How to Make Cannabutter : 6 Simple Steps

Want to take your homemade food to new heights?

Cannabis butter is your secret weapon, and this perfect blend of cannabis and butter can make your culinary creations even more compelling.

It adds a unique flavor to desserts like cookies and brownies and can also be expanded into various creative dishes, limiting your culinary explorations.

Whether you're new to edibles or a seasoned cannabis enthusiast, cannabis butter is an easy-to-handle and versatile ingredient.

We'll take a closer look at cannabis butter, how to cook it, and the benefits of making your cannabis butter to create the most flavorful cannabis recipes.

What Is Cannabutter?

Cannabutter is created by blending cannabis and butter.

This infused butter is widely used in cannabis-infused recipes, offering a practical and adaptable means of infusing cannabis effects into different dishes.

Butter is an ideal medium for cannabis infusion because it is delicious and versatile, and because THC needs to bind to fat molecules, which are abundant in butter (and also abundant in oils like coconut oil, olive oil, and vegetable oil).

Hemp butter is a versatile and delightful cooking ingredient.

It allows you to enjoy the effects of cannabis discreetly.

You can use it in place of regular butter in a variety of recipes, including cookies, brownies, cakes, sauces, and more.

The potency of marijuana butter depends on factors such as the strain of marijuana, the ratio of marijuana to butter, and the duration of the infusing process.

As with all foods, start with a small amount and build up slowly: after preparing a food with cannabis butter, try a little at first, and wait 45-60 minutes for the effects to develop, and only take more if you want stronger effects.

What Are The Benefits Of Cannabutter?

There are many benefits to consuming cannabutter.

More research is being done every day about the healing effects of cannabutter consumption.

Here are the many benefits of consuming cannabutter.

1. Versatility

Cannabutter can be used in a wide range of dishes and baked goods, offering flexibility in how cannabis is consumed.

2. Long-lasting Effects

Edibles made with cannabutter have a longer duration of effect compared to smoking or vaping, which can be beneficial for those seeking sustained relief or an extended experience.

3. Precise Dosing

By measuring the amount of cannabutter and cannabis infusion, one can ensure a consistent and accurate dosage.

4. Discreet Consumption

Cannabutter can be easily integrated into everyday foods, making it a discreet way to consume cannabis.

5. Health Benefits

It can alleviate symptoms and regulate bodily functions such as sleep cycles and metabolism, and it is considered healthier than smoking as it avoids lung stress.

6. Beauty Benefits

Hemp butter, which is similar to cannabutter, is said to promote hair and skin health and may have anti-aging properties. 

It can also protect against the effects of environmental pollutants.

7. More Effective Than Smoking

Consuming cannabutter leads to a different chemical reaction in the body, potentially resulting in more intense effects. 

It is absorbed differently and may take longer to take effect but can have a longer-lasting impact. 

It is also a safer method of consumption as it does not involve inhaling harmful toxins.

What Type Of Butter Should I Use?

The best butter for infused butter will depend on your desired outcome.

There is no exact science or one right way to do something.

One option is not any better than the other; it just comes down to personal preference.

The best way to make weed butter is the way that makes you the best about your final product.

Clarified Butter or Ghee

Clarified butter, also known as ghee, is a form of pure butterfat that has been heated and had the milk solids and water removed from it.

Ghee has many benefits, both for cooking, for health, and for making cannabutter.

When butter is clarified, the milk solids are removed along with any water content, leaving behind a type of purer fat and more concentrated than regular melted butter.

This saves you an extra step at the end of the cannabis infusion process because you won’t have to let the butter harden and then separate and discard the excess water.

This benefit makes ghee or clarified butter the ideal butter for making your cannabis butter.

Salted Butter or Unsalted Butter

Salted butter is a dairy product made from churning cream mixed with salt.

It has been around for centuries and is widely used in all types of cooking.

Unlike salted butter, unsalted butter does not contain any added salt or flavorings, making it the perfect choice for those who are looking to keep their food as natural as possible.

Both salted and unsalted butter are great options to make cannabutter but know that you will have some separation at the end of the process, which will need to be addressed.

For various reasons, many types of butter are not a good choice for making butter.

Some of these options to avoid include:

• Margarine
• Plant-based butter
• Whipped or spreadable butter

Usually, these products separate and create a soupy and messy butter.

How To Make Cannabutter Step-by-Step?

Making cannabutter is cheap, easy, and only requires a few items (plus some time and patience).

Keep in mind that butter burns easily, so keep a close eye on your weed butter as it cooks.

Materials

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Oven
• Saucepan, stock pot, double-boiler, or slow cooker
• Mesh strainer or cheesecloth
• Container for cannabutter
• Cannabis grinder (optional)

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted clarified butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup ground cannabis (7-10 grams), decarboxylated

When making cannabutter, we recommend a 1:1 ratio of cannabis to butter.

If you want milder effects, use less cannabis.

Step 1: Decarb the cannabis.

Preheat the oven to 245ºF.

Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper and place the loosely broken-up cannabis on it.

Heat in the oven for 30-40 minutes. 

Gently mix the buds every 10-15 minutes to expose all sides of the buds.

Step 2: Grind or break up the cannabis.

Grinders break weed down to the same consistency and will save you time, but you can just as easily break up the weed with your hands.

Don’t grind it too finely, as you don’t want flower bits in your cannabutter.

Step 3: Melt the butter.

On low heat, melt 1 cup of butter in a saucepan, stock pot, double-boiler, or slow cooker.

Add 1 cup of water, which will help regulate temperature and prevent the butter from scorching.

Step 4: Add the cannabis.

After the butter is fully melted, add in the decarbed cannabis.

Simmer on low heat, between 160-200ºF; don’t exceed 200ºF or you may burn out the cannabinoids.

Simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. 

The mixture should never come to a full boil.

Step 5: Strain the mixture.

Place a mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a jar and pour the butter/cannabis mixture through it. 

Discard the plant material.

Tip: Don’t squeeze out every bit of butter— this will add chlorophyll to your cannabutter, giving it a bad plant taste.

Step 6: Refrigerate.

Place the jar of butter in a fridge, and let it solidify before using, ideally overnight, or for a few hours at least.

If excess water forms at the bottom of the jar, remove the solid butter with a knife and drain out the water.

Other Cannabutter Cooking Methods

Crock Pot Cannabutter

Learning how to make cannabutter in a crock pot?

The slow cooker technique is generally more hands-off than using the stovetop.

You’ll combine the decarbed flower with butter in the crock pot and cook it on low for four to six hours.

Strain the mixture and let it cool before adding it to a recipe or storing it in a glass jar.

Instant Pot Cannabutter

Making cannabutter in an Instant Pot is very easy, except the Mason jar of ground cannabis goes into the Instant Pot instead of into the oven.

And, since an Instant Pot speeds up virtually any cooking process, the cooking time is cut roughly in half from start to finish.

Sous Vide Cannabutter

Decarb the flower and add it to a resealable bag before adding the cooled melted butter.

Set the cooking divide to 185°F and add the bag to the water to soak for four hours.

Remove the mixture from the water bath and strain it. 

Use it immediately or store it for later use.

What Do You Do With Leftover Cannabis Plant Material?

After creating cannabutter, the leftover cannabis plant material can be repurposed in a variety of ways.

Here are a few examples:

Cannabis-Infused Oil: Cannabis-infused oil can be made using the remaining plant material.

This oil serves multiple purposes, such as cooking and topical treatments.

For more details please read: How To Make Cannabis Oil At Home?

Cannabis Tea: Cannabis tea is made by drying the leaves and can be used for its soothing and therapeutic properties.

It can be consumed alone or combined with other herbs to enhance the taste.

Composting: Cannabis plant material can be composted, creating nutrient-rich soil for gardening.

This not only recycles the plant material but also reduces waste.

Topical Treatments: Topical treatments utilizing discarded materials offer a practical solution for creating homemade cannabis creams, salves, or balms.

These treatments can be applied topically to address pain relief, and skin conditions, or to promote relaxation.

These uses may have lower potency than extracts or concentrates, but they still provide therapeutic benefits.

Are Edibles Stronger Than Smoking Weed?

The main difference between edibles and smoking marijuana is the consumption method.

While cannabis smoke must be inhaled to feel its effects, marijuana edibles are consumed as any other food.

The effects of cannabis edibles kick in once the gut begins dissolving the food.

Compared to puffing a joint, edibles can give you a much stronger body high that lasts longer, sometimes 4 to 6 hours, but they take longer to kick in.

But if you smoke pipes within minutes, they’ll peak within 30 to 60 minutes and taper off between two to four hours.

The psychoactive effects of edible products are stronger.

When it comes to inhaling marijuana products with bongs, vapes, etc, edibles are stronger.

While one can feel the effects of smoking cannabis almost instantly, the high produced by edibles is much more potent.

When you smoke marijuana, THC gets sucked into your bloodstream via the alveoli in the lungs.

But THC is an oil-soluble compound, meaning it doesn’t break down well in blood, which is mostly water.

So within seconds, it looks to bind with the endocannabinoid receptors in the body, never really having a chance to be metabolized by the gastrointestinal tract.

The effects of edibles are harder to control

If you want to try edibles for the first time, make sure you don’t have any evening plans that day.

Cannabis edibles produce a long-lasting high which can be overwhelming to certain individuals.

Cannabis smokers have more control over their body and headspace, while one may feel very floaty and disoriented by edibles.

Nonetheless, this shouldn’t be a reason to be dissuaded from trying edibles.

It makes them great for the ideal night in.

Conclusion

Unleash the power of this enchanting blend to conjure up delectable cannabis-infused treats that will leave you craving for more.

From delectable cookies to irresistible brownies, cannabutter unlocks a world of culinary possibilities.

Become a cannabutter maestro by following this guide and unlock a treasure trove of mouthwatering recipes with just a simple click.