Butter Nutrition Calculator — Calories & Nutrition per Serving

Salted butter (FDC 173410) delivers 717 kcal per 100g with 81.11g total fat — making it one of the most calorie-dense whole foods in any kitchen. One tablespoon (14.2g) contains 102 kcal and 11.5g fat, of which 7.3g is saturated. A restaurant-style pat (5g) adds 36 kcal and 4.1g fat ^[1].

A stick of butter (113g) — half a cup — totals 810 kcal, 91.7g fat (58.0g saturated), and 243mg cholesterol. Two sticks (one cup, 227g) reaches 1,628 kcal — nearly an entire day's calories for a sedentary adult ^[1].

Despite being 81% fat, butter does contain trace nutrients: 0.85g protein, 0.06g carbs, and 24mg calcium per 100g. These are nutritionally negligible at typical serving sizes — one tablespoon provides 0.1g protein and 3.4mg calcium (less than 1% DV for either) ^[1].

Salted butter contains 643mg sodium per 100g (28% DV) — one tablespoon adds 91mg sodium. Unsalted butter drops to 11mg per 100g — essentially sodium-free at 1.6mg per tablespoon. The sodium comes entirely from added salt, not from the milk ^[1].

Every other nutrient is identical between salted and unsalted: same 717 kcal, same 81.11g fat, same 684mcg vitamin A, same 215mg cholesterol per 100g. For recipe tracking, the only variable is sodium. A recipe using 1 stick (113g) of salted butter adds 727mg sodium — unsalted adds only 12mg ^[1].

For bread spreading, the sodium impact accumulates: 1 tablespoon of salted butter on toast twice daily adds 182mg sodium per day, 1,274mg per week. Switching to unsalted and adding a pinch of salt yourself (roughly 150mg) per use lets you control the sodium precisely while maintaining flavor ^[2].

Most cookie recipes call for 1 stick (113g) of butter: 810 kcal from butter alone. A batch of 36 cookies: 22.5 kcal per cookie from butter (about half the total ~45 kcal per cookie). Reducing butter by 25% saves 203 kcal per batch — or 5.6 kcal per cookie ^[1].

Banana bread (1 stick per loaf, 10 slices): butter contributes 81 kcal per slice. Substituting half the butter with mashed banana saves approximately 40 kcal per slice while adding moisture and natural sweetness. The trade-off: slightly denser texture and reduced browning ^[2].

Pie crust (1.5 sticks / 170g per double crust, 8 slices): 152 kcal per slice from butter alone. This is often the largest single calorie contributor in a fruit pie — more than the sugar, more than the flour, and more than the filling fruit. Knowing this helps with accurate per-slice logging ^[1].

American butter: 81% fat (717 kcal per 100g). European-style: 82-86% fat (approximately 750 kcal per 100g). That 3-5% fat increase comes from using cream with higher butterfat content and churning longer to expel more water ^[1].

Per tablespoon, the calorie difference is modest: 102 kcal (American) vs ~107 kcal (European). The practical difference appears in baking: European butter's lower water content means less steam during baking, producing flakier pastry and crispier cookies. Professional bakers choose European butter for laminated doughs (croissants, puff pastry) specifically for this reason ^[2].

European butter is typically unsalted and cultured (fermented with lactic acid bacteria before churning), giving it a slightly tangy, more complex flavor. The fermentation does not significantly change the macronutrient profile — the fat content is the primary variable ^[3].

Butter's standout micronutrient is vitamin A: 684mcg RAE per 100g (76% DV). One tablespoon provides 97mcg vitamin A (11% DV) — making butter a meaningful daily vitamin A contributor for those who use it regularly. The yellow color comes from beta-carotene (158mcg per 100g) ^[1].

Cholesterol: 215mg per 100g (72% DV). One tablespoon adds 31mg cholesterol to any dish. A stick used in baking contributes 243mg cholesterol — 81% of the 300mg daily guideline — spread across however many servings the recipe yields ^[1].

Saturated fat: 51.37g per 100g (257% DV) — butter is one of the most saturated-fat-concentrated common foods. One tablespoon delivers 7.3g saturated fat (37% DV). Vitamin E provides 2.32mg per 100g (15% DV), and selenium contributes a trace 1.0mcg per 100g. Beyond vitamin A and vitamin E, butter offers minimal micronutrient diversity ^[1].