Infused Kitchen: Cannabis in butter, oil, honey & drinks

An infused kitchen is not a trend – it’s an attitude. Once you understand how cannabis is bound in fats, oils, honey or drinks, you can enrich any dish, dessert or drink as you see fit. The key lies in the right base.

What is an infused kitchen?

The term “infused kitchen” describes a cuisine in which cannabis is not eaten as a separate element, but is anchored as an ingredient in the preparation – invisible in the oil, in the butter, in the honey. The result: a consistent experience, no unexpected surprises.

The advantages over other forms of consumption:

• Precise dosing possible (if the infusion is carefully measured)
• Gentler on the airways
• Longer lasting effect due to digestion
• Versatile – sweet and savory, hot and cold

The most important infusion bases: Butter, oil, honey, milk/cream and alcohol (for tincture). The right base is chosen depending on the dish.

Decarboxylation: the step that decides everything

Before cannabis can be infused into anything, decarboxylation must take place. Without this step, everything contains only THCA – ineffective. The principle:

1. Preheat the oven to 105-115 °C
2. Finely chop the cannabis (do not pulverize), spread on baking paper
3. Bake for 30-45 minutes – the color changes from light green to golden brown
4. Allow to cool, then infuse

This step applies to every infusion: butter, oil, honey, milk – always decarboxylate first.

Cannabis butter – the mother of all infusions

Cannabis butter is the most commonly used infused base – it goes equally well with desserts, brownies, cookies, toast and savory dishes. It is made from butter and decarboxylated cannabis, at low heat for several hours.

Basic recipe (250 g butter):

• 250 g butter
• 250 ml water
• 5-10 g decarboxylated cannabis
• Pot, fine sieve or cheesecloth

Melt butter and water, stir in cannabis, simmer for 2-3 hours at 70 °C (never allow to bubble). Filter through a sieve and leave to set in the fridge. The water separates and is poured off. What remains: intensely green, effective cannabutter.

Detailed recipe: Classic cannabutter – ZenCannaKitchen

Cannabis oil: versatile, strong, long-lasting

Cannabis olive oil has a slightly lighter taste than butter and is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to use a dairy product. Particularly practical: it keeps for up to 3 months in the fridge and can be drizzled over ready-made dishes – i.e. without heat.

The principle is identical to cannabutter, only without water: heat olive oil at 70 °C, stir in cannabis, leave to infuse for 2 hours, filter. The video by ZenCannaKitchen explains the process very clearly:

Recipe: Cannabis olive oil – ZenCannaKitchen

Tip: Coconut oil works just as well and is ideal for vegan baking. You can also find the cannabis coconut oil recipe on ZenCannaKitchen.

Cannabis honey (cannahoney) – for tea, desserts and more

Cannahoney is an elegant infusion product: sweet, aromatic, versatile. It is perfect for cannabis tea, as a topping on pancakes, in dressings or pure on bread.

Basic recipe:

• 250 g raw honey
• 5 g decarboxylated cannabis

Heat the honey in a water bath to 70 °C, stir in the cannabis and simmer gently for 2 hours. Important: Never heat honey above 80 °C – it then loses its valuable enzymes and the THC potency drops. Filter and pour into jars.

Recipe: Cannabis honey – ZenCannaKitchen

Infused drinks: Cannabis tea and milkshake

Cannabis drinks are a category of their own. Important to know: THC hardly dissolves in pure water – drinks always need a fat base.

Cannabis tea: Tea alone therefore only works with an additive – either a sip of milk, a spoonful of cannabutter or a teaspoon of coconut oil. Only then is the THC from the leaves (or stems) effectively absorbed. The recipe: Boil water, infuse cannabis leaves for 10 minutes, mix with cannabutter. Recipe: Cannabis tea – ZenCannaKitchen

Cannabis milkshake: The fat base is already present here. Cannabis milk (whole milk boiled with cannabutter or cannabis oil for 30 minutes) is mixed with fruit, ice and spices. Ideal for warm days. Recipe: Cannabis milkshake – ZenCannaKitchen

Dosage in the infused kitchen

The central principle: no more than 5-10 mg THC per serving for beginners, 10-20 mg for experienced users. Because the effect only sets in after 30-90 minutes, patience is required – and a consistent no to re-dosing within this time frame.

If you want to find out more about the effects of cannabis: Cannabis for social anxiety and Cannabis for back pain provide a good overview of current studies. All current cannabis events in Germany are listed in the article Cannabis Events 2026.