Vegan-Friendly Cannabutter Alternatives 

People have been consuming cannabis for centuries, and while smoking is the quintessential method of consumption, there’s another way of ingesting it that has soared in popularity in recent years: eating it. 

Cannabis edibles have become hugely popular around the globe. Highly versatile, enjoyable, and offering a unique, long-lasting, fully-body high, edibles are truly a wonderful way to consume cannabis. Cookies, brownies, lollipops, gummies, RSO oils; there are so many tasty cannabis-infused treats.

You can either purchase pre-made goodies from dispensaries, online retailers, or headshops, or if you enjoy cooking and/or baking, you can get creative in your own kitchen and whip up some tasty foods that are enhanced with all of the goodness that weed offers on your own, although measuring exact THC levels becomes more a challenge with home preparation.

Whether you’re interested in purchasing pre-made products or you’d like to try your hand at making them yourself, if you’re interested in cannabis-infused edibles, there’s one item that you’re totally going to want to include on your menu: cannabutter! Why? Because you can add it into so many other dishes, enhancing the flavor and improving the health benefits of your food. But what if you’re a vegan?

Regular cannabutter isn’t vegan-friendly, as it’s made with animal byproducts. Does that mean that you have to forego cannabutter? Nope! Keep on reading to learn more about cannabutter, including some easy-to-make vegan-friendly recipes that you can try whipping up on your own. 

What is cannabutter? 

Before we jump in and share vegan-friendly cannabutter recipes, let’s first take a look at what cannabutter is. As the name implies, it’s simply butter that has been infused with marijuana. No, it isn’t filled with bits of leaves and flowers; rather, it’s free of plant-matter and is infused with the naturally-occurring chemical compounds that weed contains, like THC and CBD. 

Usually, cannabutter is used to make marijuana edibles, especially baked goods, like brownies, cookies, and cakes; however, it can be used with any type of food that calls for butter. For instance, you could totally mix cannabutter into a bowl of spaghetti, smear some on your morning toast or bagel, or put a pad on top of a heap of mashed potatoes (those are just a few ideas that come to mind). 

Cannabutter benefits

So, why should you consider using cannabutter? Well, because it’s probably one of the easiest ways to enjoy cannabis in edible form. Since butter can be used in so many types of foods – cookies, cakes, brownies, potatoes, oatmeal, toast, bagels, pasta, and more – with a single container of cannabutter, you can have an entire spread of cannabis-infused foods at your disposal. 

There are dedicated home kitchen appliances that can help you easily decarboxylate your weed (the necessary step to activate the THC) and create butter without making a huge mess. These include the Magic Butter Machine and the Ardent FX decarboxylation machine.

But why edibles? Well, because they offer a myriad of potential health benefits. Examples of some of the benefits you may be able to take advantage of by consuming foods that have been infused with cannabinoids include the following: 

• Improved sleep. Mix some cannabutter into your dinner or spread some on a piece of toast before bed to help you drift off to dreamland. 
• Eases cancer-related symptoms, as well as the side effects of cancer treatments. If you have been diagnosed with cancer (we’re so sorry and pray for a successful and speedy return to complete health), eating brownies, cookies, or other treats and foods that contain cannabutter can help to ease discomfort that you may be experiencing. 
• Pain relief. Whether you suffer from chronic pain, such as lower back pain, fibromyalgia, multiple-sclerosis, or Lyme disease, or acute pain, such as a broken bone, a slipped disc, or you’re recovering from a surgery, consuming cannabutter may be able to help ease the discomfort you’re experiencing. 
• Beautify benefits. That’s right, cannabutter can be used in more than just foods; it can be also be used in  beauty products, such as lotions and salves. Rich in essential vitamins, like vitamins A, C, E, and Omega fatty acids, using cannabutter in your beauty routine can do wonders for your skin. 

Scared of getting too high from edibles? That’s a good thing, because edibles demand respect. Read this article for what you should do in case you find yourself a bit too high from some home-made edibles.

How to Make Vegan Cannabutter

Needless to say, cannabutter offers a wealth of benefits. Not only does it provide numerous health advantages, but it also can provide a fantastic, full-body high. It just makes you feel relaxed, calm, and loosey-goosey, so to speak. 

If you’re interested in giving cannabutter a try but you strictly adhere to a diet that is completely free of animal an animal by-products, you’re probably wondering if you can make vegan-friendly cannabutter. Yes, you totally can, and it’s super-easy! Here’s a look at a simple recipe that involves just a few ingredients and a handful of steps. 

Vegan cannabis butter ingredients and supplies

In order to make vegan-friendly cannabis butter, you’ll need two simple ingredients: 

• ¼ ounce of weed (we recommend using at least a mid-grade bud)
• ½ cup (4 ounces) of coconut oil 

You’ll also need the following items to make your butter: 

• A shallow, oven-safe pan or pie plate
• A fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth 
• An oven or a dedicated decarboxylation machine.
• An airtight container

Vegan cannabis butter instructions 

Set out your ingredients and supplies, and then follow these steps to whip up your tasty vegan-friendly cannabutter: 

• Toast up your weed. Spread it out over the surface of your shallow oven-safe dish or pie plate. Set it into an oven that has been preheated to 240 degrees. Allow it to toast up for about 30 to 40 minutes, turning it a few times while it’s baking. Once nicely toasted, remove your weed from the oven and set it aside to cool completely. 
• Finely grind down your toasted marijuana. A spice grinder works great, or you can use a mortar and pestle. Of course, your fingers will do the trick, too. While you could do this before you toast it, it’s actually easier to break the weed down after, as it’s drier. 
• Set the weed back into the dish or pie plate and pour or spoon (depending on the state it’s in) on top of it. 
• Place the coconut oil-covered weed into the oven and let it cook up for about 3 hours. Give it a stir every 20 minutes or so. 
• Remove the dish from the oven. The oil should have a yellowish/green color. 
• Place the warm mixture into the cheesecloth or strainer and strain it. You want to make sure that you squeeze out as much of the cannabis-infused butter as you can, while removing as much of the plant matter as possible. 
• Place the oil into an airtight container. Place it in the fridge so it sets and use it as you please. 

Easier Instructions

Making edibles doesn’t have to be expensive, and the above recipe will do you just fine, however if you are frequently making edibles and thus have a consistent need for THC-infused oil, and particularly if you want to infuse non-dairy oils (like olive, coconut, grape seed etc) then investing in a dedicated infused like the Levo II might be a worthy investment.

This machine essentially removes the guess work and timing from the equation and also makes for a much quicker/easier cleanup when you’re done, which is why we recommend it to people who are regular cannachefs.