How To Make Cannabutter

When it comes to cannabis, sometimes we forget just how versatile it can be. Of course, the paths of vaping and smoking are pretty well-travelled. However, it's when we look at cannabis' applications in the world of edibles that we can really see just how adaptable it can be—case in point: cannabutter.

It should be noted that there are quite a few recipes to make cannabutter; the following is just one of many.

First of all, a warning. Cooking with fats and water can be very dangerous if you are clumsy or unprepared. It is highly recommended that you wear long-sleeved clothing and gloves that can handle heat. If you do not, you risk burning yourself—don't say we didn't warn you!

While it is possible to make cannabutter with your beautiful buds, many people see this as a waste of perfectly good smoking material. Alternatively, you can use the leftover trim from your harvest. This will allow you to make marijuana butter that still has a decent kick without eating into your personal stores.

When selecting your trim, prioritise the small "sugar" leaves, followed by the larger fan leaves. The leaves have a much higher concentration of trichomes, and therefore a higher cannabinoid content, than stems or branches. This is not to say that you should not use the stems or branches; just be aware that you will require more material to create a sufficiently potent end product.

What is cannabutter?

So, just what is cannabutter? Is it just a case of sticking some nugs in a block of butter and spreading it on toast? Well, no, not exactly. By following a pretty straightforward recipe, you'll find that the resulting cannabutter is an extremely versatile bud-based food product. Simply put; for any dish that requires butter, you can easily substitute some cannabutter in its place. Perfect for adding to brownies, cookies, or even butter-basting a prime piece of steak—you name it, cannabutter can do it.

Homemade cannabutter recipe

So if you're looking to create some delicious cannabutter, you're in the right place. As mentioned, our simple recipe will reward you with tasty cannabutter that will also deliver a potent buzz. Or, if you're looking to make a CBD version to experience all of the potential well-being benefits that cannabidiol has to offer, that's perfectly viable too.

But what's the secret behind creating a potent cannabutter? As we know, heating cannabis is the best way to experience its psychoactive effects. When it comes to making edibles, it works a little differently than smoking or vaping. Through the process of decarboxylation, you heat your finely milled bud before incorporating it into the butter, to allow it to convert cannabinoid acids like THCA and CBDA into their "activated" forms of THC and CBD. There are many ways to achieve decarboxylation of cannabis plant material, including through the use of a traditional oven. Although, products like the POT by NOIDS can simplify matters even further and make for a more efficient extraction.

Recipe time

Making cannabutter takes anywhere from 3 hours to a full day, so clear your diary for the day and take your time to really get the most out of this recipe.

Ingredients

• Cannabis material to extract
• Butter (can also be margarine, plant-based butter, etc.)
• Water

Hardware

• Cooking pots (size depends on the amount you're making)
• Wooden spoon
• Two sieves (and possibly cheesecloth, depending on how finely you blend your cannabis material)
• Heat-resistant container (for storage)

Instructions

1. To prepare your cannabis material, you first need to decarboxylate it. Set your oven to 110°C then break up your bud into smaller pieces, place on a baking tray and heat for around 30–40 minutes. Be sure to turn every 10 minutes to ensure all sides are decarbed.

The cannabutter infusion process works by bonding the oils of cannabis (in the trichomes) with the oils from the butter using heat—effectively merging the two separate entities into one. This is why it's important to expose as much surface area as possible. More surface area equals easier access to cannabis oil, which means better butter.

2. Next, choose a cooking pot that you can fill to one-third capacity with your blended cannabis. If you're making a small batch, then choose a small pot; if you're making a big one, then choose larger (or multiple) pots.

3. Next, add sticks of butter and water into your pot(s) at a 1:4 ratio. So, for every 250-gram stick of butter you add, add in one litre of water (1000ml). Do this until you fill all the pots you are using to maximally two-thirds capacity.

It is important to use the previous pot capacity measurements (fill up to ⅓ with cannabis and up to ⅔ with water/butter) because you are going to be adding heat to this mix very soon. If the mix begins to boil, you are going to have scorching fats and oils bubbling all over the place, so heed our earlier warning and take care throughout the entire process.

4. Now that you have a weed and butter “soup” in your pots, it's time to start heating them up. There are two (hotly debated) options here. You can bring your water to a very high temperature, causing a fast and violent boil, or you can hit 100°C and boil it slowly. Violent boiling will be faster, but you run the risk of losing THC and CBD particles because of the accelerated evaporation/vaporization. Lower boils will take much longer, but you are likely to lose less THC and CBD (see our articles on vaporizing your cannabis for more information on this process).

Advocates of the faster method will say the loss is minimal, and therefore worth it, whereas those who prefer a slow boil will argue the opposite. We recommend experimenting, and ultimately doing what you feel renders the best results. Just don't forget to cover your pots with lids to prevent splashing.

5. As you boil the mixture, stir it regularly with your wooden spoon and keep topping it up with hot water when it reduces by half the original volume. The quicker you boil it, the more often you have to add water.

6. Keep a consistent heat on your cannabutter, but be sure not to let it come to a full boil. Continually stir on a low heat and simmer for 2–3 hours.

7. After this time, take the liquid off the heat, then pour it into a heat-resistant container using a sieve or cheesecloth. You can look to squeeze the cannabis in the sieve, but this can result in a more chlorophyll-like flavour that might not be suitable for some. As soon as you are done sieving the plant material, you can put it aside for use in future endeavours (should you wish).

It can be used as a part of a salad dressing or a spread to supplement your other foods. It will still have a small amount of cannabinoids in it, so you can still put it to use if you are someone who wants to get the absolute maximum from your cannabis harvest.

8. You are now left with a container that has a layer of oil on top of a layer of water. Place the container in the fridge overnight. This will solidify the oils into your final cannabutter.

9. When you come back the next day, carefully remove the layer of cannabutter from the container. Be careful not to spill any of the water layer or drop the butter into it; it can make a nasty mess.

10. Now you have cannabutter that's perfect to use in a wide variety of dishes and recipes. Well done!

How to store cannabutter

When it comes to storage, you can basically treat your cannabis-infused butter very much the same as regular butter. If you're looking to use it over a short period, keep your cannabutter in the fridge, and it should last around 2 weeks or so before it begins to go off. If you want it to last longer, you can always look to store it in the freezer for use at your own leisure. However, bear in mind that you'll have to thaw it before use, so it may be best to cut it into portion-sized chunks before you freeze it. This will mean that you do not have to thaw your entire stock when you want to use some.

There you have it! You now have cannabutter ready for use as a base for all of your cannabis cooking needs. The possibilities are truly limitless, and because you are going to be making your cannabutter from plant bits that would have otherwise ended up in the bin or on the compost heap, you don't have anything to lose—don't be afraid to experiment and make the tastiest butter you can!

Adam Parsons

Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.

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