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How many tablespoons are in a stick of butter?

Quick answer: Standard US sticks (the long, thin “Elgin” shape common in the East and the short, wide “Western” shape) are both 4 oz and come four to a 1 lb box. Most wrappers are printed with tablespoon lines, so cut along them for 1–7 tablespoons.

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King Arthur Baking chart1 cup all-purpose flour = 120 gSpooned and levelled
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1 US stick of butter = 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup = 4 oz ≈ 113 g. Use the converter for any other amount.

Where do these numbers come from?

Checked Oct 23, 2026. 1 US cup is exactly 236.5882365 mL (NIST SP 811), so 250 mL = 1.057 cups.

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Butter sticks to tablespoons, cups and grams

SticksTablespoonsCupsOuncesGrams
1/4 stick2 tbsp1/8 cup1 oz28 g
1/2 stick4 tbsp1/4 cup2 oz57 g
1 stick8 tbsp1/2 cup4 oz113 g
1 1/2 sticks12 tbsp3/4 cup6 oz170 g
2 sticks16 tbsp1 cup8 oz227 g
4 sticks (1 lb)32 tbsp2 cups16 oz454 g

Reading the wrapper

Standard US sticks (the long, thin “Elgin” shape common in the East and the short, wide “Western” shape) are both 4 oz and come four to a 1 lb box. Most wrappers are printed with tablespoon lines, so cut along them for 1–7 tablespoons. One tablespoon of butter weighs about 14 g.

Outside the US

Butter in Europe, the UK and Australia is usually sold in 250 g blocks, not sticks. A 250 g block is about 2.2 US sticks, or roughly 17 1/2 tablespoons. When a recipe calls for “1 stick,” weigh out 113 g. European-style butter has a little more fat than standard US butter, which can make cookies spread slightly more, but the volume conversion is the same.

Melted vs. solid

Butter’s volume barely changes when melted, so 1/2 cup of melted butter is still about one stick. Whipped butter is different: air is beaten in, so a tub labeled by volume holds less butter per tablespoon. Measure whipped butter by weight.

Related

Frequently asked questions

How many tablespoons in a stick of butter?

8 tablespoons.

How many cups is a stick of butter?

1/2 cup.

How many grams is a stick of butter?

About 113 g (4 oz).

How many sticks of butter is 1 cup?

2 sticks.

How many tablespoons is half a stick of butter?

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup).