20 Grams of Milk to Cups
⅛ cup in a US cup — and what that looks like with a measuring spoon
20 grams of whole milk is about 4 teaspoons — ⅛ of a US cup. At this size measure it with spoons; a cup measure cannot show it.
Grams weigh and cups fill, so the answer only exists once you say what is in the cup. A US cup of whole milk weighs 244 g, and every figure on this page comes from that one number.
It also depends on whose cup you mean, though not much at this weight. A 250 ml metric cup — the standard in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — holds about 5.7% more than the 236.6 ml US cup, but 20 g of whole milk still rounds to ⅛ cup in both: 0.08 US cups against 0.08 metric.
Round to the nearest measure in a standard cup set — 0 cups — and you are 20 g under, about 100% of the amount.
20 g of milk in each cup standard
| Cup standard | Size | Grams per cup | Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| US customary | 236.6 ml | 244 g | ⅛ |
| Metric (UK, AU, NZ, CA) | 250 ml | 258 g | ⅛ |
| Imperial (older UK) | 284 ml | 293 g | ⅛ |
A recipe that says "cups" without saying which one is almost always American. At 20 g it barely matters for whole milk — both cups round to the same measure — but on a larger batch the 5.7% gap compounds.
How to measure 20 g of milk without scales
Pour milk into a liquid measuring jug and read it at eye level. A dry measuring cup filled to the brim is hard to carry without spilling.
Whole milk is 244 g per US cup — slightly heavier than water because of the milk solids. Skim milk is 245 g and most plant milks are about 240 g, so the difference rarely matters in a recipe.
- Measure 4 teaspoons rather than trying to read a cup fraction.
- 20 g is 1.31 tablespoons of whole milk, at 15.25 g per tablespoon.
- As a liquid measure that is about 19 ml — read a jug at eye level, not from above.
Nearby amounts of milk
| Grams | US cups | Metric cups | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 g | ⅛ | ⅛ | 1.18 |
| 40 g | ⅛ | ⅛ | 2.62 |
| 50 g | ¼ | ¼ | 3.28 |
| 60 g | ¼ | ¼ | 3.93 |
| 90 g | ⅜ | ⅓ | 5.9 |
| 100 g | ⅜ | ⅜ | 6.56 |
| 130 g | ½ | ½ | 8.52 |
| 150 g | ⅝ | ⅝ | 9.84 |
20 g of something else
The same 20 g is a different number of cups for every ingredient, because they do not weigh the same for their size.
| Ingredient | Grams per US cup | US cups |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 125 g | ⅛ |
| Sugar | 200 g | ⅛ |
| Butter | 227 g | ⅛ |
| Water | 237 g | ⅛ |
| Cocoa Powder | 85 g | ¼ |
20 grams in other units
| Unit | Amount |
|---|---|
| US cups | ⅛ |
| Tablespoons | 1.31 |
| Teaspoons | 3.93 |
| Ounces (weight) | 0.71 oz |
| Pounds | 0.04 lb |
| Millilitres (volume it fills) | 19 ml |
Frequently asked questions
How many cups is 20 grams of milk?
20 grams of whole milk is ⅛ of a US cup, which is easier to measure as 4 teaspoons. A 250 ml metric cup rounds to the same ⅛ of a cup.
What is the easiest way to measure 20 g of milk?
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon — built from a standard cup and spoon set. Pour milk into a liquid measuring jug and read it at eye level. A dry measuring cup filled to the brim is hard to carry without spilling.
Is 20 g of milk the same in cups in the UK?
Near enough. A UK, Australian, New Zealand or Canadian metric cup is 250 ml against the US cup's 236.6 ml, so the exact answers differ — 0.08 US cups against 0.08 metric — but both round to ⅛ cup, and at this weight you can use either.
Can I just use 0 cups instead?
0 cups of whole milk weighs about 0 g, so you would be 20 g under. For a sauce or a soup that is fine; for a cake, where the flour-to-liquid ratio sets the crumb, weigh it.
How many ounces is 20 grams?
20 grams is 0.71 ounces by weight. Unlike cups, that answer is the same whatever you are measuring — ounces weigh, fluid ounces fill, and they are not the same unit.