More people are catching on to the potential health benefits of cannabis. Cooking with marijuana allows non-smokers a safe and delicious way to use weed. Below, we share three simple but mind-bending recipes containing cannabis.
A Few Words on Decarboxylation
Before learning how to cook with herbs, it’s essential to understand decarboxylation. THC and CBD are responsible for the psychoactive effects of weed. Raw marijuana contains inactive forms of these compounds that you must heat for cannabis to take effect when eaten.
Temperatures necessary to activate THC and CBD in raw weed are much lower than its combustion point. This makes burning cannabis unnecessary to receive its effects. All that’s required is to heat the buds enough to “decarb” them.
To decarb your weed, grind your desired amount of nugs to a medium-fine grain and spread on a foil-lined tray. Preheat your oven to 230°F and place the bud inside for 30 minutes. Use your decarbed flower to spice up your cuisine in endless ways.
3 of the Best Cannabis Recipes
The best weed recipes are short, sweet, and to the point. If you need inspiration, look no further, as we’ve got some ideas to try at home. These are easy to make and produce impressively tasty results. Are you ready? Let’s get cooking.
Cannabutter
Cannabutter is super simple to make if you want to learn how to cook with marijuana. Once prepared, you get an incredibly versatile THC-infused ingredient. Here’s a quick guide to making your own.
- Set up a double-boiler by placing water in a large pot with another smaller pot sitting in the water. This method helps to create a gentle, even heat and avoid scorching.
- Place on low heat and add a cup of butter to the inner pot—allow it to melt slowly.
- Adjust the heat to 160–200°F and add your decarbed weed to the melted butter.
- Allow the mix to simmer for 2–3 hours gently. Stir every so often to ensure the cannabis infuses evenly.
- Remove from the heat and carefully pour the melted butter and buds through a fine strainer or sieve into a suitable container.
- Allow your cannabutter to cool down before storing it in the fridge. Once it’s solidified, feel free to add it to your favorite recipes for an extra-fun lunchtime. Just remember to label it clearly and keep it out of reach of children.
If you want the benefits without the risks, cannabis-infused food is one of the best ways to fly. Using weed you’ve grown yourself to make edibles is highly rewarding. If you’re curious about cultivation, many gardeners share growdiaries online for an inside look at growing cannabis at home.
Space Cakes
The original Dutch coffee shop confection, space cakes, are child’s play to bake, delectably tasty, and highly adaptable. They’re also a great starting point for those new to cooking with marijuana.
Here’s how to make a basic space cake, but don’t be afraid to mix it up and add a personal twist. You need:
- 5 grams of bud OR 1 cup of cannabutter
- 2 cups of sugar—the soft brown varieties like muscovado work excellently
- About 3½ cups of regular all-purpose baking flour
- 2 cups of unsalted butter for bud users OR 1 cup if you’re using cannabutter
- 1½ cups of milk—whole milk makes the tastiest cakes, but half and half is fine
- 4 large eggs
- Half a teaspoon of baking powder
- A couple of drops of vanilla essence
When ready, follow these simple steps:
- Slowly melt the cannabutter/butter.
- Fold in the milk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix well.
- Slowly add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until it forms a batter with a consistent texture free of lumps.
- Pour into a greased cake tray and put in a preheated oven for 45 minutes at 335°F.
Allow your finished space cakes to cool down before enjoying them. Add some clotted cream and fruit preserve for a truly decadent dessert.
Cannabis Caramels
This THC recipe needs a little more time to make but is worth it. Weed-infused caramels last for months, but they’ll be long gone before then. You need the following equipment and ingredients:
- 1 cup of soft brown sugar
- 1 cup of cannabutter
- 1 can of condensed milk (sweetened)
- 1 cup of corn syrup
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 2 cups of regular white sugar
- A teaspoon of vanilla essence
- Cooking or candy thermometer with a reading range of at least 250°F
- Metal or glassware baking tray—this recipe is suitable for a standard 9” x 13” tray
- Deep-sided heavy saucepan
With everything to hand, follow this recipe for weed caramels:
- Melt the cannabutter over low heat. Add it to the pan with all other ingredients except the vanilla essence.
- Place over medium heat, attach the thermometer and mix well.
- Stir constantly and ensure no sugar burns on the bottom.
- Once the ingredients form a silky viscous liquid, check the temperature. Leave the pan on the heat until the thermometer reads 250°F.
- Remove from the heat, add vanilla essence, and stir well. Adding other flavorings is also possible at this stage, so feel free to experiment.
- Pour into your pre-greased tray and allow it to cool.
- Place in the refrigerator to harden. Make cutting easier by scoring the mixture with a knife before refrigerating.
- Once hard, cut into bite-sized squares. If you want to stop them from sticking together, wrap them in wax paper and store them in the fridge. This recipe makes around 48 servings.
Enjoy your sugary weed caramels straight, or pop one into your coffee for a silky smooth beverage with a twist. Indulgent and endlessly sweet, these have to be one of the best cannabis recipes.
Ganja Gastronomy
Once you get started, there’s no end to the cannabis-infused dinner recipes out there to try. If you develop a genuine interest, why not cultivate your own “herb garden” to keep your cupboards stocked.
