Fats & Oils
Convert ounces of shortening to cups
One ounce of shortening weighs about 0.138 cup, and half a ounce comes to roughly 0.069 cup. Enter any amount below to convert it, or use the chart further down as a quick reference while you cook.
1 oz of shortening =
0.138 cup
About 1/8 cup in recipe notation
- ml
- 32.7
- tbsp
- 2.21
Shortening: 205 g per US cup · USDA FoodData Central. Shortening is whipped with air during manufacture, so it is lighter per cup than butter.
Full shortening chart →Shortening at a glance
Every number on this page comes from a single figure: 205 grams per US cup (USDA FoodData Central).
- 1 cup
- 205 g
- 1 tablespoon
- 12.8 g
- 1 teaspoon
- 4.27 g
- 1 cup in ounces
- 7.23 oz
- 100 g in cups
- 0.488 cups
- Density
- 0.87 g/ml
ounces to cups chart for shortening
Print it, screenshot it, or bookmark this page — these are the amounts recipes ask for most often.
| Ounces (weight) | Cups (US) | Tablespoons (US) | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 oz | 0.069 cup | 1.11 tbsp | 16.4 ml |
| 1 oz | 0.138 cup | 2.21 tbsp | 32.7 ml |
| 2 oz | 0.277 cup | 4.43 tbsp | 65.4 ml |
| 3 oz | 0.415 cup | 6.64 tbsp | 98.2 ml |
| 4 oz | 0.553 cup | 8.85 tbsp | 131 ml |
| 5 oz | 0.691 cup | 11.1 tbsp | 164 ml |
| 6 oz | 0.83 cup | 13.3 tbsp | 196 ml |
| 8 oz | 1.11 cup | 17.7 tbsp | 262 ml |
| 12 oz | 1.66 cup | 26.6 tbsp | 393 ml |
| 16 oz | 2.21 cup | 35.4 tbsp | 523 ml |
How this conversion is calculated
Volume-to-weight conversions are only as good as the density behind them. We treat shortening as 205 g per US customary cup, which works out to 0.866 g/ml. From there:
- Your ounces figure is converted into millilitres or grams using standard unit sizes (oz = 28.3 g).
- The density above bridges volume and weight in whichever direction you need.
- The result is rounded the way a cook would round it — to the nearest gram, or to a usable fraction such as 1/2 cups.
Measuring shortening accurately
Shortening is whipped with air during manufacture, so it is lighter per cup than butter.
If a recipe matters to you — bread, macarons, anything with a tight hydration or ratio — weigh it. A £10 digital scale removes the single largest source of variation in home baking, and it is faster than washing three measuring cups.
When cups are fine
- Liquids measured in a proper jug, where volume is the honest unit anyway.
- Forgiving savoury cooking: soups, stews, stir-fries, marinades.
- Small amounts of leaveners and spices, as long as you use level spoons.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups are in 1 ounce of shortening?
1 ounce of shortening is 0.138 cup. This is based on a density of 205 g per US cup.
How many cups are in 2 ounces of shortening?
2 ounces of shortening is 0.277 cup, and 0.069 cup for half a ounce.
How much is 100 g of shortening in cups?
100 g of shortening is about 1/2 cups. Weight is always the more reliable measurement, so use a scale when the recipe gives grams.
Why do other sites give a different number for shortening?
Shortening is whipped with air during manufacture, so it is lighter per cup than butter.
Do UK and Australian cups give the same result?
No. A US customary cup is 236.6 ml, a metric cup used in Australia and New Zealand is 250 ml, and an old UK imperial cup is 284 ml. Our default is the US cup, but you can pick metric cups in the converter.