You may have smoked CBD flower before. Or maybe you haven’t. But did you know that there’s another fun and tasty way to consume it? Cooking with CBD flower! CBD has a lot of benefits for your overall well-being. So why not make the experience of ingesting it even better by adding it to a delicious recipe? Feel relaxed and soothed while chowing down on some brownies. Or maybe feel creative and inspired while sipping on some tea.
Luckily, adding CBD flower to almost any recipe is super easy. There are just a few steps to make sure the recipes are tasty and effective. We have all those tips and tricks down below, along with some fun meals to try out!
Making CBD edibles with flower
There are a few things you want to keep in mind before tossing CBD flower into your chow. Luckily it’s all pretty simple!
The first is to grind your CBD flower to the right consistency. Breaking it down it into small pieces versus a fine powder will affect how it’s distributed within the dish. It will also impact the food’s taste and texture. Depending on what kind of food you are creating, keep this in mind to enhance the experience.
Decarboxylation
To decarboxylate your CBD flower, simply tear or grind it up, spread it on a baking sheet, and bake it at 220 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes. Once activated, you can add your CBD flower to any dish you like, whether it’s a batch of brownies or your next lasagna.
This is one of the most important processes to remember. Also known as decarbing, this activates the CBD and makes it easier for the body to ingest. This is an especially critical process if you’re using raw hemp since this will make CBDA into CBD. By removing a carboxyl group from the molecule with heat, you’ll uncover the beneficial CBD you’re looking for.
Here’s how to properly decarb hemp flower:
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Break 1/8 to 1/4 ounces of hemp flower into small chunks — or grind them. Spread the buds on a cookie sheet or glass baking sheet.
- Bake the CBD flower for 45 minutes.
- Let the hemp flower cool for 20 minutes, after removing the tray from the oven.
How to Cook with CBD Flower
Cooking with CBD has become rapidly mainstream thanks to the simplicity of the recipes and the benefits of its inclusion. There are so many easy ways to include CBD flower in your dishes. Here’s how to get started:
Prep Your Space
Most kitchens can handle a CBD flower recipe easily! Just clear off a good amount of counter space and make sure the room has proper ventilation. Hemp flower smells like marijuana once it’s cooked, despite having less than 0.3% THC. So you’ll want to have windows open and fans on if possible!
Infuse Your CBD
If you want to bake with CBD, you have to extract it into a fat, especially if you’re not using an isolate. Take the hemp flower and make an extractionin sunflower or olive oil.
Making your own CBD extract usually means it’ll be stronger than a store-bought tincture anyway. You can also choose your hemp flower to ensure it’s high-quality and provides the right benefits. For example, Northern Lights is a sedative strain that quells discomfort. Silver Surfer is uplifting and energetic, helping you stay focused and feel creative.
Common CBD Flower Recipes
There are tons of recipes available online to suit your tastes, from mouth-watering brownies to relaxing teas. You can even drizzle CBD flower dressing on your salad. The possibilities are endless, so get creative!
Hemp Flower Pancakes
Many pancake recipes call for CBD oil, but you can sprinkle decarboxylated hemp flower directly into the pancake batter! Blend flour, hemp flower, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla to make a delicious pancake.
And spread plenty of butter on the pancakes, too, since orally-ingested CBD’s bioavailability is greatly reduced without a lipid. If that doesn’t sound delicious enough — or you can still taste the hemp — add some chocolate chips into the mix!
Stir Fry with CBD Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a great addition to a stir fry for a tropical, fun flavor. Might as well add some CBD to it! To make the CBD coconut oil, you’ll need one to two cups of CBD flower, one cup of coconut oil, and a cheesecloth.
Grind the CBD flower or even break it apart with your hand if desired. Melt the coconut oil along with the hemp in a saucepan. The oil should completely cover the hemp as they heat together gently.
If you’re using a slow cooker, allow it to simmer for 24 hours. You can also use a double boiler. Let both of them melt and simmer in the double boiler or saucepan without scorching for three to six hours. Don’t let it get above 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pour the infused oil into cheesecloth and then strain into its new home. Store it in the fridge or at room temperature.
Bump up the CBD by adding decarboxylated, ground-up hemp buds to the stir fry mix itself. The CBD will add an earthy flavor you might find interesting. It will also boost the potency of the meal even more since it’ll add double the CBD!
CBD Brownies
There are two ways to make brownies with CBD flower. The first is to add the ground-up hemp flower to the brownie mix before throwing it into the oven. You can also make CBD flower into CBD oil and create CBD-infused butter. Use this special butter instead of regular butter in your CBD brownie recipe!
This is known as cannabutter. It’s surprisingly common since you can toss this butter into any baked good instead of regular butter for easy addition of CBD. Decarb the hemp flower, grind it coarsely, and then add it to melted butter (melted in a saucepan with one cup water). Simmer it on low heat, above 160 degrees Fahrenheit but not more than 200, never letting it boil.
Strain the cannabutter mixture by setting a funnel on top of a jar and lining it with cheesecloth. Once the butter is cooled off, pour it over the cheesecloth funnel. Don’t squeeze it if you can hold back. Refrigerate the cannabutter. Use it as you would any old butter in your next batch of brownies.
Herbal Tea
There are two ways to make the perfect CBD tea. The first is simply adding CBD flower into a tea strainer and then placing the strainer in hot water. Of course, this approach won’t provide you with a lot of bioavailability since CBD is fat-soluble. If you want more of a kick, add CBD-infused butter or CBD-infused coconut oil to your tea.
There’s yet another way! Use CBD-infused honey. This is made similarly to the CBD oil, meaning you decarb the CBD and then combine it with honey while it’s heating on the stove. Let it simmer for 40 minutes, then strain and store!
What is CBD Flower?
Today’s cannabis strains have as much as 30% THC, which can have pretty strong effects on people. For some, it’s just not what they are looking for. CBD flower comes from hemp, meaning there is a low amount of THC (0.3% or less). This means it won’t get you “high” while still providing a range of benefits to your body and mood.
CBD flower is a non-intoxicating alternative to THC that gives users the “entourage effect,” thanks to the inclusion of terpenes, flavonoids, and other phytocannabinoids found in hemp (this includes an extremely low amount of THC). They all synergize to greatly impact your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which regulates your body’s different systems and balances mood.
There are two grades of hemp flower in the market today: biomass and premium. Cheef Botanicals’ CBD flower is premium-grade, meaning farmers use advanced light deprivation growth technologies to produce award-winning hemp flowers in their greenhouses. From there, the finest buds are hand-picked and trimmed to perfection.
CBD Flower Benefits
- Instant relief: Smoking CBD flower is the fastest way to ingest CBD, meaning it supplies cannabinoids to your ECS quicker than any other CBD product. The CBD crosses the blood-brain barrier in just a few seconds!
- Heat activation: Heat application “activates” the cannabinoid acids in raw plant material. This process, decarboxylation, actives phytocannabinoids that were previously inactive.
- May lessen cigarette cravings: Smoking CBD flower or vaping CBD can help with cravings by simulating the act of smoking cigarettes, and supporting the ECS, while nicotine harms the body.
- It’s social: For many people, smoking CBD flower at a gathering can become an activity all on its own. Unlike tinctures, it’s seen as more of a group activity. You can even use a hookah or bong to make it even more communal.
- Versatility: CBD flower isn’t only for smoking! You can also use it to make baked items, which are just as beneficial and social. We’re going to look at CBD flower in cooking a bit more since it’s becoming more and more popular.
- Flavorful: Consumers can find CBD flower in hundreds if not thousands of different flavors. From popular strains like Hawaiian Haze and OG Kush to exotic strains like Sour Space Candy and Grape Soda, there is a flavor for everyone.
Is CBD Flower Legal?
Unlike smoking marijuana, CBD flower is legal throughout the United States. The 2018 Farm Bill made it legal to sell and use CBD products derived from hemp. Sometimes people can get a bit confused since CBD can still contain THC. But according to the DEA, any CBD flower with 0.3% or less THC is legal. Any CBD flower containing more than 0.3% THC — whether from hemp or marijuana — is illegal.
CBD flower is completely legal if it’s derived from hemp having a THC content level of 0.3% or less. CBD flower that meets these standards can be cultivated, processed, and sold throughout the 50 states. While individual states may require you to be a certain age, it’s legal to purchase CBD flower anywhere in the country!
Can You Cook with CBD Flower?
Yes! That’s one of the reasons people love CBD flower — its versatility. Cannabinoids like CBD are fat-soluble. That means as long as the recipe calls for fat, you can cook with CBD quite easily. While there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind, usually, all you need to do is add CBD flower to an existing recipe!
Related: CBD Butter: A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Create A Delicious Recipe
What Foods Can You Make with CBD Flower?
The types of food you can make with CBD flower are quite varied, from seasoning to brownies. For a lot of CBD enthusiasts, it’s all about experimentation. You’ll find that most recipes can add this phytocannabinoid with the necessary preparation and processes.
- Cooking oil
- Butter
- Seasoning
- Dressing
- Baked goods
- Tea
- Honey
- Cocktails
Final Thoughts – Cooking with CBD Flower
As you can see, cooking with CBD flower is thankfully very simple (as long as you remember to decarb the hemp!). Adding it to any recipe can enhance the dish with soothing, comforting qualities, which vary depending on the CBD flower strain you pick. Try adding Cheef Botanical’s Goliath CBD flower to your pancakes in the morning to start the day off feeling creative and clear-headed. Or mix some Hawaiian Haze in your stir fry for an inspiring meal that leaves you feeling refreshed at lunch. Start your day with Ceiba Fox-infused tea to feel energized in the morning.
Remember to have fun and experiment, but always make sure your CBD flower is properly prepared for the kitchen. You’ll be coming up with exciting recipes in no time. And if you do, definitely feel free to share! We’d love to see what you come up with, whether it’s a baked good or a healthy dinner seasoning!
