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Milk, Nonfat, Fluid, With Added Vitamin A And Vitamin D (Fat Free Or Skim): Grams to Cups Conversion

Skim milk (also called nonfat or fat-free milk) has virtually all fat removed, leaving a density of 1.036 g/ml — marginally higher than whole milk (1.031 g/ml). A cup weighs approximately 245 g; a tablespoon weighs about 15.3 g. The counterintuitive result — lighter-tasting milk is heavier per cup — occurs because fat (density ~0.9 g/ml) is less dense than water. Removing it shifts the ratio toward the denser aqueous phase. The difference is only about 1 g per cup, irrelevant in almost all recipes. Used wherever whole or 2% milk is called for when reducing fat; baking results are essentially identical to 2% milk by weight.

Quick convert

  • US cup = 236.588 mL
  • 1 tbsp = 14.787 mL
  • 1 tsp = 4.929 mL

Reference table

gCups
500.2
1000.4
1500.6
2000.8
2501.0

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FAQ

Why is skim milk heavier per cup than whole milk?
Skim milk (1.036 g/ml) is slightly denser than whole milk (1.031 g/ml) because fat — removed in the skimming process — has a density of about 0.9 g/ml, which is less dense than water. Removing the low-density fat component leaves a product dominated by water and milk solids, raising the average density slightly. The difference is about 1 g per cup.
Can skim milk be substituted for whole milk by weight in baking?
For gram-weight calculations, yes — the density difference is 0.5% and produces <1 g per cup difference, which is negligible. The practical impact is in fat content: whole milk produces slightly richer, more tender results. For gram-accurate baking, treat skim and whole milk as equivalent.

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