Cannabis coconut oil is one of the most adaptable and rewarding infusions you can add to your homemade wellness toolkit. Whether you want to create delicious edibles or soothing topicals, this easy recipe gives you full control over strength, ingredients, and quality. Not only is it completely plant-based and allergy-friendly, but it also offers a reliable, cost-effective way to experience the benefits of cannabis in your everyday life.
Table of Contents
Recipe Features
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This recipe is one of the most popular infusions in my community, with over 1,100+ happy reviews!
- Two Simple Ingredients: All you need is your favorite cannabis flower and a jar of coconut oil.
- Multiple Methods: I’ll show you how to make it using a Crock-Pot, Instant Pot, or right on the stovetop.
- Want it fast? If you’re not ready to DIY, you can order my pre-made Bliss MCT Oil and have it delivered directly to your door.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
If I had to choose just one staple to keep in my cannabis kitchen, it would be a jar of homemade cannabis coconut oil.
When I first started making my own infusions, I quickly realized how incredibly versatile it is. I use it for everything, from baking a batch of gooey brownies to making a soothing salve for my sore muscles. It’s the ultimate two-for-one, nourishing my body from the inside and out.
What I love most is that it’s completely plant-based, dairy-free, and works for almost every dietary need, which is a huge priority for so many members of my Well With Cannabis Community.
Coconut oil’s high saturated fat content makes it a perfect vehicle for pulling all those wonderful cannabinoids from the flower, creating a potent and effective infusion every single time.
Today, I’m excited to share my personal, step-by-step process for making cannabis coconut oil. Whether you’re a total beginner or just looking to refine your technique, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know.
Easy Crockpot Cannabis Coconut Oil
Ingredients
- 1 ounce cannabis flower pre-decarb
- 16 ounces coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon liquid sunflower lecithin optional
Instructions
- Lay a clean tea towel down on the bottom of your crockpot. This will create a buffer between your mason jars and the crockpot, potentially preventing any jar from moving or cracking during cooking.
- Fill your crockpot with enough warm to hot water to cover the top of the mason jars you plan on using by an inch to create a water bath.
- Place the digital instant-read thermometer into the water. Start the crockpot heat on high. When a temperature of 185° F is reached, turn the crockpot to low.
- While the water bath is heating in the crockpot, measure and decarb the cannabis flower in the oven at 240°F for 40 minutes (for THC-flower). Click here for a full cannabis decarboxylation tutorial, if needed.
- Evenly divide the coconut oil between the mason jars you plan on using. You can either use pint-sized or half-pint-sized jars, it's you're preference, just be sure they fit in your crockpot. No matter the size, be sure to leave a 1/2 inch headspace from the top.
- If you plan on using sunflower lecithin, add it to the mason jars now.
- Evenly divide the decarbed flower between the coconut oil-filled jars. Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean paper towel and place the lid on. Tighten the metal ring to finger-tip tightness, it does not have to be tightened all the way. Do not tighten too tightly.
- Once the water bath reaches a temperature of 185° F, carefully place the jars into the water bath. Place the lid on the crockpot and leave alone to infuse for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, carefully remove the lid, followed by the jars from the hot water. Set them aside to cool.
- Once cool enough to handle, you will want to strain the cannabis oil through a paper filter and funnel, cheesecloth, or French press to separate the plant-matter from the coconut oil.
- Save the leftover cannabis pulp for use in future recipes. Then return the prepared cannabis coconut oil to whatever jar you would like to store it in. We use a mason jar.
- Store the prepared cannabis coconut oil in a cool, dry place. It will last longer if stored in the refrigerator and even longer if stored in the freezer.
Notes
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Nutrition
What You’ll Need
Let’s gather our simple ingredients. The quality of your flower and oil will directly impact your final product, so choose wisely!
- Coconut Oil – You’ll need to decide between refined, unrefined, or MCT oil. I’ll break down the differences below to help you choose.
- Cannabis flower – You can use THC-dominant flower for psychoactive effects, or CBD flower, or CBG flower for non-intoxicating benefits. The amount to use depends on your desired potency. You can use any amount of flower, ranging from 3.5 grams up to 1 ounce.
- Lecithin – This is my secret weapon for edibles. Lecithin is a natural emulsifier that helps your body absorb the cannabinoids more effectively, potentially making your oil feel more potent. It’s not a deal-breaker, but I always add a teaspoon of liquid sunflower lecithin to my infusions. Learn more about adding lecithin to edibles here. You can purchase liquid or powdered lecithin online.
Note: Determine how much to use for each ingredient below with this flower-to-oil ratio guide.
The Step-by-Step Process
My favorite method for infusing is using a Crock-Pot to create a stable water bath. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it approach that gives me consistent results every time. Alternatively, here are instructions for using an Instant Pot or the stovetop.
- Prepare the Water Bath: Lay a tea towel on the bottom of your Crock-Pot (this prevents the jars from rattling) and fill it with warm water. Set it to high until the water reaches 185°F, then turn it to low to maintain that temperature.
- Decarb Your Flower: This is the most important step! To activate the THC or CBD, you need to decarboxylate your cannabis. I put my flower in an oven-safe baking dish and bake it at 240°F for about 40 minutes. Your kitchen will smell amazing, but if you need a more discreet method, you can decarb in a mason jar or an Instant Pot. Do not grind the flower; just break it up into smaller, popcorn-sized pieces.
- Combine Ingredients: Add your decarbed flower and coconut oil to a mason jar. If you’re using lecithin, add it now. Seal the jar “fingertip tight”, you want it closed but not so tight that pressure can’t escape.
- Infuse: Carefully place the jar in the water bath and place the lid on the crockpot. Leave it alone to infuse for 4 hours. After 4 hours, remove the jars from the water to cool. This low and slow heating gently extracts the cannabinoids without burning them.
- Prepare to Strain: Whether it be a paper filter and funnel, cheesecloth, French press, or a simple coffee filter, you will want to set up a straining station to separate the plant matter from the oil.
- Strain the Oil: After infusing, let the jar cool until it’s safe to handle. Then, you’ll need to strain out the plant material. Squeeze gently to get all the oil out. Don’t throw away the leftover cannabis pulp! It can be used in other recipes.
- Store the Oil: Return the prepared oil to whatever jar you would like to store it in; a mason jar works well. Store the prepared cannabis coconut oil in a cool, dry place.
- Long Term Storage Instructions: Store your prepared oil in a cool, dry place. It will last longer if stored in the refrigerator and even longer if stored in the freezer. Keep the jar out of direct sunlight, and keep it in a cool, dark cupboard or even the refrigerator.
⚠️ If you store coconut oil in the refrigerator, know that it will solidify into a solid mass. This is normal, however, in order to get it back to a workable state, you will need to let it sit out to soften. Never use the microwave to warm cannabis infusions. Learn more about how to store cannabis edibles here.
Why Coconut Oil Is Great For Infusions
Coconut oil is a nutritional powerhouse, but its real magic for cannabis infusion lies in its high concentration of saturated fats.
Cannabinoids are fat-soluble, which means they need to bind to fat molecules to become available for your body to use. The fatty acids in coconut oil are exceptionally good at this, leading to a very efficient extraction and a potent final product.
Its versatility is what made it a staple recipe for me. It seamlessly replaces butter in any recipe and serves as the perfect base for homemade topicals.
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Choose A Type of Coconut Oil
The coconut oil aisle can be confusing. Here’s a quick breakdown to help you decide:
- MCT Oil: This is a liquid extract from coconut oil. It stays liquid at room temperature, making it perfect for tinctures or for adding to your morning coffee. Just be aware that for some people, large amounts of MCT oil can cause digestive upset.
- Unrefined (or Virgin) Coconut Oil: This is my personal favorite. It’s cold-pressed and has a distinct, tropical coconut flavor and aroma. I love using this for edibles where the coconut taste is a welcome addition, like in a batch of no-bake cookies.
- Refined Coconut Oil: This oil has been processed (usually with steam) to remove the coconut flavor and smell, making it completely neutral. If you are making a savory dish or don’t want any coconut taste, this is your best bet. It infuses just as effectively as unrefined oil.
Don’t Forget To Decarb
I can’t stress this enough: decarboxylation is the non-negotiable first step for making potent edibles.
Raw cannabis contains THCA and CBDA, the acidic forms of the cannabinoids. Your body can’t process them effectively to produce the desired effects. Heating the cannabis converts THCA into THC and CBDA into CBD, “activating” them for your body.
If you forget this step, your oil will be far less potent.
While you will get some decarb action from the infusion process itself, it won’t be nearly as complete. To get the most out of your flower, always decarb first.
If You Forget to Decarb
While I recommend going through the full decarb process for maximum benefits, truthfully, if you accidentally skip the decarboxylation process, we can fix it.
You will simply increase your infusion time which will help you achieve decarboxylation over time. If you don’t decarb first, I recommend infusing the coconut oil for longer than the typical 4 hours, going for at least 8-12 hours.
This longer cooking time helps to decarboxylate the flower for you. If you accidentally forget to decarb, you can relax, all is not lost.
Additional Factors to Consider
Perfecting your infusion is both an art and a science. Here are a few things that can influence your final product:
- Temperature Controls: The key to a good infusion is maintaining a consistent temperature. If the oil gets too hot (above 300°F), you risk burning off the delicate cannabinoids and terpenes. Using a water bath method is the best way to ensure gentle, even heating.
- The Strain of Cannabis Used: The strain you choose will dictate the effects of your oil. A sativa-dominant strain might produce a more energetic, uplifting oil, while an indica-dominant one will likely result in a more relaxing, body-focused effect.
- The Freshness of Product: Using fresh, properly cured flower will yield a more potent and flavorful oil than using old, dried-out trim. However, infusing trim is a fantastic way to be resourceful and reduce waste!
Notes & Expert Tips
- Floating Jars: Sometimes the mason jar will float when placed in the water bath. This is no need for concern, simply put something heat and water safe over the top of the jar to weigh it down, a clean rock works well.
- Alternative Carrier Oils: Don’t love coconut oil? You can use this process with any oil. Alternative carrier oil options include: olive oil, avocado oil, hemp seed oil, grapeseed oil or MCT oil
- Don’t Grind Your Flower: Grinding cannabis into a fine powder releases more chlorophyll, which can give your oil a grassy, bitter taste. Instead, break it up by hand into small pieces. This provides enough surface area for infusion without the unpleasant flavor.
- Water Curing for a Milder Taste: If you are very sensitive to the taste of cannabis, you can “water cure” your flower before decarbing. This involves soaking the buds in distilled water for a few days (changing the water daily) to remove the chlorophyll. Your oil will have a much milder, cleaner flavor.
- The Magic of Lecithin: I mentioned it before, but adding a teaspoon of sunflower lecithin really may make a difference. It helps emulsify the oil and water in your body, which can improve absorption and make the effects feel stronger and more consistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
In theory, using lecithin will make valuable cannabinoids like CBD and THC more bioavailable or ready for use by the body, ultimately making the edible stronger. You will definitely still have a great infused cannabis oil if you don’t use lecithin, it’s not a make or break ingredient for this recipe.
Yes, you can infuse coconut oil with full-extract cannabis oil, FECO (or RSO), instead of flowers. If you want to infuse with this type of oil, here is my guide on making FECO.
After the straining process to separate the plant matter from your infused oil, you will be leftover with a ball of spent cannabis flower, also called leftover pulp or sludge.
Yes, just use the cannabis flower to oil ratio chart below to choose the batch size that is right for you.
Recipes To Make With Coconut Oil
Cannabis Dessert Recipes
How to Make Weed Brownies with Cannabutter or Oil
Cannabis Topicals
Easy Homemade Cannabis Salve Recipe
Cannabis Drink Recipes
Creamy Cannabis Hot Chocolate
Cannabis Dessert Recipes
Can I make coconut oil / butter using decarbed cannabis?
Hi Ed. Absolutely! For many, decarbed cannabis is preferred. Happy infusing!
Is it ok to make with the lecithin??
Hi Becca. Absolutely! Lecithin is an optional ingredient is a natural emulsifier that may help improve bioavailability. Happy infusing!
Can you melt gummy bears and add coconut infused oil?
How much melted gummy to how much oil?
Hi Pattie. You can definitely melt gummy bears and add coconut infused oil to create your own infused gummies. A common suggestion is to melt store-bought gummy bears and mix in your desired amount of infused oil based on how strong you want the gummies. Experiment with small batches to find your preferred consistency and potency. Happy gummy-making!
Thank you so much for sharing recipes,I’ve been making several time and other sweets baking also,most easy method to make butter this way,always successful!!thank you!!
Hi Ruka. Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your positive experience with the recipes. We’re really glad that the method we shared has been helpful and easy for you. There’s nothing better than a foolproof technique that consistently yields great results.
Keep up the fantastic work, and happy baking!
Thank you for all the great info. I forgot to set temp alarm on my thermometer. It got up to 204 degrees on low somehow. Not sure how long. Is my oil ruined?
Hi Hubachi. No worries! While cannabinoids and terpenes can degrade at higher temperatures, the key ones like THC and CBD start showing degradation effects at much higher temperatures than 204ºF. THC doesn’t begin to evaporate until it reaches a temperature of around 315°F. Even if your thermometer reached 204º for a longer period of time, it’s unlikely that your oil is ruined. The bigger concern is that some terpenes, which contribute to the flavor and aroma of the oil, have lower boiling points, so some may have evaporated off.
Next time, you might want to check the temperature more frequently to prevent overheating, but for now, your oil should still be okay to use. Enjoy your cooking adventures!
I’ve followed your direction a couple times and it works great everyone loves my brownies. But I was wondering I’m going to make a gallon of coconut oil do I need to use the jars or can I just do the gallon in my slow cooker along with the he flower and then strain like normal. I just don’t want to mess up
Hi Pat. We’re thrilled to hear that you’ve had success with this recipe and that your brownies are a hit! You can absolutely infuse a larger amount of coconut oil directly in the slow cooker without using jars. The key is to ensure that the mixture doesn’t get too hot and stays consistent around 185º. Happy infusing!
Hi Emily. Currently making this for thc pills, thanks for the recipe ?
I have a question and it’s: should I grind the decarbed bud before infusion? My goal is simply to preserve as much thc as possible. Would grinding reduce the amount of thc due to the small pieces not being able to handle the 185° temperature, or would it increase the thc as the surface area would increase?
Thank you ?
Hi Joel. Grinding the bud can cause a significant loss of the trichomes, which could result in a lower overall potency of your infused product. Additionally, grinding the bud will release more chlorophyll and plant matter into your infusion, which could affect the taste and color of the final product, making it more “plant-like” and less desirable. ? We recommend breaking up the bud by hand into small pieces rather than grinding it. This method can still increase the surface area for better infusion while minimizing the loss of trichomes, reducing the amount of chlorophyll and plant matter released, and making the straining process easier.
Ultimately, the choice is yours though. I hope this helps!
For those who don’t like the smell when decarbing in the oven…..
I have an electric pressure cooker (InstaPot = IP) that works wonders. Place bud in an airtight container; place container on trivet. Add 1 cup water in (IP) inner liner. Close IP. Set to pressure cook for 20 minutes. Let cool competely before opening and removing airtight container. Voila!!! Decarbed weed, no smell.
Hi Laura. Thank you for sharing your process with our readers. ?
I am normally in the habit of grinding decarbed bub to a fine power & then straining out the debris. I’m left with what looks like green flour. I add this powder to melted chocolate to make chocolates. Can I use this powder when making cannabis coconut oil or should I stick with decarbed chunky bud?
Hi Laura. It is hard to strain kief (powdery cannabis) when using it to infuse the oil, so if you don’t mind the flower remaining in the oil, you can definitely use kief. If you want to be able to remove the flower for clean oil, then we recommend using popcorn-sized buds. ☺️
Hello Emily,
The rabbit hole of articles I’ve read have been very informative and I’m excited to attempt my first batch of edibles. I do have a few questions. I don’t see myself being able to decarb in my oven since I have three kids and a wife who wouldn’t be thrilled about the smell, so I’ll likely have to just extend the steeping time in the jars. I’ll also be using a sous vide circulator to keep my temperature 100% consistent. Do you know how much, if at all, the THC potency would be affected by doing this instead of a proper decarb? In regards to potency, is longer steeping time beyond 8 hours better, and if so, is there a point at which the increased time becomes detrimental to potency because of compounds breaking down? I’m not so concerned about over infusing chlorophyll and the extra “weedy” taste, I just want to get the most bang for my buck out of my product. Thank you so much for your articles, and I look forward to hearing back from you!
Hi David. Many members run their crockpot infusion for eight hours and claim the effects are the same as if the cannabis was decarbed first. Longer steeping time will provide a sleepier final product as the THC continues to convert into CBN the longer it is exposed to heat. We don’t recommend running infusions any longer than the eight hours that our community members recommend. Side note, you can use the sous vide method to decarb cannabis, and it helps reduce the strong odors. I hope this helps!
Hi Emily, thanks for your very informative website. I love all your recipes.
I have a question regarding the cannabis oil infusion, after i decarbed the flowers and then added the coconut oil, why am I losing around 70mL – 100mL cannabis oil output? I’m using cheese cloth to sieve after infusion.
Thanks so much in advance.
Hi Aprelle. You will always lose some oil when infusing with cannabis and for some reason, the volume loss seems to be higher when infusing less. I always start with at least 1/4 cup more than what I hope to get back. For instance, if I want one cup of cannabis-infused oil, I will start my infusion with 1 1/4 cups. Make sense?
What can you do with the leftover cannabis from the infused oil?
Hi Deborah. There are a few options. Check out this article:15 Best Ways To Use Leftover Cannabis Pulp
Hi, followed this recipe last year and it was pretty good to have around. I’ve been keeping it in a jar in the fridge since September 22’. My question is what’s the shelf life? And do you have any insight? Almost over night my oil got a strong chemical smell to it. The smell is familiar but I can’t place it. I don’t see any mold. For reference I’ve had it for about 7-8 months in fridge. I don’t have a ton left, but there’s def more than I’d prefer to throw out. Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks!
Hi Joj. If it smells sour or bitter, then the oil is bad. If stored properly, cannabis-infused coconut oil has a shelf life of 2-3 months stored at room temperature, and up to three years if stored in the fridge. It’s important that the jar is airtight and sealed properly. A marbled appearance, black spots, and bumpy or grainy texture are all indications to throw away your coconut oil. I hope this helps!
Can you use half pint jars instead if pints? Also can you use a kitchen towel or cloth napkin for bottom of slow cooker?
Hi Lindsey. Yes to both questions. Half pint jars work well and a kitchen towel or cloth napkin will suffice. Cheers to Cooking with Cannabis! ?
If top of lid is exposed will it effect or I s it dangerous ?
Hi Steve. The top exposed is fine as long as the contents of the jar are covered by the water line.