How to Measure Butter

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 11, 2019 Tested

Whether you’re baking a cake or making a family dinner, many recipes call for butter. But there are all kinds of measurements for using butter—sticks, pounds, tablespoons, cups. This can get confusing. With a few easy steps, however, you can make sure you measure the correct amount of butter every time. Once you've checked your recipe and found out the amount of butter you need, you can start measuring it out.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Measuring Butter by the Stick

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1
Check the butter wrapper for measurements. Butter sticks often have measurements printed on the wrapper. These help measure out butter for recipes. ^{[1]
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Research source} Search all sides of the wrapper to see if there are lines. If the wrapper has markings, each section represents one tablespoon of butter.
- Standard sticks of butter have 8 tablespoons (120 ml) total, but double check to confirm the tablespoons in your stick.
2
Cut the amount of butter you need. If your butter wrapper has measurements, then you can easily tell the amount you'll have to cut. ^{[2]
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Research source} Place the butter on a flat cutting board or plate.If your recipe calls for 3 tablespoons (44.4 ml) of butter, find the line that reads “3.” Use a knife and cut on that line.
- Remember a sharp knife is better here. A dull knife will crush the butter instead of cleanly cutting through it.
- It’s okay to cut directly through the wrapper. Just remember to peel it off before cooking!
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If your butter wrapper didn't have markings or you got rid of the wrapper, you can still mark up the butter stick for accurate measurements. Take a ruler and measure the stick of butter. Then gently press a knife into the butter to mark the halfway point.
After you've marked the halfway point of your butter stick, dividing it into tablespoon sections is easy. ^{[3]
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Research source} First cut the stick in half along the line you marked. Then cut each half in half. Finally, cut each quarter section in half again. You now have 8 sections of butter. Each section is 1 tablespoon.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Scooping Butter into a Measuring Cup

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1
Count the amount of sticks you have. Each standard stick of butter is ½ cup. If your butter comes in sticks, you can convert that measurement into the amount of cups you need without any measuring. ^{[4]
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- For example, if your recipe calls for 2 cups, you need 4 sticks.
2
Scoop the butter into a dry measuring cup. If your butter doesn’t come in sticks or the sticks are irregular, you can easily still measure cups by using a measuring cup and a spoon. ^{[5]
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Research source} Begin by scooping the butter into the measuring cup.
- Keep an eye on the fill lines as you scoop to make sure you're adding the right amount of butter.
- Remember that this method works best for soft butter. If your butter is hard, Method 3 will work better.
3
Push down on the butter with a rubber spoon. As you're scooping, you have to make sure there aren't any empty spaces left in the butter or your measurement will be off. ^{[6]
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Research source} Every few scoops, take the spoon and push down lightly on the butter in the cup.
- This practice will expel any air from the measuring cup and help you get an accurate measurement.
After you’ve scooped the right amount of butter into the measuring cup, use a knife or spatula to level off the top. This will make sure you don’t use too much butter in your recipe. ^{[7]
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Now that you have an accurate butter measurement, you’re ready to add it to your recipe.