One stick, five ways
US recipes count butter in sticks. K-State Research and Extension puts it plainly: each 1/4-pound stick measures 1/2 cup, and the wrapping is usually marked off in tablespoons. From there it is arithmetic:
The gram figure comes from the pound, which is defined as exactly 453.59237 g, so a quarter pound is 113.40 g. USDA FoodData Central rounds a stick to 113 g and a cup to 227 g. Its tablespoon figure, 14.2 g, times 8 gives 113.6 g, so all three USDA numbers agree with the quarter pound to within a gram.
Butter conversion table
Ounces are by weight. Grams use the exact quarter pound per stick; round to the nearest gram on a kitchen scale.
| Cups | Tbsp | Sticks | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 1 | 1/8 | 0.50 | 14 |
| 2 tablespoons | 2 | 1/4 | 1 | 28 |
| 1/4 cup | 4 | 1/2 | 2 | 57 |
| 1/3 cup | 5 1/3 | 2/3 | 2.67 | 76 |
| 1/2 cup | 8 | 1 | 4 | 113 |
| 2/3 cup | 10 2/3 | 1 1/3 | 5.33 | 151 |
| 3/4 cup | 12 | 1 1/2 | 6 | 170 |
| 1 cup | 16 | 2 | 8 | 227 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 24 | 3 | 12 | 340 |
| 2 cups | 32 | 4 | 16 | 454 |
The two thirds rows are the awkward ones. 1/3 cup is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, since a tablespoon is 3 teaspoons. On a stick wrapper that is just past the 5 tablespoon line. 2/3 cup is 1 stick plus 2 2/3 tablespoons. The cooking measurement converter gives any of these in teaspoons too.
Grams to sticks and tablespoons
Metric recipes give butter in grams. To turn grams into US measures, divide by 14.17 for tablespoons or by 113.4 for sticks.
| Grams | Ounces | Tbsp | Sticks | Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 g | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.09 | 0.04 |
| 25 g | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.22 | 0.11 |
| 50 g | 1.8 | 3.5 | 0.44 | 0.22 |
| 100 g | 3.5 | 7.1 | 0.88 | 0.44 |
| 125 g | 4.4 | 8.8 | 1.10 | 0.55 |
| 150 g | 5.3 | 10.6 | 1.32 | 0.66 |
| 200 g | 7.1 | 14.1 | 1.76 | 0.88 |
| 250 g | 8.8 | 17.6 | 2.20 | 1.10 |
For other ingredients by the cup, the cups to grams converter uses the USDA cup weight of 227 g for butter, the same figure as in this guide.
European blocks: 250 g and 200 g
In the UK, block butter is sold by weight in grams. FoodNavigator reported in June 2023 that two large brands in the UK replaced their 250 g blocks with 200 g blocks, a 20 percent cut in weight, and that the 200 g size was already sold in Denmark. So check the pack before you assume a size.
- A 250 g block is 2.20 sticks, 17.6 tablespoons or 1.10 cups. A US recipe that calls for 1 cup leaves 23 g over.
- A 200 g block is 1.76 sticks, 14.1 tablespoons or 0.88 cups. It is 27 g short of a US cup, about 1.9 tablespoons.
A European recipe that asks for half a block of 250 g means 125 g, which is 1.10 sticks, just over one.
Why a cup of butter weighs about 227 g
A US cup holds 236.6 ml. USDA weighs a cup of butter at 227 g, so butter comes to about 0.96 g per milliliter. Measuring butter by volume only works well when it is packed: for butter not marked on the wrapper, K-State says to measure it like solid shortening, packed firmly into the measuring cup or spoon and leveled off with a knife. The guide to fluid ounces vs ounces explains the weight and volume split in more detail.
Ounces and fluid ounces of butter
A stick is 4 ounces by weight and also 1/2 cup, which is 4 fluid ounces by volume. For butter the two happen to land close together. Four US fluid ounces are 118.3 ml, and at 0.96 g per milliliter that much butter weighs 113.5 g, while 4 ounces by weight are 113.4 g. So a recipe that says "4 oz butter" means one stick whichever ounce the writer had in mind. For flour or sugar the two ounces are far apart, which the fluid ounce guide works through.
The same numbers apply to margarine sold in sticks: K-State gives the quarter-pound stick of butter or margarine the same 1/2 cup measure, with the same tablespoon marks on the wrapper.
Worked examples
A recipe asks for 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
3/4 cup is 12 tablespoons, so the total is 14 tablespoons. That is 1.75 sticks: one full stick and 6 tablespoons cut from a second one. By weight it is 198 g, or 7 ounces.
A recipe asks for 170 g of butter
170 ÷ 113.4 = 1.50 sticks. Use one stick and half of a second one, which is 12 tablespoons or 3/4 cup.
A European recipe asks for 125 g
125 ÷ 14.17 = 8.8 tablespoons. That is one stick plus about 1 tablespoon. With a scale, just weigh 125 g.
Scaling a recipe by 1 1/2
A recipe with 1 stick of butter, made 1 1/2 times, needs 1.5 × 8 = 12 tablespoons, which is 3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks. The recipe scaler does this for the whole ingredient list and rounds to kitchen fractions.
Halving a recipe with 5 tablespoons
Half of 5 tablespoons is 2.5 tablespoons, which is 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons. In grams it is 35 g, easier to hit on a scale than with a spoon.
Tips for measuring butter
- Cut along the wrapper lines with a sharp knife. Each line is one tablespoon, and K-State recommends exactly this method.
- For amounts between lines, use teaspoons: 1 tablespoon is 3 teaspoons.
- A 1-pound box of 4 sticks holds 2 cups, 32 tablespoons or 16 ounces, which is 453.6 g. Half a box is 1 cup.
- For butter without markings, pack it into a dry measuring cup and level it off.
- Melted butter goes in a liquid measuring cup, read at eye level.
- When a recipe gives grams, weigh. Salted and unsalted butter have the same portion weights in USDA data, so the numbers apply to both.
Cups from other countries differ in size; see US cup vs metric cup before you use a 250 ml cup with a US butter amount.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a stick of butter?
A stick is a quarter pound, which is 113.4 g. USDA FoodData Central lists it as 113 g. Either figure works in a recipe; the difference is less than half a gram.
How many sticks of butter are in a cup?
Two. K-State Research and Extension states that each quarter-pound stick measures 1/2 cup, so 1 cup is 2 sticks, 16 tablespoons or 8 ounces. A 1-pound box of 4 sticks holds 2 cups.
How many tablespoons are in a stick of butter?
Eight. A stick is 1/2 cup and a cup has 16 tablespoons. Each tablespoon of butter weighs about 14.2 g; USDA lists 14.2 g. The wrapper is usually marked off in tablespoons, so you can cut along the lines.
How do I measure 250 g of butter in sticks?
250 g is 2.20 sticks, or 2 sticks plus about 1.6 tablespoons. In cups it is 1.10, a little more than 1 cup.
Do salted and unsalted butter weigh the same?
By the cup and the stick, yes. USDA FoodData Central gives the same portion weights for its salted and unsalted butter entries: 113 g a stick, 227 g a cup and 14.2 g a tablespoon.
How do I measure melted butter?
K-State Research and Extension says melted butter can be measured like any liquid, in a liquid measuring cup read at eye level. Butter weighs the same melted or solid, so if a recipe gives grams, weighing works either way.
Sources
- K-State Research and Extension, MF3518 Cooking Basics: Measuring Tools and How to Use Them, 2020 (each 1/4-pound stick measures 1/2 cup; wrapper marked in tablespoons; 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup; 16 tablespoons = 1 cup; melted butter measured as a liquid)
- USDA FoodData Central 173410, Butter, salted (1 stick 113 g, 1 cup 227 g, 1 tbsp 14.2 g)
- USDA FoodData Central 173430, Butter, without salt (same portion weights)
- NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B.8 (pound 453.5924 g, ounce 28.34952 g, US cup 236.5882 mL)
- FoodNavigator, 1 June 2023: two UK block butter brands move from 250 g to 200 g packs (200 g already sold in Denmark)