Creating Cannabutter: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to make cannabis butter? This cannabutter recipe, adapted from ‘The Art of Weed Butter’ by Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey, and supplemented by Zoe Denenberg, is part of our comprehensive guide to cooking with and enjoying cannabis.

Cannabutter has the magical ability to turn ordinary recipes like brownie batter or cookie dough into delightful homemade edibles. You don’t need to be a culinary expert or a cannabis aficionado to whip up a batch. All it takes is some patience, organization, a reliable recipe, and a basic understanding of dosing. With the same method, you can also create infused chili crisp for noodle drizzling or elevated coconut oil for coating kettle corn.

How to make cannabutter? This particular cannabutter recipe roughly equates to 30 mg of THC per tablespoon of oil or butter. Your ideal dosage may differ, but 10 mg is generally considered standard. Begin by testing a small amount, about ¼ tsp., of the cannabutter you prepare and wait for approximately an hour. (For newcomers to edibles, note that the effects take longer to kick in compared to inhaling.) Pay attention to how to make weed butter and how you feel, and let your body guide you on whether this dosage is suitable, or if adjustments are necessary. It’s wise to err on the side of caution to ensure a positive experience.

Step 1: Carboxyl Group Removal

To initiate the process of making thc butter, the primary step involves decarboxylating your cannabis, also referred to as “decarbing.” This entails baking the cannabis flower, which converts the inactive cannabinoids (THCA and CBDA) into their active forms (THC and CBD). This activation unlocks their psychoactive properties and facilitates the bonding of the cannabinoids with the lipids in butter and oil, ensuring optimal cannabis infusion.

It is advisable to utilize whole cannabis flowers, broken into large nuggets, rather than ground cannabis, to prevent a dispersion of cannabis particles akin to snowflakes within your oven (and trust me, you’d want to avoid that). Following the decarboxylation process, the flower is broken down using a hand grinder (like the one shaped like an Oreo!) before further utilization.

Here is what you will need:

• Half an ounce of cannabis buds
• Parchment paper
• A glass baking dish or a flat sheet pan
• A hand grinder or scissors

Here is a simpler version:

• Heat your oven to 220°F.
• Break the buds into big pieces and spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Put the sheet in the middle of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes if the weed isn’t great quality, 45 minutes for good weed, or over an hour for fresh, wet weed.
• Check it often and stir every 10 minutes to avoid burning. It should turn from bright green to dark green.
• Take it out and let it cool on the sheet. When cool, grind it up until it’s good for rolling joints—fine but not too fine. Too fine will mess up your butter.
• You want clean marijuana butter, so make sure it’s not too fine.

Step 2: Creating Cannabutter on the Stovetop

The subsequent phase of the procedure demands more time: Cooking for approximately four hours enables the cannabis to thoroughly infuse into your chosen fat. While infusing marijuana into butter or ghee is a common method, you can infuse decarboxylated cannabis into any type of fat—be it olive oil, sesame oil, or coconut oil—and the infusion process remains consistent regardless of the fat you select. If you opt for making marijuana butter, it’s advisable to use unsalted butter for better control over the salt content of the final product.

The longer the melted butter and cannabis simmer together, the more potent your cannabutter will become. We recommend a four-hour infusion here, providing just the right level of potency and a grassy yet not overpowering flavor. Introducing water into the pot prevents the cannabutter from scorching, obviating the necessity for a double boiler. As long as you maintain the saucepan on very low heat (and keep an eye on it), scorching is unlikely—though it may fill your kitchen with a distinctive, um, fragrance. (This is due to the terpenes, also known as the aromatic compounds responsible for cannabis’s characteristic scent.) If you’re still worried about scorching or prefer a more discreet, hands-off approach, you can also prepare weed butter in a slow cooker set to the lowest temperature.

Feeling ready to create weed butter? Follow this straightforward stovetop method.

Here is what you will need:

• 1 and a half cups of water
• 8 ounces of clarified butter, unsalted butter, or oil
• Half an ounce of decarboxylated cannabis
• A medium saucepan
• A wooden spoon
• A thermometer
• Cheesecloth and/or a mesh strainer

Here is how to make cannabis-infused butter:

• Put water and butter or oil in a saucepan on low heat.
• If using butter, wait for it to melt, then add ground cannabis. Stir well and cover.
• Let it simmer for 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to avoid burning.
• Check the temperature with a thermometer to keep it below 180°F.
• After 4 hours, strain the mixture into a container using cheesecloth or a mesh strainer.
• Let the butter cool down to room temperature.
• You can use it right away or store it in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer for up to six months.

How to Make the Most of Your Cannabis-Infused Butter

You can use your homemade cannabis butter in many sweet or savory recipes for making cannabutter. For example, in cheesecake brownies, breakfast blondies, or chocolate chip cookies. If a recipe makes 12 brownies, use 12 teaspoons of cannabis butter for a 10-mg serving. For a confetti cake serving 12, use 4 tablespoons of cannabis butter mixed with 8 tablespoons of regular butter.

You can also use cannabis-infused oil in savory dishes. Mix 1 tablespoon of cannabis-infused olive oil with 3 tablespoons of regular olive oil for a salad dressing. Or, swap 2 tablespoons of canna-infused sesame oil for vegetable oil in a garlic chili oil for chicken and rice soup.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time infusing on the stove, you can decarboxylate your weed and make Rachel Gurjar’s bhang recipe, a traditional cannabis drink. Whether you cook or drink your cannabis, remember to consume responsibly for a smoke-free experience.