Do you use a dry measuring cup? A wet measuring cup? Or is it best to measure chocolate chips with a scale?
What if you only have one measuring tool and need to convert cups to ounces? Or even cups to liquid cups?
The answer is you can use any of the above methods. So, if you only have one measuring tool on hand, you can convert accordingly to make a perfectly balanced recipe.
The following outlines 3 different ways to measure your chocolate chips depending on what measuring tool you have (if any!).
How to Measure Chocolate Chips:
3 Ways to Measure Chocolate Chips
Home bakers face two main dilemmas when measuring chocolate chips.
One, they do not have the correct measuring tool to measure in the unit their recipe calls for. For instance, their recipe calls for ounces, but they don’t have a kitchen scale.
Two, their recipe calls for chocolate chips, but they only have chocolate bars or chocolate chunks. How can they measure those as a substitute?
Thankfully, whatever your dilemma, the 3 following ways will offer a solution. You can always measure chocolate chips by weight, by volume, or by using the package they come in!
By Weight
If you want to measure your ingredients as accurately as possible, then weighing is your best option. Why? Because chocolate chips come in all shapes and sizes and fit into measuring cups differently. But the weight you need stays the same.
Weighing is also a go-to if your recipe calls for chocolate chips, but you only have chocolate bars or morsels. You can use weight to determine how many chocolate bars or morsels to use.
A kitchen scale typically calculates the weight of ingredients down to a tenth of an ounce. You can’t beat that precision! Many kitchen scales can switch back and forth from ounces to grams, so you can easily bake both U.S. and international recipes.
*I explain how to use a kitchen scale further down.
Chocolate Chips Ounces to Grams
If you need to measure chocolate chips in grams instead of ounces, it’s a simple conversion. 1 ounce of chocolate chips equals about 28 grams. You simply multiply the number of ounces your recipe calls for by 28.
1 oz of chocolate chips = 28 grams
Many professional bakers prefer weighing their ingredients in grams since it is a smaller unit of measure. When measuring in ounces, you often find that you use fractions. Many recipes call for half or quarter-ounce portions, which can throw off your recipe just a bit.
Chocolate Chips Cups to Ounces
What if your recipe calls for cups, but you don’t have a dry measuring cup? Or you only have chocolate chunks? No worries, you can weigh it instead. 1 cup of chocolate chips equals about 6 ounces.
1 dry cup of chocolate chips = ~6 ounces
By Volume
A standard volume unit is usually measured in cups, tablespoons, or teaspoons. And quite a few baking recipes call for cups of chocolate chips, not ounces.
So, in that case, it’s easiest to measure your chocolate chips with a dry measuring cup. Note that I said dry measuring cup; not to be confused with a liquid measuring cup!
Dry Measuring Cup vs. Liquid Measuring Cups
Dry measuring cups normally come in sets that range from 1/4 cup to 1 cup. Wet measuring cups are typically one large cup with hash marks notating the different amounts.
Dry measuring cups are designed to measure dry ingredients, like flour, sugar, and yes, chocolate chips. Whereas liquid measuring cups measure wet ingredients, like oil and mild.
So, when measuring chocolate chips, you want to use a dry measuring cup. If you don’t have a dry measuring cup but do have a scale, you can convert cups to ounces (see above).
By Bag Size
Let’s be real. Many recipes don’t require exact measurements of chocolate chips. That’s certainly true of chocolate chip cookies (I always add extra anyway!).
You can estimate the amount simply by using your chocolate chip bag. On the front of the package, it will tell you how many ounces of chocolate chips it contains.
And usually, you can easily calculate how many cups are in the bag by dividing the ounces by 6. (Remember from above? 1 cup = ~6 oz.)
Either way, you can use the bag itself as a measuring tool.
Let’s say your recipe calls for 3 ounces and you have a 12 oz bag of chocolate chips. Simply pour in about 1/4 of your bag.
Now let’s say your recipe calls for 1 cup of chocolate chips and you have that same 12 oz bag. 12 oz equals about 2 cups of chocolate chips (12 divided by 6 equals 2). So, you need to use half the bag of chocolate chips.
How to Melt Chocolate Chips
I have a whole article on how to melt chocolate chips. I outline a few different methods, including in a microwave, on a stove top, and more.
How to Use a Kitchen Scale
A good digital scale comes with a “tare” feature. That allows you to place items on the scale, then zero it out. That way, when you add your ingredient, you can get accurate results.
For example, you can place a bowl on the scale, then press “tare,” and it will set the scale back at zero. You can then weigh out your ingredient without including the bowl’s weight.
How to Weigh Chocolate Chips with a Scale
- Set the scale on a flat, even surface and turn it on.
- Place your bowl on the scale
- Press the “tare” button to clear out the scale
- Add chocolate chips until you reach the desired weight
- If you need to add more ingredients, press “tare” again and add other items.
Tip: Many bags of chocolate chips offer recipes on the back. The bag is pre-measured, and you use the entire bag. (Many recipes require adding 12 oz of chocolate chips, which is the weight contained in the bag they sell.)
Benefits of Using a Kitchen Scale to Measure Chocolate Chips
Overall, using a kitchen scale will help ensure more accurate baking. In other words, your recipes will turn out better!
More Accurate Baking
If you want to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookies, you accurately measure the ingredients. Chocolate chips vary in size and shape, from brand to brand and even within the same brand.
Using a scale can help ensure that you use the correct amount of chocolate chips that the recipe calls for.
Quickly Scale Up or Reduce Recipes
Do you want to double your recipe for an upcoming event?
Or perhaps you want to halve it since it will be for only two people.
Whether you want to scale up the recipe or downsize it, you can easily do that with a scale. When you weigh ingredients, you can easily change the formula by any ratio you want!
Save Time and Dishes
Zeroing out your kitchen scale and adding ingredients makes throwing together that recipe a breeze! You don’t have to pull out and use measuring spoons or cups. That means you save time and dishes!
Get Consistent Baking Results
If you always use precise measurements of your ingredients, you will get the same result each time you bake that recipe. You will not have to wonder how your recipe will turn out!
Substitute Other Chocolate
Are you out of chocolate chips? Or want to use something other than chocolate chips for your recipe?
You can easily substitute a square of chocolate. Or cut up a bar of chocolate and then add it to the scale until it reaches the desired weight. A scale helps you know exactly how much chocolate to use, even when using a bar.
Best Chocolate Chips for Baking Cookies
There are countless options on the market when it comes to chocolate chips. So which ones help make the best chocolate chip cookies?
Honestly, it comes down to your tastes.
You have to choose between milk chocolate chips, semisweet chips, and dark chocolate baking chips. Plus, there are also more than 15 flavored baking chips that make your choice even more complicated! So, which ones are best?
The following chocolate chips are the best you can find for different reasons:
- Best chocolate chip overall: Ghirardelli Bittersweet will melt perfectly in your homemade chocolate chip cookies, leading to a more tender, chewier cookie.
- Best for pretty cookies: Scharffen Berger Baking Chunks will make your cookies appear prize-winning!
- Best chocolate chips to snack on: Guittard Super Cookie Chips are delicious as a snack. (Shh! It is our secret!)
- Best affordable chocolate chips: Nestle Toll House chocolate chips make a timeless recipe.
- Best chocolate chips alternative: Chatfield’s Carob Chips for a non-caffeine, vegan alternative.
If you want to try something different, you might want to explore the other flavored chips on the market! Various chocolate chip manufacturers have created unique chocolate pairings to add to your baked goods!
Look for the following flavored chips:
- Nestle Toll House Unicorn Vanilla Morsels
- Nestle Toll House Peanut Butter Chips
- Nestle Toll House Espresso Baking Chips
- Baileys Original Irish Cream Baking Chips
- Reese’s Baking Cups and Reese’s Pieces
- Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
- Hershey’s Cinnamon Baking Chips