Bailey Rahn and Anna Wilcox contributed to this article.

Cannabis-infused butter (cannabutter) is one of the simplest and most common ways to make infused cannabis edibles. However, making infused butter can be a little bit tricky. In order to activate its psychoactive potential, the flower must be heated slowly at a low temperature. This recipe will first guide you through this process–called decarboxylation–before walking you through a step-by-step guide to infusing butter.

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How to Make Cannabis-Infused Butter (or ‘Cannabutter’)

Weed infused butter in bowl with cannabis shake on table
Clare Barboza for Leafly

Butter is a delicious and versatile carrier for THC and other cannabinoids, although it isn’t the only one. You can also use coconut oil, olive oil, or any other fatty oil for your infusions. Just keep in mind, butter burns easily, so keep a close eye on your cannabutter as it cooks.


  • 1 cup of butter
  • 1 cup (7-10 grams) of ground cannabis, decarboxylated

Directions for Decarboxylating Cannabis


Some recipes may instruct you to decarb cannabis in the hot butter directly, but the less time you spend soaking the buds, the better your infused butter is going to taste. For this reason, we recommend decarbing in the oven first.

Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Preheat your oven to 245ºF.
  2. Place your cannabis buds on a non-stick, oven-safe tray. You can also cover the tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
  3. Insert the tray into the oven and set a timer for 30 to 40 minutes. Older, drier cannabis may require less time. (Tip: you can also set your oven to 300ºF and heat for 10 to 18 minutes, although low-and-slow is the recommended approach when decarbing to better preserve cannabinoids.)
  4. Every 10 minutes, gently mix the buds with a light shake of the tray. This helps to expose the surface area of the buds equally.

Now, your cannabis has been decarboxylated and you’re ready to cook your butter.

What Is Decarboxylation, and Why Does Your Cannabis Need It?

Directions for Slow Cooker

  3. Add the butter and ground cannabis. Stir occasionally.
  5. Proceed to straining instructions below.

Directions for Stove Top

  1. Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of butter into a stock pot or saucepansauce pan. Simmer on low and let the butter melt. Adding water helps to regulate the temperature and prevents the butter from scorching.
  2. As butter begins to melt, add in your coarsely ground cannabis product.
  3. Maintain low heat (ideally above 160ºF but never exceeding 200ºF) and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture should never come to a full boil.
  4. Proceed to straining instructions below.

Straining Your Cannabutter

  2. Refrigerate the jar of butter. Refer to dosing information below before adding your butter to any snacks, dishes, or desserts.

Avoid These 7 Common Mistakes While Cooking Cannabis Edibles

Tips for Dosing Cannabutter


Use the Leafly Finder to Get Your Cannabis to Infuse

Hat-tip to Chef Torrin (a.k.a. The Dank Chef) for contributing tips, measurements, and expertise to this recipe.