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    Home » Cannabis Dessert Recipes

    How to Make Cannabis Sugar or Powdered Sugar

    Published: May 26, 2020 · Modified: Jul 12, 2022 · Written by Emily Kyle · This post may contain affiliate links, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    4.7 from 189 votes
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    Cannabis Sugar

    Discover how to make a simple, delicious, and versatile cannabis sugar using a cannabis tincture and sugar for a basic staple recipe that can be used to make a wide variety of other tasty infused recipes like baked goods, candies, and more.

    Cannabis Sugar by Emily Kyle Nutrition
    Table of Contents Expand
    1. Features
    2. Why You Will Love This Recipe
    3. Stock Your Canna Kitchen
    4. Ingredient Notes
    5. The Step-by-Step Process
    6. Storage Instructions
    7. The Sugar Making Process Overview
    8. Notes & Expert Tips
    9. Frequently Asked Questions
    10. How to Make More Potent Sugar
    11. Recipes To Make With Cannabis Sugar

    Features

    • Just 2 ingredients needed: a cannabis tincture and sugar
    • Shelf-stable once prepared, it last a long time!
    • Versatile and can be used the same way other sugar is
    • Sugar-free alternatives included!

    Why You Will Love This Recipe

    Most of my recipe inspiration comes from my Well With Cannabis Community, and somewhere in the early days, I saw someone making cannabis sugar.

    I LOVE cannabis sugar because once it's made, it can serve as a staple recipe for infusing all other recipes easily. I also love the versatility.

    Once it is made, you can use it in so many different recipes like brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cocktails and drinks, or even a scoop in your morning coffee or tea.

    Plus, if you're looking to increase the potency of your cannabis recipes - you can use both a cannabis infused oil AND cannabis sugar together for a double dose of CBD or THC.

    Continue reading to learn how to make a delicious cannabis-infused sugar, get my notes and expert tips, and my fully answered FAQs.


    Stock Your Canna Kitchen

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    Skip the hard work and have perfectly dosed, delicious, pure Bliss Cannabutter delivered directly to your door! Shop Now →


    Ingredient Notes

    A white countertop with a mason jar full of cannabis tincture and a pink up full of sugar
    • Cannabis Tincture: Before getting started, you're going to want to prepare a cannabis tincture. The Green Dragon and Golden Dragon tinctures are very popular. You must use an alcohol-based tincture for this recipe, oil will not work.
    • Sugar: White, granulated sugar is the standard sugar for this recipe. While I have not tried making sugar with anything aside from this, members of my Well With Cannabis Community report having success infusing:
    • Brown Sugar
    • Cane sugar
    • Coconut sugar
    • Turbinado Sugar
    • Monk Fruit Sweetener
    • Erythritol (non-nutritive sugar alcohol)

    Members also report NOT having success infusing Splenda or other powdered artificial sweeteners.

    Note: a complete list of ingredients with amounts and printable instructions is located in the recipe card below.

    The Step-by-Step Process

    A four step image collage showing the first four steps to making cannabis sugar including pouring the sugar in a glass container, pouring the tincture over the sugar stirring well, and covering with a breathable fabric.
    • Step 1 - Add the sugar to a glass baking dish.
    • Step 2 - Pour the tincture over the sugar.
    • Step 3 - Stir well.
    • Step 4 - Place in a safe area for drying. Cover with breathable fabric.
    A four step image collage showing steps 5-8 in making cannabis sugar including stirring the mixture, an unclose picture of the sugar, a picture of it in a mason jar and garnished with a cannabis leaf.
    • Step 5 - Allow the mixture to air dry for 48-72 hours, or until completely dry. Stir every few hours.
    • Step 6 - You will know it is ready when it is completely dry and resembles traditional sugar.
    • Step 7 - Store in an airtight container.
    • Step 8 - Enjoy.

    Note: complete step-by-step printable instructions are located in the recipe card below.

    Storage Instructions

    Once your cannabis sugar is made, you want to ensure you keep it as dry as possible. An airtight mason jar or even a ziplock bag will work as long as it's sealed properly.

    Cannabis Sugar by Emily Kyle Nutrition

    The Sugar Making Process Overview

    Unfortunately, this is not a quick recipe, there are a few things you need to do before you can get started making infused sugar.

    Here's what you need to do first:

    1. Decarboxylate your cannabis flower according to the cannabinoid present. You can decarb in an oven or an Instant Pot.
    2. Make a cannabis alcohol tincture - either a Green Dragon Tincture or QWET Tincture

    Please note:

    • You can not make cannabis-infused sugar without the alcohol tincture
    • You can not make cannabis sugar with butter, oil, or any other type of fat

    Decarboxylate Your Cannabis Flower

    Making cannabis edibles involves a bit of science, and there are tried and true processes to follow to get the best quality final product.

    Dried cannabis flowers do not naturally contain high amounts of THC or CBD. Instead, they contain high amounts of THCA and CBDA, an acidic, but non-intoxicating, form of the cannabinoids.

    Applying heat helps to convert the THCA and CBDA into the active forms of THC and CBD through a process called decarboxylation.

    Skipping the decarb process may result in a weaker final product with inactive, or non-intoxicating, effects.

    Make An Alcohol-Based Tincture

    After the process of decarboxylation comes the process of using alcohol as a solvent to extract the active cannabinoids THC and CBD from the plant matter.

    This is the process of making a cannabis tincture, and is essentially the same process as making vanilla extract. You will want to use a high-proof, food grade alcohol like the options listed here.

    You can make two types of cannabis tinctures at home, a more traditional long-soak Green dragon tincture or the more modern Golden Dragon QWET tincture method.

    Once you have your tincture made, you will pour the tincture directly over the white sugar and stir.

    Evaporate All Of The Alcohol

    This recipe's outcome is based on the complete evaporation of all alcohol, leaving behind just the extracted cannabis oils bound to the sugar crystals.

    It's important to note that there are many different ways to evaporate the alcohol, some are more safe than others.

    Please note: it can become dangerous if you decide to use heat or an open flame, so be cautious because alcohol is extremely flammable!

    While it may be tempting to use heat to evaporate the alcohol, I think it is safer to let nature take its course and let the alcohol evaporate off naturally, even if the process takes longer.

    The process takes a few days, but some things are worth waiting for. If you're impatient, a using a food dehydrator is a great next best option.

    If you're even more impatient, be sure to checkout my guide for safe alcohol evaporation before getting started.

    Cannabis Sugar by Emily Kyle Nutrition

    Notes & Expert Tips

    Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? Checkout my notes and expert tips to help you along in the process.

    Use The Right Dish

    Remember with this recipe, the more surface area exposed to the air, the faster the alcohol will evaporate off.

    This means you want a bigger container that can have a shallow amount of sugar when filled.

    I have used a glass 9x13 inch (3 quart) baking dish in the past and thought it worked perfectly.

    I've seen suggestions to put foil or parchment paper on a baking sheet but found this was way too messy, especially when stirring the sugar frequently.

    Choose a Breathable Cover

    You want as much airflow as possible to the sugar, so you absolutely do not want to put a solid top or a lid on the pan while the sugar is drying or else the alcohol will not be able to evaporate.

    But you will likely want to cover the sugar while drying to prevent any contamination, so I suggest a coffee filter or thin piece of cheesecloth over the top.

    Find a Safe Drying Space

    You will need to leave the glass baking dish out to dry for several days, so you will need a safe drying space where the sugar can rest.

    An empty pantry shelf or even on top of the refrigerator works. Ultimately, we chose to keep ours in the oven because we have little ones at home.

    This wasn't ideal because the airflow isn't great, but it worked well for keeping it safe and out of the way.

    One thing to note, we put a big note on our oven to ensure we did NOT turn it on while the sugar was inside. Again, alcohol = flammable. Please use caution!

    Stir Your Sugar Often

    The more often you can stir your cannabis sugar, the more you will be exposing the alcohol to the air for it to evaporate.

    We used a small silicone spatula to stir the sugar and tried to stir it as often as possible, every few hours, at least 4-5 times per day.

    If you do not stir the sugar enough, it will harden together on itself and create a hard chunk of sugar. If this happens, you can use the food processor or a ziplock bag and a rolling pin to break it back up into granules again.

    Use A Fan To Speed Up The Process

    One option to get the alcohol to evaporate faster is to place a fan over the sugar and allow it to run while stirring the sugar consistently.

    This helps move the air and the sugar around, allowing for quicker evaporation.

    Cannabis Sugar by Emily Kyle Nutrition

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I get asked about making cannabis sugar inside my Well With Cannabis Community.

    What other types of sugar can I use?

    White, granulated sugar is the standard sugar for this recipe. While I have not tried making sugar with anything aside from this, members of my Well With Cannabis Community report having success infusing: brown sugar, cane sugar, coconut sugar, and Turbinado sugar.

    Can I make cannabis powdered sugar?

    Yes! To make powdered sugar you will want to first infuse the granulated sugar with the process outlined here. Once that is ready, put the dry sugar into a high-speed blender with some cornstarch. You can use 1 cup of sugar to 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Pulse for 30-60 seconds or until you get the consistency you are looking for.

    Are there any sugar-free options?

    Yes! You can follow this same process with monk fruit sweetener or
    erythritol, non-nutritive sugar alcohol.

    Should my final cannabis sugar be green?

    I've seen cannabis sugar range anywhere from light yellow to dark green. Color is not an indicator of the strength of potency. Color is an indicator of how much plant material was transferred into your cannabis tincture when you made it. Green dragon tinctures will have a much more vibrant green color than a Golden Dragon tincture, which may have a light yellow to no color at all.

    How can I make lavender sugar?

    Once you have your cannabis sugar made, you can add other dried herbs as desired. My favorite? Dried lavender. Simply run the lavender through an herb grinder and gently toss to incorporate. A spoonful is delightful in a cup of cannabis tea before bed.

    Cannabis Sugar by Emily Kyle Nutrition

    How to Make More Potent Sugar

    Everybody always wants the most potent end product, but there are a few things to keep in mind when determining potency.

    First, the strength of your cannabis sugar will depend on the strength of the cannabis flower you used to make your alcohol tincture.

    Using shake, leaves, and stems will result in a weaker concentration of cannabinoids, while using high-quality cannabis buds will result in a higher concentration of cannabinoids.

    Volume matters here, too.

    The final concentration will depend on how much herb you use in your tincture.

    You can either double your flower or half your alcohol volume here for a stronger tincture. Additionally, you can also simply cut the amount of sugar down in this recipe to 1 cup sugar, 1 cup tincture.

    The mixture will be wetter at first and may require more time to evaporate off all of the alcohol.

    Of course, your reaction to cannabis edibles is unique and highly dependent on your own unique endocannabinoid system, and you should dose accordingly.

    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.

    Cannabis Sugar by Emily Kyle Nutrition

    Recipes To Make With Cannabis Sugar

    Now that you have your cannabis sugar made, try it out in some of these delicious recipes!

    • Easy Cannabis Banana Bread
    • Sweet, Creamy Cannabis Buttermints
    • Chewy Homemade Cannabis Caramels
    • Creamy Cannabis Vanilla Ice Cream
    Edibles made easy course mockup

    My Edibles Made Easy Online Cooking Course will teach you how to easily make cannabis edibles and topical recipes at home. This step-by-step video course will teach you how to infuse, extract, and create edibles with many different product types - all from the comfort of your own home.

    Learn more and enroll today →

    Easy Cannabis-Infused Sugar

    Author: Emily Kyle, MS, RDN, HCP
    4.71 from 189 votes
    Learn how to make delicious, versatile cannabis sugar using a cannabis alcohol tincture and white sugar for a staple cannabis recipe that can be used to make a wide variety of medicated recipes.
    Print Now Pin for Later
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Air Arying Time 2 d
    Total Time 2 d 5 mins
    CourseDessert
    CuisineCannabis Infused, Cannabis Recipe
    Servings 96 teaspoons (2 cups)
    Calories 16 kcal

    Equipment

    • Glass Baking Dish
    • Spatula
    • Cheesecloth
    • Pint Mason Jars

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups white granulated sugar
    • 1 cup cannabis alcohol tincture

    Instructions

    • Add the sugar to a glass baking dish.
    • Pour the tincture over the sugar.
    • Use a spatula to stir the sugar and tincture together, ensuring all of the sugar is coated. The mixture will resemble wet sand.
    • Cover the baking dish with a breathable fabric and place in a safe area to air drying. Allow the mixture to dry for 48-72 hours, stirring every few hours.
    • You will know when your sugar is ready when all of the alcohol has evaporated off and the mixture again resembles dry sugar.
    • Place the infused sugar in an air-tight jar and store it in a cool, dry place.

    Notes

    • You can not make cannabis-infused sugar without the alcohol tincture  You can not make cannabis sugar with butter, oil, or any other type of fat.
    • You absolutely do not want to put a solid top or a lid on the pan while the sugar is drying.
    • If you do not stir the sugar enough, it will harden together on itself and create a hard chunk of sugar. If this happens, you can use the food processor or a ziplock bag and a rolling pin to break it back up into granules again.
    • If stored properly, the cannabis sugar should last at least 3 months, if not longer.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1teaspoon | Calories: 16kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 1mg | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe or have a question?Join hundreds of members inside private Well With Cannabis Community for help, support, and to share your edible creations!

    More Cannabis Dessert Recipes

    • Chocolate Mint Chip Cannabis Cookies
    • CBD Chocolate Chip Cookies
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Janet

      May 13, 2022 at 11:05 am

      So, I made Cannasugar used 7gr of 19% thc flower and 1/3 cup of 190 proof everclear, soaked 7 days and added the tincture to 1cup of sugar.
      Using the dosage calculator, I come up with 69.32 MG per tsp.
      Does that sound correct?
      Once dried, can I mix with more sugar (uninfused) to lower the thc before storing or just use less in my recipes?

    2. Emily Kyle

      May 13, 2022 at 1:03 pm

      Janet, using the calculator, checking the box to account the decarb loss, I got 1108.09mg THC for the tincture. With 48 teaspoons in a cup, that gives you approximately 23mg THC per teaspoon. Yes, you can always add more sugar, or simply use less, to reduce the dose 🙂

    3. Janet

      May 13, 2022 at 11:56 pm

      Thank you Emily!!
      You rock!!

    4. Emily Kyle

      May 16, 2022 at 10:43 am

      You are most welcome, Janet!

    5. Sam

      June 16, 2022 at 1:03 pm

      I made sugar using this technique. Thank you so much! I’m trying to make ice lollies so just bought the ones off the shelf that you can freeze at home. However, when I tried to stir the sugar into it, the sugar melted but the tincture (thc) got stuck to the spoon in a lump? How can I prevent this from happening? Should I warm it whilst doing it? Do you think that’ll help?

    6. Emily Kyle

      June 17, 2022 at 9:02 am

      Yes Sam, this is one of the most frustrating parts of working with cannabis. The cannabinoids just really don't like cold liquid. My best advice is actually to evaporate *almost* all of the alcohol from the tincture and then add that directly to the ice pops. The little bit of alcohol will keep the cannabinoids suspended in it, and hopefully prevent separation. I hope this helps!

    7. Lucy

      June 20, 2022 at 1:20 pm

      Can i infuse canna sugar twice to make it stronger

    8. Emily Kyle

      June 20, 2022 at 1:29 pm

      Yes, absolutely, Lucy 😀

    9. Brian

      July 01, 2022 at 2:12 pm

      For powder sugar should I use the same process?

    10. Emily Kyle

      July 01, 2022 at 3:20 pm

      Hi there, Brain! To make powdered sugar you will want to first infuse the regular, granulated sugar. Once that is ready, you can put it into a high-speed blender with some cornstarch (1 cup sugar to 1 teaspoon cornstarch). Pulse until you get the consistency you are looking for. I hope that helps!

    11. Trixx

      July 02, 2022 at 1:48 pm

      Soo I evaporated quite a bit of my alcohol off, can I still use it to infuse sugar? Can I use something to make it looser?

    12. Emily Kyle

      July 03, 2022 at 4:28 pm

      Hi there Trixx! If it is still in a liquid state, yes, you can use it to infuse sugar. If you need to make it looser, add more grain alcohol 🙂

    13. Linda Cassidy

      July 26, 2022 at 10:01 pm

      Thank you for all the learning! I so enjoy the learning. I make cookies, brownies, tincture, canna sugar. Can’t quite grasp reducing on the gas stove. I got black, hard stuff. Not usable.
      Thank you, Linda

    14. Emily Kyle

      July 27, 2022 at 2:33 pm

      Hey Linda! Thanks for reading. I never recommend to evaporate with a gas stove, but here are some safe alternatives to try. It sounds like you simply evaporated too much, but a black, thick, sticky liquid is what you are looking for in the end - this is your FECO.

    15. Jodie Grayson

      September 25, 2022 at 6:51 am

      I've made this an put it I'm my caramel toffees have not tried it yet

    16. Emily Kyle

      September 25, 2022 at 6:25 pm

      I can't wait to hear how it turns out for you, Jodie!

    17. Roger

      October 30, 2022 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Emily, I am in the process of making RSO sugar ,am I correct that the more tincture you use the stronger your sugar will be?

    18. Emily Kyle

      October 30, 2022 at 4:29 pm

      Hello Roger, yes, you are correct! The more tincture you use, the stronger your sugar will be 🙂

    19. Jay

      November 02, 2022 at 10:39 am

      With this work with citric acid?

    20. Emily Kyle

      November 02, 2022 at 11:26 am

      Hello Jay. I haven't tried it myself, but you could combine just a teaspoon or two of citric acid with some non-infused alcohol and let it sit out for a few days to see what happens. If it works, you're good to go 😀

    21. dawn M hernandez

      November 24, 2022 at 4:57 am

      5 stars
      Thank you

    22. Emily Kyle

      November 25, 2022 at 8:00 am

      You are most welcome, Dawn!

    23. Daniella

      December 07, 2022 at 11:13 am

      Hi Emily,

      If I make a batch of sugar using 7 grams of flower and a batch of butter using 7 grams of the same flower would the effects be roughly the same if each was baked into a separate batch of cookies or brownies etc?

    24. Emily Kyle

      December 07, 2022 at 5:25 pm

      Hello Daniella! Yes, if they are the same strains and the same potency, it should be a similar experience 😁

    25. Wendy

      January 25, 2023 at 5:36 pm

      Can you just infuse cannabis with alcohol after decarbing

    26. Renée from Team EKN

      January 25, 2023 at 8:29 pm

      Hi Wendy. Absolutely! You'll want a high proof, food grade alcohol. Here are two different techniques to try:
      https://emilykylenutrition.com/cannabis-tincture/
      https://emilykylenutrition.com/qwet-tincture/

      I hope this helps!

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