Cannabutter recipe step by step

When it comes to cooking with cannabis, enough is never enough. When you think about each and every food and drink on the face of the earth that turns you on, chances are they really aren’t many that couldn’t be spiced up big time with some killer bud. The only problem being that actually getting around to trying all the cannabutter recipes you have in mind would probably involve quitting your job and becoming something of a hermit. A pleasant prospect it may be, though perhaps not a realistic one.

Which is precisely why if you’re into cannabis, it’s always a good idea to think about cooking smarter, rather than more. These days, there are recipes all over the place for a thousand and one different condiments and additions laced with marijuana, which you can serve liberally with pretty much anything you like.  Nevertheless, when it comes to versatility, enjoyment and the sheer ease, there’s really no better place to start than by cooking up a batch of cannabutter.

Not just any cannabutter – quite simply the very best cannabutter on earth!

One Edible, A Million Uses

When you think about it, there isn’t much you can eat that butter doesn’t make even more awesome. Given the fact that high quality marijuana makes butter a million times better than it already is…well, you’re talking awesome on an entirely higher level. Whether it’s getting that every morning kick with a slice of buttery toast, throwing a generous dollop on a baked potato or even stirring a cube into your coffee, you will never run out of brilliant and creative ways of using your homemade cannabutter.

We have to get one thing out of the way first – we are talking about proper cannabutter here. If you take the easy way out, you will regret it. This basically refers to the process of melting some butter in the microwave, adding a load of shredded bud, stirring it and leaving it to set. This is amateur hour at its very worst and not even in the same league as the real deal. For the real deal it takes time and it’s this time that ensures your butter is the best.

What’s more, you absolutely will not get the best out of your cannabutter if you are not willing to use high quality weed to create it. It’s definitely a decent enough resting place for the dry dregs you have left over, but if you want the good stuff, you need to put the good stuff in.

So without further ado, what follows is the simple recipe and method for quite literally the only cannabutter you will ever need in your life…because it’s beyond epic:

Cannabutter Recipe, What Will I Need?

You can make your cannabutter with trimmings and to do this you will need to up the ratios as most of the effects you are seeking come from the flower. You can still however make killer butter from the trim but buds are best.

  • Crock pot (Slow Cooker if in Europe)
  • Butter (use in a ratio of around 100g per 2g of dried buds for a weaker butter or 100g per 5-7g for a powerful butter)
  • Dried cannabis flower (ratios as above)
  • Water
  • Cheesecloth (Jay cloths work too)
  • Plastic tub or bowl for refrigerating the butter
  • Time and patience

Cannabutter Recipe, Step by Step Instructions

Step 1, Decarboxylation

First of all, you may come across the quite heated debate as to whether or not decarboxylation is really necessary. This process is where your cannabis is exposed to heat, in order to activate the THC fully. The short answer is that the answer is yes – it does make a difference and you should be doing it.

Take a baking tray, place the ground cannabis you intend to use in a single layer and place it in another and preheat it to 115° C for about 40 minutes. Give the bud a couple of turns during cooking to ensure it all decarbs evenly and remove when sufficiently crumbly and dry.

Step 2, Infusing Your Butter

Take crock pot (slow cooker) and pour in approximately 250 ml of water. Add the butter and decarboxylated dry herb to the pot and cover. Switch on to the lowest setting and leave for 24 hours. This seems a long time but to extract the full range of Cannabinoids and all the THC it does take time and you will be rewarded.

Step 3. Checking Progress

Infusing cannabis butter in a crockpot

Check the pan every 6 hours or so and give it a stir, this will ensure your bud isn’t clumping and that the water hasn’t simmered off. If it needs more water add a little to the pan. Be careful not to let the water simmer away as if it does you are in danger of burning your butter.

Step 4, Prepare Your Cheesecloth

In order to kill some time, be sure to use the opportunity to select exactly what it is you would like your cannabutter to be placed into when it is ready.  Something such as Tupperware with deep sides or really any heatproof bowl whatsoever will do the trick just fine. You will need to strain the mixture through cheesecloth to remove the herb, so you might want to think about attaching this directly to the top of your chosen receptacle and securing it in place.

Step 5, Strain The Mixture

Once the 24 hours is up, pour the mixture into the container extremely slowly to avoid it spilling. The cheesecloth will help ensure that as little debris as possible gets into the butter, given that all the THC has been infused from the cannabis into the butter.

Step 6, Refrigerate and Separate the Butter from the Water

Solidified cannabutter

You’ll need to give it a minimum of an hour to begin cooling, before putting it in the refrigerator and leaving it there until there is a solid top layer. I usually leave it in the fridge overnight. It’s here that it is always advisable to give things at least slightly more time than you think they need, in order to prevent attempting to remove your cannabutter from the container prematurely.

Step 7, Your Butter is Ready!

Last but not least, use a knife or something similar to help release the cannabutter from the sides of the container. You can then pop the butter out of the container and pour away the left over water, which will be very dirty. Clean it up a little just for the sake of keeping up appearances and there you have it – the most exceptional cannabutter you will ever lay your hands on!

Storing & Using Your Cannabutter

If you do not want to use your butter straight away it can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months in a sealed container. Do not leave in the fridge for too long before using, as the quality will deteriorate, at most it will last 2-3 weeks.

When you want to use your butter dosing is important, too much and it can all go a bit wrong, too little and you end up eating way too many sugary edibles. When making the stronger version of this butter I use 50g of butter for a batch of cookies which will make around 12-15 servings.

Now you have completed your first Cannabutter recipe it’s time to check out more recipes here.