1/2 liter of milk: equivalents in ml, cl, grams, and glasses

Half a liter of milk is 500 ml, or 50 cl, or 5 dl. On a scale, it weighs about 515 g, since milk is slightly denser than water; for a recipe, 500 g works just fine.

Hey, you don't need a measuring cup to pull this off. Here are all the measurements, plus a crème caramel recipe that uses up every last drop of your 1/2 liter of milk—perfect for serving under the pergola.

1/2 liter of milk: equivalents

• In milliliters: 1/2 l = 500 ml.
• In centiliters and deciliters: 50 cl, or 5 dl.
• In grams: about 515 g of whole milk.
• In cups and glasses: 2 large cups or mugs (25 cl each), or 2½ glasses (20 cl each), such as mustard glasses.
• 1/4 liter: 250 ml, or 25 cl. 1/8 liter: 125 ml, or 12.5 cl.
• 3/4 liter: 750 ml, or 75 cl. 1.5 liters: 1,500 ml, or 150 cl.

Ingredients for 6 crème caramels

• 50 cl of whole milk
• 4 eggs
• 80 g of sugar for the cream
• 1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 g of sugar for the caramel
• 3 tablespoons of water

For 2 people, with a little extra cream, halve all the ingredients: 25 cl of milk (1/4 liter), 2 eggs, 40 g of sugar, and 50 g for the caramel, for 3 ramekins.

Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 40 min · Rest: 4 hours in the fridge

The Step-by-Step Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C. Make the caramel: Heat 100 g of sugar with the water in a small saucepan, without stirring, until it turns amber in color, about 5 to 8 minutes. Immediately pour it into 6 15-cl ramekins and swirl them to coat the bottom. Be careful—it’s very hot.
2. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and heat the milk with the bean and seeds until it simmers. Turn off the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and 80 g of sugar just until combined, without creating a foam.
4. Remove the pod and slowly pour the hot milk over the eggs while stirring. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and skim off the foam from the surface.
5. Divide the cream among the ramekins. Place them in a baking dish and pour in very hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes: the custard should be set but still wobble slightly in the center when you move the ramekin.
7. Let it cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. To unmold, run a knife around the edge and invert it onto a shallow bowl.

My Cooking Tips

• No bubbles: Whip it without creating foam or bubbles, or your cream will be full of tiny holes.
• A double boiler is a must: Without it, the cream boils over at the edges and becomes grainy.
• Without a scale: Two 25-cl mugs make up half a liter of milk, and one level tablespoon of sugar weighs about 12 to 15 g.
• A delicious treat to share: Pour everything into an 18-cm caramelized baking pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 150 °C, always in a water bath.

Under the pergola: how to serve

Crème caramel is best served very cold, with a few almond tuiles or navettes for a crunchy touch. No one can resist the caramel that oozes out when you turn the mold over at the table. If you’d like a drink, try a well-chilled sweet Muscat—in moderation.

This is the perfect dessert to make the day before: the custards will keep for 2 days in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, in their ramekins, and the caramel becomes even smoother. Unmold them at the last minute, under the pergola, as the autumn sun sets behind the slats.

Your Questions

Is 500 ml the same as 1/2 liter?

Yes, exactly: one liter is 1,000 ml, so half of that is 500 ml. That’s also 50 cl, the unit you often see on measuring cups. All three ways of writing it refer to the same amount.

How much is 1/4 liter of milk?

A quarter liter is 250 ml, or 25 cl. That's about the size of a large cup or mug, and it weighs about 258 g.

How can I use 1/2 liter of milk?

That’s the amount needed for pastry cream—with 4 egg yolks, 100 g of sugar, and 40 g of cornstarch—or for a béchamel sauce for gratin, with 40 g of butter and 40 g of flour. With 250 g of flour and 3 eggs, you can also make enough batter for a dozen crêpes. And of course, my crème caramel.

How much does 1/2 liter of milk weigh?

About 515 g, give or take a few grams, depending on whether it's whole, low-fat, or skim milk. To weigh it rather than measure it, place your bowl on the scale and pour in up to 515 g.

How much is 1.5 liters of milk?

One and a half liters is 1,500 ml or 150 cl, which is three times half a liter. That’s 6 mugs of 25 cl each, and about 1.55 kg on the scale.