Butter is a staple ingredient used in baking, cooking, and spreading on bread or toast. When following recipes, it’s important to accurately measure butter to ensure your baked goods or dishes turn out as intended. Recipes may call for butter by weight, usually in grams or ounces, or by volume, typically in teaspoons (tsp) or tablespoons (Tbsp).
Quick Answer
25g of butter is approximately:
– 2 tablespoons (Tbsp)
– 3 teaspoons (tsp)
So if a recipe calls for 25g butter, you can use 2 Tbsp or 3 tsp as a quick conversion. The exact equivalent differs slightly based on variables like butter temperature and measuring methods. But 2 Tbsp or 3 tsp will be very close and work for most baking purposes.
The Details
Now let’s look at the butter conversion in more detail.
Weight to Volume Conversions
The main reason weight and volume are not perfectly equivalent for butter is because butter contains air pockets and water content. This can vary between different sticks and batches of butter. However, as a general guideline:
– 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) of butter weighs approximately 14 grams
– 1 teaspoon (tsp) of butter weighs approximately 5 grams
So for 25 grams of butter:
– 25g ÷ 14g/Tbsp = 1.79 Tbsp
– 25g ÷ 5g/tsp = 5 tsp
As you can see, the weight converts to between 1.75-1.8 Tbsp or between 4.5-5 tsp.
To make it easy, most bakers round to 2 Tbsp or 3 tsp when converting 25g of butter to volume. The small difference of 0.2 Tbsp or 0.5 tsp is negligible for most recipes.
Volume to Weight Conversions
You can also go the opposite way, starting with volume and converting to weight:
– 2 Tbsp butter = 28g
– 3 tsp butter = 15g
So 2 Tbsp or 3 tsp is in the 24-28 gram range, quite close to 25g.
Again, the conversion is not exact because of variability in air pockets and moisture content between butter sticks. But it will be within a gram or two which won’t make a significant difference for baking.
Tips for Measuring Butter
No matter which way you are converting, weight to volume or volume to weight, here are some tips for measuring:
– Use measuring spoons for tsp/Tbsp and a kitchen scale for grams. Don’t eyeball it.
– For sticks, measure along the wrapper markings. Don’t cut off a chunk.
– Pack sticks firmly into cup measures for accuracy.
– For small amounts under 1 Tbsp, it’s better to use teaspoons.
– Always use the same spoon when measuring multiple tsp or Tbsp.
– Level off the top of spoonfuls with a knife for precise amounts.
– Melting or softening the butter first gives the most accurate measurements.
– Double check your conversions especially when substituting salted and unsalted butter.
Butter Conversion Chart
For easy reference, here is a butter conversion chart summarizing the key equivalent amounts:
| Grams | Tablespoons | Teaspoons |
|---|---|---|
| 25g | 2 Tbsp | 3 tsp |
| 50g | 3.5 Tbsp | 7 tsp |
| 100g | 7 Tbsp | 14 tsp |
| 125g | 8 Tbsp | 18 tsp |
| 250g | 16 Tbsp | 36 tsp |
This covers common butter amounts for recipes. Memorize or bookmark the 25g/2 Tbsp/3 tsp equivalence as that’s the one you’ll use most often.
When Precision Matters
For most everyday baking, the approximations of 25g = 2 Tbsp = 3 tsp is fine. But sometimes precision is paramount:
Recipes With a Finicky Texture
Certain baked goods like cakes depend on carefully balanced ratios of ingredients. Too much or too little butter can make a difference in achieving the desired crumb texture or rise. For these, take the extra time to weigh butter precisely or measure teaspoons meticulously. Those extra grams or fractions of teaspoons matter.
Recipes That Use a Lot of Butter
In recipes with 2 sticks of butter or more, even small conversion discrepancies can compound. Say you substitute 4 Tbsp (56g) for every 60g of butter called for. Over many cups of butter, that 4 gram/Tbsp difference creeps up. So weigh multiple cups of butter for best results.
Substituting Salted and Unsalted Butter
A recipe calibrated for unsalted butter won’t turn out quite right with salted swapped in unless you adjust for saltiness. Make sure you account for salt content differences if substituting types of butter. Stick to the exact same butter type the recipe was developed for when precision counts.
Cooking Temperatures
For frying or sautéing with butter, getting the temperature right matters. The smoke point of butter varies if you substitute by weight or volume. So if a recipe says to melt butter to a certain temp in Celsius or Fahrenheit, use the same units it specifies.
Scientific or Commercial Recipes
In lab experiments, food manufacturing, or commercial kitchens, every gram and milliliter is probably measured to exacting standards. Stick to the units given in the recipe rather than converting.
Handy Butter Conversion Calculations
You may need to scale recipes up or down based on the butter you have on hand. Here are some quick butter calculation formulas and examples:
Gram to Tablespoon Calculation
Grams ÷ 14 = Tablespoons
Say you have a recipe needing 325g butter but only have 2 cups (32 Tbsp) unsalted butter sticks on hand. To see if that’s enough:
– 325g needed
– 32 Tbsp available
– 32 Tbsp x 14g per Tbsp = 448g available
So your 2 cups of butter is more than the 325g needed. If converting in the opposite direction for a recipe needing 2 cups (32 Tbsp):
– 32 Tbsp needed
– 32 Tbsp x 14 g per Tbsp = 448g
So you’d need 448g butter on hand.
Teaspoon to Gram Calculation
Teaspoons x 5 = grams
If you only have a jar of softened butter on hand, convert a recipe amount in grams to teaspoons:
– Recipe needs 225g butter
– 225g x 5g per tsp = 45 tsp
So you’ll need 45 teaspoons of the soft butter. Going the other way:
– Recipe calls for 36 tsp (3/4 cup)
– 36 tsp x 5g per tsp = 180g needed
Scaling Recipes Up or Down
To double a recipe that uses 25g butter, multiply by 2:
– 25g butter normally
– 25g x 2 = 50g butter needed
To halve a recipe using 100g butter:
– 100g butter normally
– 100g ÷ 2 = 50g butter needed
And so on for whatever you need to scale the recipe quantity.
Substituting Oil for Butter
In some recipes, you can substitute oil for butter using a 1:1 ratio by volume. But keep in mind oil lacks the water, fat solids, and milk proteins of butter. So it won’t replicate exactly the same chemistry, texture, or flavor. The results may be greasier or denser.
Factors like spreadability, melting point, and moisture also differ between oils and butter. Oils like olive oil have distinct flavors that will come through. So oil typically works best as a butter substitute in recipes like brownies where dominating flavors like chocolate minimize the impact.
When swapping butter for oil:
– Use the same volume of oil as the butter amount called for
– Reduce oven temperature by about 25°F to prevent over-browning
– Add a bit more leavening if using oil in place of butter in baked goods
– Avoid using expensive extra virgin olive oil for baking – use a milder refined olive oil or vegetable/canola oil instead
How Different Types of Butter Measure Up
Salted vs. Unsalted Butter
Due to the extra salt content, salted butter is generally denser than unsalted:
– 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter weighs 227g
– 1 cup unsalted butter weighs 202g
So if substituting, you’ll need about 10% more salted butter by weight to equal the same cup volume as unsalted.
European Butter
Common in Europe, these butters have a higher butterfat content around 82-86%. Typical American butters contain 80% butterfat. The richer fat ratio impacts volume:
– 1 cup European butter weighs 250-255g
– 1 cup typical American butter weighs 227g
So substitute about 10% less European butter by weight to equal American butter by volume.
Whipped Butter
The air whipped into these softer butters causes greater volume:
– 1 cup whipped butter weighs 200g
– 1 cup stick butter weighs 227g
Use around 10% less whipped butter by weight in place of stick butter measured by volume.
Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Since ghee has the milk solids removed, it measures differently:
– 1 cup ghee weighs 218g
– 1 cup butter weighs 227g
So you can use a 1:1 substitution by weight but will need about 5% more ghee by volume to replace butter.
Key Takeaways
– For most baking purposes, 25g of butter equals 2 Tbsp or 3 tsp
– Exact equivalents vary slightly due to factors like moisture and air content in butter
– For precision, weigh butter in grams; for convenience, use Tbsp or tsp
– To substitute types of butter, adjust amounts to account for differences in density and fat content
– When converting, use the same system of measurement (metric or imperial) as specified in the recipe
– Calculate butter ratios to easily scale recipes up or down as needed
Butter conversions don’t have to be complicated. Just remember the handy 25g-2 Tbsp-3 tsp equivalence. And always exercise good measuring techniques for the most consistent results. With practice, making tasty butter-based foods using your preferred amount and unit will become second nature.
Conclusion
Butter is a versatile ingredient that can be measured both by weight in grams or volume in tablespoons and teaspoons. For simplicity, it’s useful to memorize the approximation that 25g butter equals about 2 tablespoons or 3 teaspoons. However, it’s important to understand the conversion is not exact due to variations in density, moisture content, and air pockets between different butter sticks and types. When precision is vital, it’s best to weigh butter in grams using a kitchen scale or carefully measure volume with proper leveling techniques. Consider the recipe requirements, types of butter available, and desired results when deciding which measurement method to use or substitute. With the right techniques and conversions, any recipe using butter can turn out beautifully.