This sweet and gooey cannabis honey, or “cannahoney”, is the perfect way to infuse any of your favorite, delectable, sweet treats or beverages! What’s more? This recipe is uber simple and requires no sticky infusion process, so you won’t feel overwhelmed or bogged down by the details.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
Cannabis honey is something my Well With Cannabis Community has been discussing in our recent open and informative conversations together.
Everyone has their own tried and true method, and after learning from them, I put together my own guide that will help you make the best cannahoney possible.
This is a simple and easy way to make cannabis honey, without the ridiculously sticky, traditional infusion process that may not even be that effective in the first place.
Save your time and energy by using this method which uses either decarbed flower or kief, or cannabis concentrates like FECO instead.
Once made, this cannabis honey recipe is perfect for having on-hand whenever you want to infuse your favorite food and drinks.
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Honey: Any type of honey you want to use will work, just remember that locally sourced, raw, organic honey will have more health benefits than grocery store bear honey.
- Infusion Choice: Decarbed flower, decarbed kief, or cannabis concentrates like FECO/RSO, distillate, shatter, wax, etc.
- Lecithin: An optional ingredient, but lecithin can be helpful, if using concentrates
THE STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS
- Step 1 – Choose your favorite type of honey. The golden-yellow honey pictured is Orange Blossom honey, the dark orange honey is Wild Flower honey.
- Step 2 – Choose your infusion option: flower or kief, or cannabis concentrates. Decarb if needed.
- Step 3 – Prepare a double boiler.
- Step 4 – Add the honey and allow it to warm.
- Step 5 – Add the decarbed cannabis to the warmed honey.
- Step 6 – Whisk well.
- Step 7 – Pour into an airtight container for storage.
- Step 8 – Stir well before using.
- Step 5 – Add the concentrate to the warmed honey.
- Step 6 – Add the lecithin to the mixture.
- Step 7 – Whisk well.
- Step 8 – Pour into an airtight container for storage. Stir well before using.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
Like any other honey, this recipe needs to be stored at room temperature away from direct light and heat. If your honey crystallized, it can be brought back to its liquid state with gentle heat.
WHY FOLLOW THIS METHOD?
You may notice that there are many ways to infuse honey in different recipes found online.
Most infuse the cannabis directly with the honey by cooking them together for 2-4 hours at temperatures above 160°F, similar to how we infuse cannabutter or various cannabis oils.
However, I do not believe this is the best method for two reasons.
Reason #1: Honey may lose many of its most beneficial properties at low temperatures. You essentially cook out all of the natural benefits of honey with these higher cooking temperatures.
I learned this from many different members of my Well With Cannabis Community. One member who was a beekeeper agreed and said:
“As a beekeeper, put it directly in the honey and then strain with a cheesecloth – if you slightly heat, SLIGHTLY heat the local honey, you will keep the stuff we want in local honey. Too hot and it becomes the grocery store crap.”
This is why we are using the double boiler in this method to just slightly heat the honey and make it more vicious and have a more liquid/runny consistency.
Reason #2: There is no fat in honey for the cannabinoids to bond to.
Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are lipophilic, meaning they are attracted to fat molecules.
They are not water-soluble, which means they will not dissolve in water alone (1).
When you infuse the honey, I am afraid that the majority of cannabinoids are remaining attached to the plant material and are discarded through the straining process.
That is why my recommendation continues to encourage my community to mix honey with an already prepared option like concentrates and FECO, or with flowers that won’t be strained, as outlined in this method.
HOW TO DETERMINE THE DOSING
Want to get a more accurate guesstimate of the potency of your cannabis infusions and extractions? Try our popular edibles calculator!
Not sure what your perfect dose is? Learn more here.
NOTES AND EXPERT TIPS
- You can decarb the traditional way in the oven or in an Instant Pot.
- Use any honey of choice, however the higher the quality the better.
- Honey lasts indefinitely, but try to use it within a few months.
- A half a teaspoon to a full teaspoon is a good place to start when dosing, but always remember the golden rule – start low and go slow!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Cannabis honey can be brand new to even the most seasoned cannabis consumer, so here are some of the most common FAQs I get asked about cannabis honey from my Well With Cannabis Community.
How much do you recommend using to start off?
Go slow, use a teaspoon or half a teaspoon to start. If you don’t know your personal tolerance yet, be sure to read this beginner’s guide to cannabis edibles before getting started.
Can I use agave nectar or maple syrup instead?
Sure! It will probably turn out very similar.
Any beverages you recommend using this recipe in?
I love hot tea with honey, or even better, a hot toddy, especially in the winter. You can also easily use this in other cocktails and mocktails. Check out more cannabis drink ideas for inspiration!
What are your favorite foods to use this honey in?
I love using this on top of oatmeal or my berry quinoa bowl, I also love putting it in any baked goods or candies!
WANT TO MAKE THIS EASIER? USE A MACHINE!
If the process of decarbing and infusing feels like too much work, an all-in-one countertop device may be a perfect all-in-one solution!
My personal favorite? The Ardent FX! Review the six most popular infusion machines here.
Source: Emily Kyle Nutrition.
