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Making cannabutter is a time-honored way of infusing cannabis into food, since so many recipes include butter as an ingredient. But not all cannabutters are created equal. Before cannabis can be used in a recipe, it must be “activated” or, in a technical sense, decarboxylated, to maximize its benefits. Traditionally, decarbing meant heating the buds at a low temperature for two to three hours in the oven. But this method can destroy flavor and lead to bitterness. But thankfully, there’s a better (and more delicious) way. Decarbing using the sous-vide technique eliminates the uneven and often harsh heat of the old-school method and preserves the fragrant, floral compounds in cannabis known as terpenes.Since you’ll really be able to taste the unique qualities of your cannabis when using this method, choose a strain with characteristics that complement or contrast with your recipes. Like wine, the flavors you can find in cannabis are wide-ranging, from sweet and earthy to citrusy and berry-like.Here’s how to make this cannabutter step by step. Recipes for Cannabis-Infused Jam-Stuffed Brioche French Toast, Buttered Pasta with Clams and Green Chiles, or Citrus-Caramel Blondies are great places to start cooking with it.

Kitchen Toke is the first media company dedicated to teaching people about culinary cannabis for health and wellness. The website and magazine cover cooking and entertaining seasonally with cannabis, along with chefs and other experts teaching how to use the plant as part of a regular health and wellness regimen.

Cannabis-infused butter (cannabutter) is one of the simplest and most common ways to make infused cannabis edibles. However, making infused butter can be a little bit tricky. In order to activate its psychoactive potential, the flower must be heated slowly at a low temperature. This recipe will first guide you through this process–called decarboxylation–before walking you through a step-by-step guide to infusing butter.

Recipe: How to make basic cannabis-infused butter

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Cannabis-infused butter (cannabutter) is one of the simplest and most common ways to make infused cannabis edibles. However, making infused butter can be a little bit tricky. In order to activate its psychoactive potential, the flower must be heated slowly at a low temperature. This recipe will first guide you through this process–called decarboxylation–before walking you through a step-by-step guide to infusing

Note: Homemade edibles are very difficult to accurately dose. This guide will give you some tips for more precise dosing, but all DIY cannabis cooks should be aware that there’s no way to guarantee the potency or homogeneity of their batch.

How to make cannabis-infused butter (or ‘cannabutter’)

Butter is a delicious and versatile carrier for THC and other cannabinoids, although it isn’t the only one. You can also use coconut oil, olive oil, or any other fatty oil for your infusions. Just keep in mind, butter burns easily, so keep a close eye on your cannabutter as it cooks.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of butter
• 1 cup (7-10 grams) of ground cannabis, decarboxylated

Before making your cannabutter, you’ll need to decarboxylate, or “decarb”, the cannabis flower you’re working with. Skipping this step will result in a weak or inactive finished product. Here’s why: Cannabis buds produce a non-intoxicating acidic cannabinoid called THCA. When we smoke or vaporize cannabis, the heat converts THCA into THC, the molecule that delivers euphoric effects. If preparing CBD edibles, this same process should be applied.

Some recipes may instruct you to decarb cannabis in the hot butter directly, but the less time you spend soaking the buds, the better your infused butter is going to taste. For this reason, we recommend decarbing in the oven first.

You deserve better than a limp joint and leftover pad Thai eaten by the light of the fridge. Live a little. Take that ganja and infuse it into butter, oil, milk, and sugar, and fuck around a bit. We’re not talking boxed brownie mix; we’re talking about a full-fledged gastronomical ball-out—apps, entrees, desserts, even some cocktails—that’ll get you high and appease your munchies. Two birds, one stoner.

The Basics

All caught up? Great. First things first: Cannabis-infused oil is gonna be the easiest way to turn any recipe into an earth-shattering edible. This only takes a few steps—you’ve got to decarboxylate your weed in the oven, throw it in a saucepan with oil, then strain the leftover bud, leaving you with a simple, potent base for cooking.

Straight up cannabis oil is great for using where your recipe would normally call for a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil, which is what you want for brownies or other baked goods (or fried things). But when you’re going the savory route, these flavor-infused olive oils are your go-to.

The same technique works for butter, in case that’s more your speed. Most likely any baked goods you’ll want to turn into an edible will be the ideal use for this.

Once you’ve got this infusing thing on lock, you’ll probably want to infuse every liquid you can get your hands on—and let us assure you, cookies dipped in weed milk is just as amazing as it sounds.

The technique is a little different when it comes to making infused sugar, but it’s not much more complex. You essentially infuse high-proof alcohol (like Everclear) with decarboxylated weed, then bake granulated sugar in the booze until it evaporates, leaving the THC behind.

1. Decarb the cannabis. Preheat your oven to 245ºF. Place cannabis buds on a non-stick, oven-safe tray. Cover the tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Insert the tray into the oven and set a timer for 30-40 minutes. Older, drier cannabis may require less time. (Tip: you can also set your oven to 300ºF and heat for 10 to 18 minutes, although low-and-slow is the recommended approach when decarbing to better preserve the cannabinoids.) Every 10 minutes, gently mix the buds with a light shake of the tray to expose the surface area of the buds equally.
2. Grind. Grind the decarboxylated cannabis coarsely with a hand grinder.
3. Melt the butter. Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of butter into a stock pot or saucepan. Simmer on low and let the butter melt. Adding water helps to regulate the temperature and prevents the butter from scorching.
4. Add the cannabis. As the butter begins to melt, add in your coarsely ground cannabis product.
5. Simmer. Maintain low heat (ideally above 160ºF but never exceeding 200ºF) and let the mixture simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture should never come to a full boil.
6. Strain the cannabutter. Set a funnel on top of a jar and line it with cheesecloth. Once the butter has cooled off, pour it over the cheesecloth funnel and allow it to strain freely. (Tip: Squeezing the cheesecloth may push more bad-tasting plant material through).
7. Refrigerate the jar of butter. If excess water forms at the bottom of the jar, you can remove the solid butter with a knife and drain the water out. (The butter will need to refrigerate for about an hour before removing the water.)
8. Dose carefully. Refer to dosing information below before adding your butter to any snacks, dishes, or desserts.

Directions for slow cooker

1. Grind your cannabis coarsely with a hand grinder. (Tip: A coffee grinder will finely pulverize the flower and prevent effective straining of bad-tasting plant material.)
2. Set your slow cooker to low, or somewhere around 160ºF. (Tip: Avoid exceeding 200ºF to prevent burning or wasting cannabinoids. You can also add a little water to help prevent scorching.)
3. Add the butter and ground cannabis. Stir occasionally.
4. After about 3 hours, turn off the crockpot and wait for the butter to cool.
5. Strain as above. 

Tips for dosing cannabutter

Your butter’s potency depends on many factors, from how long and hot it was cooked to the potency of your starting material. Even the type of cannabis used (indica vs. sativa strains) can be a factor. To test the potency of your finished product, try spreading ¼ or ½ teaspoon on a snack and see how that dose affects you after an hour. Decrease or increase dose as desired. You can then use this personalized “standard” dose as a baseline for your recipes. For more information on why potency is so difficult to measure in homemade cannabis edibles, check out part four of this series.