Weed brownies are a staple in cannabis culture. They’re referenced in countless stoner movies and TV shows, and anyone who consumes cannabis has probably tried them at least once.
While you can make edibles of any sort, cannabis-infused brownies have firmly positioned themselves as the go-to homemade edible. This is partially due to their common appearance in media, but they also serve a logistical purpose. When baked correctly, the strong, rich, and chocolatey taste of brownies successfully covers up the skunky taste of the cannabis itself.
So if you’re an adult in an area where cannabis is legal, read on to discover all you need to know about this iconic dish!
Understanding Cannabis for Baking
Choosing the Right Strain
Different cannabis strains have different effects. For example, Indica strains tend to be relaxing, whereas Sativa strains are usually more energizing. Choosing an Indica vs. Sativa strain can make a big impact on your edibles.
Cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), along with the terpenes found in a strain, greatly affect the strain’s medical and recreational effects.
THC is the “psychoactive” compound in cannabis that produces a high. CBD, on the other hand, is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid with relaxing effects.
Calculating the Dosage
It’s important to properly dose your brownies — both to have fun and avoid a bad time. It can be easy to take too high of a dose while consuming edibles since their effects are delayed by several hours, so deciding how much weed will be in each brownie is vital.
Generally speaking, a good dose for the average casual cannabis user would be 5-10 mg per brownie. Decide ahead of time how many brownie pieces you’ll cut so you can dose properly.
Let’s go over the calculations you need to figure out how much weed to use.
Grams of Flower x THC% = Grams of THC
If you want 10 brownies with 5 mg of THC in each, and your weed has 25% THC, you would do the following equation:
5 mg x 10 Brownies = 50 mg Total THC
Convert the THC% into a decible.
25% = .25
Last, do some division:
50 mg THC Divided By .25 = 200 mg of Flower Needed
Once you reach your final calculation, you’ll know how much cannabis you need for your recipe. Measure the cannabis on a scale and grind it to prepare it for decarboxylation. You can check out our in-depth guide on how to weigh weed for further guidance if needed.
Additionally, if you’d like help with your math, check out our handy edible dosage calculator.
Preparing for Your Weed Brownies
Decarboxylation: The First Step
Decarbing your weed makes it so that orally consuming it produces a high. Without decarbing your weed, you need to combust it to feel its intoxicating effects — and that’s not going to work for marijuana brownies. This step is vital when learning how to make edibles.
Decarboxylation is the process of removing a carboxyl group from a molecule. When the carboxyl groups are still attached, THCA and CBDA can’t bind to the receptors in your endocannabinoid system. Decarbing your weed turns THCA and CBDA into THC and CBD, making the compounds bioavailable so you can feel their effects.
Let’s talk about how to decarb weed in the oven. To decarb your weed, first preheat the oven to about 230°F. Bake your ground cannabis for about half an hour, stirring regularly and paying attention to avoid burning. It’s ready when the cannabis darkens in color.
Equipment and Ingredients
You’ll need the following kitchen equipment to bake weed brownies:
- Large bowl
- Baking pan
- Silicone spatula
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Knife
- Toothpicks
- Funnel
- Cheesecloth
You’ll also need the following ingredients to bake weed brownies:
- 1 cup (8 oz, or 2 sticks worth) cannabutter. Use less cannabutter and compensate with regular butter to decrease potency.
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
How to Make Weed Brownies: Step-by-Step Recipe
This simple recipe will walk you through the basics of making cannabis-infused brownies.
- Preparation Time: 10 minutes
- Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours
- Yield: 12 brownies
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C
- Melt the cannabutter in a saucepan over medium heat or microwave in 15-second increments.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: eggs, vanilla extract, and melted cannabutter.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients: sugar, cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder and thoroughly mix.
- Spread batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until sides start to pull away from the edges and the center has completely set.
Baking and Aftercare Tips
Baking
Generally speaking, cook brownies for about 25-30 minutes at 350°F.
Some ovens “run hot” or “run cold,” meaning the temperature you set is not the exact temperature in the oven. For example, an oven that runs hot may sneak up to 270 degrees when you set it at 250.
Set the temperature to cooler than recommended to compensate for an oven that runs hot. Similarly, set the temperature to hotter than recommended to compensate for an oven that runs cold.
Storage
Brownies don’t need to be stored in the fridge. On the contrary, putting them in the fridge makes them hard and dense.
Instead, keep your brownies tightly covered with foil. Do not put the foil on top of the brownies until they’re fully cool. You can also transfer them to an air-tight container. If you want to warm or soften them up before eating, put your brownie in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Allergy and Health Considerations
One common allergen in pot brownies is dairy, which can be substituted by using dairy-free chocolate. This is easy to find in the dark chocolate section.
Another common allergen in pot brownies is gluten. The flour can be substituted with almond flour, rice flour, or mixes of flour meant to imitate wheat flour.
Nut allergies become a concern when nuts are mixed in with brownies, which is a popular variation. Be sure to inform people when your brownies have nuts in them.
Lastly, make sure your pot brownies are clearly labeled so that no one eats one without knowing it’s psychoactive. Keep out of reach of children and pets. As always, consume your pot brownies responsibly.
Customizing Your Brownies
Variations and Add-Ins
There are plenty of weed brownie variations and add-ins. Some common combinations include:
- Double chocolate
- Peanut butter
- M&M
- Fudge
- Caramel
Vegan and Gluten-Free Options
To make pot brownies gluten-free, substitute the flour for gluten-free flour, such as almond or rice. Mixed gluten-free flours mimic gluten-filled flour by using multiple flours.
There are a couple of easy vegan substitutions necessary for brownies. The first is the butter, which can be replaced with vegan butter. Vegan butter is usually made of condensed oils.
Next, you need to replace the eggs. The two most common ways to do this are:
- Mix 1 tablespoon of flax seed with 1 tablespoon of water and let it sit for half an hour to make the equivalent of one large egg.
- Use 2 tbsp of applesauce per egg.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
One common issue that people come across when baking marijuana brownies is that they taste too much like weed. A more thorough strain of your cannabutter using cheesecloth should fix the problem. That being said, if you’re using a high dose of cannabis, then some taste is unavoidable.
If your pot brownies are too weak, you may not have decarbed your weed properly. Likewise, you could have miscalculated the amount of weed needed. If they’re too strong, cut them into smaller pieces for the time being and use less weed in the next batch.
Overly firm brownies indicate that you baked them for too long or overworked the batter. Brownies that fall apart and won’t solidify need a longer baking time or higher heat. If you don’t let your brownies cool completely before cutting them, that’s the most likely culprit.
If your brownies don’t have a good consistency, mix the batter more thoroughly. Check for lumps before pouring the batter into the baking pan.
One final note: it’s important to know how to recover from edibles for responsible consumption!
Final Thoughts
Weed brownies are a great way to consume cannabis both recreationally and medicinally when within legal boundaries.
Due to their onset time, it can be easy to get impatient and re-dose before the first dose kicks in. Wait a few hours before eating more.
Veriheal is here for all of your cannabis health needs, and we can help you get a medical cannabis card online for a large range of ailments. We also value consumer education, regularly posting articles to keep our readers and patients informed.
For further guidance on your cannabis journey, book an appointment with us today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much weed do you need to make brownies?
Pot brownies need different amounts of weed depending on how strong you want them to be and how much THC is in your weed. Calculate how much weed you need by starting with how strong you want your dosage to be, and then use the amount of THC in your weed to find how many grams of weed to use.
What is the shelf life of weed brownies?
The shelf life of weed brownies is up to 3 days on the counter when stored correctly.
What are the effects of eating weed brownies?
Weed brownies can make you feel relaxed, pain-free, euphoric, energized, and more depending on the strain used to make them. Edibles typically take anywhere from 2-6 hours to kick in, and the effects can last many hours.
This article was originally written by Lo in 2019 and updated in November 2024.
