Fall marks the beginning of pie season! And what better ingredient to add to your homemade crust than cannabutter? You can replace some or all of the butter in your pie recipes with cannabutter! Or, start off dinner with cannabis infused stuffing, because what’s better than starting off with a little butter buzz while enjoying the company of your family and friends. Just note that homemade edibles are extremely hard to accurately dose.

(Image from bonappetite.com)

What You’ll Need

  • 1 cup butter (or coconut oil)
  • Approx ¼ ounce of cannabis (unground)
  • 1 cup water
  • Cooking thermometer 
  • Saucepan
  • Baking sheet 
  • Parchment paper 
  • Cannabis grinder
  • Cheesecloth
  • Container/jar to store completed cannabutter

Directions

  1. First things first, you’ll want to decarb your flower (essentially activating the THC). Preheat your oven to 245°F and cover the baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your unground cannabis on the baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, shaking gently every 10 minutes for an even heating. 
  2. Once your cannabis is decarbed, it’s time to grind it! Grind your cannabis coarsely, so it’s easier to strain later. 
  3. Add your butter and water to a saucepan and slowly heat. When the butter starts to melt, add your ground cannabis into the mix. Let your mixture simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours, maintaining a temperature of around 200°F. 
  4. Time to strain! Place your cheesecloth over the container or jar you’ll be storing the cannabutter in. Slowly pour your mixture from the pan into the container. Don’t squeeze the cheesecloth to get extra butter out of it, as this will push the bitter tasting plant material through. 
  5. Refrigerate! Your cannabutter will separate from any remaining water once the butter is cooled. 
  6. Medicate responsibly! Dosing won’t be exact, but you can try ½ teaspoon spread on a piece of toast and see how it hits you as your baseline.

Common Issues

Some common problems people get are from skipping steps. Not decarbing the cannabis before you begin will keep most of the THC from activating, and it won’t taste very good. Another issue is not using water while infusing the butter. The water will help the butter not get too hot, and keep it from burning. Lastly, don’t throw out the excess plant material! You can use it to make weed tea. Wrap the cannabis in a new cheesecloth and tie it so you have a tea bag! Add it to warm milk with a little bit of cinnamon and some chai and you have cannabis infused tea.