Knowing the exact weight of 1/2 cup of butter in grams is a common sticking point for bakers who rely on precision. Many recipes, especially those from the United States, list butter in cups, while digital scales and international cookbooks demand grams. This guide provides the official conversion, explains why you may see slightly different numbers, and helps you measure butter accurately every time.

How Many Grams Are in 1/2 Cup of Butter?

The quick answer is that 1/2 cup of butter equals 113 to 115 grams. The most widely accepted standard in professional baking is 113 grams, which corresponds precisely to one standard US stick of butter. Some sources, including major appliance manufacturers, round this up to 115 grams for simplicity.

• US standard butter sticks weigh 113 g each, which equals 1/2 cup.
• Some conversions list 115 g for 1/2 cup due to rounding of 1 cup = 227 g.
• Using a kitchen scale yields more consistent baking results than cup measurements.
• Butter does not compact like flour, but temperature can slightly affect volume accuracy.
• Most official sources, including the USDA National Nutrient Database, use 227 g for 1 cup of butter.
• For 1/2 cup, the arithmetic average from the standard 227 g per cup is 113.5 g.
• Salted and unsalted butter weigh the same for conversion purposes.

Cups of Butter to Grams Conversion Chart (All Common Sizes)

For bakers who need a complete reference, here are the gram equivalents for the most common butter cup measurements. These values are based on the standard conversion of 1 cup = 227 g, as used by trusted resources like the King Arthur Ingredient Weight Chart and the Allrecipes Cup to Gram Conversions.

What is 1/4 cup butter in grams?

One-quarter cup of butter equals approximately 56 to 57 grams. This is half of one standard US stick of butter.

What is 1/3 cup butter in grams?

One-third cup of butter is about 75 to 76 grams. This measurement does not correspond to a neat stick division, so using a scale is especially helpful here.

What is 2/3 cup butter in grams?

Two-thirds cup of butter weighs roughly 151 to 153 grams. This is equal to 1 1/3 sticks of butter.

What is 3/4 cup butter in grams?

Three-quarters cup of butter is approximately 170 to 172 grams, or 1 1/2 sticks of butter.

How Many Grams is One Stick of Butter?

In the United States, butter is commonly sold in sticks, each weighing 113 grams. This weight is also equivalent to 1/2 cup and 8 tablespoons. The KitchenAid butter conversion guide confirms that 1 stick = 113 g, while also providing a rounded value of 115 g for 1/2 cup in some contexts.

Knowing the stick-to-gram relationship simplifies recipe scaling. If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter, you can simply unwrap one standard stick. For 1 cup, use two sticks (227 g).

How to Convert Cups of Butter to Grams Without a Scale?

If you do not have a kitchen scale, you can still measure butter accurately using the markings on the paper wrapper. Most US butter sticks have tablespoon and cup markings printed directly on the wrapping. Each standard stick is marked for 8 tablespoons, which equals 1/2 cup or 113 g.

For measurements that are not exact stick divisions, such as 1/3 cup, you can use the water displacement method. Fill a measuring cup with 1/2 cup of cold water. Add butter pieces until the water level reaches 2/3 cup. Drain the water, and you will have exactly 1/3 cup of butter (about 76 g).

Weighing butter on a digital scale remains the most accurate method, especially for fractions like 1/3 cup or 2/3 cup, where eyeballing volume can lead to errors of 10% or more.

Butter Weight vs Other Common Baking Ingredients

Butter is denser than many other baking ingredients, which is why its cup-to-gram conversion differs significantly from flour or sugar. For context:

• 1/2 cup of butter = 113–115 g
• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour = approximately 60 g
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar = approximately 100 g
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar (packed) = approximately 110 g

This comparison highlights why using a single conversion for all ingredients does not work in baking. The butter cups-to-grams conversion is specific to the fat content and density of butter.

Why Do Conversion Charts Show Slight Differences?

You may notice that some sources list 1/2 cup butter as 113 g, while others say 115 g. This slight variation stems from rounding of the base conversion: 1 cup of butter = 226.8 g (or 227 g). Dividing 227 g by 2 gives 113.5 g, which is then rounded to either 113 g or 115 g by different publishers. In practical baking, this 2-gram difference is negligible and will not affect the outcome of your recipe.

Sources and Official Butter Conversions

“Butter, salted, 1 tbsp = 14.2g; 1 cup = 227g”

— USDA National Nutrient Database

“1/2 cup butter = 113 g, 4 oz”

— Allrecipes Cup to Gram Conversions (2023)

“1 cup butter = 227 grams”

— King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart

Summary: The One Conversion You Need to Remember

For all everyday baking needs, remember that 1/2 cup of butter is 113 g (one standard stick). The 115 g rounding is also safe to use. For maximum accuracy, invest in a digital kitchen scale and weigh your butter in grams. For more help with recipe scaling, explore our guide on Convert grams back to cups or read about Butter substitutes & weight equivalents.

FAQ: Butter Measurement Conversions