Almond Milk

One US cup of almond milk weighs 236.6 grams. Going the other way, 100 grams is about 0.42 cups.

Also called almond milk, almondmilk, almond beverage, almond drink, unsweetened almond milk.

One cup of almond milk weighs about 237 grams (1.000 g/mL) — essentially the density of water. Silk, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, and Califia Farms all print serving-size labels of 240 mL = 240 g, converging at 1.000 g/mL. This reads out to 236.6 g per US customary cup (236.588 mL). Almond milk is 97-98% water with about 2% almonds and small amounts of oil, stabilizers, and fortification. King Arthur Baking's Ingredient Weight Chart does not list plant-based milks, so there is no KA figure to correct here.

Commercial almond milk is made by blending soaked almonds with water, straining out the solids, and homogenizing the liquid with added stabilizers (gellan gum, guar gum, sunflower lecithin) to prevent the almond particles from settling. Producers add calcium carbonate to match dairy calcium levels, along with vitamin D2, vitamin A, vitamin E, and sometimes vitamin B12. The dominant ingredient by mass is filtered water; almonds contribute only about 2% by weight in most mass-market products (though this varies — Califia Organic and specialty brands like Elmhurst and Malk use significantly more almonds and read denser).

USDA FoodData Central (FDC 2257045, oat milk, unsweetened, plain, refrigerated — published April 2022 as a Foundation Food) lists composition as 97.6% water, 1.6% fat, 0.7% carbohydrate, 0.7% protein by mass, and 19 calories per 100 grams. That composition puts density essentially at water: no component is at high enough concentration to move density meaningfully. USDA does not publish a cup portion for the Foundation Food record; the density anchor comes from producer labels, which converge at 240 g / 240 mL (1.000 g/mL). The 240 mL cup on the nutrition label is the FDA labeling reference for milks and creams, not the US customary cup — the two differ by about 1.5%.

Older USDA Standard Reference (SR Legacy) records list almond milk at higher densities: FDC 174832 shows 244 g per US cup at 1.031 g/mL, and the shelf-stable equivalent shows 261 g per US cup at 1.108 g/mL. The 261 g/cup figure is implausibly high for a beverage that is 97% water and appears to reflect an older or specialty formulation with significantly more almonds. Modern mass-market commercial almond milk does not match these legacy figures; the refrigerated Foundation Food record and current producer labels are the more accurate anchor.

Formulation variance across brands and product lines is real but stays within the 5% liquid category tolerance. Unsweetened Original (all brands) has the fewest added ingredients — water, almonds, salt, calcium, vitamins, and gums. Sweetened varieties add 7 to 12 grams of cane sugar per cup, which shifts calories from ~30 to ~60 per cup but does not measurably change cup weight at label precision. Vanilla, chocolate, and other flavored varieties add flavoring and (usually) sugar but similarly stay near the same density. Barista formulations (Califia Farms Barista Blend, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Barista) add sunflower oil, guar gum, and acidity regulators to improve steaming and microfoam behavior in espresso — these add ~1% fat but do not shift cup weight meaningfully.

For baking substitution, almond milk swaps 1:1 by volume with cow's milk with minor caveats. Whole cow's milk is denser at 244 g/cup (1.030 g/mL) because dissolved lactose and protein add mass; almond milk at 237 g/cup runs about 3% lighter per cup. For weight-based recipes calling for 244 g of whole milk, using 237 g of almond milk under-delivers 3% of the liquid mass — negligible for cakes, muffins, quickbreads, and pancakes. Almond milk lacks the protein content of cow's milk and the beta-glucan of oat milk, so it does not build structure in the same way; expect flatter cakes and less browning. For custards and pastry cream that depend on protein for setting, almond milk is a poor substitute at any weight ratio. For béchamel and roux-based sauces, almond milk works but produces a thinner result. Shelf-stable and refrigerated versions do not measurably differ in density; fortification levels do not shift density; homemade almond milk (blended, strained from raw almonds) varies with the almond-to-water ratio.