US butter sticks are unique to North American recipes. One stick of butter equals ½ cup, 8 tablespoons, or 113.4 grams — a fact derived from USDA FoodData Central data. Most global recipes give butter in grams, so this converter handles all four units at once.
The formula
grams = sticks × 113.4
grams = cups × 226.8
grams = tablespoons × 14.175
All conversions use grams as the base unit. To go from cups to sticks, divide by 2; to go from tablespoons to cups, divide by 16.
Practical examples
Example 1: A recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter. How many grams? 2 sticks × 113.4 g = 226.8 g (or 1 cup exactly)
Example 2: A European recipe calls for 200 g of butter. How many sticks? 200 ÷ 113.4 = 1.76 sticks — use 1¾ sticks, or weigh directly.
Example 3: You have 6 tablespoons of butter. Is that enough for a ½ cup recipe? 6 tbsp is ¾ of a stick = 85 g. A ½ cup needs 8 tbsp (1 stick = 113.4 g), so you're 2 tablespoons short.
Common mistakes
Confusing US sticks with UK butter portions. The US stick is a North American convention. UK butter is typically sold in 250 g blocks without pre-measured stick markings. Always weigh for precision when adapting UK recipes.
Using cup volume instead of weight for solid butter. A US cup of butter is not the same as a cup of water — packed solid butter weighs 226.8 g, but a loosely filled cup can vary. Weighing in grams is the most accurate method.
Misreading ¼ vs ½ cup. Sticks are often scored with tablespoon markers. The midpoint of a stick is ¼ cup (4 tbsp), not ½ cup.
International and regional variations
| Country | Butter packaging | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 4-stick box (1 lb / 454 g) | 1 stick = ½ cup = 113.4 g |
| Canada | 454 g block or 4-stick box | Uses same stick convention |
| United Kingdom | 250 g block | No stick convention — weigh directly |
| Australia | 250 g block | ¼ cup = 60 g (metric cup = 250 mL) |
| Europe | 125–250 g block | Recipes typically use grams |
Quick reference
| Sticks | Cups | Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ | ⅛ | 2 | 28.4 |
| ½ | ¼ | 4 | 56.7 |
| 1 | ½ | 8 | 113.4 |
| 1½ | ¾ | 12 | 170.1 |
| 2 | 1 | 16 | 226.8 |
| 3 | 1½ | 24 | 340.2 |
| 4 | 2 | 32 | 453.6 |