DIY Edibles: Steps to Tasty Cannabis-Infused Treats

If you want to bake with cannabis and make delicious, healthy food, there are a few things you need to know. It’s not as simple as adding weed to a bowl of flour and sugar. You need to be patient, use smart baking techniques, and choose the right ingredients if you want perfect results every time.

This guide is for those who want to learn how to cook with cannabis like a pro! We’ll not only go over the basics but we’ll also give you some great recipes to get started.

Picking Out Your Cannabis Strain

Before anything else, you need to acquire some weed! The most common way of making edibles is by using cannabis flower, which takes time and effort but is incredibly effective. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle though, another option is to use store-bought or homemade cannabis tincture; just add it into your recipe. Using cannabis flower also gives you a wide range of strains from which to choose.

When choosing a strain for your edibles, it’s best to use one that is familiar and has worked well for you in other consumption methods (smoking, vaping, etc.). The chosen strain should also be based on the benefits you are hoping to receive from the edible, such as pain relief, relaxation or increased energy. You can try searching for strains online that will offer the desired effect:

• Weight loss
• Anxiety/stress relief
• Migraine relief
• Chronic pain relief
• Energy/productivity
• Nausea relief

Identifying a strain of cannabis as indica or sativa is becoming outdated (learn more about them here). Instead, focus on the cannabinoid ratios (THC:CBD) and terpene profiles when seeking a specific effect. For example, a strain high in CBD and linalool or myrcene will be very calming, while a strain high in THC and limonene will be more euphoric.

Decarbing Your Cannabis Flower

The next step in making homemade cannabis edibles is a process called decarboxylation, which allows the cannabis to provide medicinal or recreational benefits. If you skip this step, all you’ll end up with are vitamins and minerals.

Although further research is necessary to determine the effects of consuming raw cannabis, we do know that it contains tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA). When these acids are exposed to heat, they become active and turn into tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), two well-known cannabinoids.

When smoked or vaporized, cannabis decarboxylation happens naturally. Decarbing cannabis is worth it for edibles because of its potency: Unactivated smokeable cannabis doesn’t have all its potential effects available, but if the plant is carefully decarboxylated, then it does.

There are two typical methods of decarbing at home. One uses boiling water in a crockpot, and the other entails baking your weed in an oven. You can also purchase specialized (and costly) heating devices that create perfectly decarbed cannabis. But no matter what method you choose, keep in mind that decarboxylation is a process requiring hours of patience and preparation—it must be done before cooking anything with your cannabis.

Preparing Cannabutter and Other Base Ingredients

The final step to incorporating cannabis into traditional baked goods is called infusion, and it simply means mixing the decarbed cannabis with a base ingredient. Some examples of good base ingredients are yogurt, honey, butter, coconut oil, flour, sugar, etc. Infusing ahead of time will save you lots of hassle and precious minutes in the kitchen later on.

Having a accurate scale handy in the kitchen is especially useful for this next step, where we will be measuring the potency of your edibles.

Among cannabis infusions, cannabutter has for a long time been the favorite of pot cooks. It can be prepared diversely, but we prefer using a slow cooker with a straightforward mixture of lecithin, decarbed flower, and butter. After cooking the concoction for hours to let the weed properly fuse with the butter, we strain it then cool it before putting it in refrigerator to set. Just like regular butter does, cannabis-butter stays fresh in fridge for several weeks before going bad.

Cooking and Baking With Your Cannabis Infusion

Now that your cannabis is ready to go, it’s time to have some fun and make some medicinal goodies! You can use your infusion in cooking and baking in many ways, from making brownies to spicing up normal snacks and meals. Need a quick elevation? Cannabis-infused butter, oil, honey works great on bread rolls, baked potatoes, oatmeal,and much more.

Note that no matter your baking skills, making cannabis-infused food is not an exact science–this is due to decarboxylation done at home and changes during cooking/baking. When you’re ready to eat your concentration-varying meal, start with a small amount and wait 2 hours before consuming more.

DIY Weed Brownies

There’s nothing quite like a freshly-baked brownie, and when you infuse it with cannabis, it becomes even better. For many cannabis consumers, pot brownies are a go-to staple because they’re so versatile – after all, chocolate goes great with just about anything. You’ll want to follow this recipe if you want to make cannabis-infused brownies that are both delicious and potent.

Pot Brownies Ingredients:

• 1 cup (8 oz, or 2 sticks worth) cannabutter. Use less cannabutter and compensate with regular butter to decrease potency.
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C
2. Continue heating the cannabutter in a saucepan over medium heat or, if using a microwave, do so in 15-second increments.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then stir in the vanilla extract and melted cannabutter.
4. Add the dry ingredients gradually and thoroughly mix: sugar, cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder.
5. Spread batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sides start to pull away from the edges and the center is completely set.

Pro Tip: Be sure to add the melted cannabutter into the wet ingredients slowly, or else you’ll risk cooking the eggs. And as we all know, nobody wants scramble egg bits in their pot brownies.

Cannabis-infused edibles usually take around 2 hours before taking effect. So it’s important that first-time users exercise patience when consuming edibles for the first time. They should not be taken on a whim, even by experienced users. Dedicate an evening that requires little to no responsibility and make sure to stay hydrated. If you’re feeling anxious, try out these tips to help you relax. With that said, it’s still important to use common sense – don’t operate heavy machinery while under the influence of cannabis. And finally, remember that the effects of edibles can last for several hours.

Final Takeaway

Follow these steps to make delicious and potent cannabis edibles in your own kitchen.

1. Pick a cannabis strain.
2. Decarb your cannabis flower.
3. Make an infused base ingredient (for example, butter, oil or flour) with your decarbed cannabis.
4. Incorporate your favorite cannabis-based ingredient into any recipe, or use it as a tasty garnish on meals and snacks.
5. Use the following tips to store your edibles.