What is cannabutter?
Cannabutter, or butter infused with cannabis, is one of the most common ways that people make edibles. Why butter? Not only is butter delicious, but THC needs to bind to fat molecules to be absorbed by the body. Butter, with its rich fat content, provides the perfect environment for this binding to occur.
Butter isn't the only option. Other fats like coconut oil, olive oil, and vegetable oil can also be used to create cannabutter. The choice often comes down to personal preference for the desired flavor of your edibles!
How is cannabutter used?
Cannabutter can be used in any recipe that calls for butter. Baking cookies and cakes, cooking pasta or veggies, just throw it in wherever butter is an ingredient. However, when using cannabutter, it's crucial to start with a low dose and wait a couple of hours to assess the effects. Edibles can take longer to kick in compared to smoking or vaping, and it's easy to overconsume.
Cannabutter recipe
If you want to make your own cannabutter, you'll need to gather a few materials and ingredients first.
Supplies:
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Oven
- Saucepan, stock pot, double-boiler, or slow cooker
- Mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- Container for your cannabutter
- Cannabis grinder (optional)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup ground cannabis or THCa flower (7-10 grams), decarboxylated (we'll explain that in a second)
We recommend a 1:1 ratio of cannabis to butter. If you want milder effects, use less cannabis (for example, if you use 1 cup of butter, use 1/2 cup of ground cannabis or 3.5 grams).
Step 1
Decarboxylation
You must not skip this step! This process activates the THC in the cannabis.
- Preheat oven to 240°F (115°C).
- Spread your cannabis (loosely broken up, not ground) evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Decarboxylate for 30-45 minutes, or until the cannabis is slightly browned and fragrant.
- Make sure to stir/flip the cannabis halfway through to ensure total roasting!
Step 2
Infusion
- Now, grind up all of your decarbed cannabis.
- Place the cannabis in a bowl and set aside.
- Melt the butter and be sure to never at any point in the process let it boil.
- Add your 1 cup of water - this will help regulate the temperature of the butter and ensure emulsion.
- After the butter is fully melted and combined with the water, add your ground decarbed cannabis.
- Simmer the mixture gently for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Again - do not burn it!
Step 3
Straining & Storage
- Put your mesh strainer or cheesecloth over your container of choice and pour the butter/cannabis mixture through it.
- Throw out the used cannabis.
- Don’t squeeze the butter through the strainer—this will add a bitter, bad plant taste to your butter.
- Let your butter cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.
Enjoy your cannabutter!
Your homemade cannabutter is now ready for use! Any recipe that calls for regular butter can be replaced with cannabutter.
Spread it on toast, cook a steak in it, use it to bake cookies - the world is your cannabutter oyster.
Be warned - go easy at first! The effects can take a long time to appear and you can always eat more if you feel it wasn't strong enough.
