Baking with Cannabutter for Medicinal Purposes
Baking with cannabutter is a fun, creative, and delicious way to enjoy the medicinal benefits of cannabis. Making your own edibles at home with cannabis-infused butter allows you to produce baked goods with your favorite products that are tailor-made to your exact needs.
Making cannabis butter at home is easy and will offer a versatile way to consume weed that complements your usual routine. There's really no limit to the recipes you can create with your secret ingredient as you become a master canna-baker!
How to Make Cannabutter
Infusing everyday pantry items like butter to make cannabutter (and sugar to make cannabis sugar) is growing in popularity as an alternative way to consume medical marijuana. Luckily, making your own infused products is easy. Follow these simple steps to get started with weed butter:
You’ll Need:
A baking tray lined with parchment paper
A saucepan, crock pot, or slow cooker
A mesh strainer or cheesecloth
A cannabis grinder (optional)
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup water
1 cup ground cannabis (7-10 grams), decarboxylated
Instructions
Prepare your cannabis: The first step is to decarb your cannabis. Preheat your oven to 245ºF. Cover the baking sheet with the parchment paper and scatter loosely broken-up cannabis on top. Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes, gently mixing and turning the buds every 10-15 minutes. Take the buds out when they're lightly browned. Some recipes may suggest a higher temperature, but keeping the oven temperature lower is the best way to preserve your weed's cannabinoid and terpene profile.
Grind the cannabis: Grinders are effective at breaking weed down into pieces of the same size and consistency. If you don't have one, you can break up the weed with your hands. Remember that you want to infuse the weed rather than having pieces of weed in your end product. For that reason, don't grind the weed into a fine powder.
Melt the butter: Melt the butter on a low heat. Add a cup of water to regulate the temperature and prevent the butter from burning.
Add the ground cannabis flower: When the butter is melted, add your decarbed cannabis.
Simmer: Simmer the mixture on low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Don't allow the butter to boil as this will impact the quality of your final product.
Strain: Strain your mixture into a jar using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Don't squeeze the plant material as this will add bitter-tasting chlorophyll to the butter.
Refrigerate: Put the jar in the fridge and allow the butter to solidify. Pour off the separated water and your cannabutter is ready to use.
Note that this recipe follows a 1:1 ratio of cannabis to butter. Use less cannabis for milder effects.
How to Calculate THC Levels in Cannabis Edibles
Getting the dosage right is important for MMJ patients to get relief from their qualifying condition. However, feeling the benefits from your infused butter without overindulging is a fine balance, making it vital to calculate the potency of your butter before use.
Firstly, take note of the THC content in your chosen strain to calculate how much weed to add to your baked goods. Marijuana bought in an Arizona-licensed MMJ dispensary with an up-to-date medical marijuana card will be reliably labeled with each product's cannabinoid contents to help you identify the best product for your condition.
1 gram of cannabis with 25% THC would give you 250mg of THC in each batch. That would mean a sheet of brownies or cookies with 10 portions would contain 25mg of THC per unit. Follow the advice your MMJ doctor has given you regarding the ideal dosage to ensure you get the best results from your treatment.
Top Tip: Be careful to stir your batter as much as possible to make sure the cannabutter is evenly spread throughout your product. This makes dosing more reliable.
Baking Your Own Edibles vs Dispensary-Bought Edibles
There are several differences between making cannabutter edibles at home and purchasing them from a dispensary. The main advantage of making homemade edibles is that you can adapt the recipe to your exact needs. For example, you can choose your favorite strains with the right THC/CBD ratio for your condition.
However, some MMJ patients prefer to purchase their edibles from a dispensary as products are lab-tested. Purchasing your edibles in a dispensary guarantees a consistent dosage in every serving.
Simple Cannabutter Recipes
Chocolate chip cookies and brownies are two of the most popular cannabis edible recipes. You can adjust these recipes to your health needs by using wholemeal or gluten-free flour and less-refined sugars such as coconut sugar or rapadura sugar.
If you prefer to avoid baked sweets, there are other ways to use your infused butter such as spreading it on toast or using it to bake vegetables.
Keep in mind as you plan your cannabis-infused menu that the best foods to eat with edibles tend to be high-fat as lipids increase the absorption of THC and CBD. Try these recipes for a delicious snack with a turbo kick:
Cannabutter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
5.5 oz (160g) cannabutter
1.6 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
180g brown sugar
50g granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla extract
200g good quality chocolate chips
Method:
Melt your cannabutter gently over low-medium heat.
Whisk together your cannabutter, sugars, and vanilla extract. Then whisk in the egg and egg yolk to make a smooth batter.
Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate mixing bowl.
Fold the flour mixture into the batter using a spatula. Add your chocolate chips and mix.
Form the dough into balls and chill them in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 340ºF. Put the cookie balls on a baking pan, leaving enough space for them to spread out, and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Cannabutter Brownies
Ingredients
6 oz (170g) cannabutter
1 tbsp water
3 large eggs
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
175gr dark chocolate
¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
4 tsp (10g) cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 320ºF.
Place the chocolate and cannabutter in a glass bowl and place the bowl on top of a saucepan with simmering water. Melt them together, mixing until smooth and glossy.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy.
Fold the chocolate mix into the eggs and fold together until totally combined.
Fold in the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cocoa powder).
Pour the brownie mixture into a buttered or lined square baking tin and bake for 15-20 minutes.
FAQs
How Can I Change the Potency of My Cannabutter?
You can easily change the potency of your cannabutter by choosing strains with higher or lower THC levels. Alternatively, you can increase or decrease the cannabis-to-butter ratio to increase or decrease your product’s potency.
Are There Any Dairy-Free and Vegan Alternatives to Cannabutter?
The go-to alternative to butter is coconut oil as its properties make it a perfect vegan and lactose-free substitute. Coconut oil is high in fat, heat-resistant, and won't get burnt or spoiled when you infuse it.
Alternatives include avocado oil or olive oil. Try infusing olive oil with decarbed cannabis following the same recipe as above for a cannabutter alternative. Use your oil to fry other foods or mix with lemon juice to make a delicious salad dressing.
Which Butter Works Best for Cannabutter?
Unsalted butter is the most commonly used option in cannabutter recipes. However, the butter you choose largely depends on your preference and the recipe you're making.
Add a Delicious Twist to Your MMJ Routine
Baking with cannabutter is a delicious way to treat a wide range of qualifying conditions. Edibles are a great way to switch up your treatment while retaining the medicinal properties of cannabis.
Consult a specialized MMJ doctor to establish a safe and effective treatment schedule that gets the best possible results. They can advise you on how to dose your edibles to ensure your baked goods meet your medical needs.
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