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Coconut cream
Also called canned coconut cream, unsweetened coconut cream, full-fat coconut cream, thick coconut cream
224–240g7.9–8.5 oz
Sources disagree by 7%, more than the 5% tolerance, so the range is the answer.
What each source weighs for 1 cup
3 sources · 7% apart- Trader Joe's Coconut Cream224 g
- WebMD nutritional reference230 g
- Native Forest Organic Unsweetened Coconut Cream label240 g
- King Arthur · rejected284 g
King Arthur Baking, 284 g: rejected. Scope error: KA's 284 g/cup figure implies density 1.20 g/mL, physically impossible for a coconut fat + water emulsion. Why it is wrong
Coconut cream in grams, by amount
- 1 cup224–240 g7.9–8.5 oz
- ¾ cup168–180 g5.9–6.3 oz
- ⅔ cup149.4–160 g5.3–5.6 oz
- ½ cup112–120 g4–4.2 oz
- ⅓ cup74.7–80 g2.6–2.8 oz
- ¼ cup56–60 g2–2.1 oz
- 1 tbsp14–15 g0.49–0.53 oz
- 1 tsp4.7–5 g0.16–0.18 oz
Weights for a US cup of 236.6 ml and spoons derived from it. Ounces are weight ounces of 28.35 g.
One US cup of coconut cream weighs between 224 and 240 grams (7.9 to 8.5 ounces), depending on the brand or product and which source measured it. That range is the answer; a single number would not be. Every figure behind it is below, with the method each source used.
Most sites print one number for a cup of coconut cream. This page prints 224 to 240 grams, because that is what Native Forest Organic Unsweetened Coconut Cream label, Trader Joe's Coconut Cream (Extra Thick & Rich) label and WebMD nutritional reference – generic canned coconut cream actually measured, and it names the method behind every figure rather than picking a favourite.
Two or more sources measured this kind of product and still disagree, by 7.1%. That is more than this site will average over, so all the figures stand and none is chosen. Canned coconut cream density spans 224-240 g/cup across major brands, a 7% spread that exceeds the 5% liquid tolerance. Real variance driven by differences in fat-to-water ratio (typically 20-25% fat, with some brands running higher) and stabilizer inclusion (guar gum, polysorbate). This entry covers only canned coconut cream (shaken emulsion form) — three other products commonly called 'coconut cream' are covered in the notes but have distinct densities.
| Filling the cup | 1 cup | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard, well-shaken canned emulsion | 240 g8.5 oz | Native Forest Organic Unsweetened Coconut Cream label |
| Standard, well-shaken canned emulsion | 224 g7.9 oz | Trader Joe's Coconut Cream (Extra Thick & Rich) label |
| Standard, well-shaken canned emulsion | 230 g8.1 oz | WebMD nutritional reference – generic canned coconut cream |
Coconut cream ounces to grams and cups
| Weight | Grams | US cups |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 28.3 g | 0.12–0.13 |
| 4 oz | 113.4 g | 0.47–0.51 |
| 8 oz | 226.8 g | 0.95–1.01 |
| 16 oz (1 lb) | 453.6 g | 1.89–2.02 |
Compared side by side
Coconut products compared: cup weights side by side, the source behind each, and why they differ.
Why this page publishes a range
Canned coconut cream weighs 224-240 g/cup depending on brand, with the range driven by fat-to-water ratio and stabilizer choice. Native Forest lands at 240 g/cup (higher fat, guar-gum stabilized), Trader Joe's at approximately 224 g/cup (guar-free, water + coconut only), and generic nutritional references at roughly 230 g/cup in the middle.
'Coconut cream' is one of the most confused ingredient categories in modern baking. Four distinct products travel under variants of that name, and each has a different density and different culinary purpose. Understanding which one a recipe means is often the difference between a successful bake and a failed one.
**1. Canned coconut cream (this entry): 224-240 g/cup.** The mainstream baker's ingredient. Sold in cans or cartons as an unsweetened emulsion of coconut extract in water, typically 20-25% fat by weight. Native Forest, Trader Joe's, Aroy-D, Thai Kitchen, and Chaokoh are common brands. Well-shaken before pouring, this is what almost every modern American baking recipe means by 'coconut cream.' Used in vegan whipped cream, chocolate ganache, Thai curries, tres leches cake, and coconut ice cream.
**2. Cream of coconut (Coco Lopez): approximately 298 g/cup.** Sweetened. Not the same product. Cream of coconut is designed for cocktails (piña colada, especially), and contains 40%+ added sugar. Substituting cream of coconut for canned coconut cream in a dessert recipe will make the finished bake far too sweet. If a piña colada or old-school tiki recipe calls for 'coconut cream,' it usually means Coco Lopez or similar sweetened product.
**3. Creamed coconut / coconut butter: semi-solid paste, sold as a hard block or in jars.** Made by grinding dehydrated coconut meat to a paste, similar to how nut butters are made. This is a fat-and-fiber-dense product (roughly 684 cal/100g) that must be melted or dissolved in warm water before use in most recipes. King Arthur's ingredient weight chart entry for 'coconut cream (unsweetened)' at 284 g/cup appears to describe creamed coconut rather than the canned shaken emulsion covered by this entry — the implied density of 1.20 g/mL is not achievable for a fat+water emulsion where both components have density ≤ 1.0 g/mL.
**4. Chilled/skimmed cream (from full-fat canned coconut milk): approximately 220 g/cup.** Not a purchased product — a preparation technique. Chilling a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight causes the fat-rich cream to separate and solidify at the top of the can, while the water sinks to the bottom. Scooping only the solid top layer gives a fat-concentrated cream used for vegan whipped cream. Slightly less dense than canned coconut cream because more of the water fraction has been discarded.
**Distinction from coconut milk (already covered in this database).** Coconut milk is a thinner emulsion, typically 5-17% fat, weighing about 241 g/cup per King Arthur. Coconut cream is 20-25% fat and weighs 224-240 g/cup. Confusingly, coconut cream is slightly LESS dense than coconut milk per volume even though it has more fat, because fat (roughly 0.92 g/mL) is less dense than water (1.0 g/mL). The net effect is small — both are close to water density — but the direction is counterintuitive.
**Practical baker guidance.** When a modern American baking recipe calls for 'coconut cream,' it almost certainly means canned unsweetened well-shaken coconut cream at approximately 230 g/cup. Weigh in that range unless the recipe specifies chilled/skimmed cream or names a specific product like Coco Lopez. For vegan whipped cream, look for products explicitly labeled 'coconut whipping cream' (Nature's Charm brand is a common dedicated product) or use the chilled/skim technique on full-fat canned coconut milk. Avoid substituting cream of coconut, creamed coconut, or coconut milk one-to-one for canned coconut cream — the results will not match what the recipe developer tested.
Sources
Standard, well-shaken canned emulsion — no single figure published
Canned coconut cream density spans 224-240 g/cup across major brands, a 7% spread that exceeds the 5% liquid tolerance. Real variance driven by differences in fat-to-water ratio (typically 20-25% fat, with some brands running higher) and stabilizer inclusion (guar gum, polysorbate). This entry covers only canned coconut cream (shaken emulsion form) — three other products commonly called 'coconut cream' are covered in the notes but have distinct densities.
- Native Forest Organic Unsweetened Coconut Cream label240 g per cup8.5 oz30 g per 2 tablespoon serving = 240 g/cup. Native Forest is a major North American natural-foods brand for canned coconut products; their unsweetened premium coconut cream is guar-gum stabilized and represents the higher-fat end of the mainstream retail range.
- Trader Joe's Coconut Cream (Extra Thick & Rich) label224 g per cup7.9 oz28 g per 1 fluid ounce = approximately 224 g/cup. Density derivation assumes 1 fl oz = 29.57 mL as the volume unit. Trader Joe's version is guar-free (water + organic coconut only) and represents the lower-fat, less-stabilized end of the mainstream retail range.
- WebMD nutritional reference – generic canned coconut cream230 g per cup8.1 oz46 g saturated fat per cup at approximately 20% saturated fat by weight gives roughly 230 g/cup for the composite emulsion. Consistent with the Native Forest and Trader Joe's brand labels; sits in the middle of the retail range.
- King Arthur Baking Company – Ingredient Weight Chart284 g per cup10 oz1 cup = 10 oz = 284 g/cup. Rejected: this figure implies a density of 1.20 g/mL, which is physically impossible for a coconut fat + water emulsion (both components are ≤ 1.0 g/mL). The KA figure matches the density expected for creamed coconut (dehydrated coconut paste block, roughly 684 cal/100g per Wikipedia) rather than canned coconut cream (roughly 200 cal/100g). This is a scope error — KA's chart entry uses 'coconut cream' to describe what most sources call 'creamed coconut' or 'coconut butter,' a distinct product from the canned shaken emulsion that dominates North American baking recipes.Rejected. Scope error: KA's 284 g/cup figure implies density 1.20 g/mL, physically impossible for a coconut fat + water emulsion. The value matches creamed coconut (dehydrated coconut paste block) rather than canned coconut cream. Similar pattern to graham-flour: KA has treated a distinct product category as if it were their own product category. Bakers using canned coconut cream should not weigh at 284 g/cup — that will over-measure by roughly 40 g per cup relative to what their can actually contains.
Corrections on this ingredient
The following published figures for coconut cream are rejected here, with the physics or standards reasoning behind each rejection on its own page:
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