Butter Measurement Converter
Understanding US Butter Stick Measurements
American butter is sold in rectangular sticks, typically packaged four to a box. Each stick weighs exactly 113g (4 ounces) and is equivalent to ½ cup or 8 tablespoons. The paper wrapper on US butter sticks is usually printed with tablespoon markings, making it easy to cut off precisely 1, 2, or 3 tablespoons without measuring.
A full pound of US butter (commonly labelled as such on supermarket shelves) contains 4 sticks, weighing 452g in total. This is close to, but not the same as, two standard UK 250g butter blocks (500g total).
UK Butter Packaging
In the United Kingdom, butter is sold in rectangular blocks, most commonly in 250g packs. Some premium or supermarket own-brand butters come in 200g, 500g, or 1kg packs. UK recipes always specify butter in grams, making the conversion straightforward once you know the equivalents.
When a US recipe calls for "1 stick of butter," reach for 113g of butter from your UK pack. Use a kitchen scale for precision. If your recipe calls for "2 sticks," weigh out 226g. This is slightly less than a full 250g UK pack — you will have about 24g left over.
Butter Temperature Matters in Baking
Many baking recipes specify the state of the butter — softened, cold, or melted. These affect the texture of the final product, not the weight:
- Softened butter (room temperature, approximately 18–20°C): creams easily with sugar to trap air bubbles, giving lighter cakes and cookies. Leave butter out of the fridge for 30–60 minutes.
- Cold butter (straight from fridge, approximately 4°C): used in pastry, scones, and shortbread. Cold fat creates steam pockets as it melts in the oven, producing flaky layers.
- Melted butter: used in brownies, flapjacks, and some quick breads. Produces a denser, fudgier texture. Can be measured by weight (same as solid) or by volume in a jug.
Complete Butter Conversion Table
All values based on pure butter at a density of approximately 911g per litre. Valid for salted and unsalted butter, block margarine, and lard.
| Amount | Grams | Ounces | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Cups | UK Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.7g | 0.17 oz | ⅓ tbsp | 1 | 1/48 cup | — |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.2g | 0.5 oz | 1 | 3 | 1/16 cup | — |
| 2 tablespoons | 28.4g | 1 oz | 2 | 6 | ⅛ cup | — |
| 4 tablespoons | 56.7g | 2 oz | 4 | 12 | ¼ cup | — |
| ½ stick (US) | 56.5g | 2 oz | 4 | 12 | ¼ cup | About ¼ of 250g block |
| 1 stick (US) | 113g | 4 oz | 8 | 24 | ½ cup | Just under half a 250g block |
| 1½ sticks (US) | 170g | 6 oz | 12 | 36 | ¾ cup | More than ½ of 250g block |
| 2 sticks (US) | 226g | 8 oz | 16 | 48 | 1 cup | Slightly under a 250g block |
| 2½ sticks (US) | 283g | 10 oz | 20 | 60 | 1¼ cups | 250g block + 33g |
| 3 sticks (US) | 339g | 12 oz | 24 | 72 | 1½ cups | 250g block + 89g |
| 4 sticks (US) = 1 lb | 452g | 16 oz | 32 | 96 | 2 cups | Nearly 2 x 250g blocks |
| 250g (UK block) | 250g | 8.8 oz | 17.6 | 52.8 | 1.1 cups | 1 standard UK block |
| 500g (2 UK blocks) | 500g | 17.6 oz | 35.2 | 105.6 | 2.2 cups | 2 standard UK blocks |
Salted vs Unsalted Butter: Which to Use?
US recipes almost always specify unsalted butter. This allows the baker to control the salt content precisely. If a US recipe calls for unsalted butter but you only have salted, reduce the additional salt in the recipe by approximately ¼ teaspoon per 113g (1 stick) of butter.
UK recipes more commonly use salted butter in general baking. Salted and unsalted butter weigh exactly the same — the salt makes up only about 1.5-2% of the total weight and has no meaningful effect on gram conversions.
Margarine and Butter Substitutes
Block margarine can be used as a 1:1 substitute for butter in most baking recipes. The weight conversions are identical. However, soft margarine (spreadable from a tub) contains more water and should not be used as a direct 1:1 substitute by weight — use baking-specific block margarine instead.
Lard and vegetable shortening have similar densities to butter and can use the same gram conversions for tablespoon, cup, and ounce measurements. They are commonly used in traditional British pastry and hot cross buns.
Coconut oil (solid) can also substitute for butter at the same weight. When solid, it has a firm, waxy texture similar to butter; when melted above 24°C, it becomes liquid. Weigh solid coconut oil for the most accuracy.
Dairy-Free Alternatives
Vegan butter blocks (brands like Flora Plant Butter) are designed as exact 1:1 replacements for dairy butter and have comparable weights. Use the same gram conversions. Oil-based dairy-free butters may vary slightly in density, but the difference is within the margin of error for home baking.
Measuring Butter Accurately Without a Scale
The Water Displacement Method
Fill a measuring jug with cold water to the 1-cup (240ml) mark. Add butter until the water level rises to show the combined total. For example, to measure ½ cup (113g) of butter, you want the water level to rise from 240ml to 360ml (adding 120ml of volume). This works because butter's volume roughly corresponds to its gram weight for practical purposes.
Using Tablespoon Markings
If you have a 250g UK block of butter, you can estimate portions by cutting: each 14g portion is roughly 1/18th of the block. For practical use, divide the block visually: half = 125g (about 1 stick + 12g), quarter = 62.5g (just over 4 tablespoons).
Best Practice: Use a Kitchen Scale
For reliable results, weigh butter on a digital kitchen scale. Place the scale on a flat surface, place your mixing bowl on it, zero (tare) the scale, then add butter until you reach the target gram weight. This takes seconds and eliminates all guesswork.