One US stick of butter weighs 113 g (4 oz), measures 1/2 cup, and equals 8 tablespoons. A standard US pound of butter contains 4 sticks (452 g). The paper wrapper on every stick has tablespoon markings printed on it — cut at any line to measure without a scale.
Use the butter converter to convert any butter amount between sticks, cups, tablespoons, ounces, and grams.
Butter measurement conversion table
| Sticks | Cups | Tablespoons | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 stick | 1/8 cup | 2 tbsp | 1 oz | 28 g |
| 1/2 stick | 1/4 cup | 4 tbsp | 2 oz | 57 g |
| 1 stick | 1/2 cup | 8 tbsp | 4 oz | 113 g |
| 1.5 sticks | 3/4 cup | 12 tbsp | 6 oz | 170 g |
| 2 sticks | 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 8 oz | 227 g |
| 3 sticks | 1.5 cups | 24 tbsp | 12 oz | 340 g |
| 4 sticks (1 lb) | 2 cups | 32 tbsp | 16 oz | 452 g |
Source: King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart — butter: 8 tbsp (1/2 cup) = 4 oz = 113 g.
Reading the wrapper markings
US butter sticks come in two shapes:
Standard/Eastern stick: Long and narrow (about 4.75 inches). Each tablespoon marking is about 0.6 inches wide. Most butter from major brands like Land O’Lakes and Challenge uses this shape.
Western/short stick: Shorter and wider (about 3 inches). Used by some regional brands, especially in western states. The tablespoon markings are closer together. Both contain 113 g — the shape is different but the volume is the same.
When the recipe says “1 tablespoon butter,” cut at the first line. For 3 tablespoons, cut at the third line.
European butter
European-style butter is sold in 250 g blocks, not sticks. It typically has a higher fat content (82–84% fat vs. 80% for standard US butter), which produces slightly richer, flakier pastry. The weight difference matters for conversions:
| US measurement | European equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 stick (113 g) | 113 g block |
| 2 sticks (227 g) | 227 g (scant 1 block) |
| 2.2 sticks (250 g) | 1 standard European block |
If a European recipe says “250 g butter,” use 2 sticks plus 1.5 tablespoons of a third stick (or just weigh 250 g).
Why baking recipes specify butter by different units
Older American recipes use sticks (because every US cook knows one stick = 1/2 cup). Modern recipes often give grams because it’s more precise. Some recipes say “1 cup butter” (= 2 sticks = 227 g).
Professional recipes always use grams. At 113 g per stick, there’s no ambiguity — you don’t need to know about US stick sizes or package shapes.
Worked examples
Recipe: “3/4 cup butter”
- 3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons = 1.5 sticks = 170 g
- Cut 1 full stick plus 4 tablespoons from a second stick.
Recipe: “250 g butter”
- 250 ÷ 113 = 2.21 sticks
- Use 2 full sticks plus cut 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons from a third stick.
- Or weigh 250 g on a scale.
Recipe: “2 tablespoons butter”
- Cut at the second line on one stick.
- Or weigh 28 g.
Measuring butter without the wrapper
If the wrapper markings are torn or you bought bulk butter:
- Use a scale (most accurate): 1 tbsp = 14 g, 1/4 cup = 57 g, 1/2 cup = 113 g.
- Use the water displacement method: fill a liquid measuring cup with cold water to the 1/2 cup mark, then drop in butter until the level reaches 1 cup. The butter you added equals 1/2 cup.
- Pack butter into a dry measuring cup, pressing out air pockets.
What “room temperature” butter means
Many recipes call for room temperature (softened) butter, especially for creaming. The target is 65–68°F (18–20°C) — butter that leaves a slight indent when pressed but holds its shape and isn’t shiny or greasy. At this temperature, butter can trap air when beaten, which creates the lift in cakes and cookies.
Cold butter (straight from the refrigerator at around 38°F) is too hard to cream and won’t incorporate air properly. Melted butter has become a liquid fat and cannot trap air at all — it produces a denser, often chewier result (which is desirable in brownies and some cookies, but not in layer cakes).
To soften butter quickly:
- Cut the stick into tablespoon-sized pieces and spread on a plate. It reaches room temperature in 15–20 minutes rather than the 1–2 hours it takes whole.
- Grate frozen butter on a box grater. The fine shreds soften in about 5 minutes.
- Place the wrapped stick in a sealed plastic bag and submerge in warm (not hot) water for 10 minutes. Check frequently — you want pliable, not melted.
Avoid microwaving butter to soften it. Microwaves heat unevenly and will melt the center while the outside stays cold. If you need to microwave, use 10% power in 10-second bursts, flipping the stick between bursts.
Salted vs. unsalted butter
Both weigh the same. Salted butter contains approximately 1.6–1.75% salt by weight. In 1 stick (113 g), that’s about 1.8–2 g of salt — close to 1/3 teaspoon. Most baking recipes specify unsalted butter so the baker controls the total salt in the recipe. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt the recipe calls for by about 1/4 teaspoon per stick used.
Per USDA FoodData Central, both salted and unsalted butter deliver approximately 100 calories and 11 g of fat per tablespoon, with negligible differences from the salt addition.
Whipped butter
Whipped butter from grocery store tubs is not a 1:1 substitute for stick butter by volume. Air is whipped into it, so the same volume weighs significantly less — roughly 75–80 g per cup instead of 227 g. If you measure whipped butter by volume into a baking recipe, you’ll underweight the fat. By weight, whipped butter works fine if you hit the gram target. For most baking, stick with stick butter or a block.