How Much Butter Is 1/3 Cup? Butter Conversion Chart
How much butter is 1/3 cup? In US measurements, 1/3 cup of butter is approximately 76 grams, 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, or 2/3 of a standard US butter stick. If a baking recipe calls for 2/3 cup instead, use about 151 grams, 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, or 1⅓ sticks.
This butter conversion chart brings the most useful US cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, sticks and approximate gram weights into one place. It is especially handy when a cookie or cake recipe uses cups but your butter is sold in a 250 g block.
Quick Answer: 1/3 Cup and 2/3 Cup of Butter
- 1/3 cup butter = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = approximately 76 g = 2/3 US stick.
- 2/3 cup butter = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons = approximately 151 g = 1⅓ US sticks.
- 1/2 cup butter = 8 tablespoons = 1 US stick = approximately 113 g.
- 1 cup butter = 16 tablespoons = 2 US sticks = approximately 227 g.
The weights are rounded practical baking equivalents, not exact laboratory conversions. The reference is a standard 4 oz (113.4 g) US stick, which is 1/2 US cup. Different sources may round 1/2 cup to 113 g or 114 g; follow any specific gram weight supplied by your recipe.
Butter Conversion Chart: Cups to Grams, Sticks and Tablespoons
| US cups | US tablespoons | US sticks | Approx. grams |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp | ¼ stick | 28 g |
| ¼ cup | 4 tbsp | ½ stick | 57 g |
| ⅓ cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp | ⅔ stick | 76 g |
| ½ cup | 8 tbsp | 1 stick | 113 g |
| ⅔ cup | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp | 1⅓ sticks | 151 g |
| ¾ cup | 12 tbsp | 1½ sticks | 170 g |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 2 sticks | 227 g |
| 1½ cups | 24 tbsp | 3 sticks | 340 g |
| 2 cups | 32 tbsp | 4 sticks | 454 g |
How to read the table: “tbsp” means US tablespoon, and “tsp” means US teaspoon. A US cup contains 16 US tablespoons, while one tablespoon contains 3 teaspoons. The 1½-cup butter weight shown here is rounded from the 4-ounce-stick convention; you may also see 341 g when an individual gram-per-cup value is multiplied and rounded. For best accuracy, weigh the recipe’s stated amount.
How Many Tablespoons Are in One Stick of Butter?
A standard US butter stick has 8 tablespoons, equal to ½ cup, 4 ounces by weight, or approximately 113 g. Two sticks make 1 cup; four sticks make 2 cups, which is 1 US pound of butter. Many American wrappers print tablespoon markings down the side, so you can cut a stick without measuring it in a cup.
How to Measure 1/3 Cup Butter from a Stick
- Unwrap one full 8-tablespoon US stick of butter.
- Cut or measure out 5 tablespoons from the marked wrapper.
- Add 1 teaspoon from the remainder, or use a kitchen scale to weigh about 76 g total.
- If the recipe specifies softened butter, let this measured amount soften at room temperature. If it specifies melted butter, melt the amount only after measuring.
The teaspoon is important here: 5 tablespoons alone is 5/16 cup, not quite 1/3 cup. Conversely, half a stick is 1/4 cup, not 1/3 cup.
How Many Sticks of Butter Is 2/3 Cup?
2/3 cup butter is 1⅓ US sticks. Use one full stick (8 tablespoons), then add another 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. By weight, this is approximately 151 g. Measuring by weight is simplest if you are using butter sold in a block rather than US sticks.
Butter Grams to Cups: Common Baking Amounts
| Approx. butter weight | US cups (approx.) | US tablespoons (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 g | 0.11 cup | 1¾ tbsp |
| 50 g | 0.22 cup | 3½ tbsp |
| 75–76 g | ⅓ cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 100 g | 0.44 cup | 7 tbsp |
| 113 g | ½ cup | 8 tbsp |
| 125 g | 0.55 cup | 8¾ tbsp |
| 150–151 g | ⅔ cup | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| 170 g | ¾ cup | 12 tbsp |
| 200 g | 0.88 cup | 14 tbsp |
| 227 g | 1 cup | 16 tbsp |
| 250 g | 1.10 cups | 17⅔ tbsp |
The gram-to-cup values in this second chart are approximations. For a recipe written in grams, a digital scale is more reliable than trying to recreate small differences with fractions of a tablespoon. Do not automatically round 125 g to a whole stick: it is slightly more than one US stick.
Salted vs. Unsalted Butter: Do Conversions Change?
For everyday baking conversions, the overall mass-to-volume reference is effectively the same for salted and unsalted butter. What changes is the recipe’s salt balance. If you substitute salted butter for unsalted, consider reducing the added salt, especially in shortbread, buttercream and delicately flavored cakes. Avoid making that change when the recipe already specifies a precise formulation for salted butter.
What About Melted Butter, Softened Butter or Cold Butter?
A gram of butter weighs the same whether it is cold, softened or melted. The volume you measure in a cup can be less consistent: cubes leave gaps, softened butter must be packed, and melted butter may introduce bubbles. Weigh the required amount first, then prepare it as the recipe directs. Do not swap melted butter into a recipe calling for creamed softened butter without checking the baking method; creaming butter with sugar changes air incorporation and cookie texture.
Do UK and European Butter Packages Use US Sticks?
Usually not. Many countries sell butter in 200 g or 250 g blocks rather than 4-ounce US sticks. The word “stick” in American recipes typically means 113.4 g. For example, a 250 g block is roughly 2.2 US sticks, not exactly two. Use the chart or a scale rather than treating a whole block as a fixed American measure.
Butter Conversion Tips for Cookies and Cakes
- Use a digital scale for consistent cookie spread and cake crumb, especially when recipes mix US cups and metric ingredients.
- Read the units: butter ounces on a stick are weight ounces, not fluid ounces.
- Do not confuse the weight of butter with the weight of flour: 1 cup flour is not 227 g.
- Check the package: US stick sizes may differ in appearance across East Coast and West Coast packaging, but their standard weight is the same.
- Use the intended butter temperature: cold, softened and melted butter behave differently during mixing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1/3 cup butter more than half a stick?
Yes. Half a US stick is 1/4 cup. One-third cup is approximately two-thirds of a US stick, or about 76 g.
How many tablespoons is 1/3 cup butter?
It is exactly 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon in US volume measurements, because one US cup equals 16 tablespoons.
How much does 2/3 cup of butter weigh?
About 151 grams, which is approximately 5⅓ ounces by weight.
Is 1 stick of butter 1 cup?
No. One standard US stick is 1/2 cup. Two sticks make one cup.
Can I substitute margarine for the same amount of butter?
Not automatically. Margarine products vary in fat and water content. Stick margarine may behave more like butter than soft tub spreads, but always check the recipe and package rather than assuming the same result.
What is the most accurate way to measure butter?
Use grams on a kitchen scale. If your recipe supplies both a cup measure and a gram weight, prioritize its stated gram weight, since brands and conversion charts can round slightly differently.
Useful SugerBakes Baking Guides
For more measurement and ingredient guidance, read our cake flour substitute guide or learn how baking powder works. Ready to bake with butter? Try the three-ingredient shortbread cookies or our homemade butter cookies.
Sources and Conversion Method
The weight reference is the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart, which lists 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) of butter at 113 g. Other values were calculated from the standard US volume ratios and a nominal 4-ounce (113.4 g) butter stick, then rounded for home baking. These figures are intended as a reference guide, not a substitute for the ingredient weights prescribed by a particular recipe.
