cannabis edibles

5 DIY Edible Recipes for Beginners

DIY THC cupcake edible recipe for beginners

Want to bake & get baked? These 5 THC infused edible recipes are perfect for beginners! Get ready to level up your kitchen...

DIY cannabis edibles may not be as convenient or fast-acting as joints, vape pods, or concentrates. However, these green goodies have many unique benefits that make them immensely popular with weed fans. Not only are edibles super tasty, they provide users with a longer-lasting "high." Since the cannabinoids in edibles go through the liver, they will pass through your system slower than smoke or vapor.

Although you could buy pre-packaged gummies at legal dispensaries, creating cannabis edibles at home is surprisingly simple. Whether you like salty, sweet, or savory treats, there are plenty of simple ways non-bakers can get baked.

In this article, we'll show you how to create 5 of our favorite beginner-friendly cannabis edibles recipes:

    1. Cannabutter
    2. Cannaoil
    3. Cannabis-infused cornbread
    4. Cannabis bacon
    5. Cannabis-infused tea

5 Beginner-Friendly Cannabis Edible Recipes

Recipe #1: Cannabutter

Meet the building block of the edible world... If you can't be bothered with learning dozens of edible recipes, then you should focus on perfecting cannabutter. A perfect stick of cannabis-infused butter will open up many opportunities in your kitchen. Since butter is a versatile ingredient in baking and cooking, it's super simple to add a few cannabinoids to every recipe. 

Besides its versatility, cannabutter helps improve weed's absorption. Since cannabinoids like CBD and THC are fat-soluble, they will easily cling to the milk fats in butter. Whenever you enjoy a meal with cannabutter in it, you can rest assured your body will have easy access to cannabinoids

The basic method to make a stick of cannabutter is as follows:

    • Put your weed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes at 250°F. This "decarb" process (video) helps activate the cannabinoids in your marijuana. 
    • Melt your butter in a saucepan over low heat. 
    • Once the butter is melted, mix in your decarboxylated weed flowers. 
    • Keep this mix on low for about three hours and stir occasionally.
    • Strain your cannabutter through cheesecloth or a mesh strainer into a sealable mason jar. 
    • Refrigerate your cannabutter and enjoy it within about two weeks. 

The ratios of cannabis to butter are up to you, but most cannasseurs recommend sticking with about ½ ounce of cannabis for every pound of butter if it's your first time. Don't forget to use a tCheck potency tester to figure out just how intense your edibles will be while making this recipe. 

Recipe #2: Cannaoil 

Cannaoil is a true pot pantry staple. Just like cannabutter, cannaoil is a high-fat and highly versatile cannabis infusion. Whether you enjoy coconut, avocado, or vegetable oil, you can easily add decarboxylated weed to this essential kitchen product. 

Basically, all you have to do to make cannaoil is heat your preferred cooking oil with decarbed weed over low-to-medium heat. Keep your stove on medium-low to avoid destroying your cannabinoids and scorching your oil. You could also add a bit of water if you fear your oil is getting overheated. 

After about 5 - 6 hours, strain the cannabis flowers using a fine-mesh strainer. Store your cannaoil in a cool dark place to help preserve the precious cannabinoids. 

While you could use any cooking oil in the above recipe, it's best to stick with products that have a high smoke point. For instance, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) burns at a low temperature, which makes it far more temperamental to work with. Be sure you know your cooking oil's average smoke point so you can avoid creating carcinogenic compounds when making this infusion. 

Recipe #3: Cannabis-Infused Cornbread 

Southern food is often associated with comfort & community...and so is cannabis! Therefore, why not combine Southern cooking with cannabis in our THC cornbread recipe?

In a previous tCheck blog, Stoney Macaroni shared an easy way to mix your cannabutter with a box of Krusteaz Honey Cornbread Mix. After preheating your oven to 400°F, mix 1/3rd cup of melted cannabutter, 2/3rd cup of milk, and two eggs with your cornbread mix. After all these ingredients are well incorporated, you can put them in a bread pan and  bake for 30 minutes. 

For extra fun, you could whip up a honey-butter drizzle while your cornbread is baking in the oven. For more details on how to make your cannabis cornbread extra delicious, be sure to read tCheck's official guide

Recipe #4: Cannabis Bacon 

Bacon may not be a superfood, but it's undeniably one of the tastiest items on earth. These savory and salty strips are also very easy to mix with cannabis. Since bacon is full of fat, it's super easy for cannabinoids in decarboxylated weed to attach to this meat.

If you want to try making cannabis-infused bacon, it's best to cook this meat in the oven. If you were to mix cannabis with bacon in a screeching hot pan, it would destroy all of the delicate terpenes and cannabinoids. Cooking in the oven gives you far greater control over the temperature setting.

Most cannabis bacon recipes suggest setting your oven to around 275°F as you line your baking sheet with strips of bacon. Sprinkle these bacon slices with half of however much decarbed cannabis you intend to use. Once your oven is ready, put your bacon in for about 10 minutes. Take your bacon out, flip them over, and sprinkle with the rest of your decarbed cannabis. Pop these bacon strips in the oven for another 10 minutes, and start digging into this umami-packed treat. 

Recipe #5: Cannabis-Infused Tea 

There are many good reasons tea is the second most consumed beverage after water. Countless studies show the incredible health benefits of various teas, and there are numerous tea varieties you could choose to customize your experience. It's also nearly effortless to mix decarboxylated cannabis flowers with whatever tea you prefer. 

While making weed tea is relatively simple, you need to be extra careful when adding your decarbed flowers. After boiling your water, pour it into a bowl and add your preferred tea bag. You should also add a dollop of butter or coconut oil to give the cannabinoids something to cling to. 

Please wait a few minutes before adding about one gram of decarbed weed to this hot cup of tea. You need the water to be hot to extract all of those cannabinoids, but scorching water could destroy these compounds.

After seeping your weed in your tea for at least 10 minutes, you could strain it into a clean mug.

Keep Your Edibles On Point With A tCheck Potency Tester 

tCheck THC and CBD Potency Tester

Many people avoid making DIY edibles because they can't predict how potent their experience will be. Without proper lab testing, there's no way to know the cannabinoid distribution in your favorite recipes.

Luckily for at-home chefs, tCheck now offers a simple-to-use portable cannabinoid scanning device. Find out more about how you can test cannabis edibles with a tCheck potency tester.

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