1 Stick Butter Equals
🧈 Why is 1 Stick the Standard?
1 stick of butter is the most common measurement in American baking because:
- Standard packaging: US butter is sold in 4-stick boxes (1 pound total), making 1 stick = 1/4 pound = 113g
- Perfect half-cup: Equals exactly 1/2 cup, the most common recipe amount
- Easy division: Wrapper has 8 tablespoon marks for precise measuring
- Ideal batch size: Perfect for small to medium batches (8-24 servings)
- Recipe history: Most vintage and modern recipes were designed around this amount
🍪 What Recipes Use 1 Stick (113g) Butter?
1 stick is the perfect amount for small to medium batches. Here are the most common uses:
🍪 Cookies & Bars
- • Half-batch chocolate chip cookies (12-18 cookies)
- • Shortbread cookies (16-20 pieces)
- • Brownies in 8x8 pan (9-16 squares)
- • Blondies (8x8 pan)
- • Oatmeal cookies (18-20 cookies)
- • Peanut butter cookies (small batch)
- • Sugar cookies (about 2 dozen)
🧁 Muffins & Quick Breads
- • 6-12 muffins (standard recipes)
- • Small loaf quick bread (8x4 pan)
- • Banana bread (single loaf)
- • Zucchini bread (one loaf)
- • Biscuits (8-10 pieces)
- • Scones (6-8 scones)
- • Cornbread (8x8 pan)
🥧 Pies & Pastries
- • Single 9" pie crust
- • Small tart crust (8-9")
- • Galette dough
- • Hand pies (6-8 pies)
- • Biscuit topping for pot pie
🍞 Savory Applications
- • Garlic bread (1 baguette)
- • Compound butter (flavored butter for 8-10 servings)
- • Roux for sauce (serves 4-6)
- • Sautéing vegetables (family meal)
- • Buttered noodles (4-6 servings)
📏 How to Measure 1 Stick Without a Scale
🧈 Using the Wrapper Marks
The easiest method! American butter wrappers have tablespoon markings:
- ✓ 1 stick = 8 tablespoons (full length)
- ✓ Each line = 1 tablespoon (14g)
- ✓ 4 lines = 1/4 cup (57g)
- ✓ Full stick = 1/2 cup (113g)
Pro tip: Keep butter cold for cleaner cuts. Use wrapper lines as your guide!
📐 Without Wrapper Marks
If your butter doesn't have markings:
- Water displacement method:
- • Fill measuring cup with 1/2 cup cold water
- • Add butter until water reaches 1 cup mark
- • Butter added = 1/2 cup (1 stick)
- Visual estimate: 1 stick is roughly 5 inches long × 1.25 inches square
- By weight: Use a kitchen scale for 113g (most accurate)
🌡️ Butter Temperature Matters
❄️ Cold Butter
Straight from fridge (35-40°F)
Best for:
- • Pie crust (flaky layers)
- • Biscuits (tender, flaky)
- • Scones
- • Puff pastry
🧈 Room Temperature
Softened (65-68°F, 30-60 min)
Best for:
- • Cookies (creaming method)
- • Cakes
- • Muffins
- • Buttercream frosting
🔥 Melted Butter
Liquid (about 90-100°F)
Best for:
- • Brownies (fudgy texture)
- • Quick breads
- • Some cookies
- • Garlic bread
❓ Common Questions About 1 Stick Butter
Can I use salted or unsalted butter?
Most baking recipes call for unsalted butter so you control the salt level. If using salted butter, reduce recipe salt by 1/4 teaspoon per stick (113g contains ~90mg sodium).
Can I substitute oil for 1 stick butter?
Yes! Use 85g (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) oil to replace 1 stick butter (about 75% of butter weight). Note: Texture will be denser and less flaky. Oil works best in muffins, quick breads, and brownies.
How do I soften butter quickly?
Safe methods:
- • Cut into 1 tbsp pieces → softens in 10-15 minutes
- • Grate frozen butter → ready in 5 minutes
- • Microwave on 30% power: 10 seconds, flip, repeat (check frequently!)
- • Avoid: Full power microwave (melts unevenly)
Is European butter different?
Yes! European butter has higher fat content (82-86% vs American 80%) and isn't packaged in sticks. For recipes calling for "1 stick", use 113g European butter - but expect slightly richer, more tender results.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
If using 1 stick butter: (1) Butter may have been too soft/melted, (2) Not enough flour, or (3) Oven too cool. Solution: Chill dough 30 minutes before baking, ensure butter is just softened (not greasy), and verify oven temp with thermometer.
📊 Complete 1 Stick Butter Conversion Table
| Measurement | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grams | 113g | Exact weight (most accurate) |
| Cups | 1/2 cup | Volume measurement |
| Tablespoons | 8 tbsp | Check wrapper markings |
| Teaspoons | 24 tsp | Rarely used |
| Ounces (weight) | 4 oz | 1/4 pound |
| Fluid ounces (melted) | ~4 fl oz | Slightly less when melted |
| Milliliters (melted) | ~120ml | Approximate |