Cooking Tool

Butter Calculator - How Much is a Stick of Butter?

Free butter calculator to convert between sticks of butter, cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, grams, ounces, pounds, and milliliters. Perfect for baking, cooking, and recipe conversions. Never wonder "how much is a stick of butter" again!

Last updated: January 23, 2026

Convert between 8 different butter measurements
Real-time bidirectional conversion
Perfect for US and metric recipes

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Butter Calculator
Convert between sticks of butter, cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, grams, ounces, pounds, and milliliters. Enter a value in any field to convert to all other butter measurements.

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Conversion Formula:

1 stick = 0.5 cup = 8 tablespoons = 24 teaspoons = 113 grams = 4 ounces = 0.25 pounds ≈ 118.29 ml

Enter a value in any field to convert to all other butter measurements. Conversions update automatically as you type.

What is Butter?

Butter is a dairy product made by churning milk or cream. During the churning process, the liquid part (buttermilk) separates from the solid fat, creating the rich, creamy spread we know as butter. Butter is one of the most concentrated forms of milk, containing primarily fat and proteins.

While butter is most commonly made from cow's milk, you can also find butter made from goat's, sheep's, buffalo's, or even yak's milk. The unique flavor of butter comes from over 120 chemical compounds, with five key contributors: fatty acids, lactones, methyl ketones, diacetyl, and dimethyl sulphide.

Butter Fat Content Standards

  • US Butter: Must contain at least 80% fat
  • European Butter: Must contain at least 82% fat
  • Higher fat content results in richer flavor and flakier pastries
  • European butter is typically more yellow due to higher fat content

How Much is a Stick of Butter?

In the United States and Canada, butter is primarily sold in 1 lb or 0.5 lb packages (227-454g), which are split evenly into sticks. Each stick weighs 110-113 grams and is wrapped separately for convenience.

The "stick of butter" measurement is unique to North America and can confuse chefs and bakers from other regions. If you're following international recipes or need to convert between different measurement systems, our butter calculator makes it easy to convert between sticks, cups, tablespoons, grams, and other units.

Standard Butter Stick Conversions
1 stick = 0.5 cup = 8 tablespoons = 24 teaspoons = 113 grams = 4 ounces = 0.25 pounds ≈ 118.29 ml

This conversion is consistent for all US butter packaging. The wrapper typically has markings showing tablespoon measurements for easy cutting.

How to Use the Butter Calculator

Using our butter calculator is simple and intuitive. Whether you need to convert tablespoons to grams, ounces to teaspoons, or express a stick of butter in cups, the calculator handles all conversions instantly.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Enter the amount of butter you have in any field (sticks, cups, tablespoons, etc.)
  2. The calculator automatically converts to all other measurements in real-time
  3. All conversions update as you type, so you see results immediately
  4. You can enter values in any unit - the calculator handles bidirectional conversion

Common Conversion Examples

Recipe calls for 1/4 cup butter

Equals: 4 tablespoons, 0.5 stick, or 56.5 grams

Recipe calls for 100 grams butter

Equals: 0.88 stick, 0.44 cup, or 7 tablespoons

Butter Measurement Tips for Baking

Temperature Matters

For shortbread and tart crusts, use well-chilled butter directly from the fridge. Warm butter won't form a proper crust and may cause the dough to flow in the oven. Always use cold butter for flaky pastry recipes.

Clarified Butter for Frying

For frying, clarified butter is best. It has a higher smoke point (252°C/486°F) compared to regular butter (150°C/302°F), so it won't burn as easily. Clarified butter removes most water and protein particles, leaving pure fat.

Creaming Butter

When creaming butter for recipes, keep the mixer at a relatively low speed. High speed will overheat the butter and can cause it to lose its emulsion, affecting the final texture of your baked goods.

Butter Substitutions

If replacing vegetable oil with butter, use our oil to butter calculator. When replacing butter with margarine, ensure it states "Suitable for baking" to avoid recipe failures.

Butter Calculator Examples

Example 1: Converting Sticks to Cups
Recipe calls for 3 sticks of butter

Input: 3 sticks

Result:

  • 1.5 cups
  • 24 tablespoons
  • 72 teaspoons
  • 339 grams
  • 12 ounces
Example 2: Converting Grams to Sticks
European recipe calls for 226 grams butter

Input: 226 grams

Result:

  • 2 sticks
  • 1 cup
  • 16 tablespoons
  • 48 teaspoons
  • 8 ounces

Frequently Asked Questions

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