Ever been elbow-deep in a brownie recipe only to realize your measuring cup set is missing the one size you actually need? It’s frustrating. You’re standing there staring at a bottle of canola oil, wondering if you can just eyeball it or if that extra splash is going to turn your dessert into a greasy disaster. Honestly, knowing how much is a 1 3 cup of oil is one of those basic kitchen skills that saves you a massive headache when the "standard" tools aren't handy.
Measurement is a science, but cooking is often about what you have in the drawer. If you're looking for the quick answer, a 1/3 cup of oil is roughly 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.
That’s it. That’s the magic ratio. But if you’re working with milliliters, fluid ounces, or even trying to weigh it out on a digital scale because you're feeling precise, the math gets a little more interesting. Most people assume all liquids behave the same way, but oil has a different viscosity than water, which can sometimes throw off your visual estimation.
Breaking Down the Math: Tablespoons, Teaspoons, and Ounces
Let's get into the nitty-gritty. If you don't have a 1/3 cup measure, your best friend is the tablespoon. In the United States, we use a system that isn't always intuitive. A full cup is 16 tablespoons. If you try to divide 16 by 3, you get a messy decimal: 5.333.
How do you measure .333 of a tablespoon? You don't. You convert it to teaspoons.
Since there are 3 teaspoons in a single tablespoon, that .333 repeating is exactly one teaspoon. So, when you are trying to figure out how much is a 1 3 cup of oil, you grab your tablespoon, level off five of them, and then add one leveled teaspoon. This is the gold standard for accuracy in home baking.
If you are looking at a liquid measuring jug—the clear glass kind with the red lines—you’ll likely see "oz" or "ml" markings. For fluid ounces, 1/3 cup is approximately 2.67 ounces. Most jugs don't have a line for .67, so you'll be aiming just above the 2.5-ounce mark. In the metric system, which is honestly way easier for stuff like this, you’re looking at about 79 milliliters.
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Why Weighing Your Oil is Actually Better
If you have a digital kitchen scale, stop messing around with spoons. Seriously.
Professional bakers like King Arthur Baking or the late, great Julia Child often emphasized weight over volume. Why? Because a "cup" can vary depending on how you pour or the temperature of the room. When you weigh oil, you get the same amount every single time.
However, there is a catch.
Oil is lighter than water. While 1/3 cup of water weighs about 78 to 80 grams, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil typically weighs closer to 70 to 74 grams. This is because oil is less dense. If you’re making a delicate chiffon cake or a specific type of foccacia, that 6-gram difference actually matters. It affects the crumb and the "mouthfeel" of the finished product.
What if You Don't Have Any Measuring Tools?
We’ve all been there. Maybe you’re in a vacation rental or a dorm room. You need to know how much is a 1 3 cup of oil and all you have is a standard coffee mug or a plastic water bottle.
Here is a rough trick: A standard large egg is about 3 tablespoons of liquid. So, 1/3 cup of oil is roughly the same volume as two large eggs. It’s not perfect, but it’ll get your muffins to rise without them becoming a rock.
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Another common household reference is the common pill bottle cap or a standard water bottle cap. A water bottle cap (like on a 16.9 oz Nestlé or Dasani bottle) usually holds about 1 teaspoon. You would need about 16 of those caps to fill a 1/3 cup. It sounds tedious because it is, but it works in a pinch.
The "Visual" Test
If you’re looking at a standard 8-ounce drinking glass, 1/3 cup will fill it up about a third of the way, obviously. But most glasses are tapered. A better visual is a standard stick of butter. Half a stick of butter is 1/4 cup. You need just a little bit more than half a stick of butter's worth of oil to hit that 1/3 cup mark.
Common Substitutions and Ratios
Sometimes you aren't just asking "how much," but "can I use something else?" If a recipe calls for 1/3 cup of oil, you might be tempted to swap in melted butter or applesauce.
- Melted Butter: You can do a 1:1 swap. 1/3 cup of oil equals 1/3 cup of melted butter. Just keep in mind butter contains water and milk solids, so the texture might be slightly crunchier.
- Applesauce: If you’re trying to be healthy, you can swap oil for applesauce, but usually, it's best to only swap half. So, use 1/6 cup of oil and 1/6 cup of applesauce.
- Yogurt: Greek yogurt works too, but it makes things dense. Stick to the 1/3 cup volume measurement.
Different Types of Oil and Volume
Does the type of oil change how much is a 1 3 cup of oil?
Volume-wise, no. A cup of extra virgin olive oil takes up the same space as a cup of coconut oil (melted) or peanut oil. However, the behavior of the oil changes.
Coconut oil is a classic example. If you measure 1/3 cup of solid coconut oil and then melt it, the volume might shift slightly. Always melt your fats before measuring if the recipe calls for a liquid measurement. This ensures you aren't getting air pockets in your measuring cup that cheat you out of the actual fat content required for the chemical reaction in the oven.
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Measuring Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest mistake people make is using a dry measuring cup for liquids.
You know the metal or plastic scoops? Those are for flour and sugar. When you use them for oil, you have to fill them to the very brim to get an accurate 1/3 cup. Then, as you try to pour it into the bowl, you inevitably spill some on the counter.
Surface tension is a real thing. Liquid "domes" slightly at the top of a container. In a dry cup, you lose that dome when you move your hand. In a liquid measuring cup, you can see the "meniscus"—that little curve the liquid makes. You want the bottom of that curve to sit exactly on the line.
Summary of Quick Conversions
For those who just need the numbers right now without the chatter, here is the breakdown of what constitutes a 1/3 cup of oil:
- Tablespoons: 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
- Teaspoons: 16 teaspoons
- Fluid Ounces: 2.67 oz
- Milliliters: 78.8 ml (usually rounded to 80ml in many recipes)
- Grams: Approximately 72 grams (varies by oil type)
Pro Kitchen Tips for Success
If you're tired of cleaning oily measuring cups, try this: spray the cup with a tiny bit of non-stick cooking spray before you pour the oil in. Or, if the recipe calls for honey or molasses as well, measure the oil first. The oil coats the cup, allowing the sticky ingredients to slide right out afterward. It’s a game-changer for cleanup.
Also, remember that temperature matters. Cold oil is thicker. If you’re measuring olive oil that’s been in a cold pantry, it might pour slowly and "clump," making it look like more than it is. Let your oils sit at room temperature for the most accurate volumetric pour.
When you're doubling or tripling recipes, the 1/3 cup becomes 2/3 cup (10 tbsp + 2 tsp) or a full cup. It's much easier to scale up once you have the base ratio down.
Actionable Next Steps
To ensure your next meal or bake turns out perfectly, take these steps:
- Check your tools: Verify if your liquid measuring cup has a 1/3 cup or 2-ounce line clearly marked.
- Test your scale: If you have a kitchen scale, place an empty 1/3 measuring cup on it, tare it to zero, and fill it with oil to see exactly what "your" 1/3 cup weighs in grams.
- Memorize the "5 and 1" rule: Remember that 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon equals 1/3 cup. It is the most useful kitchen conversion you will ever learn.
- Use the right vessel: Always use clear glass or plastic liquid measures for oil to avoid spills and ensure you’re level with the meniscus.