How To Make Cannabutter Something Special

Learning how to make cannabutter is a useful first step on your edible making journey

Cannabutter is a kitchen staple. It’s easy to make in advance (and in bulk) and works well in a variety of dishes from breakfasts to lunches to dinners, and of course, dessert.

If you are especially fond of baked goods, you have to learn how to make cannabutter. It’s the go-to medible (medical cannabis edible) ingredient for almost all sweet recipes.

With its popularity among patients, there are many opinions on what makes for the perfect cannabutter recipe. But, what’s the best way to make this pantry basic?

One of Many Cannabutter Recipes

Again, this may not be the only cannabutter recipe floating around on the internet, but it’s a classic. It consistently makes perfect batches, no matter who is in the kitchen.

This recipe easily doubles or triples, but you’ll want to keep the finished product in the refrigerator or freezer for long term storage. Non-infused butter has a relatively long shelf life when chilled (six to nine months). Once infused with cannabis, it’s possible the cannabinoids, and other organic properties may alter its longevity. Might as well play it safe! Keep the cannabutter in the freezer in an airtight container for long term use.

Depending on your personal inclinations, you may also choose to reduce the potency by using a milder strain (Cannatonic or Harlequin are a few good options), or reducing the total cannabis used during the infusion.

Want a stronger medible? We don’t recommend increasing the total cannabis in this basic recipe beyond half an ounce per cup of butter. The butter can only absorb so much medicinal value from the plant, and adding excess will only go to waste. Instead, add a pinch of cannabis powder, RSO oil, or cannasugar into the final recipe.

Tools:

• Ovenproof baking dish
• Tinfoil
• Cheesecloth
• Mason jar
• Large Pot

Ingredients:

• Half an ounce of roughly ground cannabis
• 1 cup unsalted organic butter
• 1 tsp of sunflower lecithin

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 240F/115C
2. Place cannabis in an ovenproof baking dish and cover with tin foil (or a lid). Decarb the roughly ground cannabis for 45 minutes.
3. Combine butter and cannabis into a mason jar, plus 1 tsp of sunflower lecithin. Cover.
4. Place sealed mason jar in a pot of water on a stovetop. Slowly bring to a simmer.
5. Simmer on medium heat for two to three hours.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Using a cheesecloth, strain out the leftover cannabis flower and discard into the compost.
8. Store the cannabis in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

Get Creative — Infused Cannabutter with Herbs and Spices

The beauty of butter is its versatility. Even plain Jane butter is delicious on its own, but some patients find the terpene profile overpowers the buttery-flavor. If that sounds like you, you could consider adding in a few herbs and spices to improve the taste.

Adding herbs and spices can also boost the therapeutic value. Garlic and turmeric, for example, are known anti-inflammatories. Chili peppers work miracles for pain relief and cardiovascular health. The more herbs and spices you infuse into your cannabutter, the better for your health.

Here are a few ideas:

Lemon-Garlic Cannabis Butter

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 cup cannabutter, room temperature

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until well blended.
2. Pack butter into a parchment-lined dish and freeze.
3. When ready to use, remove from freezer and cut off the desired amount. Return to freezer.
4. Suggested uses: Lemon garlic butter sauce for shrimp, salmon, or other seafood. Also delicious on chicken.

Cinnamon-Sugar Cannabutter

• 1 cup cannabutter, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup honey
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until well blended.
2. Pack butter into a parchment-lined dish, and freeze
3. When ready to use, remove from freezer and cut off the desired amount. Return to freezer.
4. Suggested uses: Cinnamon butter toast, pancakes, waffles, or on a warmed cinnamon bun.

How to Clarify Your Murky Green Cannabutter

You may find your cannabutter has become a murky green mess. While there is nothing wrong with the green (or brown, or yellow) tinged butter, you might find it unappealing. The green color comes from other compounds in cannabis beyond the terpenes and cannabinoids – its the flavonoids and chlorophyll seeping into the infusion.

While both these compounds may be nutritionally and medicinally valuable, you may prefer a more-buttery looking butter.

Here are a few suggestions to clarify your next batch:

1. Straining: Much of the green and brown color seeps into the butter during the straining process. Although we want to extract as much of the cannabinoids as possible from the flower, squeezing the flower through the cheesecloth can push out the unappealing color. When straining the herb, be very gentle. Do not squeeze it, just let gravity do the work.
2. Make Ghee: Ghee is a clarified butter must commonly used in Indian food. Ghee is the product of removing the milk solids from the fats. If you want pure-clarified butter, start with ghee. Either buy ghee, which is available in supermarkets, or make it at home.

Butter is basic, but that’s the beauty of it. The number of ways you can incorporate cannabutter into your diet is unlimited, restricted only by your imagination and foodie inspiration. Butter is also a key component in the keto diet and the Mediterranean diet. Make a batch of medicinal cannabutter ahead of time, to use as needed. You’ll never regret having a little cannabutter ready to go.