How to Make Cannabis Edibles at Home

Making cannabis edibles at home might sound complicated, but the process itself is surprisingly easy. You only have to think about three steps: activate the plant’s cannabinoids with heat, infuse them into a fat (like butter or oil), and then use that infusion in the recipe of your choice.

Learning how to make edibles also gives you plenty of room to experiment. Cannabis-infused butter can be folded into cookies and other baked goods. Infused olive oil works well in savory sauces and dressings. But before you start cooking with cannabis, it’s important to understand how edibles affect you, how to prepare your flower properly, and how to estimate the dose or potency of your homemade creations.

How do edibles work?

Edibles take a more scenic route. After you eat an edible, it must first travel through the digestive system before its cannabinoids are processed by the liver and enter the bloodstream. During this process, the liver converts THC into a compound called 11-hydroxy-THC, which can produce effects that feel stronger and last longer than inhaling the plant.

When you inhale cannabis by smoking or vaping, the plant’s compounds enter your bloodstream through the lungs. The effects can begin within seconds to minutes, making it much easier to determine how you feel so you can decide whether to consume more.

Because digestion takes time, an edible may not truly take an effect for 30 minutes to two hours, and sometimes even longer. Its effects can also continue for several hours. The experience can also vary considerably depending on the dose, the consumer’s metabolism and tolerance, what they have eaten recently, and the potency of the cannabis used to make the edibles.

That delay is exactly why accurate dosing matters. Eating more because you “don’t feel anything yet” is one of the easiest ways to accidentally overconsume and have a bad time. With homemade edibles, start with a small serving, wait long enough to understand its complete effects, and remember that you can always eat more later. As the saying goes, start low and go slow.

What you need to make edibles

Exact ingredients and equipment will vary depending on the cannabis recipe you choose, but most homemade edibles begin with the same basic supplies.

Cannabis and ingredients

• Cannabis flower for edibles
• Butter, coconut oil, olive oil, MCT oil, or ghee
• Ingredients required for your chosen recipe
• Water (if required by your infusion method)
• Lecithin to help blend the ingredients evenly (optional)

Equipment

• Cannabis grinder
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Oven
• Saucepan, double boiler, or slow cooker
• Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth
• Heat-safe bowl or glass jar
• Airtight, clearly labeled storage container

How to make cannabis edibles in five steps

Once you understand the basics, learning how to make cannabis edibles is mostly a matter of patience, accurate measurements, and a little creativity. These five steps will take you from raw cannabis flower to a finished edible.

Step one: select the best flower

Technically, you can cook with almost any type of cannabis flower, but some strains may lend themselves to homemade edibles better than others. Start by considering the experience and flavor you want from the finished recipe.

OG Kush

Potency matters, but it’s not the only factor to consider. A cultivar’s terpene profile can either complement or clash with the other ingredients in your recipe. A sweet, fruity strain like Blueberry Muffin could pair great with cookies and other baked goods, while a citrus-forward cultivar like Pineapple Express could work well in bright desserts or beverages. 

Steam extracted OG Kush terpenes served with a basil sauce over corn chowder.

Fresh, properly cured flower will generally give you the best flavor, but making edibles can also be a practical way to use small buds or leftover flower that you don’t want to smoke. You can always explore our guide to the best strains for making edibles to help choose your cultivar.

Step two: decarb the cannabis

Raw cannabis contains cannabinoid acids (like THCA and CBDA) rather than active THC and CBD. Decarboxylation uses controlled heat to convert those acidic compounds into the latter cannabinoids that are most associated with the consumption experience. Without this step, your homemade edibles may be far less effective than intended.

To decarb in the oven (our go-to choice):

1. Preheat the oven to 220-240 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven runs hot or heats unevenly, stick to the lower end of that range.
2. Lightly grind or break apart the cannabis flower. Aim for small pieces rather than a fine powder.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the flower across it in a thin, even layer.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes, gently mixing the flower about halfway through.
5. Remove the baking sheet once the flower looks dry, lightly toasted, and golden brown or deep green-brown.
6. Allow the cannabis to cool before beginning the infusion.

Temperature and timing are important here: too little heat may leave the cannabinoids effectively inert, while too much can destroy cannabinoids and terpenes. See our guide on how to decarb cannabis for more details.  

Step three: make cannabis-infused butter or infused oil

Cannabinoids are fat-soluble, meaning they bind more readily to fat than water. Infusing activated flower into butter or oil helps extract the cannabinoids and creates an ingredient that can be measured and mixed into a standard cooking or baking recipe.

The exact infusion method may vary slightly depending on the fat you choose, but the basic process looks like this:

1. Melt the butter or gently warm the oil over low heat.
2. Add the decarbed cannabis. If you are making cannabutter, you can also add a small amount of water to help regulate the temperature.
3. Keep the mixture over low heat for two to three hours and stir occasionally. Avoid boiling or frying the cannabis.
4. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly for handling.
5. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer to remove the plant material.
6. Transfer the finished infusion to a clean, airtight container for storage.

Step four: calculate the dose

Calculating the approximate dose before adding your infusion to a recipe makes it easier to create evenly sized servings and reduce the risk of accidentally consuming too much.

First, convert the amount of cannabis used into milligrams. One gram contains 1,000 milligrams. Multiply that number by the flower’s THC percentage, written as a decimal:

Grams of cannabis × 1,000 × THC percentage = total potential milligrams of THC

For example, one gram of cannabis containing 20 percent THC would theoretically contain:

1 × 1,000 × 0.20 = 200 milligrams of THC

Next, divide that total by the number of servings in the recipe:

Total potential milligrams of THC ÷ number of servings = approximate milligrams per serving

If the recipe above produced 20 equal servings, each would contain a theoretical maximum of 10 milligrams of THC.

Pro tip: Remember that your kitchen is not a laboratory. Decarboxylation and infusion are not perfectly efficient, some cannabinoids may be lost during preparation, and homemade servings are rarely identical. Treat this number as an estimate rather than a guarantee; always mix the infusion thoroughly and begin with a small serving when testing a new batch.

Our edibles dosage guide includes a THC dosing chart, beginner recommendations, and additional tips for avoiding an unpleasant experience.

Step five: add the infusion to a recipe

Once your butter or oil is ready and you have estimated its potency, you’re ready to add the measured infusion to your recipe. In many cases, it can replace some or all of the regular butter or oil the recipe calls for.

San Marzano Tomato Sauce recipe.

Mix the infusion thoroughly into the other ingredients so the cannabinoids are distributed as evenly as possible. This is especially important when making a large batch: uneven mixing can leave one cookie or slice much stronger than the next. Divide the finished food into equal portions to make your dosage estimate more useful.

Helpful tips

• Avoid exposing the infusion directly to very high heat or an open flame, which can degrade cannabinoids. 
• Follow the recipe’s directions, combining the cannabis infusion with the other ingredients instead of heating it separately.
• Label every finished edible with the date, ingredients, and estimated potency per serving. 
• Store edibles in airtight containers away from heat and ligh
• Always keep your cannabis-infused food separate from regular food and safely out of reach of children and pets.

4 Easy cannabis recipes to try at home

Once you’ve prepared your cannabis infusion and calculated the approximate potency, the fun part begins. These approachable cannabis recipes give you a few different ways to enjoy your homemade edibles, whether you’re craving a sweet treat, an infused morning pick-me-up, or something a bit more out of this world. 

Cannabis rice krispie treats

Edibles rice krispy recipe treats.

Few homemade edibles are as simple or as nostalgic as cannabis rice krispie treats. This easy no-bake recipe combines melted marshmallows, crispy rice cereal, and cannabis-infused butter to create a chewy treat that is easy to prepare and portion. Learn how to make edible rice krispies with our recipe.

Cannabis snickerdoodle cookies

Soft in the center and coated in cinnamon sugar, snickerdoodles are another easy entry point for anyone interested in baking with weed. Cannabis-infused butter fits naturally into this classic recipe, sneaking in those cannabinoids without sacrificing the cookies’ classic buttery flavor. Follow our cannabis-infused snickerdoodle cookie recipe to make your own batch at home.

Amsterdam-style space cakes

Space cakes are cannabis-infused cakes famously associated with Amsterdam’s coffeeshop culture. Rich, sweet, and super versatile, these alien treats are a fun alternative to the standard edible brownie or cookie. Our Amsterdam-style space cake recipe walks you through making this iconic infused dessert.

Cannabis coffee

Cannabis recipes aren’t limited to baked goods. Adding one of your cannabis infusions to your morning coffee gives you a warm, sippable edible that can be adapted with your favorite milk, sweetener, or flavorings. Discover how to make cannabis coffee and start brewing today.

Here are few more easy cannabis edibles recipes to try at home:

• How to Make Cannahoney at Home
• Beginner-Friendly Cannabis-Infused Chocolate Recipe
• How to Make Weed Gummies
• How to Make Cannabis Sugar