How to make cannabutter

Article written by

April AcernoContent Writer
Cannabutter, also known as weed butter, is butter that’s infused with cannabis. It’s commonly used in place of regular butter in recipes to make edibles.
If you’re interested in trying homemade edibles, follow our simple guide to making your own cannabutter.
How to make weed butter at home
Cannabutter is a versatile ingredient that can be used for cooking or baking. It’s used just like regular butter, and can be dosed in recipes according to your individual needs.
By making edibles at home rather than buying them in a dispensary, you can control the:
- Potency level
- Strain of cannabis
- Ingredients in the recipe
Infusing cannabis flower into butter is a fairly easy process that requires some basic kitchen equipment and only three ingredients — butter, cannabis flower, and water.
What you’ll need
- Rimmed baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Crockpot, double boiler, or saucepan
- Candy thermometer
- Cheesecloth or strainer
- Cooking twine (to tie the cheesecloth)
Best type of butter to use for cannabutter
You can use any type of butter you’d like to make cannabutter, such as:
- Sweet cream butter
- Vegan butter
- Ghee (clarified butter)
Keep in mind that some recipes may call for a specific type of butter, such as clarified butter. In this case, it’s best to stick to the type that the recipe suggests.
It’s also recommended to use unsalted butter. This way, you have more control over the salt level in your dish.
Ingredients
- 3.5 grams of cannabis flower
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter
- 1/2 cup of water
Instructions
The main method used for making cannabutter requires decarboxylating the cannabis before infusing it into butter.
Decarboxylation is a heating process that activates the cannabinoids in cannabis, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), without burning them. This maximizes the potency of your cannabutter.
Follow these steps to decarboxylate your cannabis flower:
- Break up your cannabis flower buds into smaller pieces.
- Layer the broken up cannabis buds evenly on a rimmed baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Place the baking tray into a preheated oven set to 240°F to 248°F (115°C to 120°C) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow the cannabis to cool to room temperature. The flower buds should be yellow or light brown rather than bright green.
Then, follow these steps to make cannabutter:
- Coarsely grind your decarboxylated cannabis flower.
- Use one of the following cooking methods. Combine the ground cannabis, butter, and water and use a candy thermometer to make sure that the butter temperature never exceeds 245°F (118°C):
- In a slow cooker or crockpot, heat on low for 4 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
- In a double boiler, heat on low for 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.
- In a saucepan on the stove, heat on low for 3 hours, stirring regularly. While this method is the fastest, it also has the highest risk of scorching the flower. Add more water to reach your desired consistency and avoid scorching, as needed.
- Regardless cooking method, once the butter has been infused with cannabis, remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
- Pour the liquid through a cheesecloth or strainer to remove the leftover plant material while transferring it to an airtight container for storing. This will help prevent a bitter taste and lower the risk of mold or bacteria growth in your cannabutter.
Another method for making cannabutter is to skip the initial decarboxylation process and infuse raw cannabis into your butter using one of the above methods. This method may help retain the flavor of the plant’s terpenes while offering more mild effects. However, it can also shorten the shelf life of your cannabutter.
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Tips for making cannabutter
These tips will help you get the most out of your cannabutter:
- Consider your choice of strain: If you prefer a certain strain of cannabis because of its effects or flavor, consider using that strain to make cannabutter.
- Be mindful of temperature: Scorching your cannabis flower during the cooking process doesn’t just alter the flavor. It can lower the effectiveness of the plant’s helpful compounds. A candy thermometer can help you avoid scorching.
- Store your cannabutter properly: Keep your airtight container of cannabutter in the refrigerator to ensure that it stays fresh for 2 to 4 weeks. Or, store it in the freezer to preserve freshness for up to 6 months. Label the container with the date the cannabutter was made to keep track of its shelf life.
How to dose cannabutter
Accurately dosing edibles made from homemade cannabutter can take some trial and error.
According to anecdotal reports, cannabutter usually retains about 60% of the plant’s original cannabinoid content. If you’re using Leafwell’s recipe along with a strain of cannabis that contains 20% THC, each teaspoon of cannabutter should yield about 18 milligrams (mg) of THC.
However, many recipes, such as brownies or cookies, yield several servings. In this case, you’ll need to multiply your preferred dose by the number of servings that the recipe calls for. For example, if you want to make brownies that have 10 milligrams (mg) of THC in each piece, and the recipe yields eight servings, you’ll want to add 80 mg, or about 4.5 teaspoons of cannabis butter, to the batter.
If the recipe calls for more butter, simply make up the difference with regular butter.
Follow these tips for more help with dosing:
- Start low and go slow: Try starting out with a low dose of cannabis (2.5 to 5 mg THC) to see how you feel. Increase the amount gradually until you are happy with the results. Use caution before increasing your dose, as the effects of edibles can be particularly strong.
- Consider the recipe: Carefully calculate how much cannabis butter should be used in each recipe based on the amount of servings it yields and your desired dose and results.
- Speak with your doctor: Your doctor can help you decide on a dosage amount that suits your personal needs.
What to make with cannabutter
You can find many recipes that specifically call for cannabutter online. Or, get creative and make a recipe into a cannabis edible by swapping a portion of regular butter for cannabutter. Try doing this with:
- Baked goods, like cookies, brownies, or pastries
- Dips, like spinach dip or onion dip
- Sauces, like gravy or béchamel
- Granola
The bottom line: You can make your own edibles with homemade cannabutter
Cannabutter is relatively easy to make and allows you to create your own edibles at home.
It can be used in place of a portion of butter in most recipes, giving you control over your dose, strain, and ingredients.
Making cannabutter requires cannabis flower. With a medical cannabis card, you can access high-quality flower in a variety of strains. Contact Leafwell to start the process of getting your medical card today.