Butter Conversion Chart
Convert sticks, cups, tablespoons and grams of butter. 1 stick is 8 tablespoons, or about 113 g.
How many tablespoons are in a stick of butter?
One US stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, which equals ½ cup, 4 ounces, or about 113 grams. Two sticks make 1 cup (227 g), and four sticks make a 1 lb package.
Butter conversion chart
| Sticks | Tablespoons | Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ stick | 2 | ⅛ | 28 g | 1 oz |
| ½ stick | 4 | ¼ | 57 g | 2 oz |
| ¾ stick | 6 | ⅜ | 85 g | 3 oz |
| 1 stick | 8 | ½ | 113 g | 4 oz |
| 1½ sticks | 12 | ¾ | 170 g | 6 oz |
| 2 sticks | 16 | 1 | 227 g | 8 oz |
| 3 sticks | 24 | 1½ | 340 g | 12 oz |
| 4 sticks | 32 | 2 | 454 g | 16 oz |
Using European butter or butter by weight
Many European-style butters come in 250 g blocks instead of sticks. A 250 g block is a little more than 1 cup (about 1.1 cups, or 17½ tablespoons), so use the converter above if a recipe was written for US sticks. Most recipes also work fine if you weigh the butter on a scale instead of measuring it.
Tips for measuring butter
US sticks come wrapped with tablespoon lines printed on the paper, so you can slice off exactly what you need. For softened or melted butter, 1 tablespoon is about 14 g either way, because melting changes the volume only slightly once it settles in the spoon. If a recipe calls for “1 cup of butter, melted,” it still means 2 sticks measured before melting.
Margarine sticks follow the same 8 tablespoon measure. Tubs and spreads contain more water and air, so avoid them in baking unless the recipe says otherwise.
Worked examples
- A recipe asks for ¾ cup of butter. That is 1½ sticks, or 12 tablespoons, or about 170 g.
- A recipe from a metric cookbook asks for 200 g. That is about 1¾ sticks, or 14 tablespoons.
- A European 250 g block equals a little over 2 sticks, so trim off a little under 2 tablespoons if the recipe wants exactly 2 sticks.
Salted or unsalted?
Most baking recipes assume unsalted butter, which lets you control the salt. If you only have salted butter, you can usually use it and reduce the added salt a little. The amount of salt in salted butter varies by brand, so taste as you go with sauces and frostings.
The temperature of the butter matters
- Cold butter makes flaky pie crusts, biscuits and scones, because the small pieces melt in the oven and leave air pockets.
- Softened butter (it gives slightly when pressed) is for creaming with sugar in cakes and cookies.
- Melted butter makes denser, chewier bakes such as brownies.
Swapping one for another changes the texture, so follow the recipe unless you know what you are changing.
Substituting butter
Butter is mostly fat with some water, so oil does not match it exactly. A common rule of thumb is to use about three-quarters as much oil as butter in a recipe that allows it. Margarine in sticks can usually replace butter one for one in baking. Spreads sold in tubs contain more water and often do not work well.
Frequently asked questions
Are all US butter sticks the same size?
Yes. A US stick is 4 ounces (about 113 g) whether the carton is long and thin or short and wide.
Should I weigh butter or measure it?
Weighing is more accurate, but the tablespoon markings on the wrapper are a good guide when you do not have a scale.
Can I freeze butter?
Yes. Wrap it well so it does not pick up odors, and thaw it in the refrigerator before using.