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glass jar tipped on its side with homemade cbd gummy bears spilling out onto a grey table

Homemade CBD (or THC) Gummies

Martha Stewart isn't the only one who can make CBD gummies! Learn how to make proper CBD oil/cannabutter in an Instant Pot and transform it into adorable gummy bears with just a few ingredients.
4.50 from 16 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Decarb and Steep Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Course Snack, Supplement
Cuisine Fusion
Servings 300
Calories 4 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

CBD Oil/Cannabutter

CBD Gummies

  • ½ C CBD Oil
  • ½ C Filtered Water
  • 85 g Flavored Gelatin small box of any flavor of Jell-o or store brand gelatin.
  • 3 ¼ tablespoon Unflavored Gelatin
  • 1 teaspoon Sunflower Lecithin optional, will help prevent separation

Instructions
 

  • Take your flower and grind it into a fluffy state, but not so small that it's powder. I use my spice grinder to shorten this process, but one of those hand held grinders will absolutely work.
    Place the grinds into a small, clean mason jar and firmly attach the lid.
    Place trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot, and place the mason jar on top. Pour in enough water to cover roughly half of the jar.
    Secure the lid, set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 40 minutes. Do a quick release, being sure to avoid the scorching hot steam as it escapes.
  • Measure out oil (or butter) of choice into a small mason jar.
    Carefully remove the jar you used for decarbing the flower from the Instant Pot. Using either a mesh tea steeper or a piece of cheesecloth, secure the flower and add it to the container with the oil.
    Secure the lid on the jar with your oil and flower. Place it back into the Instant Pot, again looking for the water to cover about half of the jar.
    Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and set to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 40 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
    Carefully remove the jar from the Instant Pot and allow to cool enough to handle. Remove the lid, then remove your flower. Squeeze any oil that has seeped into the cloth or flower back into the jar, then discard the flower. If necessary, add more oil to the jar to get the amount you need for your recipe. In the case of making these homemade CBD gummies, I need ½ cup oil total.
    TIP: Cheesecloth is compostable, so once you squeeze all the good stuff out, you can chuck the whole package into your compost.
    Either proceed to making the CBD gummies straightaway, or pop the lid back on your jar and place it in the fridge to use another day. From what I can tell, CBD oil will keep for several months in the fridge with no detectable degradation of potency or quality.
  • Set your moulds and droppers/mini turkey basters up somewhere close to your stove or heating element. The mix will need to stay on the heat while you fill the moulds.
    In a small saucepan, melt your CBD oil (if necessary). Now combine your oil/cannabutter, water, flavored gelatin pack and plain, unflavored gelatin, whisking to combine.
    Set the saucepan over low-medium heat (about a 3.5/10) and continue whisking until all solids are dissolved. Reduce the heat to low.
    Working somewhat quickly, use the mini baster that came with the set to fill your moulds. Give your mix a stir every so often as you work, ensuring that the mixture doesn't split.
    When one whole mould is filled, lightly tap it on the counter to release any pent up air bubbles. Continue until all of the gelatin mix is portioned out.
    Allow the gummies to rest, undisturbed, for about 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until set. Flip the moulds over and press the bear shapes to remove each piece. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Decarbed flower is going to look a few shades darker than prior to this process. Don't fret, that's normal.
  • Since I used coconut oil and refrigerated the cannabutter prior to using, it was solid when I went to make my gummies.
  • Don't worry if you drip some excess mixture on the seams outside of the moulds. They'll peel off just fine and give you little nibbles for yourself so you can gift the real cuties.
 
How do I calculate how potent my CBD gummies are?
When you purchase CBD (or THC) flower from a dispensary, there will be several strains available to you, each with varying levels of potency. Look for the percentage associated with the strain you choose. My recipe calls for ¼ oz (or ~7g) of flower for the batch.
The numbers you will need to calculate the dosage of your gummies are: percentage of CBD (THC) in your strain, amount (in ounces or grams) of flower used in your batch, and the number of pieces you end up with.*
While you can certainly go about reverse engineering the dosage yourself from here, there are several calculators out there to help you do the job. I happen to like this one.
*Depending on the type of mold you choose, your homemade gummies (or other edibles) are going to range in size. I used these molds, which yielded me a batch of approximately 300 gummy bears. Note:you will need 6 trays to make a full batch, and these molds are sold in cases of 4.
How many gummies should I eat?
That, my friends, is entirely up to you. I recommend consulting with a doc before jumping on any kind of serious CBD regimen, but I'd venture to say anywhere from 5-15mg at a time should do the trick without adverse consequences.
As a general rule, think of edibles like salt - you can always add more, but you can't take it away. My recommendation would be to start slow and see how you feel. If you want more information on CBD dosage, check out this helpful article from Healthline.
How long will the CBD gummies last?
I can usually stretch a batch (~300 5mg pieces) for about 6-8 months. I have not noticed any degradation of potency over time, but I keep mine in an airtight jar in the freezer to stay on the safe side.
Can I make these into sour gummies?
Heck yeah you can! The sour part of sour gummies comes from citric acid (also known as ascorbic acid). If you already do home canning, you likely already have some in your pantry.
I have found that the best results for making sour CBD gummies requires that you pulse the citric acid powder in a spice grinder or food processor until quite fine. Once the gummies have just set up, pop them out of their molds and toss them with citric acid to dust them.
The longer the gummies set, the more dry their exterior becomes, making it harder to get the citric acid to adhere. Also note that the citric acid can interfere with the gelatin, so you might want to keep your sour CBD gummies in the fridge ~or~ add another ½ tablespoon of gelatin to the mix to prevent them from melting into one big blob.
What is the best kind of oil to use for making CBD oil or cannabutter?
It kind of depends on the application you're planning on using it for. Generally speaking, I reach for unrefined organic coconut oil because it's pretty dang versatile in terms of making sweets (my preferred application). I can use it for anything from gummies to brownies, rice krispy treats to cookies, and can easily make the batch vegan.
That said, if you want something to use in a more savory setting - say, salad dressing - I might opt for olive oil or grapeseed oil instead. If you want to make baked goods the more old fashioned way, butter or vegan butter can work, too.

Nutrition

Calories: 4kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 1mgSugar: 1gCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Easy, Gluten Free, Instant Pot, Special Occasion
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