How to Make a Cannabis Cheesecake

The Greeks gave us art, philosophy, and one of the greatest recipes that stand to date: cheesecake. These tasty treats are a welcome delight in many places worldwide, both as everyday desserts and treats for special occasions.

As we become more creative in the way we consume weed, we’ve been able to infuse it into practically anything you can think of – even cheesecakes.

If you’re ready to get high off your favorite dessert, read on as we tell you how to make a cannabis cheesecake. We’ve also thrown in some useful information to ensure you end up with the best cheesecake you’ve ever had.

Making Cannabutter

Like any other cannabis-infused edible, the primary ingredient in a cannabis cheesecake is cannabis butter. And although it may sound complicated, making cannabutter only involves mixing weed and butter.

Apart from acting as a way to include cannabis in the recipe, the cannabutter-making process helps decarboxylate the herb. Decarboxylation activates the cannabinoids in the weed. Without it, you’d end up with raw weed that offers little to no benefits.

How to Make Cannabutter

Before we get to the process of making cannabutter, there are a few things you need to understand first. For starters, the quality of cannabis you use determines the strength of the cannabutter you end up with. Knowing the THC content of your weed will also help you determine how strong your cannabutter will be.

This means that using high-quality butter ultimately yields high-quality cannabutter. You also need to grind your cannabis first.

The Process

Step 1: Decarb the Weed

Like we said earlier, you have to decarboxylate the weed to activate its active compounds (THC and CBD). Decarbing typically converts TCHA into THC. If you were to skip this process, there’s a chance that some of the THCA would be converted into THC when making cannabutter. But the end product will be much weaker than it would be with decarboxylated weed.

Here’s a quick and easy way to decarb your cannabis flower:

• Grind Your Cannabis Flower: For the best results, you should use a cannabis grinder. This typically gives you a coarse, ground herb that is easy to roast.
• Preheat Your Oven to Between 230 and 245 Degrees Fahrenheit: Most ovens work well at 240 degrees, but the optimum temperature comes down to an oven’s size, age, and how evenly it cooks.
• Spread Out Your Ground Cannabis Flower on a Non-Stick Baking Tray: For the best results, you should use a non-stick baking tray that has not been used for cooking food before. But if you only have a used tray, you can make it work more effectively by laying down a piece of parchment paper. This prevents the weed from getting mixed up with any residue on the pan. 
• Bake for at Least 30 Minutes: While you’re at it, be sure to stir it up every few minutes to make sure it is evenly decarbed.
• Don’t Overdo It: The primary role of the decarbing process is to convert as much THCA as you can into THC. That said, you should be sure not to overdo it since too much heat can destroy some other useful compounds in the cannabis flower. Apart from cannabinoids, the cannabis flower comes loaded with other compounds like terpenes which work in harmony with cannabinoids to enhance its effects. Typically, your goal here should be to activate the beneficial compounds in cannabis without overdoing it and ultimately destroying them.

Step 2: Steep on the Stove

After declaring your weed, you can now infuse it into butter. Here’s how to do it:

• Heat 1 Cup of Butter and 1 Cup of Water Together: The purpose of the water here is to help the butter heat more evenly. These measurements are only suitable for a full batch with a ¼ ounce of cannabis. If you’re making a half batch, you can use ½ cup of water and butter instead. Once the butter is fully melted, remove any excess water that hasn’t evaporated.
• Set Heat to a Minimum: For the best results, you should heat the butter at around 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a cooking thermometer to gauge the exact temperature.
• Add the Decarbed Cannabis to the Melted Butter: After adding your decarbed cannabis to the melted butter, gently mix and cover the pot with a lid. Covering the pot helps distribute the heat, which works well for a slow extraction.
• Let the Mixture Simmer at 150 Degrees Fahrenheit for About 3 Hours: The longer you let it simmer at low heat, the more potent your butter becomes. If you choose to let it simmer for longer, you should add some water to prevent overheating.

Step 3: Strain Your Butter

Once your cannabis-butter mixture is ready, it’s now time to separate the solid substance from the more useful cannabutter. Here’s how it’s done:

• Place Cheesecloth Over a Jar: Fold it over a few times, then secure it in place with a rubber band so it doesn’t slip into the jar while you strain. If you don’t have cheesecloth laying around, you can also use coffee filters.
• Pour Your Cannabutter Slowly Through the Cheesecloth: While you’re at it, give it time to strain so you don’t have an overflow. You should also avoid pressing the cannabis-butter mixture down the cheesecloth. Pressing it down releases chlorophyll and bitter tannins that can alter the flavor of the cannabutter.
•  Let It Cool: Let the mixture cool for about 30 minutes. This should give the cannabutter enough time to solidify.
•  Remove Excess Water: Once the butter cools, you should be able to see a small layer of water at the bottom. Hold the butter in place with a clean utensil and tilt the jar to pour out the water.

Dosing Cannabutter

Dosing a cheesecake is a complex yet necessary process. All you’ll need to know here is the amount of cannabis you used in the cannabutter and its TCHA content. With this information in mind, you are better able to estimate the potency of your cannabutter. It can also serve as a guide for dosing your cheesecake.

The standard dose for legal cannabis edibles is 10 mg. But, since we’re talking about a homemade cheesecake, you can go above or below this dosing based on your preference. If you want to feel relaxed and a bit euphoric, the standard dose will work great for you. But if you’ve never used weed before, it’s advisable to go for a lower dose.

Cannabis Cheesecake Recipe

What you’ll need:

• 15 crushed graham crackers
• One tablespoon of butter, melted
• One tablespoon of cannabutter, melted
• Five cups of white sugar
• Four eggs
• Four packages (8 ounces) of cream cheese
• 1 cup of sour cream
• ¾ cup of milk
• ¼ cup of all-purpose floor
• One tablespoon of vanilla extract
• One small bar of milk chocolate

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While it’s heating up, grease a 9-inch springform pan thoroughly.
• Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted cannabutter and butter in a mixing bowl.
• Mix the cream with sugar in a different bowl until you get a smooth mixture. In the same bowl, blend in the milk and the eggs, breaking one at a time. Next, add the sour cream, flour, and vanilla, blend until smooth and then pour the filling into the crust you prepared.
• Put the mixture in the pan and bake for about an hour. Once it’s ready, let it cool for about five to six hours to prevent cracking. You can then place it in a refrigerator to chill.
• While your cheesecake is cooling, melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, then add some cream and stir until you get a smooth mixture.
• Pour the chocolate-cream mixture over the cheesecake to decorate and serve.
• To make your cannabis cheesecake even more palatable, you can top the cheesecake with fresh fruit slices, jam or compote, whipped cream, and fruit sauces.

Benefits of Taking Edibles Over Smoking

Cannabis cheesecakes are just the tip of the iceberg. There are tons of cannabis edibles out there, so much so that the sheer number and variety can blow your mind. Believe it or not, cannabis edibles are not a new invention; they’ve been around for decades, with the first cannabis edibles recipe dating back to the 50s.

Like other marijuana consumption methods, edibles offer some pretty unique benefits, some of which overshadow smoking. Here are a few reasons why your new cannabis cheesecake recipe could be better than smoking.

Cannabis Edibles Are Healthier

Although smoking is the most popular mode of cannabis consumption, it’s not the healthiest choice. Combusting hot matter and inhaling hot smoke, which is generally what smoking cannabis is all about, has been shown to have adverse effects on the respiratory system, especially for people with underlying respiratory diseases like asthma.

On the other hand, edibles offer a smoke-free mode of cannabis consumption that can help you avoid the potentially hazardous effects of smoking weed while still enjoying all the benefits cannabis has to offer.

Edibles Are More Potent and Offer Longer-Lasting Effects

When you smoke cannabis, the cannabinoids in the smoke enter your lungs and make their way through your bloodstream, first to your brain, then to other parts of the body. In the same way, cannabis edibles enter your body through the digestive system, where they are metabolized in the liver before making their way to the rest of your body.

Unlike with smoking, the THC in edibles is transformed into a more potent form of THC called 11-hydroxy-THC. This form of THC takes anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes to kick in. But the effects can last up to eight hours. 11-hydroxy-THC is also far more effective than THC, lending a stronger and more sedating experience compared to other cannabis consumption methods.

That said, you should note that the onset and duration of your high after taking an edible depends on various factors, including your tolerance, dosage, and your unique metabolism. Therefore, if you’re used to smoking, go slow on your cannabis cheesecake and give your body enough time to metabolize it before taking another piece.

Edibles Are Easier to Use

If you’re looking for a more discreet mode of weed consumption, edibles are your best choice. They hardly leave a trace, and the fact that they look like regular snacks makes them much easier to transport than your average cannabis flower and vape products.

Also, compared to smoking, which typically involves a few tools or complex rigs, consuming edibles is much easier and doesn’t require special processes or tools.

Edibles Offer Precise and Consistent Dosing

Licensed cannabis dealers are legally required to sell precisely dosed edibles. You can also infuse your homemade cannabis edibles with precise doses. If you don’t know how to dose your homemade cannabis edibles, you can purchase cannabutter that is accurately measured to deliver a precise dose.

Word of Caution: Cannabis Edibles Are Very Potent

One of the best things about cannabis edibles is their versatility. Apart from tasty desserts like cheesecake, you can use your cannabutter to make other tasty delights or even add them to your regular breakfast and dinner dishes.

That being said, both newbies and experienced cannabis users often make a mistake when using edibles; they are not patient enough. Edibles take time to kick in, and you can be tempted to take another slice during the time in between – that’s where the problem comes in.

If you overeat cannabis edibles, the effects are potentially overwhelming and could ruin your experience. Therefore, when indulging in your tasty cheesecake, respect its potency and allow the effects to kick in naturally. But, in case you ever need to come down from a serious marijuana high, check out these tips to help you out.

The Bottom Line

Cheesecake is among the most popular and versatile desserts out there. It’s no wonder someone figured out how to infuse it with weed, so we can all enjoy the tasty delight coupled with the benefits of using weed. Just remember to go slow on your cannabis cheesecake to avoid overdosing.