1 Cup Molasses in Millilitres
1 cup of molasses is 236.6 ml and weighs 340 g (poured, King Arthur Baking). Thick, dark syrup left after sugar refining; strongly flavoured. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the King Arthur Baking value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Sweeteners are where cup measurements cause the most trouble, because a cup of one sugar can weigh almost twice as much as a cup of another. The volume is always the same — 236.6 ml — but the weight depends entirely on crystal size, moisture and how the cup was filled. That is why this page gives you both numbers: the millilitres for your jug and the grams for your scale.
Why millilitres and grams are two different answers
Millilitres measure space and grams measure mass, and for sugar the two drift apart because crystals do not pack the same way. A cup of fine caster sugar settles with very little air between the grains, while a cup of coarse demerara leaves gaps. Syrups are denser still, because there is no air in them at all. So the millilitre figure — 236.6 ml per cup — is a property of the cup, while the gram figure is a property of the sugar. Confusing the two is how a cake ends up too sweet or too dry: the recipe asked for a weight and the cook supplied a volume, or the other way round. Keep the two columns of the table separate in your mind, and use the millilitre column when your recipe speaks in cups and the gram column when it speaks in grams.
Molasses cups to millilitres conversion table
| Cups | Millilitres | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 59.1 ml | 85 g | 4 tbsp |
| 1/3 cup | 78.9 ml | 113.3 g | 5.3 tbsp |
| 1/2 cup | 118.3 ml | 170 g | 8 tbsp |
| 2/3 cup | 157.7 ml | 226.7 g | 10.7 tbsp |
| 3/4 cup | 177.4 ml | 255 g | 12 tbsp |
| 1 cup | 236.6 ml | 340 g | 16 tbsp |
| 2 cups | 473.2 ml | 680 g | 32 tbsp |
| 3 cups | 709.8 ml | 1020 g | 48 tbsp |
| 4 cups | 946.4 ml | 1360 g | 64 tbsp |
The table covers the amounts recipes actually ask for, from a quarter cup up to four cups. One tablespoon of molasses is about 21.2 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 King Arthur Baking density of 340 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 molasses?
| Millilitres | Cups | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 ml | 0.4 cups | 143.7 g |
| 250 ml | 1.1 cups | 359.3 g |
| 500 ml | 2.1 cups | 718.5 g |
Recipes written in metric units often call for round millilitre amounts rather than cups, so this table bridges the two. 250 ml of molasses is just over a cup — 1.1 cups — and weighs 359.3 g, while 500 ml is 2.1 cups and 718.5 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
Gingerbread calling for 2 cups of molasses
A gingerbread recipe that calls for 2 cups of molasses needs 473.2 ml, which weighs 680 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 473.2 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 680 g straight into the bowl. Because molasses is used for gingerbread, baked beans, barbecue sauce and rye bread. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 680 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Baked beans calling for half a cup of molasses
A baked beans recipe that calls for half a cup of molasses needs 118.3 ml, which weighs 170 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 118.3 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 170 g straight into the bowl. Because molasses is used for gingerbread, baked beans, barbecue sauce and rye bread. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 170 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Barbecue sauce calling for 3 cups of molasses
A barbecue sauce recipe that calls for 3 cups of molasses needs 709.8 ml, which weighs 1020 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 709.8 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 1020 g straight into the bowl. Because molasses is used for gingerbread, baked beans, barbecue sauce and rye bread. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 1020 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 2040 g. Halve it and you need 354.9 ml, or 510 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 359.3 g of molasses, not 340 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 340 g figure is King Arthur Baking, and the confidence in the value is high. King Arthur Baking 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.
The figure is not disputed in the same way as the flour and sugar conversions: King Arthur Baking lists 340 g per cup, and other reliable sources cluster close to it. Small differences of a gram or two between sources are rounding, not disagreement.
Common mistakes with molasses
- Scooping instead of spooning. Dipping the cup into the bag packs the sugar and adds grams the recipe did not ask for. Spoon it in and level it off.
- Packing a sugar that should be spooned. Only brown sugar and muscovado are measured packed. Packing granulated or caster sugar over-measures it by a wide margin.
- Measuring syrups in a dry cup. Sticky syrups cling to a dry cup and never fully reach the bowl. Use a liquid jug, or weigh the syrup straight into the bowl.
- Swapping sugars cup for cup. A cup of honey weighs nearly 70 percent more than a cup of granulated sugar. Swap by weight, and adjust the liquid in the recipe, or the bake will be too wet and too sweet.
Storage and handling
Airtight jar, cool and dark, up to 1 year. Thick, dark syrup left after sugar refining; strongly flavoured. Keeping molasses 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. molasses is used for gingerbread, baked beans, barbecue sauce and rye bread. and it is worth keeping a note of the 340 g per cup figure on the container, so the conversion is always to hand.
Frequently asked questions
How many millilitres is 1 cup of molasses?
1 cup of molasses 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.
How many grams is 1 cup of molasses?
1 cup of molasses weighs 340 g, measured poured according to King Arthur Baking. That is the figure the conversion table on this page is built on, and it is the value to use when a recipe gives weights. All the gram figures here are approximate, so when a bake really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.
Is 1 cup of molasses 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 molasses 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 340 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 molasses weigh the same as water?
No. One cup of molasses weighs 340 g, which is heavier than water, which weighs 237 g per cup — 103 g heavier, to be exact. That is why you cannot convert molasses by assuming a millilitre weighs a gram: for water the shortcut works, but for molasses it would be off by 103 g per cup, and the error grows with the size of the recipe.
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 Molasses in grams, 340 g of molasses in cups, and molasses by the tablespoon. Browse the units hub or the cups to grams hub for the full ingredient list. Other pages in this series: Granulated Sugar in millilitres, Brown Sugar in millilitres. More tools: cups to grams converter and weight converter. See also our disclaimer about approximate conversions.