How to Make Cannabutter in a Slow Cooker
The easiest, most hands-off method for making potent cannabutter at home — using a slow cooker for consistent low heat and minimal monitoring.
Editorial Notes
BatchCraft Editorial Team
Chaady Research Desk
Content is written for educational recipe-planning use and cross-checked against the calculator, recipe gallery, and process guidance already published on the site.
Published 2026-03-13
Recipe and planning pages are designed to work with the BatchCraft calculator workflow, including serving-size assumptions, prep notes, and batch-planning helpers.
Why Use a Slow Cooker?
A slow cooker is the most forgiving way to make cannabutter. It maintains a steady low temperature for hours, which means you don't need to babysit a double boiler or worry about overheating. Set it, stir occasionally, and come back to perfectly infused butter.
- Consistent temperature — slow cookers on "Low" stay around 85-95°C (185-200°F), ideal for infusion
- Hands-off — stir every 30-60 minutes instead of constant monitoring
- Large capacity — easily make double or triple batches
- Hard to burn — the gentle, even heat makes overheating nearly impossible
What You'll Need
- Slow cooker (any size — 2 quart works for small batches, 6 quart for large)
- Unsalted butter — 1 cup (227g) per 7-10g of material
- Decarbed source material (see our Decarboxylation Guide)
- 1 cup water (prevents scorching and separates out later)
- Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer
- Mason jar or airtight container for storage
- Kitchen thermometer (optional but helpful)
Step 1: Decarboxylate First
You must decarb before adding material to the slow cooker. The slow cooker does NOT get hot enough to decarboxylate on its own.
- 1Preheat oven to 115°C (240°F).
- 2Break material into pea-sized pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- 3Cover tightly with foil.
- 4Bake for 40 minutes. Don't open the oven.
- 5Let cool completely.
Skipping decarb is the #1 reason homemade edibles fail. The slow cooker's "Low" setting is NOT hot enough to activate raw material. Always decarb first.
Step 2: Slow Cooker Infusion
- 1Add butter and 1 cup of water to the slow cooker. Set to "Low." Wait for butter to melt completely.
- 2Add decarbed material to the melted butter. Stir to combine.
- 3Cover and cook on "Low" for 4-6 hours. Longer = more extraction, but diminishing returns after 6 hours.
- 4Stir every 30-60 minutes. The mixture should never bubble vigorously.
- 5If you have a thermometer, check that the liquid stays between 70-95°C (160-200°F).
- 6After 4-6 hours, turn off the slow cooker and let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
Adding water serves two purposes: it prevents the butter from scorching, and it separates cleanly after refrigeration. The butter solidifies on top, the water (carrying bitter chlorophyll) stays on the bottom. Pour off the water for cleaner-tasting butter.
Step 3: Strain & Store
- 1Place cheesecloth over a mason jar or bowl. Pour the mixture through slowly.
- 2Let it drain fully. Squeeze gently — not hard, or you'll push plant matter through.
- 3Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The butter will solidify on top.
- 4Poke a hole in the solid butter layer and drain the water from underneath.
- 5Pat the bottom of the butter disc dry. Store in an airtight container.
- 6Label with date, material used, and estimated potency per tablespoon.
| Storage Method | Duration |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 2-3 weeks |
| Freezer | 6 months |
| Room temperature | Not recommended |
Dosing Your Butter
Use the BatchCraft Calculator to estimate potency per tablespoon. Enter your material amount, concentration, and butter weight. The calculator accounts for decarb and infusion efficiency losses.
If you infused 7g of 20% material into 227g of butter (1 cup ≈ 16 tablespoons) at standard efficiency: ~7g × 200mg/g × 0.6375 = ~893mg total. That's ~56mg per tablespoon. Use the calculator for your exact numbers.
Tips for Success
- Use unsalted butter — you control the salt in your final recipe
- Don't grind material to powder — it passes through strainers and makes gritty butter
- If your slow cooker runs hot, crack the lid slightly with a wooden spoon
- Freeze in ice cube trays for pre-portioned tablespoon-sized servings
- The butter will be green-ish. This is normal and doesn't affect potency
- If it smells burnt, your slow cooker's "Low" setting is too hot — crack the lid
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