What is Cannabutter?

Often referred to as marijuana butter or weed butter, cannabutter is used to create cannabis edibles like brownies and cookies.

Creating your own cannabis-infused edibles at home can be messy and time-consuming. If you wish to enjoy cannabis treats without the work, browse the great deals on prepared edibles.

How is Cannabutter Made?

Many sites like Healthyish.com and Bonappetite.com offer step-by-step instructions to novice cannabis cooks to create cannabutter.

Cannabutter Proportions

As you become more experienced, you can experiment with how much weed and butter to use. For beginners, a good starting point is four sticks (one pound) of butter for every ounce of marijuana. Try a half-ounce of weed and two sticks of butter. 

There are various ways to strain the product. A simple guide suggests creating cannabutter by following these steps:

1. Decarboxylation

Also known as decarbing, drying, or desiccating, this step involves baking or dehydrating the weed. The process activates THC, CBC, and other cannabinoids. When this step is completed, the lipids in the butter can bind with the weed.

For proper decarboxylation:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. 

• Take a half-ounce of weed and grind gently with a hand grinder or snip with scissors. 

• The finished product should be just fine enough for making a joint.

• Spread plant material on a glass baking dish. Place the dish on the center oven rack.

• If the weed is old or of lower quality, bake for twenty minutes. If it is a higher quality weed or cured weed, bake for forty-five minutes.

• Stir gently every ten minutes to prevent burning.

• The marijuana should change from bright to deep brownish-green.

If you want to streamline the process of making cannabutter, you can buy plant materials ready for infusion. Check out our cannabis products or already vaped material deals.

1. How to Make Cannabutter with a Coffee Maker

The next step involves infusing the butter with marijuana. A common technique uses a large pot containing marijuana, water, and melted butter. Put this on the stove on medium heat for ten minutes or so. Then, the plant material has to be separated from the water and melted butter.

Unfortunately, the straining process often results in spatters, filter accidents, and singed fingers while trying to get the emulsion through the strainer material.

Also, sadly, the precious cannabutter can get stuck in the cheesecloth or other filter material while it cools and solidifies. This wastes valuable cannabutter. 

These disappointing experiences often cause would-be cannabutter makers to abandon the project and simply buy their edibles.

A tidier, safer alternative is the coffee maker. You can use a regular coffee maker. Place the plant material in the coffee filter. Pour the butter/water mixture through the top and wait for the liquid to pass through the coffee-making process and into a Pyrex measuring cup below.

However, an espresso pot or a Mota Pot is more effective.

Follow these steps to use a simple espresso machine or a Mota Pot to create quality cannabutter without the muss and fuss of those kitchen accidents.

• First, unscrew the top of your espresso pot.

• Remove the middle chamber.

• Place a stick of diced butter in the bottom chamber.

• Fill the bottom chamber halfway or a little more with water.

• Weigh out decarbed weed you’ve dried yourself or try a $50 ounce of “shake.” 

• Place this in the middle filter chamber where coffee grounds would be placed.

• Screw the top of the espresso pot back on.

• Place the espresso pot on medium heat on the stove for at least ten minutes or more.

• Don’t use higher heat. You will burn the butter.

• Listen for the burping sound as the butter/water passes up through the weed in the middle chamber.

• It will bubble into the top chamber. Make sure all the juice has spurted into the upper chamber. 

• Pour this liquid into a Pyrex measuring cup.

• Place in the fridge to cool. This will allow the butter and water to separate. This will take approximately an hour.

• Use a butter knife to poke the edges so you can pry the solidified butter out of the measuring cup.

Using a Mota Pot is much the same process as with an espresso pot. Simply place the Mota Pot on the stove on medium heat with a stick of butter and a cup of water in the bottom. The water in the lower section heats and turns to steam. The hot steam forces the melted butter up through the filter containing the herb, infusing the butter with the THC.

The hot liquid is then poured into a Pyrex dish and cooled in the same manner used in the coffee maker or the espresso coffee maker. Click here for a step-by-step Mota Pot demonstration.

Why Strain Cannabutter? 

There is no rule that you must strain cannabutter. You can scoop the plant remains from the butter/water mixture using a fork, a slotted spoon, cheesecloth, or a metal sieve. Depending on the edible, some plant material may not detract from the weed butter. 

Using the coffee maker or Mota Pot method, the filter area of your coffee maker, espresso maker, or Mota Pot builds in this straining method.

How to Use Weed Butter

You can add weed butter to many recipes. You are limited only by your imagination. Use the cannabutter as part of the butter or oil specified by the recipe. For example, you can use a tablespoon of cannabutter and three tablespoons of non-weed oil or butter.

Follow these steps to make a good cannabis vinaigrette salad dressing. 

Fix nutritious soups by spiking the liquid with two tablespoons of cannabutter or canna-infused sesame oil.

Try these cannabis-infused Citrus Caramel Blondies. 

Are you in the mood for homemade hot-from-the-oven marijuana cookies? Try this simple recipe.

My favorites are still chocolate cannabis brownies. 

If you have decided you’d rather buy your edibles already prepared, indulge in Chaos Crispies or get a great deal on ANY “N-fuzed” gummies.

For other ways to make cannabutter, visit our blog!