Cannabutter
Elevate your culinary creations with the magic of cannabutter. Infuse dishes with a touch of euphoria for a truly unique dining experience.
This cannabis cannabutter recipe is the foundation of all cannabis cooking, teaching you to infuse cannabutter with maximum potency and clean flavor. Cannabis butter and oil are the building blocks that you will use in countless edible recipes. Master this essential technique and you will have consistent, reliable infusions every time. Cannabutter is the foundational cannabis ingredient, infusing butter with decarbed flower through a slow, low-heat simmer.
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- ½ cup water (add more water at any time if needed)
- 7 ground weed
- Decarb your weed - Learn how
- Add ½ cup of water and 2 sticks (½ lb) of butter in a saucepan and bring to a simmer on low to medium heat. Adding water helps to regulate the temperature and prevents the butter from scorching. As butter begins to melt, add in ground weed.
- Maintain low heat and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Make sure the mixture never comes to a full boil.
- Pour the hot mixture into a glass container, using a cheesecloth to strain out all ground weed from the butter mixture. Squeeze or press the plant material to get as much liquid out of the weed as possible. Discard leftover weed.
- Cover and refrigerate remaining liquid overnight or until the butter is fully hardened. Once hardened, the butter will separate from the water, allowing you to lift the cannabutter out of the container. Discard remaining water after removing the hardened cannabutter.
- Note that the cannabutter in the container should have a slightly green tinge from the cannabis. Now you are ready to make some cannabis-infused meals!
Dosing Tips for Your Cannabutter
- Calculate potency by multiplying the THC percentage of your flower by the weight in milligrams, then multiply by your expected extraction efficiency (typically 60-80%).
- Label every batch with the date, strain, amount of flower used, and estimated mg per tablespoon for safe usage in recipes.
- Start with a known strain from a licensed source so the THC percentage on the label gives you a reliable starting point for calculations.
- Test a small amount of your finished infusion before cooking a whole recipe. Take half a teaspoon and wait 90 minutes to gauge potency.
- Calculate the total THC from your starting flower, account for extraction efficiency around 80%, and label the jar with mg per tablespoon.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping decarboxylation is the number one mistake. Raw cannabis contains THCA which is not psychoactive. Heat it at 240 F (115 C) for 40 minutes first.
- Cooking the infusion at too high a temperature. Keep it at a gentle simmer, 160-200 F (70-93 C), never a rolling boil.
- Not straining thoroughly. Squeeze the cheesecloth to get all the infused fat out, but do not force plant material through.
- Using too much flower relative to fat. A standard ratio is 1 cup of fat to 7-10 grams of decarbed flower. More flower does not always mean stronger.
How to Store Cannabutter
- Cannabis butter keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for 6 months without significant potency loss.
- Cannabis oil (coconut, olive) keeps for 2-3 months in a cool, dark place. Refrigeration extends this further.
- Store in opaque containers or wrap in foil to protect from light, which degrades cannabinoids over time.
- Store in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 months or freeze in silicone molds for up to 6 months.
Variations & Ideas
- Infuse coconut oil for a versatile, dairy-free option with excellent THC binding due to its high saturated fat content.
- Make cannabis ghee by clarifying the butter after infusion. It has a higher smoke point and longer shelf life than regular cannabis butter.
- Try infusing MCT oil for faster absorption and a neutral flavor that works in any recipe.
- Use cultured European-style butter with higher fat content for a richer flavor and potentially better THC extraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coconut oil and butter are the top choices because their high saturated fat content binds THC most effectively. Coconut oil edges out butter slightly in extraction efficiency and shelf life. Olive oil works too but has a lower saturated fat content.
Low and slow is the key. Simmer at 160-200 F (70-93 C) for 2-4 hours on the stovetop, or 4-6 hours in a slow cooker on the low setting. Longer infusion times at low temperatures extract more cannabinoids without degrading them.
Excessive green color and bitterness come from extracting chlorophyll and plant matter. Cook at lower temperatures, do not boil, and avoid grinding your flower too finely. A coarse grind with gentle heat produces a milder-tasting, golden butter.
Adding water to the pot during infusion helps regulate temperature and prevents burning. The water separates from the butter when cooled in the fridge and can be drained off. This technique produces cleaner-tasting butter with fewer impurities.
Yes, a slow cooker on the low setting is one of the best methods because it maintains a steady, low temperature for hours. Combine decarbed flower and oil, set to low, and let it go for 4-6 hours with occasional stirring. It is nearly foolproof.
Positive Effects
Negative Effects
You may or may not feel all the effects listed*