How Much Is 2 3 Cup Butter? | Sticks, Grams, And More

Two-thirds cup of butter equals 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, about 151 grams, or 1⅓ sticks.

If a recipe calls for 2/3 cup butter, you do not need to stop and guess. This amount converts cleanly into tablespoons, teaspoons, ounces, grams, and stick measurements. Once you know the match, it gets a lot easier to bake, double a recipe, or cut butter from a larger block without second-guessing every slice.

The fastest way to think about it is this: 1 cup of butter equals 2 sticks, and each stick equals 8 tablespoons. That puts 2/3 cup at 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, which is also 1 stick plus 5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. If you cook with a scale, it lands at about 151 grams.

Why This Butter Amount Trips People Up

Quarter-cup and half-cup butter amounts feel easy because stick wrappers are marked that way. Two-thirds cup is different. It sits between the marks many home cooks know by heart, so people end up hunting for a chart, doing head math, or eyeballing a cut on the butter wrapper.

That guesswork can change the texture of what you are making. A little too much butter can flatten cookies, soften frosting, and make pie dough greasy. A little too little can leave cakes dry and sauces less silky. Butter is one of those ingredients where being close is fine in a pan sauce, but not always in baking.

How Much Is 2 3 Cup Butter? In Sticks, Spoons, And Grams

Here is the full conversion in the forms most recipes use:

• 2/3 cup butter = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
• 2/3 cup butter = 1⅓ sticks
• 2/3 cup butter = about 5.3 ounces
• 2/3 cup butter = about 151 grams
• 2/3 cup butter = about 160 milliliters by volume

If you are using U.S. butter sticks, one stick is 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons. That makes the math simple: start with 1 full stick, then add 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. If your wrapper has tablespoon marks, you can measure it straight from the package with little fuss.

If your recipe lists metric weights, a scale is the neatest fix. King Arthur Baking’s ingredient weight chart lists 1 cup of butter as 227 grams. Two-thirds of that comes to about 151 grams, which is the figure many bakers use.

What That Looks Like On A Stick Of Butter

One full stick gives you 8 tablespoons. You still need 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons more. Since 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons, that extra piece is 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, or 8 teaspoons total. On a marked wrapper, that means cutting past the 10-tablespoon point by another 2 teaspoons.

Many stick wrappers show tablespoon lines, not teaspoon lines. In that case, cut 10 tablespoons first, then trim a small extra bit equal to 2 teaspoons. If you have a scale nearby, weighing the total piece is cleaner and quicker.

What If You Are Using A Butter Tub Or A Big Block?

Not all butter comes in U.S. sticks. Tub butter, European-style blocks, and bulk butter bricks need a different approach. Your best bet is to weigh the butter or press it into a dry measuring cup. For this amount, fill the cup to the 2/3 line if the butter is soft enough to level cleanly. If it is cold and firm, cut and weigh 151 grams.

Land O’Lakes’ butter conversion chart also lists 2/3 cup as 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons and about 151 grams. That makes it a handy cross-check when a recipe switches between cups, spoons, and sticks.

Butter Conversion Table For 2/3 Cup And Nearby Amounts

The chart below helps when you are scaling a recipe up or down and want the butter math to stay neat.

Best Ways To Measure This Amount Without A Scale

If you do not have a scale, you still have a few solid options. The best one depends on the form of butter in front of you.

Using Marked Butter Sticks

This is the easiest route. Cut 1 full stick, then slice off 2 more tablespoons. After that, trim a small piece equal to 2 teaspoons. If the recipe is not fussy, that last trim can be close rather than perfect. In cakes, cookies, and pastry, take a few extra seconds and get it right.

Using Measuring Spoons

Softened butter can be pressed into spoons. Scoop 10 level tablespoons, then add 2 level teaspoons. Pack each spoon so there are no air gaps, then scrape the top flat with the back of a knife. This works well for softened butter used in cookie dough, cake batter, mashed potatoes, or garlic butter.

Using A Dry Measuring Cup

Soft butter can also be packed into a 2/3-cup dry measuring cup. Press it in firmly and level the top. This works better than a liquid measuring cup because the flat rim lets you sweep the top cleanly.

Using Water Displacement

If your butter is cold and in odd pieces, water displacement can help. Land O’Lakes notes that cold butter can be added to water in a measuring cup until the level rises by the amount you need. It is a useful trick when you are working with scraps rather than a fresh stick.

If you track nutrition or recipe cost, the USDA FoodData Central database is a solid place to verify butter entries and serving weights. It is also handy when a recipe source gives grams and you want to check whether the number lines up with a standard U.S. cup measure.

Salted Vs Unsalted Butter For This Measurement

The volume and weight stay the same whether the butter is salted or unsalted. Two-thirds cup is still 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. What changes is the flavor and the salt level in your recipe.

Unsalted butter is the usual pick for baking because it gives you tighter control over seasoning. Salted butter is fine in many cookies, bars, quick breads, sauces, and weeknight cooking. If you swap it in, trim a little of the added salt in the recipe and taste as you go when the dish allows that.

European-style butter can carry a higher butterfat level, which can shift texture in pastry and laminated dough. The measure stays the same, though the end result can feel richer and a bit softer.

Common Recipe Scenarios Where 2/3 Cup Butter Shows Up

This amount turns up more often than people think. It is common in:

• Cookie recipes that sit between a small batch and a standard batch
• Brownie batters with a dense, fudgy crumb
• Coffee cakes and crumb toppings
• Butter sauces for pasta or seafood
• Mashed potatoes for a family-size bowl
• Rice crispy-style bars and stovetop sweets

In baking, grams give you tighter repeat results. In stovetop cooking, spoon and stick conversions are usually enough. That little distinction saves time and keeps you from turning every simple meal into a measuring project.

Quick Reference For Measuring 2/3 Cup Butter

If you only want the fastest route from recipe line to mixing bowl, use this chart.

Small Mistakes That Throw Off The Measurement

The most common slip is treating 2/3 cup as 10 tablespoons flat. It is not. You still need 2 teaspoons. That sounds tiny, yet in baking it can be enough to change spread, richness, and crumb.

Another mistake is melting butter first, then trying to measure it by eye. If the recipe asked for 2/3 cup butter, that usually means the butter should be measured before melting unless the recipe says melted butter and gives the amount in liquid form.

Also watch out for regional packaging. Outside the U.S., butter is often sold in 250-gram blocks, not sticks. In that case, cutting 151 grams by weight is a lot cleaner than trying to convert the block by sight.

The Easiest Answer To Save

When a recipe asks for 2/3 cup butter, think of it as 1⅓ sticks or 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. If you bake often, the gram weight is the one worth saving: 151 grams. That single number cuts out guesswork, works with any style of butter, and keeps your recipe on track.

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