Are you interested in working with CBD flower, but don’t know where to get started? In this ultimate guide to cooking with CBD buds, you will discover everything you need to know about how to decarb, make edibles, infuse oil, and find the best way to use it in your favorite CBD recipes.

Text stating: the ultimate guide to cooking with CBD buds.

Features

  • An overview of all the things you can do with CBD flower
  • Guides for making oils, tinctures, edibles, and topicals
  • Want to make it easy? Have my premium CBD products delivered directly to your door – now shipping across the US!
A picture of Emily Kyles CBD product line.

Why You Will Love This Guide

Many people, including several members of my Well With Cannabis Community, want to enjoy the benefits of cannabis without the high. 

Thankfully, working CBD flowers is one of the most popular ways to do just that. 

CBD-dominant hemp flower won’t get you high, but it does contain many health benefits!

In this post, we will talk more about what CBD flower is, and I will show you all of the easy ways to make your own CBD edibles, topicals, and more.

What is CBD Flower?

Recently someone in my community mentioned CBD flower, and there were a few people who wondered – what is it?

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is the second most abundant cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant.

CBD flower is the raw or dried flower buds from a cannabis plant that contain high concentrations of the cannabinoid acid CBDA, the precursor to CBD.

If the cannabis plant contains less than 0.3% THC, it is considered to be hemp; if it contains more than 0.3% THC, it is considered to be marijuana.

CBD flower typically contains less than 0.3% THC, but it can contain more, depending on the strain. 

Unlike THC, the popular cannabinoid we are most familiar with, CBD does not produce an intoxicating ‘high’ feeling.

It does, however, interact with our endocannabinoid systems to provide a range of health benefits.

Keep in mind that CBD and THC flower look and smell identical, they are simply chemical differences within the cannabinoids, not physical differences in the flower.

A picture of Emily Kyles Lifter CBD hemp flower.

Cooking With CBD Buds

There are so many awesome ways to use CBD hemp flowers in your everyday life, from making edibles and topicals to making your very own CBD oil.

Just note that hemp flower smells the same as traditional cannabis flower when decarbing or baking, so you will want to keep this in mind as you get started in the kitchen.

Leave it as CBDA

If you do not decarb the CBD flower as outlined below, you will reap the benefits of CBDA.

This is a cannabinoid acid found in the trichomes of raw or dried cannabis plants.

There is an exciting amount of preliminary evidence to support the idea that CBDA has many anti-nausea, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving properties. 

You can make your own raw cannabis juice, a CBDA tincture, or follow any of the other processes outlined below, just remember to skip the decarb process.

Decarb For Edibles

Just like traditional THC edibles, you can make any edible with CBD hemp flower or CBD shake.

These edibles do not produce intoxicating effects but can be just as delicious and enjoyable.

It’s important to remember that cooking with CBD hemp flower still requires the preparation process of decarboxylation.

This is done by breaking the plant material into small pieces and then baking the hemp buds on a baking sheet in the oven or an Instant pot.

Keep in mind that decarboxylation is an essential process if you want to enjoy the activated benefits of CBD.

My full CBD decarb guide is here, complete with lab tests.

Once decarbed, this can be stored in a mason jar at room temperature in a cool dark location and used as needed for future recipes.

A picture of an oven-safe baking dish with decarboxylated cannabis inside.

Use Just Flower in Recipes

This is the easiest way to consume raw hemp flowers and reap the benefits of the full-spectrum entourage effect.

Whether you sprinkle a bit into the batter for CBD brownies or make homemade ranch dressing, there’s a delicious option for everyone.

Just keep in mind that with this method, you only need to add a small amount to your favorite dishes.

Find my complete guide for working with just decarbed CBD flowers in edibles here, or grab my guide for working with CBD kief here.

Try These Recipes

Make CBD Oil

Making your own CBD oil at home is a great way to use your CBD flowers.

To make CBD oil at home, you need the same process of decarboxylation as outlined above.

Then, if you are already familiar with making cannabis infusions, this CBD oil recipe follows the same process using either a slow cooker or an Instant Pot.

Popular carriers for homemade CBD oil include:

Once made, you can put your prepared oil or cannabis butter into your favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies, chocolate or chocolate chips, or any other delicious recipe you want to infuse.

How to Make CBD Oil

Make a CBD Tincture

Just like when making CBD oil, to make a CBD tincture at home, you must start with CBD flower.

Once you have acquired the CBD flower needed to make this recipe, the next step is to decarb the CBD flower.

After that process, follow the instructions to make either a traditional Green Dragon tincture or a QWET freezer tincture.

This hemp extract can then be added to hot water to make hemp tea, used in CBD mocktails, or used sublingually under the tongue.

A white countertop with a brown tincture bottle labeled QWET Tincture

Make Concentrates

After making a cannabis tincture, you can evaporate the alcohol and be left with what is known as full-extract cannabis oil, or FECO or RSO.

This concentrated oil is said to contain many health benefits and can be a great addition to any recipe.

Keep in mind that it will produce a stronger effect due to the concentration of cannabinoids.

Once made, you can add your CBD FECO to:

How to Make Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO)

Make Topicals

One of the best things to use CBD flower for is to make homemade topicals like massage oilCBD salve, and even cannabis lip balm.

Cannabinoids are very effective when applied topically making CBD flower perfect for making effective topicals.

Combined with essential oils, CBD flower has the ability to provide many benefits for the skin and can even be added to your self-care routine.

This allows you to get all of the benefits of the CBD flower cooking experience without the unwanted high of THC.

A picture of cannabis salve showing you how you can be cooking with CBD buds to make a topical.

How to Dose CBD

Be sure you’re mindful about how much CBD you need for your own personal preference and effective dosing.

To calculate the mg of CBD in your cannabis edibles, you can use my edibles dosage calculator.

This will allow you to calculate the dose of CBD in your own recipes per teaspoon and per serving.

You can even use this calculator first to work backward and calculate your perfect dose before getting into the kitchen.

A good starting point is 5-10mg of CBD per serving. You can then increase and adjust as needed.

Where to Buy CBD-Dominant Flower

One of the most common mistakes I see is the thought that THC flower can be decarbed differently to create CBD.

Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work like that, and the CBDA must already be genetically present in the plant.

The first step is to find a CBD-dominant flower. Thankfully, I have CBD-rich hemp flowers available for purchase in my shop.

You can purchase it and have it shipped right to your door for the opportunity to experience all of the different ways you can use CBD!

Shop High-Quality CBD Flower

Notes and Expert Tips

  • Try to avoid higher temperatures from direct heat when cooking – such as making stir fry, sauteing, grilling or microwaving. You do not need to be as concerned when baking, as these temperatures and this heating process are unlikely to affect the final product.
  • If stored properly, CBD flowers can last for a long time. Be sure to keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
  • Do not feel like you have to keep your CBD separate from your THC. While just CBD is an alternative way to use cannabis, combining CBD and THC together is a great way to find balance.
CBD Hemp Flower Emily Kyle

Frequently Asked Questions

What else can I do with CBD flowers?

You can smoke it, dry herb vape it, make vape oil, and more, although I think you will love cooking with CBD buds!

What strains should I look for?

Some of the most popular CBD strains include Super Sour Space Candy, Lifter, and Northern Lights.

Is it legal?

Yes, any legal hemp flower contains less than 0.3% THC by dry weight volume.

Do I need to decarb CBD?

Yes, this is a very important step before cooking with CBD buds.

Where can I buy high-quality flowers?

My shop! I think you will love the CBD flowers we offer.

CBD Hemp Flower Emily Kyle

More CBD Articles You Will Love

About Emily

Hi, I’m Emily Kyle and I teach people just like you how to use cannabis to find joy, enhance productivity, improve relationships, and naturally support your overall health and wellness.

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2 Comments

  1. Hi George. For pain, combining THC and CBD work best as they provide an entourage effect. This means that the two compounds together have a stronger therapeutic effect than if taken alone. You can read more about cannabis for pain relief here: Cannabis for Pain Relief: Does It Work?. Sending healing vibes your way!