Guides /Grams & Cups
Grams to cups:
butter.
Butter is sold in sticks in the US, by weight in the UK and Australia, and in grams or ml in most European recipes. This chart converts every common amount between all four systems.
Butter conversion table
US butter = 113 g per stick, 227 g per cup. Unsalted and salted butter have the same weight.
| Amount | Grams | Ounces | Tablespoons | US Sticks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 5 | 0.2 | — | — |
| 1 tablespoon | 14 | 0.5 | 1 | ⅛ |
| 2 tablespoons | 28 | 1 | 2 | ¼ |
| ¼ cup | 57 | 2 | 4 | ½ |
| ⅓ cup | 76 | 2.7 | 5⅓ | ⅔ |
| ½ cup (1 stick) | 113 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| ⅔ cup | 151 | 5.3 | 10⅔ | 1⅓ |
| ¾ cup | 170 | 6 | 12 | 1½ |
| 1 cup (2 sticks) | 227 | 8 | 16 | 2 |
| 1½ cups (3 sticks) | 340 | 12 | 24 | 3 |
| 2 cups (4 sticks / 1 lb) | 454 | 16 | 32 | 4 |
1 US stick = ½ cup = 8 tbsp = 113 g = 4 oz
US sticks vs European and UK butter
A US stick of butter is 113 g (½ cup). UK and European butter is typically sold in 250 g blocks, not sticks. When a US recipe calls for "2 sticks of butter," that's 226 g — a little less than one UK block. When a UK recipe calls for "250 g butter," that's about 2.2 US sticks (or just over 1 cup). For any recipe specifying grams, weigh rather than guess by volume.
Measuring butter by tablespoon
US butter wrappers are printed with tablespoon markings, making it easy to cut off exact amounts. One tablespoon of butter weighs 14 g / 0.5 oz. If you need 75 g of butter and only have a tablespoon measure, that's about 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (or roughly 5.4 tablespoons). For small amounts in baking, the tablespoon is accurate enough; for larger amounts, use a scale.
Salted vs unsalted: does the weight change?
No — salted and unsalted butter weigh the same. A cup is a cup regardless of salt content. The only difference is approximately 1/4 teaspoon of salt per stick (113 g). Most baking recipes call for unsalted butter so the baker controls the total salt level. If you substitute salted for unsalted, reduce any added salt in the recipe by about 1/4 tsp per stick used.
Softened, melted, and clarified butter: do the weights change?
The weight of butter stays the same whether it is cold, room temperature, or melted. 113 g of butter from the fridge is still 113 g once melted. The only time weight changes is when you make clarified butter (ghee): the milk solids and water are removed, leaving roughly 80% of the original weight as pure butterfat. If a recipe calls for clarified butter by weight, use about 80% of the amount it would take if using regular butter. For all other purposes — softened for creaming, melted for muffins — weight is weight.
Vegan butter and shortening substitutions
Most block-style vegan butters and vegetable shortenings can be substituted 1:1 by weight for dairy butter in baking. They typically have a similar fat content (around 80%) and behave comparably in most recipes. Coconut oil is a common substitute: use about 85% of the butter weight (since coconut oil is 100% fat vs butter's 80%). Olive oil works in quick breads and some cakes at roughly 75% of the butter weight. When substituting any fat, weigh rather than measure by cups — the density difference between a soft vegan spread and a firm butter stick means the same volume will give you different weights.
Frequently asked questions
- How many grams is 1 cup of butter?
- 227 g, which equals 2 US sticks of butter.
- How many grams is 1 stick of butter?
- 1 US stick of butter = ½ cup = 8 tablespoons = 113 g = 4 oz.
- How many grams is ½ cup of butter?
- 113 g, the same as 1 US stick.
- Does salted butter weigh the same as unsalted butter?
- Yes — salted and unsalted butter weigh exactly the same. A cup is a cup regardless of salt content. The only difference is roughly ¼ teaspoon of salt per stick.
- How do I substitute European or UK butter for US sticks?
- UK and European butter is sold in 250 g blocks, not sticks. 1 US stick = 113 g. So "2 sticks" = 226 g ≈ just under one UK block. Weigh by grams for accuracy.
Scale your whole recipe at once
Paste your ingredient list and switch to Metric — butter, sugar, flour, and liquids all convert to grams simultaneously.