How to Make Cannabutter in a Slow Cooker (Easy Crockpot Marijuana Butter)

Co-authored by Lauren Forsch and Madeleine Criglow

Last Updated: December 9, 2024 Approved

If you want to enjoy the benefits of marijuana without having to smoke it, making marijuana butter is a great option. With a little prep work and a slow cooker, the process is super easy to do at home. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to make some yummy cannabutter.

Ingredients

¹⁄₄ ounce (7.1 g) of cannabis flower
16 ounces (450 g) of unsalted butter (about 4 sticks)
2 cups (470 mL) of water

Making Dope Cannabis Butter at Home

Toast and cool cannabis buds before grinding them down.
Add 2 cups of water and 16 ounces of unsalted butter into a slow cooker.
Set the slow cooker on low heat between 200-250 °F (93–121 °C).
Pour all the fresh, ground cannabis into the cooker and stir.
Allow it to cook for 8 hours or longer for maximum potency.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Prepping Cannabis

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Decarboxylating the cannabis is necessary to activate its psychoactive components. If you make edibles with just raw marijuana, your edibles may be pretty lackluster. Toasting the cannabis in the oven will ensure that the THC in the cannabis is active and ready for you to make some tasty (and potent) edibles.^{[1]
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2
Break up the cannabis buds and scatter them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. To do this, roll the buds between your hands over the cookie sheet. This breaks them apart into smaller pieces so that the cannabis is toasted evenly.^{[2]
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- Try breaking down each bud into 2-3 separate pieces.
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3
Toast the cannabis for 40 minutes and then let it cool. Once your oven has reached 240 °F (116 °C), put the cookie sheet in the oven and let it sit for 40 minutes. Check on the cannabis periodically to see how it's toasting. Take it out of the oven after 40 minutes or when the cannabis has turned from green to golden brown. After, let the cannabis cool before proceeding to the next step.^{[3]
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- Check on your cannabis after about 20 minutes.
4
Grind your cannabis with a cannabis grinder. Measure out ¹⁄₄ ounce (7.1 g) of cannabis flower and put it in the grinder. Next, grind it until it has the consistency of dried oregano.^{[4]
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- If you don't have a grinder, try ripping up the flower with your fingers.

Part 2

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Cooking

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Combine 2 cups (470 mL) of water with 16 ounces (450 g) of unsalted butter (about 4 sticks) in the slow cooker. The water will prevent the butter and the cannabis from scalding during the cooking process, which can lower the potency of the cannabis.^{[6]
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Make sure the temperature remains between 200–250 °F (93–121 °C). Let the butter melt before proceeding to the next step.^{[7]
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3
Add the ground cannabis to the slow cooker. Pour all of your fresh, ground cannabis into the cooker and stir the ingredients together. Next, cover the slow cooker.^{[8]
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- Using a slow cooker with a lid can help you mask the smell of the marijuana as it cooks, so this is a great option if you have roommates or live in an apartment.^{[9]
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Do this to make sure the cannabutter doesn't burn or come to a boil. Both can lower the potency of your cannabutter, as too much heat can destroy the THC.
5
Cook the cannabutter for 2-3 hours for low potency. The longer you cook your cannabutter, the higher the potency will be. If you're a cannabis beginner or just want lower potency cannabutter, cook the cannabutter for 2-3 hours.
- After cooking for 2-3 hours, check to see that the top layer of your cannabutter has turned from liquid to thick and solid. That's when you know it's ready.
If you'd like to make stronger cannabutter, leave it on the slow cooker for up to 24 hours. Just make sure you keep an eye on it as it cooks.^{[10]
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Part 3

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Storage

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1
Strain the liquid out of the cannabutter using a strainer. Once the cannabutter is done cooking, grab a strainer and place it over a medium bowl in the sink. Next, line the bowl with a cheesecloth. Pour the contents of the slow cooker into the strainer. Strain the cannabutter for 5 minutes, leaving the strainer sitting over the bowl.^{[11]
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- This filters out all of the excess plant material in your cannabutter.
When cannabutter first comes out of the oven, it's still pretty watery. Cool it down in the oven so that it hardens and solidifies together. Before you do that, use tinfoil or plastic wrap to cover the bowl. Then, place it in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. You might try cooling it overnight to ensure the perfect texture.^{[12]
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After cooling the butter for at least 3 hours, it should be pretty solid. Scrape the butter out of the bowl using a spatula and place it on a paper towel. Dry off any excess water on the butter block with another paper towel.^{[13]
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4
Store the cannabutter in the fridge or the freezer. Wrap it in 2 layers of plastic wrap and keep it in an airtight container. Use the butter anytime you want to make a cannabis-infused meal or treat.^{[14]
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- The butter will keep for 2 months in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Where can I use marijuana-infused butter?

Lauren Forsch
CBD Expert
Lauren Forsch is a CBD Expert and Founder of Popped.NYC based in New York. Popped.NYC is a cannabis company and lifestyle brand that creates CBD products designed to provide people with relief and promote wellness, self-care, and health. With first-hand experience of managing physical pain and anxiety, Lauren found relief from plant-based, CBD remedies. She created Popped.NYC from a desire to help people manage their pain and offers consultations and a wide variety of handmade, THC-free, vegan CBD products.

Lauren Forsch

CBD Expert

Expert Answer

You can use marijuana-infused butter (commonly called cannabutter) in almost any recipe that calls for regular butter—it’s incredibly versatile! Start with baked goods like brownies, cookies, or muffins; they’re classic for a reason and super easy to make. Beyond sweets, you can use it in savory dishes too. You can even stir it into your mashed potatoes! If you want a more creative twist, use it to sauté garlic and herbs for pasta or to make a cannabis-infused sauce or gravy. Just be mindful of the temperature when cooking since high heat can degrade the cannabinoids and reduce potency.

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