1 Cup Olive Oil in Millilitres
1 cup of olive oil is 236.6 ml and weighs 216 g (poured, USDA). Oil pressed from olives; extra virgin is best uncooked, refined suits frying. 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.
Cooking fats look interchangeable in a measuring cup, but they are not: a cup of one fat can weigh over 40 g more than a cup of another. Volume is constant at 236.6 ml per US cup, while weight follows density. This page gives you both figures, measured the way the source specifies, so a swap between fats does not quietly change your recipe.
Why millilitres and grams are two different answers
Millilitres measure space and grams measure mass, and fats make the distinction unavoidable. A cup of any fat is 236.6 ml, but the weight of that cup ranges widely, and temperature moves it further: a solid fat softens, traps less air and packs more densely as it warms, while a liquid fat thins and pours more cleanly. Measuring a solid fat in a dry cup is also physically awkward, because it never fills the corners evenly. That is why the table below gives both numbers. The millilitre column is what you pour into a jug; the gram column is what you put on a scale. For pastry and cakes, where fat does structural work, the gram column is the one to trust.
Olive Oil cups to millilitres conversion table
| Cups | Millilitres | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 59.1 ml | 54 g | 4 tbsp |
| 1/3 cup | 78.9 ml | 72 g | 5.3 tbsp |
| 1/2 cup | 118.3 ml | 108 g | 8 tbsp |
| 2/3 cup | 157.7 ml | 144 g | 10.7 tbsp |
| 3/4 cup | 177.4 ml | 162 g | 12 tbsp |
| 1 cup | 236.6 ml | 216 g | 16 tbsp |
| 2 cups | 473.2 ml | 432 g | 32 tbsp |
| 3 cups | 709.8 ml | 648 g | 48 tbsp |
| 4 cups | 946.4 ml | 864 g | 64 tbsp |
The table covers the amounts recipes actually ask for, from a quarter cup up to four cups. One tablespoon of olive oil is about 13.5 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 216 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 olive oil?
| Millilitres | Cups | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 ml | 0.4 cups | 91.3 g |
| 250 ml | 1.1 cups | 228.2 g |
| 500 ml | 2.1 cups | 456.5 g |
Recipes written in metric units often call for round millilitre amounts rather than cups, so this table bridges the two. 250 ml of olive oil is just over a cup — 1.1 cups — and weighs 228.2 g, while 500 ml is 2.1 cups and 456.5 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
Dressings calling for 2 cups of olive oil
A dressings recipe that calls for 2 cups of olive oil needs 473.2 ml, which weighs 432 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 473.2 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 432 g straight into the bowl. Because olive oil is used for dressings, roasting, frying and bread dipping. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 432 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Roasting calling for half a cup of olive oil
A roasting recipe that calls for half a cup of olive oil needs 118.3 ml, which weighs 108 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 118.3 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 108 g straight into the bowl. Because olive oil is used for dressings, roasting, frying and bread dipping. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 108 g removes the guesswork entirely, and it is the only way to repeat the recipe exactly next time.
Frying calling for 3 cups of olive oil
A frying recipe that calls for 3 cups of olive oil needs 709.8 ml, which weighs 648 g. That is the figure to measure: pour 709.8 ml into a liquid jug, or weigh 648 g straight into the bowl. Because olive oil is used for dressings, roasting, frying and bread dipping. the amount matters — too little and the result is flat or bland, too much and the balance of the dish tips. Weighing 648 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 1296 g. Halve it and you need 354.9 ml, or 324 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 228.2 g of olive oil, not 216 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 216 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 gives 216 g per cup (0.91 g/ml); the King Arthur chart lists 200 g. We use the USDA density value. This page follows the USDA value of 216 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 olive oil
- Measuring melted fat in a dry cup. Melted fat should be measured in a liquid jug or weighed, not scooped into a dry cup, because it clings and pours unevenly.
- Measuring a solid fat cold. Cold butter packs more densely than softened butter. Weigh it instead of relying on the cup, and the temperature stops mattering.
- Leaving fat in the measuring cup. Oil and melted butter cling to the cup, so what you measured is not what reached the bowl. Weighing in the mixing bowl avoids the loss entirely.
- Swapping fats by volume. Butter, oil and shortening do not weigh the same per cup, so swapping them by volume changes the fat ratio. Convert by weight, and the substitution behaves as expected.
Storage and handling
Cool, dark place away from the stove; use within 6 months of opening. Oil pressed from olives; extra virgin is best uncooked, refined suits frying. Keeping olive oil 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. olive oil is used for dressings, roasting, frying and bread dipping. and it is worth keeping a note of the 216 g per cup figure on the container, so the conversion is always to hand.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1 cup of olive oil 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 olive oil 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 216 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 olive oil weigh the same as water?
No. One cup of olive oil weighs 216 g, which is lighter than water, which weighs 237 g per cup — 21 g lighter. That is why you cannot convert olive oil by assuming a millilitre weighs a gram: for water the shortcut works, but for olive oil it would be off by 21 g per cup, and the error grows with the size of the recipe.
How many cups is 250 ml of olive oil?
250 ml of olive oil is 1.1 cups, and it weighs 228.2 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 olive oil on a kitchen scale.
How many millilitres is 1 cup of olive oil?
1 cup of olive oil 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 Olive Oil in grams, 216 g of olive oil in cups, and olive oil by the tablespoon. Browse the units hub or the cups to grams hub for the full ingredient list. Other pages in this series: Butter in millilitres, Vegetable Oil in millilitres. More tools: cups to grams converter and weight converter. See also our disclaimer about approximate conversions.