Butter: Sticks, Cups, and Tablespoons to Grams
How US butter sticks, cups, and tablespoons convert to grams, how European block butter compares, and how to measure butter accurately using the wrapper markings without a scale.
Butter is one of the few baking ingredients where US recipes actually make measuring easier, not harder, because American butter is sold in sticks with printed tablespoon markings on the wrapper — a built-in ruler for a solid fat that's otherwise awkward to measure by volume. The catch is that this system is completely foreign if you're working from a European, UK, or Turkish recipe, where butter is sold in 200g or 250g blocks with no markings at all, or if a US recipe assumes you know the stick system and you don't. This guide covers the full stick-cup-tablespoon-gram conversion, how block butter compares, and how to measure accurately whichever format you're holding.
The US stick system: 1 stick = 113g = 1/2 cup = 8 tbsp
A standard US butter stick weighs 113 grams (4 oz) and is printed with markings dividing it into 8 tablespoons, each representing 14 grams. Two sticks make 1 cup (227g), and four sticks make 1 pound (454g) — this is why US recipes so often call for butter in half-stick or whole-stick increments rather than cup fractions. The wrapper markings mean you can cut off exactly 3 tablespoons or half a stick without ever touching a scale or a measuring cup.
💡 Consejo: Keep the printed wrapper when you unwrap a stick and use it as a cutting guide laid against the remaining butter — it's more accurate than eyeballing a cup measurement for solid fat.
Butter by cup and tablespoon in grams
For quick reference: 1 cup butter = 227g = 2 sticks = 16 tbsp; 3/4 cup = 170g = 12 tbsp; 1/2 cup = 113g = 1 stick = 8 tbsp; 1/3 cup = 76g; 1/4 cup = 57g = 4 tbsp = half a stick; 1 tablespoon = 14g; 1 teaspoon = 4.7g. Because butter is a solid fat rather than a free-flowing powder, these weights are far more consistent than flour or brown sugar — there's no packing or scooping variable to worry about, so cup and gram conversions for butter are close to exact.
European and Turkish block butter (200g/250g)
Outside the US, butter is typically sold in 200g or 250g rectangular blocks with no volume markings, which makes cup-based US recipes awkward without a scale. A 250g European block is roughly equal to 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (241g) of US butter measurement, while a 200g block is just under 7/8 cup (198g close to 227g×0.875). If a Turkish or European recipe calls for '1 paket tereyağı' (one package of butter), that almost always means a 250g block, not the US 227g cup.
💡 Consejo: If you're following a US recipe with European butter, use a scale rather than trying to eyeball fractions of an unmarked block — a kitchen scale removes the entire conversion headache.
Measuring block butter without a scale
For a 250g block with no markings, use the water displacement method: fill a liquid measuring cup with 1 cup (240ml) of cold water, then push in chunks of butter until the water level rises to the amount you need above the original mark — for example, to measure 1/2 cup butter, add butter until the water rises from 240ml to 360ml (a 120ml rise equals 1/2 cup of butter volume). Pat the butter dry before using it in your recipe since it will have absorbed a small amount of water on its surface.
Salted vs. unsalted butter and weight
Salted and unsalted butter weigh essentially the same per volume — the salt content (roughly 1.5-2% by weight in US salted butter) doesn't meaningfully change density. The distinction that matters for baking is flavor and sodium control, not measurement: most baking recipes, especially this site's, default to unsalted butter so the recipe controls salt precisely, and you should treat 'butter' as unsalted unless a recipe specifies otherwise.
Softened, melted, and cold butter — does the state change the weight?
No — 113 grams of butter weighs 113 grams whether it's cold, softened at room temperature, or melted; weight doesn't change with temperature. What does change is volume: melted butter settles and can appear to measure slightly differently in a liquid measuring cup than the same weight of solid butter would in a dry measuring cup, which is exactly why weighing (not volume-measuring) melted butter is more reliable when a recipe calls for it in liquid form.
Preguntas frecuentes
How many grams is 1 stick of butter?
1 US stick of butter weighs 113 grams (4 oz), which equals 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons. This is a fixed, reliable conversion because solid butter doesn't compress or pack differently like flour or brown sugar do.
How many grams is 1 cup of butter?
1 cup of butter weighs 227 grams, equivalent to 2 US sticks or 16 tablespoons. Because butter is measured as a solid fat rather than scooped as a loose powder, this conversion is consistent regardless of technique.
Is a European butter block the same as a US cup of butter?
Not exactly. A 250g European or Turkish butter block is slightly more than 1 US cup (227g) — about 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon. A 200g block is slightly less than 1 cup. Converting by weight rather than trying to match package-to-cup is the most accurate approach.
How do I measure butter without a scale or marked wrapper?
Use the water displacement method: fill a liquid measuring cup to 1 cup (240ml) with cold water, then push in butter chunks until the water rises by the volume of butter you need — for 1/2 cup butter, push in butter until the water level reaches 360ml. Pat the butter dry before using.
Does melted butter weigh the same as solid butter?
Yes, weight doesn't change when butter melts — 113g of solid butter is still 113g melted. What changes is how it fills a measuring cup, which is why weighing melted butter on a scale is more accurate than measuring it by volume in a cup.
Butter is the most scale-friendly baking ingredient there is, because it doesn't compress or clump the way powders do — 1 stick is always 113g, 1 cup is always 227g, no technique required. The only real trap is mixing up US stick sizing with European block sizing, so when you're converting between the two, go by grams rather than trying to eyeball fractions of a differently-shaped package.
Cocina con las manos libres
Consigue planes de comida con IA, modo de cocina paso a paso y tus recetas guardadas en la app gratuita Bento.
Planifica tus comidas, controla tu ayuno y crea tu lista de compras — gratis
El panel de MyCookingCalendar funciona directamente en tu navegador, sin descargas.