A standard U.S. stick of butter weighs about 113 grams, but many recipes still use “sticks,” “cups,” or “tablespoons,” which can be confusing if you prefer measuring in grams. Understanding how many grams are in a stick of butter helps you switch between American and metric recipes, scale batches accurately, and avoid dry cakes or greasy cookies caused by incorrect butter amounts. This guide breaks down butter conversions in simple terms—covering sticks, cups, tablespoons, and grams—so you can bake confidently no matter where the recipe comes from.
What is a “stick” of butter?
In everyday American baking, a “stick of butter” is a standard, pre-wrapped portion that equals 1/2 cup or 4 ounces. In metric terms, this same stick weighs around 113 grams of butter.
- 1 U.S. stick of butter = 1/2 cup
- 1 U.S. stick of butter = 4 oz
- 1 U.S. stick of butter ≈ 113 g
Outside the U.S., butter is often sold in blocks instead of sticks, usually labeled directly in grams, like 250 g or 500 g packs.
Exact answer: grams in a stick of butter
Most bakers treat a stick of butter as 113 g, which is precise enough for home baking and matches common conversion charts. Technically, one stick is about 113.4 g because 4 ounces equals roughly 113.3984 grams.
Key equivalents:
- 1 stick of butter = 113 g (rounded)
- 2 sticks of butter ≈ 227 g (about 1 cup)
If your recipe needs high precision (like delicate pastries), you can use 113.4 g per stick, but most recipes are written expecting the rounded 113 g.
Sticks, grams, cups, and tablespoons
Butter can be confusing because it shows up in recipes as sticks, cups, grams, and tablespoons. Knowing how they connect makes it much easier to follow recipes from any country.
Core butter conversions
- 1 stick butter = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons ≈ 113 g
- 1 cup butter = 2 sticks ≈ 227–230 g
- 1 tablespoon butter ≈ 14.17 g
So, starting from grams, you can convert like this:
- Grams → sticks: sticks = grams ÷ 113
- Grams → tablespoons: tablespoons = grams ÷ 14.17
These formulas let you scale recipes or switch measurement systems without guessing.
Quick butter conversion table
Here’s a simple table you can mentally refer to when converting between sticks and grams of butter.
Butter sticks to grams
| Sticks of butter | Approx. grams |
|---|---|
| 1/4 stick | 28 g |
| 1/2 stick | 55–57 g |
| 1 stick | 113 g |
| 2 sticks | 227 g |
| 3 sticks | 340 g |
| 4 sticks | 454 g |
Values are rounded so they’re easy to remember while you’re cooking. If you’re using a digital kitchen scale, you can always dial in the exact grams when accuracy really matters.
U.S. vs U.K. (and other countries)
One sneaky source of confusion is that “stick of butter” is a U.S. concept, while many other countries sell butter differently. That means you can’t always assume a “stick” somewhere else is the same size as in the U.S.
United States
- 1 stick = 4 oz ≈ 113 g = 1/2 cup.
United Kingdom
- Butter is usually sold in 250 g blocks, roughly equal to 2.2 U.S. sticks.
When adapting American recipes abroad, using grams instead of sticks avoids mis-measuring butter by large amounts.
How many grams in 2, 3, or 4 sticks of butter?
Scaling up butter in recipes is common for big batches of cookies, brownies, or cakes. Once you know grams per stick, the rest is simple multiplication.
2 sticks of butter in grams
- 2 × 113 g ≈ 227 g (about 1 cup).
3 sticks of butter in grams
- 3 × 113 g ≈ 340 g.
4 sticks of butter in grams
- 4 × 113 g ≈ 454 g (about 1 pound).
These rounded values line up closely with typical 1 lb (454 g) butter packages.
How many grams in a tablespoon of butter?
Sometimes a recipe lists butter by tablespoons, but you only have a scale handy. Since butter has a consistent density, you can convert tablespoons to grams reliably.
- 1 tablespoon butter ≈ 14.17 g
- 2 tablespoons ≈ 28.35 g
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) ≈ 56.7 g
Because 8 tablespoons make one stick, multiplying 14.17 g by 8 lands you close to 113 g per stick again.
Why recipes use sticks vs grams
U.S. recipes traditionally use sticks and cups because that matches how butter is packaged and how many home cooks measure ingredients. Metric recipes prefer grams because they give precise, repeatable results, especially for baking.
- Sticks and cups are quick and convenient when you have standard U.S. butter wrappers with markings.
- Grams shine when you need accuracy, are scaling recipes, or are baking more technical items like laminated doughs.
A digital kitchen scale plus a few key conversions is usually the best of both worlds: easy measuring and accurate results.
Practical tips for measuring butter
Accurate butter measurement can be the difference between flaky pastry and greasy dough. A few simple habits make conversions smoother and recipes more consistent.
- Use 113 g = 1 stick as your default conversion when adapting U.S. recipes.
- For half-stick measurements, aim for about 57 g of butter.
- When converting tablespoons, remember 1 tbsp ≈ 14 g, then round as needed.
- If you’re outside the U.S., ignore “sticks” and go straight to grams using the 113 g baseline.
If a recipe feels too buttery or too dry, double-check whether it was written in U.S. cups/sticks or pure metric, since mixing systems often causes mistakes.
FAQs about grams in a stick of butter
1. How many grams are in 1 stick of butter?
One standard U.S. stick of butter weighs about 113 grams, which equals 4 ounces or 1/2 cup. Many charts and calculators use 113.4 g for a more precise number, but 113 g works fine for everyday baking.
2. How many grams are in half a stick of butter?
Half a stick is 2 ounces or 1/4 cup of butter, which comes to roughly 55–57 grams. Some rounded charts state 56–57 g, but staying near 57 g keeps you aligned with 113 g per full stick.
3. How many grams of butter are in 1 cup?
One cup of butter equals 2 sticks, which is about 227–230 grams depending on how precisely you convert from ounces. Most home bakers simply use 227 g as a standard one-cup butter weight.
4. How many grams in a tablespoon of butter?
5. Is a stick of butter in the U.S. the same as in the U.K.?
No. In the U.S., a stick of butter is a 4 oz piece weighing around 113 g. In the U.K., butter is typically sold in 250 g blocks, so what some people casually call a “stick” there is more than twice the size of a U.S. stick.
6. How many sticks of butter are in 250 grams?
Since one U.S. stick is about 113 g, you can divide 250 by 113 to estimate roughly 2.2 sticks of butter in 250 g. For recipes, that usually means using 2 full sticks plus a small extra piece to hit the target weight.