How to Make Cannabutter: Step-by-Step Recipe

Cannabutter is the gateway to cannabis cooking. Once you know how to make it, you can substitute it for regular butter in essentially any recipe—cookies, brownies, pasta, toast, garlic bread, pancakes—whatever you'd normally make with butter. It's the most versatile cannabis infusion you can produce at home, and the process is more straightforward than most beginners expect.

The biggest mistakes in cannabutter production are the same ones people make repeatedly: skipping decarboxylation, using too much heat during infusion, or not filtering properly. This guide walks through the complete process with all the details needed to avoid those mistakes.

Quick Answer

Cannabutter is butter infused with cannabis, made by first decarboxylating cannabis (baking at low heat to activate THC), then simmering it in butter and water on low heat for 2-4 hours, then straining out the plant material. The resulting butter contains the fat-soluble cannabinoids from the cannabis and can substitute for regular butter in any recipe. Dosage control is the most important challenge—start conservatively with test batches.

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Table of Contents

• What is Cannabutter?
• The Key Step: Decarboxylation
• What You Need
• Cannabutter Recipe (Stovetop)
• Slow Cooker Method
• Calculating Potency
• How to Use Cannabutter
• Storage and Shelf Life
• Pro Tips
• FAQ

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What is Cannabutter?

Cannabutter is butter that's been infused with the cannabinoids from cannabis, primarily THC and CBD. Because THC and other cannabinoids are fat-soluble (they bind to fat molecules, not water molecules), butter—which is approximately 80% milk fat—is an excellent extraction medium.

The process involves:

1. Activating the THC through decarboxylation (heat)

2. Simmering cannabis in butter to extract the activated cannabinoids into the fat

3. Removing the plant material through filtration

4. Using the infused butter in cooking

The result is a butter that looks almost identical to regular butter (slightly more green-tinted from chlorophyll extraction) but contains the cannabinoids from the source cannabis.

Why Edibles Feel Different from Smoking

Before diving into the recipe, one important context: edibles work fundamentally differently from smoked or vaped cannabis, and cannabutter is why.

When you eat cannabutter, the THC is processed through your digestive system. The liver converts Delta-9 THC into 11-hydroxy-THC—a different compound that's more potent, crosses the blood-brain barrier more effectively, and stays in your system longer. This is why edibles:

• Take 30-120 minutes to produce effects (compared to minutes for smoking)
• Feel more intense and physically heavy than equivalent smoked doses
• Last 4-8 hours rather than 1-3 hours
• Require much smaller doses than people expect

Start with a small amount of any edible (5-10mg THC is a genuinely appropriate starting dose for most people) and wait at least 2 hours before considering more.

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The Key Step: Decarboxylation

This is the step that many beginner recipes gloss over and that single-handedly causes the most failed batches.

Raw cannabis contains THCA, not THC. THCA is the acidic precursor that doesn't produce psychoactive effects. It must be converted to THC through heat—a process called decarboxylation—before it becomes active in edibles.

When you smoke or vape cannabis, the heat of combustion or vaporization instantly decarboxylates the THCA. In edibles, you have to do this step separately and deliberately.

How to Decarboxylate Cannabis

Equipment: Oven, baking sheet, parchment paper, aluminum foil, oven thermometer (optional but helpful)

1. Preheat your oven to 220-245°F (104-118°C). Use an oven thermometer if possible—home ovens are often 25-50°F off from what the dial says. Lower temperature is safer; higher temperature decarboxylates faster but can degrade cannabinoids.

2. Break down your cannabis coarsely with your fingers or a quick pulse in a herb grinder. Don't grind to powder—medium-coarse is ideal. Overly fine material is harder to filter later.

3. Spread on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Spread in an even layer.

4. Cover loosely with aluminum foil (helps maintain moisture and prevents burning of surface layer).

5. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 220-240°F. Your cannabis should turn from bright green to a slightly toasted, muted olive green color. If it turns brown or dark, it's been exposed to too much heat.

6. Cool before using. Decarboxylated cannabis can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container for later.

Decarboxylating Kief or Hash

Kief and hash can also be used to make cannabutter. Decarboxylate at 220°F for 25-30 minutes (slightly shorter due to less plant material). Kief produces a cleaner final butter since there's less chlorophyll and plant material to filter.

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What You Need

Ingredients

• Cannabis: 3.5-7 grams (1/8 to 1/4 oz) per cup of butter. Adjust based on desired potency.
• Unsalted butter: 1 cup (2 sticks, 225g)
• Water: 1 cup. Water prevents the butter from scorching and helps regulate temperature. Most of it evaporates or separates out.

Equipment

• Saucepan or slow cooker
• Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth for filtering
• Mason jar or heat-safe glass container for collecting
• Thermometer (candy thermometer or instant-read)—important for temperature control
• Wooden spoon
• Parchment paper and baking sheet (for decarboxylation)

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Cannabutter Recipe (Stovetop)

This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of cannabutter using 7 grams of cannabis.

Step 1: Decarboxylate Your Cannabis

Follow the decarboxylation instructions above. This step is non-negotiable.

Step 2: Prepare the Double Boiler or Set Up Your Saucepan

A double boiler (a pot set over another pot of simmering water) is ideal because it prevents the butter from exceeding the temperature of boiling water (~212°F). Direct heat on a stovetop requires more careful monitoring.

If using a regular saucepan:

• Use the lowest heat setting available
• Use a thermometer to monitor temperature
• The target is 160-190°F—hot enough to extract cannabinoids but not hot enough to degrade them

Step 3: Melt Butter with Water

Add 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of water to your pan. Melt the butter over low heat. The water helps regulate temperature and will mostly separate and be removed at the end.

Step 4: Add Decarboxylated Cannabis

Once the butter is fully melted, add your decarboxylated cannabis. Stir to combine.

Step 5: Simmer Low and Slow

Maintain a temperature between 160-190°F for 2-4 hours. Stir occasionally (every 20-30 minutes).

What's happening: THC and other fat-soluble cannabinoids are migrating from the plant material into the butter molecules. This process takes time at the correct temperature.

What to avoid:

• Temperatures above 200°F: Starts degrading THC into CBN (the degradation cannabinoid)
• Boiling: Destroys terpenes and some cannabinoids; the butter will also burn at high temperatures
• Rushing: Less than 2 hours typically yields incomplete extraction

Signs it's going well: The mixture will develop a dark green color from chlorophyll extraction. This is normal.

Step 6: Strain and Separate

After 2-4 hours:

1. Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth (or use a nut milk bag) over a heat-safe container or mason jar

2. Pour the butter-water-cannabis mixture through the strainer

3. Gently press or squeeze the plant material to extract remaining butter—but don't squeeze too hard, which forces plant matter through

4. Discard (or compost) the spent cannabis material

5. Allow to cool for 30-60 minutes

6. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight

Step 7: Separate Butter from Water

After refrigerating, the solidified butter will float on top of the liquid below. The liquid is primarily water.

1. Use a knife to loosen the edges of the solid butter

2. Lift the butter out of the container

3. Pour out the remaining liquid

4. Pat the bottom of the butter dry with a paper towel

5. Store the cannabutter

The final product should be solid butter ranging from pale yellow to slightly green depending on how much chlorophyll was extracted.

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Slow Cooker Method

The slow cooker method is more hands-off and better for maintaining consistent low temperatures.

Process:

1. Combine decarboxylated cannabis, butter, and water in slow cooker

2. Set to LOW setting (typically 165-190°F in most slow cookers)

3. Cook for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally

4. Strain and separate as above

The slow cooker is particularly forgiving for maintaining the critical low-heat requirement. If you have a slow cooker, this is often the preferred method for beginners.

Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Method

Less common but faster. The pressure cooker accelerates extraction, though there's debate about whether pressure affects cannabinoid extraction. If using this method, use the yogurt or slow cook setting rather than actual pressure cooking—high pressure temperatures can degrade cannabinoids.

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Calculating Potency

This is the most technically challenging aspect of cannabutter and the reason edibles dosing is difficult to predict precisely.

The Math (Approximate)

If your cannabis is 20% THC:

• 7 grams × 20% THC = 1,400mg THC in starting material
• Extraction efficiency: approximately 70-90% (80% is a reasonable assumption)
• Estimated THC in final butter: 1,400mg × 80% = 1,120mg THC

If this makes 1 cup (16 tablespoons) of butter:

• 1,120mg ÷ 16 tablespoons = 70mg THC per tablespoon

If you make 24 brownies using 1 cup of butter:

• 1,120mg ÷ 24 brownies = approximately 47mg per brownie

47mg per brownie is a very high dose. A typical beginner dose is 5-10mg. This is why careful dosing matters—cutting that brownie into quarters (roughly 12mg per piece) is more appropriate for many users.

Testing Your Batch

Before making a full recipe, test your cannabutter on its own:

• Try 1/4 teaspoon on plain toast
• Wait 2 hours before assessing effects
• Use this experience to estimate potency and adjust recipe quantities

Key Variable: THC Percentage

The math above only works if you know the THC percentage of your cannabis. Dispensary cannabis has this on the label. If you don't know, your potency calculation will be approximate.

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How to Use Cannabutter

Cannabutter can replace regular butter in a 1:1 ratio in almost any recipe. Common applications:

Simple Applications (No Baking Required)

• Toast: Easiest dosing control—spread a known amount on toast
• Pasta: Add cannabutter to finished pasta with garlic and Parmesan
• Popcorn: Drizzle melted cannabutter over popcorn
• Mashed potatoes: Incorporate during mashing

Baked Goods

The classic application. Brownies, cookies, and cakes work well. Keep in mind:

• Baking at 325°F or lower preserves potency better than higher temperatures
• Edible baking at high heat (350°F+) for extended periods can degrade some THC

Temperature Considerations When Cooking

Try to avoid exposing cannabutter to unnecessarily high temperatures:

• Sautéing: Keep heat moderate; high heat sautéing degrades cannabinoids
• Sauces: Add cannabutter at the end of cooking, off heat
• Toast/finishing: Room temperature or gently warmed is ideal

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Storage and Shelf Life

Refrigerator

Properly made cannabutter stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator lasts 2-3 weeks. It should remain solid.

Freezer

For longer storage, freeze cannabutter in individual tablespoon portions (ice cube tray works well) wrapped in parchment. Frozen cannabutter lasts 3-6 months with minimal potency loss.

Signs of Spoilage

Any mold growth, off smell, or dramatic color change indicates spoilage. Discard any cannabutter that shows these signs.

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Pro Tips

1. Decarboxylate first, always: Skipping this step produces weak or inactive edibles—this is the single most common mistake

2. Low temperature during infusion: Exceeding 200°F damages THC. A thermometer is not optional for serious cannabutter making

3. Add water: It's not just about preventing burning—it also captures water-soluble plant compounds (like chlorophyll) in the water layer that separates out, resulting in cleaner butter

4. Don't squeeze the cheesecloth hard: Forcing through plant material creates bitter, plant-heavy butter

5. Test before making a big batch: Eat 1/4 teaspoon on toast and wait 2 hours. This tells you exactly how potent your batch is

6. Kief makes cleaner butter: If you have accumulated kief from your grinder, it produces cleaner-tasting cannabutter than flower with less plant material to filter

7. Label everything: Cannabutter looks like regular butter. Label your container clearly, and store away from anyone who shouldn't access it

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FAQ

How much weed do I need for cannabutter?

A common ratio is 7 grams of cannabis per cup of butter. This produces fairly potent cannabutter. For less potent butter, use 3.5 grams per cup. The right amount depends on your cannabis's THC percentage and your desired potency in final edibles.

Do I have to decarboxylate before making cannabutter?

Yes, absolutely. Raw cannabis contains THCA, not THC. THCA is not psychoactive and won't produce effects in edibles unless converted to THC through heat (decarboxylation). Always decarboxylate before infusing. Some people skip this step thinking the cooking process will decarboxylate the cannabis, but this doesn't work reliably enough at typical cooking temperatures.

Why does my cannabutter smell so strong?

Cannabutter smells strongly of cannabis due to terpenes extracted during the infusion process. The smell is normal. Good ventilation during cooking helps—consider opening windows or using a range hood fan. The smell does fade somewhat as the butter cools and solidifies.

Can I use cannabutter in any recipe?

Yes, you can substitute cannabutter 1:1 for regular butter in essentially any recipe. Consider the cooking temperature—higher temperatures (350°F+) can degrade some THC during extended baking, though the loss is modest.

How do I know how potent my cannabutter is?

Calculate based on THC% of your cannabis and extraction efficiency (assume approximately 75-80%). Test with a small amount (1/4 teaspoon on toast) and wait 2 hours before assessing. This real-world test is more reliable than math alone for understanding your specific batch's potency.

Can I make cannabutter with trim or stems?

Trim (sugar leaves from harvest) can be used to make cannabutter, though it produces less potent butter per gram than using flower since trichome density is lower. Stems contain very few trichomes and generally aren't worth the effort for cannabutter—the yield is minimal.

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Conclusion

Cannabutter is the foundational skill for cannabis cooking, and it's genuinely not complicated once you understand the key principles: decarboxylate fully, maintain low infusion temperatures, and test potency before making a large batch.

The time investment—roughly 30 minutes active time plus 2-4 hours of simmering—produces a versatile infusion that opens up the entire world of cannabis edibles. Once you're comfortable with cannabutter, you can make virtually anything.

Start conservative with your first batch's potency, test before serving to others, and label everything clearly. Get those basics right and you'll be making excellent homemade edibles.

For more on cannabis cooking, explore our other recipes and guides in the cannabis cooking section.