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Cannabis-infused butter, or cannabutter, is a staple infusion in the cannabis kitchen. Infused butter works in nearly any recipe that calls for butter. Or, enjoy it simply on toast or in your coffee. Once you’ve mastered this infusion, you’ll have a highly (pun intended) versatile ingredient at your disposal.
Not all brands of butter are created equal. Since cannabinoids like to bind with fats, the higher the percentage of butterfat, the better. For instance, Land O’ Lakes contains 80.9% butterfat on average, while Kerrygold (what I usually use) is 82% butterfat. Use the butter you have, but keep this information in mind if you’re looking for the best.
Should I Clarify My Butter First?
Clarifying your butter is ideal as there will be less moisture to pull out chlorophyll. Pure butterfat will make for a more efficient infusion. You can most certainly, however, proceed without clarifying your butter first. A guide to clarifying butter is on my to-do list. 🙂
How Much Decarbed Weed Should I Use?
You always want to use decarboxylated cannabis for your infusions. See our weed decarb how-to to learn how to decarb your material.
Flower: Try 14 to 28 grams of decarbed weed per two sticks of butter.
Concentrates: Try 3 to 6 grams decarbed concentrate per two sticks of butter. To infuse, gently mix your decarbed concentrate into heated butter or oil, and then use it in your desired recipe. Never microwave your cannabis products!
Kief: Try 7 to 14 grams of decarbed cannabis per two sticks of butter.
Trim and Shake: Try 28 to 48 grams, decarbed per two sticks of butter.
When infusing butter with flowers, some butter will stay in the bud, meaning some loss of your original quantity of butter. Furthermore, if you haven’t clarified your butter first, some of the butter’s content is milk solids and water, resulting in less butter than you expected. For this reason, I will often compensate by using 2.25 to 2.5 sticks of butter for every two sticks of butter needed.
How to Make Cannabutter in a Crockpot
Lay a clean tea towel in the bottom of your crockpot to buffer the glass jar against the bottom of the crock. Add enough water to the crockpot to come at least 3/4 of the way to the top of the number of jars you’re using.
Stick a digital thermometer in your water bath and turn the crockpot on high. Allow the water bath to come up to 185°F and then turn to low.
While the crockpot is heating up, decarb your cannabis if you haven’t already. Add the butter and decarboxylated cannabis to a clean mason jar and screw on the lid finger tight.
Place your sealed jar in the crock and cook on low for four hours, maintaining a temperature of 185°F.
After four hours, strain your butter and weed through a fine-mesh strainer/cheesecloth into a clean container, jar, or butter mold. See our straining notes below.
Allow the butter to cool and solidify completely in the fridge or freezer.
Once solid, carefully remove the butter from its container and scrape the sludge off the bottom. You can toss the sludge or save it. Some say the sludge is effective in coffee. Discard any separated water before transferring your butter to a container or butter mold for storage.
Combine your cannabis, butter, and two cups of water in a pot and bring to a gentle simmer. The water helps buffer temperature fluctuations. Take care not to exceed 210°F to preserve precious cannabinoids. A candy thermometer helps monitor this. Around 200°F is what you’re aiming for.
Gently simmer your material for four hours.
Strain your butter into a container and allow it to cool completely in the fridge or freezer. See our straining notes below.
Once solid, carefully remove the butter from its container and scrape the sludge off the bottom. You can toss the sludge or save it. Some say the sludge is effective in coffee. Discard any separated water before transferring the block of butter to a container or butter mold for storage. See storage notes below.
Enjoy your butter on toast, use it in recipes, or see notes below for storage information.
Straining Cannabutter
Straining the plant material from your butter helps create a more pure, longer-lasting, better-tasting product. You’ll want to use something food-safe like unbleached coffee filters and a funnel, a fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, a 25-micron bubble bag, or my personal favorite: a french press. I like the french press best because I can just pour the cannabis and butter into the press and use it to press the material to squeeze out all my butter without a mess or absorption from fabric.
Storing Cannabutter
Store your butter in an air-tight container in the fridge for a month or freeze for several months. Cannabinoids degrade over time, so it is best to use your butter soon.
What Can I Do With Cannabutter?
Cannabis-infused butter is used on or in almost anything that calls for butter. Try it on toast, in your coffee, or browse our cannabis-infused recipes.
Cannabis-Infused Butter
Cannabis-infused butter, or cannabutter, is a staple infusion in the cannabis kitchen. Infused butter works in nearly any recipe that calls for butter.
Lay a clean tea towel in the bottom of your crockpot to buffer the glass jar against the bottom of the crock. Add enough water to the crockpot to come at least 3/4 of the way to the top of the number of jars you’re using.
Stick a digital thermometer in your water bath and turn the crockpot on high. Allow the water bath to come up to 185°F and then turn to low.
While the crockpot is heating up, decarb your cannabis if you haven’t already. Add the butter and decarboxylated cannabis to a clean mason jar and screw on the lid finger tight.
Place your sealed jar in the crock and cook on low for four hours, maintaining a temperature of 185°F.
After four hours strain your butter and weed through a fine-mesh strainer/cheesecloth into a clean container, jar, or butter mold. See our straining notes below.
Allow the butter to cool and solidify completely in the fridge or freezer.
Once solid, carefully remove the butter from its container and scrape the sludge off the bottom. You can toss the sludge or save it. Some say the sludge is effective in coffee. Discard any separated water before transferring your butter to a container or butter mold for storage.
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