How Many Grams Are in One Stick of Butter?

Butter is a well-loved ingredient in cuisines around the world. It makes a pie pastry super flaky, creates fluffy frosting, and becomes an easy sauce for pasta. We all know when we open a new stick of butter there are markings on the wrapper to distinguish the tablespoon amounts. But what if you're cooking from a recipe that lists ingredients by weight (grams and pounds) rather than volume (cups and tablespoons)? And if you're really trying to be more like Julia Child and hone your French cooking skills, there's a chance those weighted ingredients call for metric measurements rather than the imperial system we use in the United States. It can be tricky to figure out how the math lines up when measuring butter for weight, we've got that info right here. Hang onto the numbers below so you'll know how many grams are in a stick of butter and avoid any guesswork.

How Much Does a Stick of Butter Weigh?

The measurement markings on sticks of butter are very helpful, but not particularly useful if you find yourself following a recipe using the metric system instead of standard U.S. measurements (aka imperial measurements). Measuring butter (and almost all ingredients for that matter) is always most accurately done using a kitchen scale. If you already bake a lot, you probably know how many tablespoons are in a stick of butter (it's 8 tablespoons). Here's the breakdown of the standard U.S. sticks of butter to be able to translate any recipe:

Weighing Butter vs. Measuring Butter Amounts

When it comes to baking, precision is key. While it is totally possible to just cut half a stick of butter and add it to your recipe, the only way to ensure those cookies or cakes you bake will turn out exactly the same way every time is to weigh the ingredients.

Butter Types

Since butter comes in different forms, knowing the weight of butter will be helpful in achieving the perfect bake. The USDA standard for American butter is required to have at least 80% fat. The difference in types of butter, though, will be determined by different grades (AA, A, and B). The grades may have slightly different tastes, but can all be used interchangeably in recipes calling for stick butter.

European butter (or Irish butter) is another type of butter to consider using. It comes at a slightly higher price point, but is known for its rich taste due to a higher fat count. You can also use this in recipes calling for stick butter, but since it usually comes in a block form, you'll want to use the scale to weigh the butter.

If you're mid-recipe and need a whole cup (two sticks) of softened butter but only have one stick of butter left, make sure you keep our butter substitutes list handy.