Butter Conversion Calculator
Convert butter between US sticks, tablespoons, teaspoons, cups, grams and ounces. American recipes measure butter in sticks and cups, while much of the world weighs it in grams — and a wrapper is not always handy to read the markings. Enter any amount to see every equivalent at once. One US stick is 113 g, half a cup, or 8 tablespoons.
How to use this tool
- Enter the amount of butter you have or need.
- Choose the unit it is in — sticks, tablespoons, teaspoons, cups, grams or ounces.
- Read every equivalent measure at once, with the total weight in grams highlighted.
- Sticks and cups are shown as friendly fractions like ½ and ¾ where they fall on them.
- For baking accuracy, weigh butter in grams rather than softening and packing it into a cup.
The formula
Every butter measure is defined relative to the US stick. The tool converts your amount to grams, then expresses that weight in each unit.
1 stick = 113.4 g = 8 tbsp = ½ cup = 4 oz
1 tbsp = 14.2 g
grams = amount × grams-per-unit- stick
- US butter stick, 113.4 g (a quarter-pound)
- cup
- 2 sticks, 226.8 g
Butter sold in 250 g blocks (common outside the US) does not divide into neat stick fractions, so weigh those in grams.
Worked examples
A recipe in sticks
- Given
- 1½ sticks of butter
- Result
- ≈ 170 g / ¾ cup
One and a half sticks is 12 tablespoons, which is three-quarters of a cup and about 170 g.
Grams to sticks
- Given
- 250 g of butter
- Result
- ≈ 2¼ sticks
At 113.4 g per stick, 250 g is a little over two sticks — awkward, which is why weighing is easier.
Tablespoons for spreading
- Given
- ½ cup of butter
- Result
- 8 tbsp / 1 stick
Half a cup equals one full stick, or 8 tablespoons — a handy equivalence for many recipes.
Frequently asked questions
A US stick of butter is a quarter-pound: 113.4 g, 4 ounces, 8 tablespoons, or half a cup. Sticks are usually wrapped with tablespoon markings so you can cut off the amount you need.
Sticks are a US convention. In much of Europe and Australia butter is sold in 250 g or 500 g blocks and measured by weight. That is actually more precise, which is why many bakers prefer grams regardless of where they are.
By weight. Packing butter into a cup traps air and varies with temperature, so volume measures are inconsistent. Weighing in grams gives the same amount every time, which matters in baking where ratios are precise.
Roughly. Most stick margarines and plant butters are sold in the same stick format and similar density, so the conversions are close. For spreadable tub products, weigh in grams, as their density differs.
Use the tablespoon markings on the wrapper: a stick is 8 tablespoons, so a quarter-stick is 2 tablespoons. The tool shows your amount in tablespoons and teaspoons, which is the easiest way to cut a precise portion without a scale.
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Related reading
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