How many sticks of butter is one cup?

In U.S. cooking measurements, one cup of butter is the same as two sticks. That’s because each stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup. A single stick usually weighs 4 ounces (113 grams). So, if your recipe needs one cup of butter, just use two sticks. Need 1/2 cup? Use one stick. For 1/4 cup, use half a stick.

Here’s a simple breakdown: In the U.S., one stick of butter equals 8 tablespoons, or 1/2 cup. Butter usually comes in 1-pound packs with four sticks inside. That means each stick is 1/4 pound, or 4 ounces. Therefore:

• 1 stick = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = ~113.4 grams
• 2 sticks = 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = ~226.8 grams

Most American butter wrappers conveniently have tablespoon and cup markings for easy cutting and measuring. If you unwrap a stick, you’ll see lines indicating 1 tbsp, 2 tbsp, etc., up to 8 tbsp (which is the whole stick). This helps home cooks portion out, say, 1/2 stick (which would be 1/4 cup) without needing scales.

Butter Unit Converter

Butter Measurement Conversions

For those not accustomed to U.S. “sticks,” here is a quick conversion reference:

• 1/4 cup butter = 1/2 stick = 4 tablespoons = 2 ounces = ~57 grams.
• 1/2 cup butter = 1 stick = 8 tablespoons = 4 ounces = ~113 grams.
• 3/4 cup butter = 1 & 1/2 sticks = 12 tablespoons = 6 ounces = ~170 grams.
• 1 cup butter = 2 sticks = 16 tablespoons = 8 ounces = ~227 grams.

This conversion chart is handy when scaling recipes or working with non-U.S. recipes. For example, if an Italian recipe calls for 250 grams of butter, that’s about 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (since 227 g is 1 cup, you’d need a little more). Or if a British recipe calls for 115 grams of butter, that’s roughly 1 stick (as 113 g = 0.5 cup). Being aware of these equivalents helps ensure accuracy in baking, where precise measurements matter.

U.S. vs. International Butter Measurements

The “stick” as a unit is unique to the United States and a few other countries that adopted U.S. conventions. In many parts of the world, butter is not measured in sticks. Instead, it might be measured by weight (grams or ounces) or by volume (milliliters, though butter is a solid). For instance, in Europe butter is often sold in 250-gram blocks (which is about 2.2 U.S. sticks, since 2 sticks = ~227 g). To avoid confusion, some recipes will list butter in both sticks and cups, or in grams.

If you encounter a recipe from a country that uses the metric system, it may say, for example, “100 g butter.” In the U.S., you’d translate that to just under 1 stick (100 g is a bit less than 113 g). Or if a British recipe calls for “1/2 cup of butter,” note that the British imperial cup is a slightly different volume than the U.S. cup (though in practice, many modern UK recipes use metric grams instead of cups for solids like butter). The U.S. cup is ~236.6 mL, and since butter’s density is similar to water, 1 U.S. cup of butter is about 236 mL of volume.

For everyday American cooking: remember 2 sticks = 1 cup. This also means 1 stick = 1/2 cup, so if, say, you need 3 cups of butter for a big recipe, you’d use 6 sticks. It’s a simple 2:1 ratio. Many American recipes, especially in baking, will specify butter by sticks (“1 stick butter, softened”) because it’s so convenient.

Butter in Tablespoons and Teaspoons

Sometimes, especially for small quantities, recipes use tablespoons or teaspoons for butter. Since 1 stick = 8 tablespoons, you can break it down further:

• 1 tablespoon of butter = 1/8 stick = 0.5 ounce ≈ 14.2 grams.
• 1 teaspoon of butter = 1/3 tablespoon = about 4.7 grams (since there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon).

Knowing this can help when adjusting recipes or when you don’t have a stick measure handy. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of butter, that’s 1/4 of a stick. Many butter packages even mark the tablespoon increments on the paper for this reason.

Why Butter Comes in Sticks

The stick unit is largely a matter of packaging convenience. Butter manufacturers in the U.S. adopted the stick format (usually a long rectangular prism) because it packs and stores easily. Sticks are wrapped in waxed paper with measurement markings, making it user-friendly for home cooks. By contrast, in countries without “sticks,” butter may come in a single wrapped block, and cooks cut off what they need and weigh it or pack it into measuring cups.

Despite regional differences, the chemistry of butter is the same: it’s about 80% butterfat, with the rest being water and milk solids. This composition means that precise measurement can be important, especially in baking (where too much or too little fat can affect texture). Using the stick system ensures a consistent measure each time – one reason American recipes often rely on it. A cook can easily slice a stick on the marked line to get, say, 4 tablespoons, without dirtying measuring cups.

Butter Conversion Table

For quick reference, here’s a summary conversion table:

Butter	Cups	Sticks (US)	Tablespoons	Weight (approx.)
1 tablespoon	1/16 cup	1/8 stick	1 tbsp	~14 grams
1/4 cup	0.25 cup	1/2 stick	4 tbsp	~57 grams
1/2 cup	0.5 cup	1 stick	8 tbsp	~113 grams
3/4 cup	0.75 cup	1 & 1/2 sticks	12 tbsp	~170 grams
1 cup	1.0 cup	2 sticks	16 tbsp	~227 grams
2 cups (1 pint or 1/2 quart)	2.0 cups	4 sticks	32 tbsp	~454 grams

Using this chart, you can tackle recipe conversions or substitutions confidently. For example, if you need 1 stick of butter and only have a tub of whipped butter or margarine, you now know that’s 1/2 cup. Or if a recipe from abroad says “250 g butter,” you see that’s a little more than 1 cup (2 sticks).

Cooking Relevance

Accurate butter measurement is crucial in cooking and especially baking. Butter contributes flavor, moisture, and tenderness to baked goods. In pastries and cakes, the ratio of butter to flour and sugar can determine whether you get a flaky pie crust or a dense one, a moist cake or a dry one. So knowing that one cup = two sticks helps ensure you don’t accidentally double or halve the butter. For instance, if you misremember and put four sticks thinking that was a cup, you’d be adding twice the intended amount of butter – a likely disaster for the recipe’s texture.

Furthermore, when scaling recipes up or down, using the stick system keeps it simple. Say you want to halve a cookie recipe that calls for 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter – half of that is 1 stick. Or if you double a frosting recipe that uses 1/2 cup (1 stick), you’ll use 2 sticks. These straightforward calculations minimize errors in the kitchen.

It’s also useful when substituting fats. If using butter alternatives (like shortening or coconut oil), recipes might list the equivalent in cups. Knowing the stick conversion lets you translate, for example, “1/2 cup shortening” to “the same volume as 1 stick of butter.”

In summary, one cup of butter = two sticks in the U.S. system, a handy fact that underpins many American recipes. Keeping this conversion in mind ensures that your measurements are on the mark, whether you’re creaming butter for a cake or dotting it over a casserole. With these conversion guidelines, you can navigate butter quantities confidently and focus on the fun part – cooking and baking delicious food.