How to Make Cannabutter: The Ultimate Guide

Hey Weedologists! Ready to infuse your culinary creations with cannabis? Making your own cannabutter (weed butter or pot butter) is a rewarding process that unlocks a whole new world of edible possibilities. This guide will walk you through each step, ensuring you create potent and delicious cannabutter every single time.

What is Cannabutter and Why Make It Yourself?

Cannabutter (also known as weed butter or pot butter) is simply butter infused with cannabinoids, the active compounds found in cannabis, like THC and CBD. Making it yourself allows you to control the potency and quality of the final product, ensuring a consistent and enjoyable experience.

Cannabutter Recipe: What You’ll Need

Ingredients:

1 ounce (28 grams) of decarboxylated cannabis flower or trim (see decarboxylation instructions below)

1 cup (2 sticks or 227 grams) of unsalted butter

1 cup of water

Equipment:

Oven (for decarboxylation)

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

Grinder (optional)

Large saucepan or Dutch oven

Cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer

Airtight container

Step 1: Decarboxylation – Activating Your Cannabis

Decarboxylation is essential for activating the THC in your cannabis. This process converts THCA (the non-psychoactive form of THC) into THC (the psychoactive form).

1. Preheat your oven to 240°F (115°C).
2. Spread your ground cannabis evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Bake for 30-45 minutes, stirring gently every 15 minutes to ensure even heating. The cannabis should be lightly golden brown and have a slightly toasted aroma.

Step 2: Infusing the Butter – The Cannabutter Alchemy

Now that your cannabis is decarboxylated, it’s time to infuse the butter.

1. Melt the butter in your saucepan over low heat.
2. Add the water. This helps prevent the butter from scorching and allows for more even heat distribution.
3. Add the decarboxylated cannabis to the melted butter and water.
4. Maintain a low simmer (between 160-200°F or 71-93°C) for 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature and avoid letting the mixture boil. The longer you simmer, the more potent your cannabutter will become, but be careful not to overheat it.
5. After simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
6. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer into an airtight container, squeezing out as much of the infused butter as possible. Discard the plant material.
7. Refrigerate the cannabutter until it solidifies. The water will separate from the butter and can be easily removed.

Cannabutter Recipe Ratio: Finding the Right Potency

The cannabutter recipe ratio provided above (1 ounce of cannabis to 1 cup of butter) is a starting point. The actual potency of your cannabutter will depend on the potency of your starting material. For more precise dosing, consider using a potency calculator or consulting online resources that can help you estimate the THC content per serving.

Edibles can hit differently than smoking or vaping—often taking longer to kick in and lasting much longer. That’s why proper dosing is essential to avoid overconsumption and ensure an enjoyable experience. Want to master THC dosage for your homemade edibles? Check out Edibles Dosage 101: How to Calculate and Control Your THC Intake for a breakdown on milligram calculations, portion control, and tips for finding your ideal dose.

Using Your Cannabutter: Culinary Creations

Now that you’ve made your weed butter or pot butter, it’s time to get creative in the kitchen! You can use your cannabutter in place of regular butter or oil in most recipes:

Baked Goods: Brownies, cookies, cakes, muffins, and more!

Savory Dishes: Sauces, soups, mashed potatoes, and even scrambled eggs.

Remember to start with a small amount of cannabutter in your recipes and gradually increase it as needed to achieve your desired effects.

Troubleshooting Your Cannabutter

• Green-tasting butter: This can happen if the butter is simmered at too high a temperature or for too long. Keep the heat low and simmer gently.
• Burning: Using water in the infusion process helps prevent burning. If you do notice burning, discard the batch and start over.

Storing Your Cannabutter

Store your finished cannabutter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month or in the freezer for up to six months

The information contained in this blog post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Read our full disclaimer.