How to Make Edibles for Beginners: 5 Simple Steps, Ideas & Tips

Is there anything more idyllic than the classic pot brownie? Chewy, buttery, gooey, and oh-so chocolatey – maybe it even has walnuts or salty swirls of peanut butter. And, after an afternoon spent baking in the kitchen, you can ride out waves of relaxation and bliss for hours on end. 

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Making amazing weed edibles is no longer inaccessible, and with so many flower options on the market, it’s easier than ever to make unique and interesting edibles that help you medicate or unwind. 

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To create your dream edibles, though, you’ll need to know how to prepare your flower, transform it into something you can eat, and what to cook. Let’s take a deeper dive into these topics and more. 

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1. Choose Your Strains

First, consider what effects you’re looking to get from your weed edibles. Do you want something that will make you sink into the couch? An edible that fuels creativity and inspiration? Something to settle your nerves?

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As you decide, think about details such as:

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• Other cannabinoids like CBD to reduce anxiety, chronic pain, and insomnia
• Terpenes 
• Potency

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The stronger your flower is, the more potent your edibles will be. Keep the THC or CBD levels of your bud in mind as you cook so that you can properly calculate and dose the active ingredients in your edibles.

2. Decarboxylate Your Flower

To actually activate the cannabinoids in your flower, you’ll need to heat them up. Eating a straight-up bud won’t get you anywhere (except the toilet, probably). Plus, some cannabinoids like THCa can’t bind to endocannabinoid receptors in the body without being decarboxylated. 

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Decarbing is pretty easy with the right equipment and some patience. The basic procedure is listed below:

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1. Prep Your Supplies. Start by preheating your oven to 245ºF. While you wait, cover a baking sheet with some foil or parchment paper. Loosely break up your flower buds so there are no large chunks and spread them across the sheet.

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2. Heat Your Bud. Add your baking sheet to your oven and allow it to heat for about 30-40 minutes or so. Shake the sheet every 10 minutes to make sure all sides of your flower get a nice toast. Note: older and drier flower may need less time to decarb.

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3. Remove and Cool. Pop your sheet out of the oven and allow it to cool so that you can grind it up in later steps. 

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You can also use a slightly higher oven temperature (around 300ºF) to and less time (10-15 minutes) to decarb a bit faster. For the best results, though, we recommend using the above method above. 

3. Create a Base Ingredient

With the weed part of the equation taken care of, you can move on to finding a product that you can actually cook with. 

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Making a base ingredient that’s rich in fats, which help cannabinoids absorb into the body, is a vital step. After all, who wants to take a bite of a brownie with chunks of plant material inside? 

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The most popular types of base ingredients for weed edibles include:

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• Cannabutter
• Cannabis oils
• Tinctures (created using alcohol)

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Because tinctures can take several weeks to make, it might not be the best choice for making cannabis edibles on a whim. Both cannabutter and cannabis oil are easy to make at home and can be completed within just a few hours. 

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Choose the option that makes the most sense for how you plan to make edibles. Basically any dish you add butter or oil to can be infused, so think about which one you think you’d use the most.

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How to Make Cannabutter

Cannabutter is a classic choice – it’s easy to make, use, and store. Because butter is used in most baked goods and dishes, cannabutter comes in clutch regardless of whether you’re whipping up something sweet or savory.

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It’s usually best to stick to a balanced ratio of cannabis to butter (one cup of each) when it’s time to make a batch. The more cannabis you use, the stronger your cannabutter will be, and vice versa.

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To make your own cannabutter, follow these basic steps:

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1. Gather and Grind Your Cannabis. Take your decarbed cannabis and, using either a grinder or your hands, break up the flower. Try not to create too fine a powder, though – anything that’s small enough to fit through your straining tools later will end up in your butter.

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2. Melt Your Butter. Using a low heat setting, add one cup of butter (two sticks) to a saucepan, pot, or slow cooker. Next, add in one cup of water to help keep temperatures steady and prevent scorched butter.

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3. Add the Cannabis. Once your butter has melted down, add in your ground cannabis.

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4. Let it Simmer. Allow your mixture to simmer for about two to three hours over low heat. Try to keep your butter between 160-200ºF – any higher and you risk burning up your cannabinoids.

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5. Strain and Store. Grab a mesh strainer or cheesecloth and place it over a jar or container. Pour your butter mixture through it and toss any leftover plant material. Don’t feel like you have to thoroughly squeeze out every ounce of butter; you may end up adding chlorophyll to your butter, which won’t make for a great tasting product.

How to Make Cannabis Oil

A cannabis oil is a popular alternative to cannabutter because it’s equally straightforward to make and also lends itself well to all kinds of cooking. 

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Cannabis oil is prepared very similarly to cannabutter through the following steps:

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1. Pick Your Oil. Choose a base oil with a flavor that makes sense for your plans. If you plan to use your cannabis oil in baked goods, for example, you’ll probably want to opt for a more neutral-tasting oil like canola or vegetable. Certain dishes might benefit from alternatives, like olive or peanut oil, with a stronger taste.

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2. Measure and Add Ingredients. Grind down enough cannabis to fill one cup using either a grinder or your hands. Then, add one cup of oil and your cup of ground cannabis to a saucepan or pot. Mix together. 

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3. Let it Simmer. Over a low heat, let your oil and bud simmer for around two to three hours. Make sure the oil’s temperature stays between 160-200ºF. 

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4. Strain and Store. Place a mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a jar. Next, take your finished oil and pour it through. Discard any leftover plant material. 

4. Get Cooking

Once your base ingredient has cooled and is packed up in your jar or container, you’re ready to get in the kitchen. You can use your new ingredient as listed in any recipe. Instead of using four tablespoons of butter for a batch of cookies, for instance, you can use four tablespoons of your homemade cannabutter. 

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It might be a good idea to make a note of how many milligrams of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids went into your butter or oil so that you have some idea of what you’re eating each time. 

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For example, if your entire package of cannabis had 300 mg of THC and you’ve made one cup of butter (16 tablespoons), you can quickly figure out that there’s around 18-19 mg of THC per tablespoon. 

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It’s better to start small when dosing THC edibles in particular. The body processes cannabinoids that have been orally consumed differently than those we take in through smoke or vapor.

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Always wait at least 30-60 minutes after consuming an edible before taking more. The effects of an edible take a bit to kick in, and the last thing you want to do is green out by taking in too much too fast.

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Likewise, it’s always best to check in with your doctor before adding any new medication or substance to your routine, cannabis-based or not. This is especially true if you plan to consume THC edibles or other weed edibles regularly.

Tasty Ideas for Easy Weed Edibles

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to fun and delicious weed edibles. If you can cook it, you can infuse it.

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Here are some ideas to get you started:

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• Baked goods: brownies, cookies, cake, pastries
• Infused sauces: condiments, pasta sauce, pesto
• Candy: chocolates, gummies, hard candy
• Desserts: Rice Krispy treats, ice cream, cheesecake
• Entrees: pizza, salad dressings
• Ingredients: peanut butter, almond butter, honey

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5. Store Properly

If you’re not cooking right away or are done using your cannabutter or oil, store it in a dark, safe place. Butter should be stored in the fridge in the long-term, but oils can be placed in a cabinet or another dry and cool place.

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Research shows that cannabis extracts can last for one to two years when stored properly, meaning the THC and CBD found within them won’t begin to degrade for quite some time.

Turn to The Green Dragon CBD for the Best Cannabis Products

At The Green Dragon CBD, we offer only the best cannabis products on the market so that you can create top-notch edibles right from the comfort of home. Even if edibles aren’t your thing, we’re equipped to help you find the best cannabis products for your needs. To learn more, contact us today for a consultation.

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