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Butter:
grams to cups.
One cup of butter weighs 227 g — equivalent to 2 standard US sticks. Butter has one of the clearest packaging conventions for measurement, but converting to grams is still the most reliable method when scaling up or using European-style butter.
Butter: grams to cups
Approximate cup fractions for common gram amounts. Based on 227 g per cup.
| Grams | Cups (approx) | Decimal |
|---|---|---|
| 25 g | ⅙ | 0.11 |
| 50 g | ¼ | 0.22 |
| 100 g | ½ | 0.44 |
| 150 g | ⅔ | 0.66 |
| 200 g | 1 | 0.88 |
| 250 g | 1 ⅙ | 1.10 |
| 500 g | 2 ⅙ | 2.20 |
Butter: cups to grams
Based on 227 g per cup.
| Volume | Grams (g) |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 227 g |
| ¾ cup | 170 g |
| ½ cup | 114 g |
| ⅓ cup | 76 g |
| ¼ cup | 57 g |
| 1 tbsp | 14 g |
| 1 tsp | 5 g |
Convert butter instantly
US sticks, European blocks, and why they don't align
In the United States, butter is sold in ½-cup (113 g) sticks with tablespoon markings on the wrapper, making it convenient to measure by eye. One stick = ½ cup = 8 tablespoons = 113 g. Two sticks = 1 cup = 227 g. European butter, however, is sold in 250 g blocks without tablespoon markings, and European recipes typically specify butter in grams rather than sticks or cups. When a French recipe calls for 100 g of butter, that's less than half a US stick — the cups-based "cut at the line" method doesn't translate. Working in grams removes the need to mentally convert between packaging conventions.
Temperature changes density: why cold butter and melted butter measure differently
Cold butter from the refrigerator packs into a measuring cup differently than room-temperature soft butter, and melted butter pours into a cup as a liquid. If a recipe calls for "1 cup melted butter" versus "1 cup softened butter," the gram equivalent is the same (227 g) because density doesn't change based on temperature — the cup of melted butter just settles to a flat surface. However, air incorporation changes things: if you cream softened butter into a measuring cup, you might pack in more butter than if you press cold chunks together. For precision baking such as croissants or laminated doughs, weigh butter regardless of its temperature state.
Frequently asked questions
- How many grams is ½ cup of butter?
- ½ cup of butter weighs 113 g — exactly 1 US stick.
- How many grams is 1 tablespoon of butter?
- 1 tablespoon of butter weighs about 14 g (227 g ÷ 16 tablespoons per cup).
- How many cups is 250 g of butter?
- 250 g ÷ 227 g/cup ≈ 1.10 cups — just over 1 cup and 1.5 tablespoons.
Common substitutions
| Substitute for butter | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetable oil | 85 g oil per 100 g butter | Butter is ~80% fat; oil is 100% fat. Reduce by 15% to keep fat balance. Works in quick breads and cakes. |
| Coconut oil | 1:1 by weight | Use melted coconut oil. Adds faint coconut flavour; behaviour is nearly identical at equal gram weights. |
| Shortening | 190 g shortening per 227 g butter | Shortening has no water, so baked goods may be slightly less tender. Adjust salt to taste. |
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