Ingredient Weight Converter · dairy
Buttermilk: cups to grams
1 cup of buttermilk weighs 245 grams. Use the converter below for any other amount, or check the quick-reference table.
By Andrew Flores, Editor and publisher, Nathan Management. Last reviewed .
Density source: USDA FoodData Central, cross-checked against the King Arthur Baking weight chart. How these figures are derived and corrected is documented in our editorial standards.
Buttermilk baseline: 1 cup = 245 g.
Common amounts
| Cups | Tablespoons | Grams | Ounces (weight) | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 4.0 | 61 g | 2.16 oz | 59 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 5.3 | 82 g | 2.88 oz | 79 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 8.0 | 123 g | 4.32 oz | 118 mL |
| 2/3 cup | 10.7 | 163 g | 5.76 oz | 158 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 12.0 | 184 g | 6.48 oz | 177 mL |
| 1 cup | 16.0 | 245 g | 8.64 oz | 237 mL |
| 1.5 cups | 24.0 | 368 g | 12.96 oz | 355 mL |
| 2 cups | 32.0 | 490 g | 17.28 oz | 473 mL |
| 3 cups | 48.0 | 735 g | 25.93 oz | 710 mL |
| 4 cups | 64.0 | 980 g | 34.57 oz | 946 mL |
Spoon weights
Derived from the same 245 g per cup — a US tablespoon is 1/16 of a cup and a teaspoon is 1/48.
| Amount | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 15 g |
| 1 teaspoon | 5.1 g |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.6 g |
| 1/4 teaspoon | 1.3 g |
Buttermilk at a glance
- pH
- around 4.5 — acidic enough to activate baking soda on contact
- Leavening pair
- about 1/2 teaspoon baking soda per cup of buttermilk is fully neutralised
- Not the traditional product
- Real buttermilk was the liquid left after churning butter. Today's cartons are cultured low-fat milk
What a cup of buttermilk actually weighs
The published 245 g assumes one specific way of filling the cup. Here is what the same cup weighs under the other common handling methods and product forms, and how far off the recipe you end up.
| How it was measured | Grams per cup | vs. published | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cultured buttermilk from the carton | 245 g | published figure | The published figure. Shake the carton — it separates on standing. |
| Soured milk (milk plus acid) | ~244 g | under 1% lighter | Essentially milk by weight. It leavens the same but is thinner, so batters made with it spread more. |
A tilde (~) marks a working estimate rather than a published figure — it varies with brand, grind, or how hard the cup was packed.
Why measuring buttermilk by cup goes wrong
Cultured buttermilk is low-fat milk soured by lactic-acid bacteria, with about the same acidity as plain yogurt (pH near 4.5). A cup weighs 245 g. That acidity is what makes it react with baking soda — and that reaction is what gives buttermilk biscuits their lift without baking powder.
Practical tips for working with buttermilk
If you don't have buttermilk, sour a cup of regular milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. It's not as thick as cultured buttermilk and the flavor is thinner, but it produces the same leavening reaction. For pancakes and quick breads the substitution is nearly invisible; for biscuits and Irish soda bread, real cultured buttermilk is worth the trip.
Note from this ingredient's record: Cultured low-fat. Acidic enough to react with baking soda, which is why buttermilk biscuits rise without baking powder.
Substitutions that work — and what they cost you
Milk plus acid
Ratio: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, filled to 1 cup with milk; rest 5 minutes
Trade-off: Same leavening reaction, thinner body and less tang. Fine for pancakes, noticeably weaker in biscuits.
Plain yogurt or kefir
Ratio: 3/4 cup yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk, or kefir 1:1
Trade-off: Closest to real buttermilk in both acidity and body. Greek yogurt needs more thinning.
When buttermilk ruins the recipe
| What you see | What went wrong | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Biscuits taste soapy or metallic | More baking soda than the buttermilk's acid can neutralise, leaving unreacted sodium bicarbonate in the crumb. | Hold to about 1/2 teaspoon soda per cup of buttermilk; use baking powder for any lift beyond that. |
| Pancakes are pale and flat | Baking powder used with buttermilk instead of soda — the acid has nothing to react with and the batter sat before cooking. | Use soda with buttermilk, and cook the batter within about 15 minutes of mixing. |
Storing buttermilk
Refrigerated, it keeps well past the printed date — the acidity suppresses spoilage. It freezes well in 1-cup portions; shake hard after thawing.
Other ingredients
Browse every ingredient on the site, or jump to a related one: