Sticks of Butter to Cups Converter
Convert sticks of butter to cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, grams, ounces and pounds — or enter cups, grams or a 250 g block and get sticks — with a measuring guide, package sizes and calories.
How it works
cups = sticks × ½ · tablespoons = sticks × 8 · teaspoons = sticks × 24 · grams = sticks × 113.4 · ounces = sticks × 4 · pounds = sticks ÷ 4
A US stick of butter is a quarter-pound block wrapped in paper printed with tablespoon marks. It equals half a cup, 8 tablespoons, 24 teaspoons, 4 ounces and 113.4 grams, so two sticks make a cup and four make a pound. You can type the amount in sticks, cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, grams, kilograms, ounces, pounds, 250 g European blocks or 90 g Latin American bars, and the calculator converts it into all the others. It also shows how to measure the amount with cups and spoons, how to cut it from wrapped sticks using the tablespoon marks, and how many of each common package size you need. Optional extras show calories and fat from USDA FoodData Central, the volume to use if you are measuring whipped tub butter, and how much margarine, coconut oil, shortening or oil to use in place of the butter.
Worked example
A cookie recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter. That is 2 × ½ = 1 cup, 2 × 8 = 16 tablespoons and 2 × 113.4 = 227 grams (8 ounces, or half a pound). In 250 g European blocks it is 227 ÷ 250 = 0.91 of a block. A recipe that asks for 150 g of butter works out to 150 ÷ 113.4 = 1.32 sticks: one whole stick plus about 2½ tablespoons cut at the wrapper marks.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central — Butter, salted (portion weights and nutrients) · NIST — US customary volume units (1 cup = 236.6 mL)
Frequently asked questions
How many cups is one stick of butter?
One US stick is exactly half a cup (¼ pound). Two sticks make a full cup, and a half stick is a quarter cup or 4 tablespoons.
How many grams is a stick of butter?
A US stick weighs 113.4 grams (4 ounces). A European 250 g block is about 2.2 US sticks, so the two do not swap one for one. Choose “250 g blocks” in the unit menu to convert in either direction.
Do the tablespoon marks on the wrapper match this?
Yes. Each stick wrapper is divided into 8 tablespoons, so cutting at a mark gives you exact tablespoons without a measuring spoon. Halfway is 4 tablespoons, or a quarter cup. The “Cut from wrapped sticks” line tells you which mark to cut at.
Are East Coast and West Coast sticks the same amount?
Yes. Long, thin Elgin-style sticks (common in the East) and short, wide Western-style sticks are different shapes, but both weigh ¼ pound and hold 8 tablespoons.
Can I use whipped butter in place of stick butter?
Only by weight. Whipped butter has air beaten in, so a cup of it weighs about 151 g against 227 g for stick butter. Turn on the whipped butter option to see the volume that matches your recipe, or weigh it instead.
How much oil replaces a stick of butter?
A common rule of thumb is about three-quarters of the butter’s volume, so 6 tablespoons of oil for one stick (8 tablespoons). It works in muffins and quick breads; in cookies, pastry and frosting, solid butter does a job that oil cannot.
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