How to Make Cannabutter: What to Know Before Starting

What is Cannabutter? 

Cannabutter is a cannabis-infused butter.

• You can substitute your cannabutter for regular butter in any recipe that requires it.
• Start with a low dose when making and using cannabutter.
• Just looking for the recipe? Click Here!

Find yourself wondering “what is cannabutter?” Whether you’re a newcomer to the cannabis world or something of an expert, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about this tasty subject.

When it comes to defining cannabutter, we can take a bit of a hint from the name—simply put, it’s cannabis-infused butter. Cannabutter is an easy way of making homemade cannabis edibles, including baked goods like cookies and brownies that require oil or butter in their recipe.

But here’s the thing—all marijuana strains aren’t created equal. So, before you head off to the store to get your own cannabis buds, you need to figure out the kind of results you’re trying to get.

And that leads us to the next question.

What type of cannabis should I use? 

Okay, so now you’re ready to make your very own cannabis butter at home. What next? First, you need to know what cannabis strain to choose for your recipe. Cannabis contains substances known as cannabinoids. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, there are around 100 cannabinoids identified (so far!), with the best-known being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the cannabinoid that is responsible for the intoxicating sensation commonly associated with marijuana while CBD by itself does not create the same effect. Both cannabinoids are the subject of more and more research with the goal to understand their effects and benefits better. Different marijuana strains can have different levels and ratios of CBD and THC. So, the right choice will depend on what you’re trying to get out of it. 

Another thing to consider when choosing a marijuana strain for your homemade cannabutter: terpenes. Terpenes are chemical compounds that are also found in the cannabis plant. They are not only responsible for the aroma and flavor of marijuana, but also can contribute to the resulting feelings you experience due to the interaction with each other, and the cannabinoids present in the strain you used. (This is known as “The Entourage Effect”.) There are hundreds of terpenes found in cannabis, so don’t forget to check which terpenes are dominant in the strain that you’re choosing. 

What type of butter should I use? 

The second ingredient that you need to choose is butter. The job of the butter is to serve as a carrier for the cannabis compounds, thanks to its high-fat content. But like cannabis, you don’t want to use just any butter.

Different people have different cannabis recipes and preferences. You can choose unsalted or salted butter, coconut oil, clarified butter, ghee, etc. Generally speaking, unsalted butter is often the choice for making cannabutter because it is an essential ingredient of most homemade edibles and baked goods.

In this recipe, however, the fat of choice is ghee! But here’s the kicker—you can use just about any oil or fat to make cannabutter, as long as it is liquid between 175°F to 190°F. 

Cannabutter cooking methods 

There’s no single “right” way to cook your cannabutter, and it depends on what equipment you have available. You can cook your cannabutter using a slow cooker, stove, crockpot or oven. Check out this cannabutter recipe, to learn about the stove method. 

How long does it take to cook cannabutter? 

Cannabutter cooking occurs under low heat, so it can take a while. 

But basically, the longer you cook your cannabutter, the more cannabinoids will be infused into the butter. 

Typically, it can take anywhere between 2 to 4 hours to make your cannabutter depending on your cooking method or recipe. 

How to use cannabutter 

When it comes to what you can do with cannabutter, the possibilities are almost endless. You can sub your cannabutter for regular butter in any recipe that requires it.

So, from brownies to cookies to buttery scrambled eggs (yum!), you can enjoy just about any cannabis-infused edibles that you can think of. 

Here are a few ideas to start with:

1. Gluten-Free Cannabis Chocolate & Cherry Tart
2. Fried Sage & Cannabis Gnocchi
3. Herbed Grilled Cheese
4. Choco-Canna Swirl Banana Bread
5. Bulletproof Cannabis Coffee

How to store cannabutter 

Just like regular butter, if you want to increase the lifespan of your cannabutter, then you should store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Your cannabutter can last up to few months in the fridge and a bit longer in the freezer. Make sure to use an airtight container—a quality childproof mason jar is a good choice. (Reminder: Always remember to label the contents and store the jar away from anyone under the age of 21.)  

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is cannabutter stronger the longer you cook it? 

Not necessarily. Many factors, including the quality of your strain, can impact the eventual strength of your cannabutter. That said, cooking your cannabutter longer can improve the infusion of cannabinoids into your butter. 

Why is my cannabutter not green? 

If your cannabutter turns dark brown instead of golden green, then you probably overheated it. Slow cooking and low heat are the best for making cannabutter. 

What temp should I cook cannabutter at? 

For great results, you should consider cooking your cannabutter anywhere between 175°F and 190°F. Exceeding 200°F can lead to browning, especially when using a stove. 

How much butter do you lose making cannabutter? 

Generally, you could lose 15-20% of your butter when making cannabutter. This is due to the evaporation of water as well as some fat residues that will be left on the remaining cannabis after straining. 

Should my cannabutter be bubbling? 

Yes, it’s okay for your cannabutter to bubble intermittently, especially when using a stovetop. It shouldn’t turn into a regular boil, though. That probably means the heat is too high. 

How do you soften cannabutter? 

Cannabutter can be pretty hard if you’re just bringing it out of the freezer or refrigerator. To soften it, allow the cannabutter to sit at room temperature for 20 – 50 mins. Alternatively, you could just microwave the desired quantity for a few seconds. 

How much cannabutter should I use when cooking? 

It depends on many factors, like your cannabis tolerance, the potency of the strain you used for the recipe, the ratio you used to make the butter, etc. We always recommend starting with a low dose and increasing it later if you think it’s needed, especially when it comes to edibles. Start off with a lower dose such as a 50:50 ratio of cannabutter to regular butter. You can increase or decrease the amount of cannabutter based on how your body responds. 

How can I make my cannabutter stronger? 

Friendly reminder: we recommend starting low and going slow! That said, if you’re interested in making your cannabutter stronger, here are some steps you can follow. When cooking a cannabis snack, start off with a 1:1 ratio of regular butter and cannabutter. Then increase the ratio of cannabutter if you want something stronger. If this is still not strong enough, then you can try increasing the amount of cannabis you infuse into your butter or you could infuse your butter with a strong weed strain.  

Recipe

We prefer to use ghee to make my canna-butter, which is full-fat butter, without any milk solids, and the best brands are made by a simmering process which gives it a lovely slightly nutty flavor. The fats absorb the power of cannabis in a beautiful way! Use it in place of butter in any recipe; it’s delicious in a bulletproof coffee. You can use regular butter, if you prefer. This recipe also works to make canna-coconut oil– simply replace the ghee with coconut oil and follow the method given here, then use it to make canna-honey! The strength of your canna-butter will vary based on based on several factor, such as the percentage of THCA in the raw flower, how much of that is converted into THC in your decarb’ing process, and then the percentage of absorption through the infusion. However, if you follow this method, you will certainly have a good starting point. Try half a teaspoon as a dosage test, and adjust your recipes based on the strength of your infusion and desired effect. Its also worth noting how many grams in a half ounce.. That answer being 14.1748 grams.

Ingredients:

16-ounce jar of ghee (my preferred butter-fat), or 1 pound of high-quality, high-fat butter

1⁄2 ounce/14 grams decarboxylated ground cannabis flowers (for the strongest psychoactive effect, use decarb’d flower; you can use raw flowers for a less potent end product)

Method:

• Fill the pot you are using about halfway full with water and set it on your stove to medium-high heat. If using the rack, which helps keep the infusion away from the heat from the bottom of the pan, set it in the pot now.
• While the water warms up, melt the ghee or butter in increments in the microwave. When liquified, pour the jar of ghee in to the larger, clean jar, and add the ground cannabis to that jar as well. Stir a few times to combine, then seal the jar with a clean lid. Place the jar in the pot of water and check the level of the water against the level of butter in the jar; the water should be just above the fat line, but not so high that the jar begins to float and swim around.
• When the water has come up to a simmer, turn the heat all the way down to the lowest setting and place the jar in the water bath. Ideally your water bath will be at around 190° F maximum, 175° F minimum, and you want to maintain that temperature for about 3-4 hours. Check the water level and temperature at least once an hour, adding hot (or cool) water as needed. “Burp” the jar after the first hour-- remove it, dry and open the lid, then reseal and submerge again.
• After 3-4 hours total, remove the jar from the heat and let cool enough for you to handle it. Place the cheesecloth or other fine mesh cloth over your stainless-steel strainer, then place that over a bowl or jar. I like to strain the infused ghee right back into the jar I bought it in, labeling it on all sides so anyone who comes across it will know it is infused.
• Note the date of your infusion on the jar. Store your canna butter in the refrigerator for a month, or freezer for up to 3 months.

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Sources:

1. Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know : National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
2. Zgair A, Wong JC, Lee JB, et al. Dietary fats and pharmaceutical lipid excipients increase systemic exposure to orally administered cannabis and cannabis-based medicines. Am J Transl Res. 2016;8(8):3448-3459. Published 2016 Aug 15.