Searching for tips about how to make potent and tasty weed brownies? We’ve got just the recipe. As iconic as the cannabis leaf symbol, infused brownies are enshrined in cannabis legend. There’s a good case to be made that the medical marijuana movement throughout the 1980s and 90s took off in large part thanks to Brownie Mary (aka Mary Rathbun), the feisty San Franciscan who baked thousands of weed brownies for HIV/AIDS patients.
Ready to roll up your sleeves? Get out your baking essentials and follow our guide to infused brownies. Follow our step-by-step weed brownie recipe, learn how to dose and store your treats, and more.
Making Weed Brownies at a Glance: Making weed brownies is simple once you understand the flow: start by decarboxylating your cannabis, infuse it into a fat, mix it into your batter, bake it, try it, and last but not least, store it safely. As with any cannabis edible, remember to start low and go slow when it’s time to dig in.
Infusion 101: Why Fat Matters When Making Weed Brownies
When learning how to make weed brownies, infusion—how the cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, actually make it into the batter—is key. It’s why using fat is so critical, as cannabinoids are not water-soluble. To infuse homemade brownies or other edibles, you’ll need a fat such as:
- Butter or ghee
- Vegetable oil
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
Coconut oil, in particular, is an excellent choice since it readily absorbs THC and imparts a lightly sweet yet rich flavor to homemade goodies.
Once you’ve settled on a fat, the next step is known as “decarboxylation,” the process of exposing cannabis to enough heat that the inactive THCA in the bud changes to active THC. In fact, you decarboxylate (or “decarb”) your cannabis every time you put a lighter to a joint or a bowl.
For making weed brownies, you’ll use your home oven to decarb, ensuring the temperature doesn’t exceed 250°F and that you don’t exceed 45 minutes or so, lest you lose potency. To learn more about how to decarboxylate cannabis for weed brownies, start with our Guide to Decarboxylation.
Once you’ve decarboxylated your weed, you can make an infused cannabutter (or oil). Head to our step-by-step Guide to Making Cannabutter to ensure you’re ending up with the best and most potent ingredients right from the start.
If you lack the time or kitchen skills to decarb your weed and make cannabutter, all is not lost! There are ready-to-use options, such as cannasugar, tinctures, and extracts, that are already decarbed for you and work in a pinch.
What You Need: Equipment & Ingredients
Aside from the classic ingredients of a standard homemade brownie, the sky’s the limit for any tasty additions you’d want to add to your batch, including nuts, chocolate chips, caramel, coarse salt, and more.
The recipe below is for a standard non-vegan and non-gluten-free weed brownie, but you can make substitutions as you see fit, like using coconut oil instead of butter.
Essential Equipment
- 8” × 8” pan
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk/spatula
- Parchment paper
- Digital scale (for dosing)
- Toothpick (for testing)
Brownie Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, cannabutter, or infused coconut oil (room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar or cannasugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup flour
- Optional toppings or additions: chopped nuts, caramel, sea salt flakes, chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc.
Pro tip: If you’re unsure of the potency of your cannabutter, consider using half cannabutter and half butter or oil the first time around so as not to end up with an overwhelmingly potent batch. You can slowly increase the cannabutter amount until you find a potency that works best for you. You can also use a gluten-free flour or vegan substitute for butter and eggs, but do so with caution. Not all these products behave in exactly the same way as the original ingredients do.
Step-by-Step Weed Brownie Recipe
Once you have all the ingredients, you’re ready to start baking your first batch of cannabis brownies. Don’t worry, you’ve got this—read the recipe from start to finish before diving in, and maybe hold off enjoying too much cannabis until your brownies are safely in the oven. Here’s what you can expect in terms of time commitment and yield:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 – 30 minutes
Yield: Roughly 12 brownies
Estimated Potency: Varies; see Dosing Tips note below
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Allow the cannabutter or oil to reach room temperature before use.
- In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: Flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the butter or oil with the eggs until they’re well combined and frothy, then add the vanilla extract.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, including add-ons like chocolate chips. Stir gently until they’re just combined, resisting the urge to overmix, which can lead to dense, dry brownies.
- Line or grease the 8” x 8” pan.
- Pour the mixture into the baking pan, smooth the top, and then add any optional toppings.
- Bake for roughly half an hour. For softer, chewier brownies, bake for 25 minutes; for a firmer, fudgelike texture, bake for 30 minutes.
- Use the toothpick to test for doneness; moist crumbs are ideal.
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before cutting, serving, or storing.
Pro tips: Avoid the urge to overbake or use a higher temperature, as this can degrade the THC (and lead to a dry, crumbly product), and cut the brownies into equal portions to simplify dosing. And to help with even dosing, ensure that your cannabutter is fully melted before whisking it into your weed brownie recipe.
Dosing Tips and Onset Times
How much weed do you need to make brownies? Here’s some simple cannabis edibles math to get you started on the right foot:
- Begin with the THC content of your weed, which you can find on the label.
- Then, using your digital scale, multiply the grams of cannabis × THC% × 1000.
- Divide that number by the number of servings in a pan.
- This will give you mg of THC per serving.
In real numbers, imagine you have 1 gram of cannabis and the label says it’s 20% THC. That means there are about 200 milligrams of THC in that gram. If your brownie pan makes 10 pieces, you just divide the 200 milligrams by 10. Each brownie would end up with roughly 20 milligrams of THC, which is pretty strong for many beginners. Here’s how those equations look:
- 1 gram of cannabis × 20% THC × 1000 = 200 mg THC total
- 200 mg ÷ 10 brownies = 20 mg per serving
If you want a milder batch, you can either use less cannabis or cut your brownies into more pieces so each one has fewer milligrams. How much is the right amount? While that’s a highly personal question, here are some rough guidelines:
Light (2 – 5mg THC): For most people, this imparts a manageable effect that fosters relaxation and fun.
Moderate (5 – 10mg THC): At this dosage, the effects are likely somewhat intoxicating, with strong euphoria and shifts in motor control and perception.
Strong (10 – 20mg+ THC): At this weed brownie dose, most people will feel noticeably intoxicated.
Cannabis in brownies and other edibles takes longer to take effect than inhaled cannabis, generally between 45 – 90+ minutes, and the effects can last anywhere from 4 – 6+ hours. For a deeper dive on edibles dosing, head to our Edible Dosing Guide and remember to start low and go slow when it comes to any cannabis product, especially edibles, given their delayed onset.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating Weed Brownies
Store your finished cannabis brownies in an airtight container. While your location and climate will determine precise storage times for cannabis brownies, here are some rough guidelines:
- Room temperature: Consume within 2 – 3 days
- Fridge: Consume within 1 week
- Freezer: Consume up to 3 months
Make sure to label your brownies with the estimated potency and the date you made them, and wrap each one on its own to keep things fresh and portioned. Because they look just like regular treats, store them somewhere secure and out of reach of children or anyone who shouldn’t be consuming cannabis.
Tip: If you’re reheating your weed brownies later, do it gently. Avoid hot microwave bursts, as they can dry out your brownies and negatively impact the fragile terpenes within the infused butter or oil.
Ready to Turn Cannabis Into Tasty Brownies? Get Started at Mission
Take it from us: Making your own homemade weed brownies can feel like a tasty and rewarding accomplishment. As long as you take your time with decarbing and infusing, you’ll end up with a batch that’s flavorful, effective, and tailored to your ideal experience. Those steps are simple, but they’re the secret to turning regular brownies into real-deal cannabis treats.
Of course, your brownies are only as good as the flower you start with. That’s where we come in. Stop by your nearest Mission dispensary and pick up fresh, high-quality cannabis that’s perfect for infusing into butter or oil. Our team can help you choose strains with the flavor, potency, and effects you’re aiming for, whether you’re going mellow, uplifting, or somewhere in between.
And if baking isn’t in the cards today? No worries. We’ve got plenty of ready-to-enjoy edibles, from gummies and chocolates to drinks and classic baked goods, all accurately dosed and crafted for a consistent experience.
Whatever you’re making or munching, Mission is here to help you enjoy cannabis confidently and safely. Swing by anytime and chat with our knowledgeable budtenders.
FAQs About Weed Brownies
Can I make weed brownies without cannabutter?
Yes! You can use cannaoil, a vegan alternative to cannabutter, or you can simply use a decarbed cannabis extract or tincture. In this case, though, be sure to replace the cannabutter quantity with regular butter or oil to ensure the recipe still works.
How long should I bake weed brownies?
In general, making weed brownies takes 25 – 30 minutes at 350°F. Test the brownies with a toothpick at the 25-minute mark. If a moist crumb sticks to the toothpick, the brownies are ready.
How long do the effects take?
With weed brownies and other edibles, the effects generally take between 45 – 90+ minutes. We strongly recommend you wait at least 2 hours before taking any more, to reduce the chance of having too much.
How much weed should I use for my weed brownies?
When calculating how much weed to use in brownies, the easiest way to calculate is to multiply the THC content of your cannabis by the number of grams you have, then multiply once more by 1,000 to get the total milligrams. Finally, divide by the number of servings to find how many mg of THC are in each brownie.
Can I freeze homemade weed brownies?
Yes, weed brownies freeze well. We recommend you wrap them individually and label each package with the milligrams of THC per serving so that you always know exactly how much to take.
What temperature should I bake weed brownies at?
The standard temperature for baking weed brownies is 350°F (175°C). Avoid excessive heat, as it can cause the THC in your infused fat to degrade.
