Making a recipe and wondering how many sticks of butter in a cup? Our conversion charts have the precise answer! They convert from sticks to cups to grams, ounces, pounds, kilograms, milliliters, tablespoons, and teaspoons. Some apply to solid butter (weight) while others are useful for melted butter (volume).
In the U.S., butter often comes wrapped in quarter-pound sticks with tablespoon measures (and their cup conversions) written out for us on the wrapper.
In contrast, many other places sell butter in one-pound blocks. Further, if you are buying higher-quality imported butter, they often come in half-pound blocks.
That is mostly the equivalent of two “sticks” of regular butter. If you don’t keep this difference in mind and go by a typical “stick” measurement, you may wind up with a very unpleasant result in your baking!
If you can, remember that 2 sticks of butter equals 1 cup or 16 tablespoons. But if you can't, no need to panic!
You can print these Conversion Charts that convert from sticks to cups to grams, ounces, pounds, kilograms, milliliters, tablespoons, and teaspoons. Some apply to solid butter (weight) while others are useful for melted butter (volume).
Just bear in mind that when in doubt, measure butter by weight for the best accuracy.
Table of Contents
Other Cooking Conversions that You Can Use:
- Baking substitutions
- Volume conversions
- Temperature conversion
- How many teaspoons in a tablespoon
- U.S. cups to ounces to grams
How many sticks of butter in a cup (or a stick of butter in cups)
When learning how to read a recipe, there are some common questions about butter that tend to be asked often.
Q: “How many sticks of butter are in one cup?”
A: There are two sticks of butter in one cup. Each stick of butter is ½ cup and usually you will see cut lines on the butter wrapper for tablespoons, ¼ cup, and ⅓ cup.
Q: “Why do so many recipes call for unsalted butter?”
A: You may see unsalted butter in the ingredient list of a recipe then also see actual salt as an ingredient and wonder, “why use unsalted butter and then add salt?” This is a good question and the answer can be different based on the type of recipe.
In a sweet recipe, especially a dessert that includes leavening agents that help it rise or puff up, it is a must to use unsalted butter when it is called for in a recipe.
This is because the salt in the recipe is there not so much for flavor, but more for its chemical properties that can, for one thing, aide in leavening.
The right balance of salt is important, so using unsalted butter helps ensure you’ve added the exact right amount of salt.
For a savory recipe, salt does usually play an important role in the flavor of the dish.
Using unsalted butter gives you control over the amount of salt you add to the food as well as when you add it.
Q: “How much salt is in a stick of salted butter?”
A: Depending on the brand, one stick of salt contains somewhere between a little over ¼ teaspoon salt up to just over ⅓ teaspoon salt.
If you have unsalted butter but need salted butter for a recipe, just add ¼ teaspoon of additional salt.
Q: “Can I use melted butter instead of softened butter when baking?”
A: In a word? No. Melting butter changes the way it will interact with the flour, sugar, and other ingredients in the recipe and absolutely will impact the final results of the food.
Q: “Can I use oil instead of butter in cakes, cookies, and pies?”
A: The answer to this question is tricky because it very much depends on the recipe. If you need to use oil instead of butter, check first to see if the recipe calls for creaming together butter and sugar.
This process is key for some recipes as it adds air to the butter and sugar mixture, creating a light and fluffy texture.
Beating oil and sugar together just will not yield the same result and so it would be best to use butter or a solid vegetable shortening.
In theory, yes, you can usually use oil instead of butter in the same amount called for in the recipe. However, be aware that the flavor and texture of the baked goods will likely be altered.
Q: “Can I freeze butter?”
A: Yes, absolutely! If you run across a great sale on butter, you may want to stock up and freeze it to use later. Butter can be kept fresh in your home freezer for up to three months.
Do you have more questions about ingredient substitutions, measurement conversions, or any topic not covered above related to following a recipe? Leave me a comment below!
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Sticks of Butter to US Cups and Grams
| BUTTER VOLUME | US CUPS | GRAMS |
|---|---|---|
| half (½) stick of Butter | ¼ cup | 56.7 g |
| 1 stick of Butter | ½ cup | 113.4 g |
| 2 sticks of Butter | 1 cup | 226.8 g |
| 4 sticks of Butter | 2 cups | 453.6 g |
Sticks of Butter to Ounces and Pounds
| BUTTER VOLUME | OUNCES | POUNDS |
|---|---|---|
| half (½) stick of Butter | 2 oz | ⅛ lb |
| 1 stick of Butter | 4 oz | ¼ lb |
| 2 sticks of Butter | 8 oz | ½ lb |
| 4 sticks of Butter | 16 oz | 1 lb |
Butter Sticks to Kilograms and Milliliters
| BUTTER VOLUME | KILOGRAMS | MILLILITERS |
|---|---|---|
| half (½) stick of Butter | 0.056 kg | 62.5 mL |
| 1 stick of Butter | 0.113 kg | 125 mL |
| 2 sticks of Butter | 0.226 kg | 250 mL |
| 4 sticks of Butter | 0.452 kg | 500 mL |
Butter Sticks to Tablespoons, Grams, and Teaspoons
| BUTTER VOLUME | TABLESPOONS | TEASPOONS | GRAMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| half (½) stick of Butter | 4 tablespoons | 12 teaspoons | 56.7 g |
| 1 stick of Butter | 8 tablespoons | 24 teaspoons | 113.4 g |
| 2 sticks of Butter | 16 tablespoons | 48 teaspoons | 226.8 g |
| 4 sticks of Butter | 32 tablespoons | 96 teaspoons | 453.6 |