Explore the two main reasons you may want to use lecithin in your cannabis cooking and explore when you should and shouldn't use lecithin when making your own edibles at home.
Features
- Two reasons to use lecithin in recipes
- How to use different forms of lecithin
- Recommendations for where to buy lecithin
Lecithin In Cannabis Edibles
I recently received this question from Mollie, a member of my Well With Cannabis CommunityWell With Cannabis Community:
"Lecithin in gummies.....is it necessary? Also, if I have it in powdered form, is there a way to mix it with water so I could use it in the recipe?"
A great question!
This article will give an in-depth look at lecithin, when and why you want to use it in your cannabis edibles, and explore the different forms like powdered or liquid, sunflower or soy.
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What is Lecithin?
Lecithin is a type of fat essential for properly functioning cells in our body.
This natural phospholipid substance can be derived from soybeans, sunflowers, eggs, avocados, and more.
Lecithin can be found naturally within these foods or as a supplement purchased online or at a health food store.
Lecithin may be a new ingredient you’re not used to cooking with, but it can be an important staple ingredient for any cannabis kitchen.
Next, we will dive deep into why people use lecithin when making cannabis edibles and explore if adding lecithin is right for you and your needs.
Why Use Lecithin?
If you're brand new to edibles, you may be unfamiliar with lecithin and why people use it in their at-home infusions and baked goods.
There are two primary reasons people use lecithin in cannabis edibles:
- To act as a stabilizer and emulsifier to combine oil and water for recipes like cannabis gummies
- To increase the potency of an infusion by increasing the bioavailability of cannabinoids in the body
Basic culinary science is the first reason for adding lecithin to edibles as an emulsifier.
Like water and oil, two opposing ingredients will never naturally combine without adding an emulsifier.
They will naturally separate over time, leaving a layer of water and a layer of oil.
Adding an emulsifier, like an ingredient containing lecithin, can help bond the two opposing ingredients together, preventing separation naturally.
Lecithin has the ability to combine oil in water AND water in oil, making it ideal for all infusions.
The second reason for adding lecithin to edibles is a theory that believes lecithin can increase the potency of an infusion by increasing the bioavailability of cannabinoids in the body.
It is believed that this increased bioavailability, defined as the "ability of a substance to be absorbed and used by the body," will produce a more potent effect.
We will explore these reasons below so you know if using lecithin in your edibles is the right choice for you.
Reason #1
Emulsification, or to emulsify, is a process used in culinary science, in restaurants, by Chefs, and even at-home cooks.
By definition, "when you emulsify something, you mix it so thoroughly that it becomes an emulsion."
In other words, it will no longer separate over time.
For example, in your home kitchen:
Keeping opposing ingredients together in certain recipes, like oil and vinegar in a salad dressing, is hard.
When you vigorously shake the dressing, the two ingredients combine, but when left to sit for some time, they separate back out again.
This is because there is nothing to hold the two ingredients together or emulsify them.
If you were to add another ingredient to your dressing that naturally contained lecithin, such as egg yolks, the dressing would remain emulsified and not separate.
When you make cannabis edibles at home, you will want to use lecithin as an emulsifier when making certain recipes.
Recipes That Commonly Use Lecithin
The most common cannabis recipes that typically call for lecithin or emulsion include:
- Cannabis gummies made with oil
- Zesty cannabis-infused lemon vinaigrette
- Hot drinks made with added cannabis oil, such as coffee, tea, and lattes
How Much Lecithin to Add
Most recipes that require lecithin will tell you the amount that is needed.
For example, this gummy recipe specifically calls for one teaspoon of lecithin for the entire recipe.
However, if the recipe does not call for a specific amount, a good rule is to add one teaspoon of lecithin per 1 cup of liquid.
You don't need to add a lot to get the emulsification you need.
However, if separation continues, you can add more lecithin as needed.
Warning: When NOT to Use Lecithin
There are a few members of my Well With Cannabis Community who have reported a common issue:
Accidentally adding lecithin to a cannabutter infusion made with water is a big disaster.
While I prefer the crockpot method for making cannabutter, you can also use the stovetop method or an infusion machine.
When cooking cannabutter on a stovetop, the temperature can fluctuate quite a bit, so folks add water to the pot.
The water helps regulate the butter's temperature, preventing it from getting too hot and burning the butter, potentially denaturing the cannabinoids.
However, the water is removed and discarded at the end.
If you add water to your cannabutter infusion, do NOT add lecithin.
This will bind the water and butter together, resulting in a soupy mess and an undesirable end product.
If you're using the stovetop method to make cannabutter or CBD butter, wait until all the water has been separated from the final product before stirring in the lecithin at the end.
Reason #2
Many cannabis cooks swear by adding lecithin to their oil-based infusions to make them stronger and more potent.
With this theory, it is believed that using lecithin will make valuable cannabinoids like CBD and THC more bioavailable or ready for use by the body, ultimately making the edible stronger and more potent.
While there is little scientific evidence to support this claim, there is ample anecdotal evidence of people who claim that adding lecithin makes all the difference in their overall experience.
Lecithin is typically used as a health food supplement, so it won't hurt to experiment with it and see if it is right for you.
When experimenting with lecithin in oil infusions, it is common to add lecithin to the oil before heating or infusing.
Again, a common recommendation is to add one teaspoon of lecithin per 1 cup of oil or butter.
Lecithin can be added to the following infusions:
- Cannabis coconut oil
- Cannabis olive oil
- Cannabis butter or ghee (*not butter infusions that have water, see disclaimer above)
If you have already made your infusion, you can still add lecithin.
Gently heat up your infusion and add the lecithin, stirring until dissolved and well incorporated.
Cooking With Different Forms of Lecithin
There are many different forms of lecithin available on the market today that can be found online or in health food stores.
The most common forms are soy or sunflower lecithin, found in powder, granulated, or liquid forms.
Generally, they all function pretty much the same and can be used interchangeably in recipes unless a specific form is otherwise called for.
Powdered or Granulated Lecithin
Lecithin powder or granules are a dry, processed version of lecithin that has been removed from other ingredients, such as eggs or soy.
Most powdered or granulated lecithin is created as a by-product of making oil.
Lecithin granules or powders are typically less than 10% fat and have more hydrophilic properties, so they can easily dissolve in water.
The main benefit of using powdered or granulated lecithin is that it allows you to use it without adding the flavor of eggs or sunflower to your recipes.
This is the powdered lecithin product I recommend.
Liquid Lecithin
Liquid lecithin is a less processed version of lecithin and is most often found in sunflower and soy versions.
Liquid lecithin contains about 20-30% fat and more lipophilic properties, making it great for high-fat content recipes and infusing oils.
While liquid lecithin is less processed, it does have a slight taste and odor that may turn off some people.
I prefer working with a liquid lecithin option rather than a powdered or granulated version, as it tends to mix in easier to various infusions and recipes, but ultimately, the choice is yours.
Sunflower vs. Soy
It is up to you whether you would like to choose sunflower lecithin over soy lecithin.
Choosing one over the other will not affect the quality or outcome of your recipes.
Where to Buy Lecithin
If you can't find lecithin in your local health food store, you can buy it online.
Below are a few of our favorite brands of lecithin used in our kitchen and the kitchen of our community members.
Liquid Sunflower Lecithin
Made using a mechanical, cold-pressed extraction process. Careful control in the manufacturing process guarantees the vital nutrients in the lecithin remain preserved.
This sunflower lecithin is made from premium quality sunflower lecithin free from gluten, soy, dairy, solvents, additives, and artificial ingredients.
Click to buy this liquid sunflower lecithin product from Amazon.
Powdered Sunflower Lecithin
Magical Sunflower Lecithin Powder helps bind your herbal butter and oil extractions.
This high-quality pure sunflower lecithin aids in emulsifying fats, enabling them to be more evenly dispersed in your recipe.
Add one tablespoon/capful per cup of butter or oil to get the most out of your herbal infusion.
Click to buy the Magical Butter Machine Sunflower Lecithin Powder from Amazon.
Important To Know
Like MCT-infused oil, some people anecdotally report that lecithin causes digestive issues.
These issues are typically minor digestive side effects, including stomach aches and diarrhea.
As with all things cannabis, always remember to start low and go slow for a more enjoyable experience.
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 →
KJ
i'm having an issue with my liquid sunflower lecithin not dissolving all the way and leaving little brown flakes in my gummies. Any ideas? ive done a whole lot stirring with no luck, thinking about microwaving it before adding? hopefully that wont hurt it (for reference i'm putting my green dragon tincture and lecithin in a bowl on a double boiler before adding sugar, color, bloomed gelatin, etc)
Emily Kyle
Hey KJ - I'm sorry to hear about this. I haven't experienced this with my lecithin before. Maybe it's just a bad batch? And yes, you could microwave the lecithin first to get it softer and hopefully more easy to work with.
Zack
Everything is very open with a very clear explanation of the issues. It was truly informative. Your website is extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing!
Emily Kyle
I am so glad you think so, thanks Zack!
Ace
I cant seem to find lecithin any place near by. Can I substitute one egg yolk with coconut oil to achieve the same result?
Emily Kyle
Hey Ace! I have not tried this personally, but if it works for you, please come back to let us know 😀
Steffanie Carter
Hey there - any thoughts on Guar Gum instead of lecithin? Also - do you need - or does it help when infusing honey?
If I was using RSO to make a drink mix to add to selzer - basically to initiate CANN products (we have them here in IL but they are SOOOO expensive) would I need to use lecithin or guar gum to do that?
Thanks!
Emily Kyle
Hey Steffanie! I honestly haven't played with guar gum enough to know if it would work. For honey, it really depends on how you're infusing, but if you're adding RSO directly to the honey it will help them bind together and provide better uniformity between the mixture. Unfortunately, I haven't found a good way to dissolve RSO into cold drinks yet, but I do have a new product in production which is a water soluble drink mix which will allow you to make your own type of CANN drinks like that. Stay tuned!
Gage
I plan on making a creamer later when my Levo gets here today… would lecithin be necessary? I do have a big unopened bag of sunflower lecithin and plan on infusing directly into whole milk and then mixing equal portions of that and sweeten condensed milk after it’s infused. I just don’t know if the lecithin is a good idea for this or not.
Emily Kyle
Hey Gage, I don't know if it's 100% necessary for the structural integrity of the recipe, but it won't hurt to add it for bioavailability purposes 🙂
Joan
Hi Emily
I'm making gummies and have done everything-decarb, infused coconut oil and am ready to go! I put lecithin in the oil after it was strained. My question is do I add more when making the gummies or is that enough?
thank you your information is great
Best,Joan
Emily Kyle
Hello Joan! I always recommend adding the amount of lecithin called for in the gummy recipe, regardless of whether or not you have added it into your infusion first. I hope this helps!
Roxanne
I have the powder lecithin how much of that will I use in my coconut oil and do I dissolve it or just add it in the mason jars with the coconut oil and cannabis
Emily Kyle
Hello Roxanne, you can add 1/2-1 teaspoon per cup of oil. Put it directly in the mason jars with the oil and cannabis. Good luck 🙂
Christopher
If I nanoemulsify, using only oil based ingredients, do I need to add a stabilizer? If so, would sunflower lecithin work
Emily Kyle
Hey Chris! So sorry, but I do not have experience with this to give you a good answer.
Patricia
If I've used sunflower lecithin when ma6my infused coconut oil, do I still use some when making the gummies?
Emily Kyle
Hello Patricia! Yes, I would still add the same amount called for in the recipe 🙂
Melissa
I’m dying to make hard candies with infused coconut oil. Would you recommend adding lecithin to the sugar mixture as it’s boiling to the hard candy stage or into the coconut oil to be added after it’s removed from the heat?
Emily Kyle
Hello Melissa! I've never made hard candies with infused coconut oil, so I am not 100% sure. I know from my experience making lollipops that the mixture hardens too quickly after removing from the heat to add anything else. It would probably be best to add it during the cooking process. I hope this helps, let us know how it turns out for you 🙂
brian
should i use lecithin in vegetable glycerin tincture
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Brian. You should not use lecithin with vegetable glycerin. Vegetable glycerin is a sugar alcohol. Lecithin is an emulsifier. Emulsifiers are used to combine oil and water. Lecithin, with cannabis, makes it possible for the cannabinoids to bond to water from the oil they're in.
James
Made some gummies this weekend using your recipe. Perfect. Easy to create and very tasty. I used liquid sunflower lecithin. It was difficult getting the liquid out of the plastic bottle. It was almost like working with a thick glue. Is this normal? The bottle says shake well. It was so thick I can't imagine that it mixed when I did shake it. Any advice is helpful. Thank you!
Renée from Team EKN
Hi James. That sounds about right. Liquid lecithin has a thick consistency like molasses and often separates with the thinner lecithin rising to the top, which is why they recommended shaking well. I try to shake mine as best as I can, but there really isn't much movement in the bottle. I feel like just as long as the thinner lecithin from the top gets spread around, that's good enough. I hope this helps!
Suzan
Thanks love your site. I have a question regarding lecithin...if I used avocado oil to infuse my weed do I need to add the extra lecithin?
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Suzan. Lecithin is optional. Thank you for your appreciation!
Justin
You mentioned that lecithin will act as an emulsifier for mixing oil in water (or water in oil) recipes, however you also said that it should never be used in a recipe that uses oil and water. I guess I don't understand where the water phase is coming from?
Thank you!
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Justin. Lecithin shouldn't be added to butter when making cannabutter using water or it will create a soupy mess. Lecithin should not be used in recipes that call for heating oil and water together, because the lecithin breaks down under heat, causing the oil and water to separate. Does this make sense?