Butter is the one ingredient where the US system actually makes life easier — assuming you know the trick. American butter comes in sticks with tablespoon markings printed right on the wrapper, which is honestly more convenient than measuring cups once you know how to read it. If you're outside the US, or you've just never noticed the little lines on the wrapper, this one's for you.
The Basic Numbers
| Unit | Grams | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 stick (US) | 113g | 8 tbsp |
| ½ stick | 57g | 4 tbsp |
| 1 cup (2 sticks) | 227g | 16 tbsp |
| 1 tablespoon | 14g | — |
Reading a Butter Wrapper
Most US butter wrappers have 8 tick marks along the stick, each one representing a tablespoon. So if a recipe wants 3 tablespoons, you just cut at the third line — no measuring cup required, no cleanup. This only works because a US stick is a very consistent, standardized shape and weight, which is part of why the "stick" unit exists in the first place.
What If Your Butter Doesn't Come in Sticks?
Butter sold in blocks (fairly common in the UK, Australia, and a lot of Europe) usually comes in 250g blocks rather than sticks. If a recipe calls for "1 stick," that's 113g — so just over a fifth of a standard 250g block by weight. It's easiest to weigh it out on a scale rather than trying to eyeball sticks from a block shape you're not used to.
Softened vs Melted vs Cold — Does It Change the Weight?
No — the weight of butter doesn't change whether it's cold, softened, or melted. What does change is volume slightly, since melted butter can settle and lose a small amount of the air that's naturally worked into solid butter. For anything precision-sensitive (like a delicate cake), weigh butter before melting it, not after.
Salted vs Unsalted
This doesn't affect the conversion math, but it's worth a mention here since it trips people up constantly: most baking recipes assume unsalted butter unless stated otherwise, specifically so the recipe writer can control salt levels precisely. If you only have salted butter on hand, it's usually fine for most recipes — just consider reducing any added salt slightly.
A Worked Example
Recipe calls for ¾ cup of butter, and all you have is a 250g European-style block with no markings. ¾ cup is 1.5 sticks, which is 1.5 × 113g = 169.5g — round to 170g. Weigh that much off the block and you're set.
FAQ
Is a "stick" of butter the same everywhere?
No — this is specifically a US measurement. Other countries typically sell
butter by weight in blocks, not sticks, so always convert to grams if you're
working from a US recipe outside the US.
Can I substitute margarine using the same conversions?
Generally yes, by weight — most margarine is packaged in equivalent
stick or block sizes. Texture and taste in the final bake may differ
slightly, but the measurement conversion itself holds.
Why do some recipes say "1 cup butter, melted" instead of just weight?
Mostly convention and habit in American recipe writing — cup measurements
are just more familiar to a lot of home cooks there, even though weight
would technically be more precise.
For the rest of your ingredients, see our guide on sugar conversions, or run any amount through the conversion tool.