COOKING & BAKING WITH CANNABIS

Welcome to our ultimate guide to Cooking and Baking with Cannabis, your go-to resource for infusing your culinary creations with the unique flavors and benefits of this remarkable plant. Whether you're a seasoned chef or just starting your journey in the kitchen, our guide will equip you with essential knowledge and techniques to seamlessly incorporate cannabis into both savory dishes and sweet treats. From understanding the science of decarboxylation to crafting perfect infusions and delectable edibles, we’ll guide you through each step to ensure a safe, enjoyable, and delicious experience.

Baking and cooking food with cannabis, often referred to as "edibles," involves infusing food with cannabis extracts or flower to create dishes that deliver the effects of THC or CBD when consumed. This method offers an alternative to smoking or vaping and can be a discrete way to enjoy cannabis. Unlike smoking cannabis, eating cannabis-infused foods takes longer to feel the effects (30 minutes to 2 hours); however, the effects of edibles last significantly longer (typically up to ~8 hours). Baking and cooking with cannabis is an art form, and you may choose to be as gourmet or simplistic as you’d like. Maybe you are interested in baking simple cannabis-infused cookies or cooking a sophisticated ribeye dish with a cannabis-infused butter sauce; the world is your oyster.

To bake or cook with cannabis, you first need to activate the cannabinoids through a process called decarboxylation. To simplify this concept, understand that THC is not active in cannabis flower unless heated; this is why you cannot get high from eating cannabis flower. Essentially, you must first heat cannabis flower before it can get you high. Decarboxylation involves heating the cannabis flower at a low temperature to convert THCA (non-psychoactive) into THC (psychoactive). Once decarboxylated, you can infuse the cannabis into oils, butter, or other fatty substances, which will then be used in your recipes. Baking or cooking with cannabis can sound intimidating, but understand that once you have infused butter or oil with THC, the rest of the process is baking or cooking a meal the same way you would with normal butter or oil.

Below is a straightforward guide to baking and cooking with cannabis. The below steps are all you need to successfully bake and cook with cannabis.

Chocolate Lava Cake: Cannabis infused whipped cream

BAKING AND COOKING WITH CANNABIS

Before you can start cooking with cannabis, you need to activate its compounds by heating it in a process called decarboxylation. This step ensures that the THC becomes psychoactive. Simply spread your cannabis flower evenly on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven at a low temperature (220-240°F) for about 30-40 minutes. Remember to sift the cannabis flower around every 10 minutes to ensure even heating. Once done, let it cool, and your cannabis is now activated and ready for infusion.

Step-by-Step Breakdown:

  • Preheat your oven to 220-240°F.

  • Break up your cannabis flower into smaller pieces and spread them evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  • Bake the cannabis in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, moving flower around every 10 minutes to ensure even and consistent decarboxylation.

  • Remove from the oven and let it cool. Your cannabis is now activated and ready to be infused into your chosen ingredient.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: Cannabis infused butter

STEP ONE: DECARBOXYLATION

Now that your cannabis is activated, it's time to infuse it into a fat-based ingredient like butter or oil. This step allows the cannabinoids to bind with the fat for better absorption. In a saucepan or slow cooker, combine your chosen fat with the decarboxylated cannabis. Heat the mixture on low heat for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Be sure not to let it boil. Once infused, strain the mixture to remove plant material using a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer, and your cannabis-infused fat is ready for use. Be hyperaware of how much cannabis or THC you infuse into a given batch of oil or butter so the edibles can be dosed

Step-by-Step Breakdown:

  • Choose a fat-based ingredient like butter, coconut oil, or olive oil for infusion. Fats help to bind with the cannabinoids for better absorption.

  • IMPORTANT: This is when you measure how much THC you will be working with. To do this, simply multiply the weight of the cannabis flower by its THC percent. For example, 15 grams of flower with 20% THC would equal 3 grams (3,000mg) of THC. If I were to mix that with two sticks of butter, than each stick of butter would have 1.5 grams (1,500mg) of THC. If I made a dozen cookies with one stick of butter, each cookie would contain 125mg of THC (that’s a lot!).

  • In a saucepan or a slow cooker, combine your chosen fat with the decarboxylated cannabis.

  • Heat the mixture on low heat (do not boil) for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. This allows cannabinoids to infuse into the fat.

  • Once infused, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer to remove the plant material. Your cannabis-infused fat is now ready to be used in recipes.

Butternut Squash Ravioli: Cannabis infused brown butter sauce

STEP TWO: INFUSION

With your cannabis-infused fat prepared, you can now use it in your favorite recipes. Replace regular fat with your infused version and start cooking or baking as usual. Remember to start with small amounts, especially if you're new to edibles, as they can be potent. Also, keep in mind that the effects of edibles take longer to kick in compared to smoking, so be patient and wait at least 30 minutes to 2 hours before consuming more.

Step-by-Step Breakdown:

  • Use your cannabis-infused fat (butter, oil, etc.) in place of regular fat in your favorite recipes. Start with small amounts and gradually increase as needed, as edibles can be potent.

  • Keep in mind that the effects of edibles take longer to kick in compared to smoking or vaping, often around 30 minutes to 2 hours, so be patient and avoid consuming more too quickly.

STEP THREE: COOKING/BAKING

Teriyaki Ahi Tuna: Cannabis infused Teriyaki sauce

When it comes to edibles, proper dosing is essential. Start with a low dose, typically around 5-10mg of THC, and wait for at least two hours before consuming more. This allows you to gauge your tolerance and avoid consuming too much at once. Always label your cannabis-infused products clearly and store them safely away from children and pets. Enjoy your homemade treats responsibly!

To properly dose serving sizes, you must take the total amount of THC in milligrams or grams, and divide that by however many servings you want. For example, lets say I have a tray of brownies that contains a total of 200 milligrams of THC. If I wanted to split the brownies into 20mg pieces, I would split the tray of brownies into 10 separate pieces.

Step-by-Step Breakdown:

  • It is crucial to dose edibles carefully, especially if you're new to them. Start with a low dose (5-10mg of THC) and wait at least two hours before consuming more to gauge your tolerance.

  • Begin by determining how many milligrams or grams of THC are in your baked or cooked food. This is something that should be done during step two. For example, lets say I have a tray of brownies that contains a total of 200 milligrams of THC. If I wanted to split the brownies into 20mg pieces, I would split the tray of brownies into 10 separate pieces.

    Remember, always label your cannabis-infused products clearly and keep them out of reach of children and pets. Enjoy your homemade cannabis-infused treats responsibly!

Double Chocolate Brownie: Cannabis infused butter

STEP FOUR: DOSAGE

Below is a list of websites containing an array of cannabis cooking and baking recipes:

  • 240 various cannabis recipes from baked goods to cooking dishes to cocktails. The skills required for these recipes vary.

    Link to Recipes

  • An assortment of primarily basic cannabis baking recipes.

    Link to Recipes

  • Assortment of cannabis baking recipes ranging from primarily sophisticated to some basic. A wide variety of treat-like recipes are presented.

    Link to Recipes

  • The official High Times cannabis cookbook. The skills required for these recipes vary.

    Link to Recipes

  • An assortment of cannabis cocktail recipes. Note that most cocktail recipes call for extracts.

    Link to Recipes

Below are videos that detail the dosing and infusion process explained in the steps above:

This video details the most basic and simple way to make cannabutter.

This video details the process of creating cannabis gummies.

This video details a more efficient and sophisticated way to make cannabutter.

This video details the process of creating cannabis oil.

RECIPES AND VIDEOS