To convert cups of molasses into ounces, multiply by 11.887325: one cup comes to 11.887325 ounces. Every ingredient has its own figure here, because the units are measuring different things and only the density links them.
The density behind that figure is 1.4244 g per mL, against 1.00 for water. A cup of water weighs 236.6 g and a cup of molasses weighs 337 g, so this ingredient is 142.4% as heavy as the same volume of water — the single fact the whole page rests on.
A cup of molasses is 337 g when it is measured the standard way, but how it gets into the cup changes the answer: between about 335.3 g and 340.4 g covers the range from lightly spooned to firmly packed. That 1% spread is larger than most of the adjustments recipes fuss over, and it disappears entirely the moment the ingredient is weighed instead.
One cup of molasses is 11.89 oz. US kitchen scales usually step in eighths of an ounce, which is 3.54 g — around 1.05% of a cup of this ingredient, so the scale is precise enough for a full cup and coarse for a spoonful. That is why recipes mix the two systems: ounces for the bulk, spoons for the small amounts.
The condition this weight assumes: What is left after sugar crystallises out, so almost all of its weight is dissolved solids.
The formula
cups- The amount of molasses you are converting, in cups
11.887325177- Ounces per cup for molasses, from its density of 1.4244 g/mL
ounces- The equivalent quantity in ounces
How it works, step by step
- Enter the quantity in cups.
- It is multiplied by 11.887325177, the ounces-per-cup figure for molasses.
- The result appears in ounces, with a second reading in g beneath it.
- Use the measure table if you want a standard recipe quantity rather than a number you type in.
Worked examples
1/3 cup of molasses in ounces
A recipe calling for 1/3 cup of molasses needs 3.96244 ounces on the scale. The arithmetic is 0.333333 × 11.887325 = 3.9624417, and halving the recipe halves the weight to 1.98122 ounces.
3/4 cup of molasses in ounces
Take 3/4 cup of molasses: 0.75 × 11.887325 gives 8.91549 ounces. Doubling the batch takes it to 17.831 ounces, because the relationship is a straight proportion once the density is known.
3 cup of molasses in ounces
Take 3 cup of molasses: 3 × 11.887325 gives 35.662 ounces. Doubling the batch takes it to 71.324 ounces, because the relationship is a straight proportion once the density is known.
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Frequently asked questions
How many ounces are in 1 cup of molasses?
One cup of molasses is 11.887325 ounces. Half that quantity is 5.94366 ounces and double it is 23.7747 ounces, so the figure scales straight up and down — there is no offset in this conversion, only the factor.
Why is a cup of molasses not 236 g like water?
Because weight per cup depends on what is in the cup. Molasses has a density of 1.4244 g per mL where water has 1.00, so a cup of it weighs 337 g rather than 236.6 g. That is a difference of 100.4 g per cup, and it is the reason a single volume-to-weight factor cannot be applied to every ingredient.
Does how I measure it change the weight?
Barely. Molasses does not compress, so a cup of it is 337 g however it is poured — within about 1%, which is inside the accuracy of a domestic scale. This is the group where measuring by volume is defensible.
Is a fluid ounce of molasses the same as an ounce?
No. A fluid ounce is a volume — one eighth of a US cup, 29.57 mL — and an ounce is a weight. One fluid ounce of molasses weighs 1.486 oz, so the two readings differ by 48.6%. They coincide only for something with the density of water, and then only roughly.
Is this a US cup or a metric cup?
US customary: 236.59 mL, which is the cup every US recipe means. A metric cup is 250 mL, so the same cup of molasses would weigh 356.1 g instead of 337 g — 19.1 g more, or 5.67%. Australian and some European recipes use the metric cup, and the difference is large enough to matter in baking.
Do I need a scale for this, or will measuring cups do?
A scale, if the result matters. Volume measuring carries a spread of about 1% for molasses — roughly 3.37 g on a 337 g cup — while a domestic scale is accurate to a gram or two. For anything where the ratio of ingredients drives the outcome, bread and pastry above all, weigh it.
How many cups of molasses is 16 oz?
16 oz of molasses is 1.346 cups — 0.0841232 cups to one ounce, so 16 × 0.0841232 = 1.346. Going that way is a division by 11.8873, or a multiplication by 0.0841232 if you prefer.
Molasses in cups and ounces
| Cups | Ounces | Unrounded |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 1.48592 oz | 1.485915647 |
| 1/4 cup | 2.97183 oz | 2.971831294 |
| 1/3 cup | 3.96244 oz | 3.962441726 |
| 1/2 cup | 5.94366 oz | 5.943662589 |
| 2/3 cup | 7.92488 oz | 7.924883451 |
| 3/4 cup | 8.91549 oz | 8.915493883 |
| 1 cup | 11.8873 oz | 11.88732518 |
| 1 1/2 cup | 17.831 oz | 17.83098777 |
| 2 cup | 23.7747 oz | 23.77465035 |
| 3 cup | 35.662 oz | 35.66197553 |
| 4 cup | 47.5493 oz | 47.54930071 |
Based on 337 g per cup of molasses. One cup of molasses is 11.887325 ounces.
| Measure | Grams | Ounces | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 337 g | 11.9 oz | 236.6 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 252.8 g | 8.92 oz | 177.4 mL |
| 2/3 cup | 224.7 g | 7.92 oz | 157.7 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 168.5 g | 5.94 oz | 118.3 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 112.3 g | 3.96 oz | 78.86 mL |
| 1/4 cup | 84.25 g | 2.97 oz | 59.15 mL |
| 1 tbsp | 21.06 g | 0.743 oz | 14.79 mL |
| 1 tsp | 7.021 g | 0.248 oz | 4.929 mL |
US customary measures: 1 cup = 236.59 mL, 1 tbsp = 14.79 mL, 1 tsp = 4.93 mL.
| Ingredient | Grams per cup | Ounces per cup | Density (g/mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peanut butter | 258 g | 9.101 oz | 1.091 |
| Sweetened condensed milk | 306 g | 10.79 oz | 1.293 |
| Maple syrup | 322 g | 11.36 oz | 1.361 |
| Corn syrup | 328 g | 11.57 oz | 1.386 |
| Agave nectar | 331 g | 11.68 oz | 1.399 |
| Molasses (this page) | 337 g | 11.89 oz | 1.424 |
| Honey | 340 g | 11.99 oz | 1.437 |
Ordered by weight. The spread across this group is why a single generic cups-to-grams factor cannot work.