How many tablespoons are in a stick of butter?
Quick answer: 1 stick of butter = 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup = 4 ounces = 113 grams.
Butter conversion chart
| Butter | Tablespoons | Cups | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 stick | 2 tbsp | 1/8 cup | 1 oz | 28 g |
| 1/2 stick | 4 tbsp | 1/4 cup | 2 oz | 57 g |
| 1 stick | 8 tbsp | 1/2 cup | 4 oz | 113 g |
| 1 1/2 sticks | 12 tbsp | 3/4 cup | 6 oz | 170 g |
| 2 sticks | 16 tbsp | 1 cup | 8 oz | 227 g |
| 4 sticks (1 pound) | 32 tbsp | 2 cups | 16 oz | 454 g |
The wrapper on a US stick shows tablespoon lines, so you can cut off exactly what you need without a measuring spoon.
Calories in butter
Butter has about 717 calories per 100 g, which is about 100 calories per tablespoon. A stick has roughly 810 calories. Check the details in our nutrition facts.
European butter is different
Butter in Europe usually comes in a 250 g block rather than sticks. 250 g is about 1.1 US cups, or 17.6 tablespoons. If a UK recipe calls for 125 g of butter, that is a little over 1/2 cup, or about 9 tablespoons.
How to soften butter
Recipes for cookies and cakes often call for butter at “room temperature”. Ideal softened butter is about 65°F (18°C): cool to the touch, and it dents when pressed without feeling greasy.
- On the counter: cut it into small cubes and leave for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Quick trick: pound a cold stick with a rolling pin between two sheets of parchment until it is flat, then let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Microwave: use 5-second bursts at low power. It is easy to melt the butter by accident, which changes the texture of baked goods.
Salted vs unsalted
Recipes that do not say otherwise usually assume unsalted butter, so you can control the salt. If you only have salted butter, cut about 1/4 teaspoon of salt per stick from the recipe.
Frequently asked questions
How many sticks of butter are in a cup? 2.
How many tablespoons are in 1/4 cup of butter? 4.
How much is 3 tablespoons of butter in ounces? 1.5 ounces.
For general cup and spoon conversions, see how many tablespoons are in a cup, and for weights use our ounces to grams converter.