How Big is a Stick of Butter?

A stick of butter is a tiny, portable, and delicious spread for on the go. There are a few different methods for determining the length of a stick of butter. How big is a stick of butter? Its size may vary according to brand.

In general, a stick of butter will measure 1.5 × 1.5 inches by 3.25 inches in length. It will weigh about 4 ounces or 113 grams and, when melted down, will measure 8 tablespoons, half a cup, or 118.294 milliliters.

Since butter is so indispensable in countless recipes, it’s important to know how much butter you should use. So, if you’d like to learn more about the volume and measurements of a stick of butter, I invite you to continue reading.

Butter Cheat Sheet

The first thing you should do when unwrapping a box of fresh, store-bought butter is to look at the net weight. That way, you can get a feel for how much each stick of butter in the package will weigh, as well as its volume.

Something you might not find on the butter’s package is the dimensions. For the most part, a stick of butter will measure 1.5 × 1.5 inches and 3.25 inches long. However, the exact measurements may differ between brands.

The following table is a cheat sheet that you can use to measure a stick of butter in volume and weight.

Measuring Butter

You can portion butter in solid or liquid state. It’s easier to measure the volume of a stick of butter when it’s melted, though melting the butter before adding it to the other ingredients may alter your recipe in unimaginable ways.

So, here’s how you can measure butter as a solid or as a liquid.

As a solid

Thankfully, many brands will include measurements on the paper packaging of each stick of butter. The packaging should give you a good idea of how much of the stick you should cut off to portion out the stick in tablespoons. It will also let you know that an entire stick of butter will add up to half a cup in volume.

So, pay close attention to the lines on the butter paper before cutting. You can cut the butter with the wax paper and peel it before adding the butter into a mixing bowl or skillet. If you want to use an entire half-cup of butter, unwrap the stick and add it to your cookware.

As a liquid

The simplest way to measure the volume of butter as a liquid is by popping it into the microwave in a microwave-safe dish. That way, as the butter melts, it will give you an accurate reading of how much space it takes up in the measuring cup.

Make sure to microwave the butter until it has just melted and not beyond since it can burn in the microwave. You can also melt butter on the stove, but you should leave the stove on low to prevent the butter from scorching and browning.