1 tablespoon of butter weighs 14.2 g. Butter is sold in sticks, and one US stick is 113 g, which is 8 tablespoons, so the tablespoon is marked on the wrapper itself. The tablespoon figure is the one you need when a recipe calls for a spoonful of butter to fry an egg, finish a sauce, or grease a pan, and it is also the easiest butter conversion to remember.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from King Arthur Baking, measured scooped. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
Putting the numbers to work
Frying an egg for breakfast
A fried egg needs 1 tablespoon of butter, 14.2 g, melted in the pan over a medium heat. The butter should foam but not brown before the egg goes in. One tablespoon is the right amount for a single egg: less and the egg sticks, more and it swims in fat.
Finishing a pan sauce
A pan sauce for two steaks is finished with 2 tablespoons of butter, about 28 g, whisked in off the heat at the end. The butter emulsifies into the sauce and gives it a glossy finish and a rich flavour. Adding it off the heat is the key step, because boiling butter breaks the emulsion.
Greasing a cake tin
A cake tin needs about 1 tablespoon of butter, 14.2 g, rubbed over the inside surface with a piece of baking paper. The butter stops the cake sticking, and a dusting of flour over the top finishes the job. One tablespoon is enough for a standard 20 cm tin.
The numbers in a table
| Amount | Grams of butter |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.7 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.2 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 28.4 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 42.6 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) | 56.8 g |
| 1/3 cup | 75.7 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) | 113.5 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) | 170.2 g |
| 1 cup (16 tablespoons) | 227 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is simply the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Tips for best results
Solid fats are measured scooped, and the most reliable way is to use the markings on the wrapper: one US stick of butter is 113 g, which is half a cup or 8 tablespoons. For oils, pour into a jug and read at eye level. Melted fat weighs the same as solid fat, so you can melt first and measure by weight if that is easier, but do not measure melted fat by volume and assume it matches the solid figure. When a recipe says softened butter, let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes rather than microwaving it, which melts the edges and changes how it creams with sugar.
Scaling with tablespoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of butter, count out about 7.0 tablespoons, and for 50 g, about 3.5 tablespoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 tablespoons means using 2 tablespoons, or 28.4 g, and doubling it means 8 tablespoons, or 113.5 g. The key is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance. For large amounts, switch to a cup measure or a scale: counting out 16 tablespoons is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
When should you weigh butter instead of measuring it? Whenever the recipe has to work the first time, and whenever the amount is large. A kitchen scale costs less than a single failed cake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking: the way ingredients pack into a cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the butter until the display shows the number you need. There is nothing to wash afterwards except the bowl, and the result is the same every time. For small amounts, a level spoon is accurate enough, and for liquids, a jug is fine, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Refrigerate up to 3 months; freeze up to 6 months.
- Use the markings on the butter wrapper to cut tablespoons.
- Whisk butter into sauces off the heat.
- One stick is 113 g, or 8 tablespoons.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured scooped. Dairy butter, about 80% fat; one US stick is 113 g, half a cup or 8 tablespoons. Baking, frying, sauces and spreading.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the cup, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use the numbers here as a guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a tablespoon of butter?
One tablespoon of butter weighs 14.2 g, and one teaspoon is about 4.7 g. One stick of butter is 113 g, which is 8 tablespoons or half a cup.
How do I measure a tablespoon of butter without a scale?
Cut it from the stick using the markings on the wrapper. One stick is 8 tablespoons, so a tablespoon is one eighth of a stick. If the butter is soft, use a tablespoon measure and level it off.
Is a tablespoon of butter the same as a tablespoon of oil?
Nearly. A tablespoon of butter is 14.2 g and a tablespoon of olive oil is 13.5 g, so the difference is less than a gram. You can swap them by the tablespoon in frying and sauteing, though the flavour is different.
Does melted butter weigh the same as solid butter?
Yes. Melting changes the volume slightly but not the weight. A tablespoon of melted butter is still 14.2 g, though it will fill the spoon slightly differently because liquid butter is less viscous.
How many tablespoons are in a stick of butter?
Eight. One stick is 113 g, which is half a cup, and a cup is 16 tablespoons. A recipe calling for 4 tablespoons of butter needs half a stick.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake with fats is measuring a solid fat by volume in a cup that has not been packed properly, which leaves air pockets and a short measure. The second is microwaving butter to soften it, which melts the edges and changes how it creams with sugar, leaving a greasy cake. The third is measuring oil in a dry cup, where it clings to the sides and does not pour out cleanly, so some of it never reaches the bowl. The fourth mistake is confusing melted and solid measurements: melted fat weighs the same as solid fat, but it takes up a slightly different volume, so a cup of melted butter is not exactly the same as a cup of solid butter. Finally, do not store oils near the stove, because the heat speeds up rancidity and the oil will taste stale long before the date on the bottle.