How to Make Cannabis Butter (Cannabutter) at Home: A Simple Canadian Kitchen Guide

Why Cannabutter Is the Foundation of Cannabis Cooking

If you want to make edibles at home, cannabutter is where it all starts. It is the single most versatile cannabis-infused ingredient you can make — it goes into brownies, cookies, pasta sauces, toast, rice dishes, and basically anything that calls for butter. Once you have a reliable batch in your fridge, you can turn any recipe into an edible.

The process is straightforward, but the details matter. Skipping decarboxylation, using the wrong temperature, or guessing at dosing are the most common mistakes beginners make. This guide walks through the full process step by step so you get consistent, properly dosed cannabutter every time.

What You Need

Ingredients

• Cannabis flower: 7–14 grams of dried, cured cannabis (adjust based on desired potency)
• Unsalted butter: 1 cup (225g) — use real butter, not margarine. The fat content matters for THC absorption.
• Water: 1 cup — this prevents the butter from scorching and helps filter out plant material

Equipment

• Baking sheet + parchment paper
• Oven
• Medium saucepan or slow cooker
• Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer
• Glass jar or container with lid
• Kitchen thermometer (highly recommended)
• Grinder (a hand grinder works fine — don’t powder it)

Step 1: Decarboxylation (The Step Most People Skip)

Raw cannabis contains THCA, which is not psychoactive. You need to convert THCA into THC through heat — this process is called decarboxylation, or “decarbing.” If you skip this step, your edibles will be weak or inactive regardless of how much cannabis you use.

1. Preheat your oven to 110°C (230°F)
2. Break your cannabis into small, roughly even pieces (don’t grind to powder — a coarse grind or hand-broken chunks work best)
3. Spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet
4. Bake for 40–45 minutes, stirring gently once halfway through
5. The cannabis should turn from green to a golden-brown colour and smell toasty
6. Remove and let cool completely before handling

Important: Don’t rush this by increasing the temperature. Higher heat destroys THC and terpenes. Low and slow is the rule.

Step 2: Infuse the Butter

Now you combine the decarbed cannabis with butter and water over low heat, allowing the THC to bind to the fat in the butter.

Stovetop Method

1. Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of butter to a medium saucepan
2. Heat on low until the butter melts completely
3. Add your decarbed cannabis and stir gently
4. Maintain a very low simmer — the mixture should never boil. Ideal temperature is 70–80°C (160–180°F). Use a thermometer if you have one.
5. Simmer for 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally. The water will prevent burning.
6. The mixture will look dark green and smell strongly of cannabis — that’s normal

Slow Cooker Method (Easier)

1. Add water, butter, and decarbed cannabis to a slow cooker
2. Set to Low
3. Cook for 4–6 hours, stirring every hour
4. This method is more forgiving on temperature and harder to overheat

The slow cooker method is better for beginners because the temperature stays naturally in the right range without constant monitoring.

Step 3: Strain and Separate

1. Place cheesecloth over a glass jar or heat-safe container
2. Carefully pour the butter mixture through the cheesecloth
3. Let it drain naturally — do not squeeze the cheesecloth. Squeezing pushes chlorophyll and plant matter through, making your butter taste bitter and vegetal.
4. Discard the plant material
5. Cover the jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight

As it cools, the butter will solidify on top of the water. Once solid, poke a small hole in the butter layer, drain the water underneath, and pat the bottom of the butter dry with a paper towel. You now have finished cannabutter.

Step 4: Dosing Math (Don’t Skip This)

This is where most homemade edible disasters happen. People guess at dosing, make something way too strong, eat too much, and have a miserable experience. A little math prevents all of that.

Here’s a simplified formula:

• If your cannabis is 20% THC, each gram contains roughly 200 mg of THC
• Decarboxylation and infusion are not 100% efficient — assume about 70–80% extraction
• So 7 grams of 20% THC cannabis yields approximately: 7 × 200 × 0.75 = ~1,050 mg of THC in your entire batch of butter
• If you divide that butter into 20 portions, each portion contains roughly ~52 mg of THC

For context, a legal recreational edible in Canada is capped at 10 mg per package. A beginner dose is 2.5–5 mg. So a single tablespoon of strong cannabutter can easily contain 50+ mg — enough to overwhelm someone with no tolerance.

Start with a very small amount when testing a new batch. A quarter teaspoon on toast, wait 90 minutes, assess. You can always eat more. You cannot un-eat what you already consumed. For more on safe dosing, read our Cannabis 101 guide.

Step 5: Storage

• Refrigerator: Cannabutter keeps for 2–3 weeks in an airtight container
• Freezer: Wrap in portions and freeze for up to 6 months. This is ideal if you make large batches.
• Labelling: Always clearly label your cannabutter. Write the approximate mg per tablespoon. You do not want someone mistaking it for regular butter.

What to Make With Cannabutter

Once you have your butter, the possibilities are wide open. Some beginner-friendly ideas:

• Toast: The simplest edible. Spread a measured amount on toast for a controlled dose.
• Brownies or cookies: Classic. Replace regular butter 1:1 with cannabutter in any baking recipe.
• Pasta sauce: Stir a small amount into a cream-based pasta sauce at the end of cooking (don’t boil it).
• Mac and cheese: Substitute some of the butter in your recipe.
• Mashed potatoes: A savoury option that pairs well with dinner.
• Grilled cheese: Butter the bread with cannabutter before grilling.

Rule of thumb: Don’t heat cannabutter above 175°C (350°F) for extended periods. High heat degrades THC. For baking, standard oven temperatures (160–175°C) are fine. For stovetop cooking, add the cannabutter at the end or over low heat.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Skipping decarb: Your edibles will be weak or inactive. Always decarb first.
2. Grinding too fine: Powdering the cannabis makes straining difficult and adds bitter plant taste. A coarse grind is enough.
3. Boiling the butter: High heat destroys THC and creates an unpleasant taste. Keep it at a low simmer.
4. Squeezing the cheesecloth: Patience. Let gravity do the work.
5. Not doing the dosing math: This is how people end up way too high for way too long.
6. Eating too much too soon: Edibles take 60–120 minutes to kick in. Wait before eating more. For a deeper look at timing and onset, see our cannabis and sleep guide which covers edible timing in detail.

Legal Considerations in Canada

Making cannabutter at home is fully legal in Canada as long as you use legally purchased cannabis. A few things to keep in mind:

• You can make edibles for personal use with legally purchased cannabis
• You cannot sell homemade edibles — that requires a processing licence from Health Canada
• Sharing with other adults is fine, but clearly communicate the potency
• Keep all cannabis products (including edibles and infused butter) away from children and pets
• Store in child-resistant containers when possible

For a full overview of what’s legal and what’s not, read our guide to buying weed legally in Canada.

Final Tips

• Use mid-range flower for butter — you don’t need top-shelf buds since the flavour will be masked by whatever you cook
• Trim, shake, and small buds work great for infusions and are usually cheaper
• Consider using a 1:1 THC:CBD strain for a more balanced, less intense edible experience
• Keep a notebook: record the strain, amount, and resulting potency so you can replicate good batches
• Ventilate your kitchen during decarb and infusion — it will smell

Once you’ve mastered cannabutter, you’ve unlocked the entire world of cannabis cooking. The process is simple, the science is straightforward, and the results are consistently better than anything you can buy in a 10mg package at the dispensary.

Cannabutter FAQ

Related Cannabis Guides

• Cannabis 101: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Weed in Canada
• CBD for Beginners in Canada: Benefits, Dosage, Safety & What to Buy
• How to Buy Weed Legally in Canada: Your Complete 2026 Guide

Disclaimer: This guide is for adults of legal age in Canada (19+ in most provinces, 18+ in Alberta, 21+ in Quebec). Cannabis edibles affect everyone differently. Start with a low dose and consume responsibly. Making cannabis-infused products for sale requires a licence from Health Canada.