examples
Whipping calling for 2 cups of heavy cream
A whipping recipe that calls for 2 cups of heavy cream needs 473.2 ml, which weighs 476 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 473.2 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 476 g straight into the bowl. Because heavy cream is used for whipping, ganache, sauces and soups. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 476 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Ganache calling for half a cup of heavy cream
A ganache recipe that calls for half a cup of heavy cream needs 118.3 ml, which weighs 119 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 118.3 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 119 g straight into the bowl. Because heavy cream is used for whipping, ganache, sauces and soups. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 119 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Sauces calling for 3 cups of heavy cream
A sauces recipe that calls for 3 cups of heavy cream needs 709.8 ml, which weighs 714 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 709.8 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 714 g straight into the bowl. Because heavy cream is used for whipping, ganache, sauces and soups. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 714 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Scaling works the same way in both directions. Double the recipe and 3 cups becomes 1419.6 ml, or 1428 g. Halve it and you need 354.9 ml, or 357 g. When you scale, always scale by weight if the original recipe was written in grams, and by volume if it was written in cups — mixing the two mid-recipe is how scaling errors creep in. And remember that a US cup is 236.6 ml, while a metric cup is 250 ml: if you are following a recipe from Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, one cup means 250 ml, which is 251.5 g of heavy cream, not 238 g. Check which cup your recipe uses before you convert.
How the weight was measured
Poured means the ingredient is poured into a liquid measuring jug and read at eye level at the meniscus, or weighed straight into the bowl on a scale. Liquids settle flat, so a poured cup is far more repeatable than a cup of any dry ingredient.
The source for the 238 g figure is USDA, and the confidence in the value is high. USDA publishes a standard ingredient weight chart that recipe developers use as a reference, and this page follows it exactly rather than averaging across sources, because an average of two different measuring methods is a number that matches nobody's cup.
There is a dispute worth knowing about. USDA lists heavy cream at about 238 g per cup; King Arthur rounds it to 227 g. This page follows the USDA value of 238 g per cup, measured poured, rather than averaging across sources, because an average of two different measuring methods is a number that matches nobody's cup.
Common mistakes with heavy cream
- Measuring a thick dairy in a liquid jug. Thick cultured dairy clings to a jug and the reading is unreliable. Spoon it into a dry cup and level it, or weigh it straight into the bowl.
- Packing grated cheese down. Grated cheese should be spooned lightly and levelled. Pressing it down packs far more cheese into the cup than the recipe expects.
- Reading a liquid jug from above. A jug read from above looks fuller than it is. Read the meniscus at eye level on a flat surface.
- Using a cup for a small amount. A tablespoon or two of dairy is better weighed than measured in a cup: a small error in a cup is a large error in a spoonful.
Storage and handling
Refrigerate; use within 1 week of opening. Cream with at least 36% fat that whips to firm peaks. Keeping heavy cream stored properly also keeps its weight per cup stable: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture from the air weighs more per cup than a dry one, so a sealed container is not just about freshness, it is about measurement accuracy too. If a container has been open for months in a humid kitchen, the first thing to do before a precise bake is to weigh the ingredient rather than trusting the cup. heavy cream is used for whipping, ganache, sauces and soups. and it is worth keeping a note of the 238 g per cup figure on the container, so the conversion is always to hand.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1 cup of heavy cream always 236.6 ml?
Yes, as long as the recipe means a US customary cup. One US cup is 236.6 ml by definition, whatever is in it. The confusion comes from the metric cup, which is 250 ml, and from the old imperial cup. If a recipe does not say which cup it uses, a US recipe almost always means the 236.6 ml cup, while a recipe from Australia or New Zealand usually means the 250 ml metric cup.
How do I measure heavy cream without a scale?
Poured means the ingredient is poured into a liquid measuring jug and read at eye level at the meniscus, or weighed straight into the bowl on a scale. Liquids settle flat, so a poured cup is far more repeatable than a cup of any dry ingredient. That gives the closest result to 238 g per cup, but it is still an estimate: the honest answer is that a scale is the only way to know the exact weight, and a basic digital kitchen scale costs less than a bag of good flour.
Does heavy cream weigh the same as water?
No. One cup of heavy cream weighs 238 g, which is heavier than water, which weighs 237 g per cup — 1 g heavier, to be exact. That is why you cannot convert heavy cream by assuming a millilitre weighs a gram: for water the shortcut works, but for heavy cream it would be off by 1 g per cup, and the error grows with the size of the recipe.
How many cups is 250 ml of heavy cream?
250 ml of heavy cream is 1.1 cups, and it weighs 251.5 g. The table above lists 100 ml, 250 ml and 500 ml alongside their cup equivalents, so a recipe written in millilitres converts in one step. For anything more precise, weigh the heavy cream on a kitchen scale.
How many millilitres is 1 cup of heavy cream?
1 cup of heavy cream is 236.6 ml. That is the fixed volume of one US customary cup, and it is the same for every ingredient on this site: the cup does not change, only the weight inside it does. If your recipe is from a metric country, note that a metric cup is 250 ml, which is a different measure — check which cup the recipe means before converting.
Related conversions
Use the cups to millilitres converter or the millilitres to cups converter for instant answers, or the liquid volume converter for other units. For the weight of the same ingredient, see Heavy Cream in grams, 238 g of heavy cream in cups, and heavy cream by the tablespoon. Browse the units hub or the cups to grams hub for the full ingredient list. Other pages in this series: Milk in millilitres, Buttermilk in millilitres. More tools: cups to grams converter and weight converter. See also our disclaimer about approximate conversions.