Easy, healthy pot brownie recipe
Article written by
Tina MagrabiSenior Content Writer
Content reviewed by
Dr. Gavin MorelandMedical Director
Edibles are a popular choice for many medical cannabis patients and recreational users. And if you prefer to have total control over the ingredients and dosage, homemade edibles may be perfect for you.
This recipe for delicious cannabis-infused brownies has all of the flavor of classic brownies with a few healthy twists that up the fiber content and swap traditional ingredients for less processed versions.
Before you get started, you’ll need to make cannabis-infused oil.
Get your medical marijuana card
Healthy cannabis brownies
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30 to 35 minutes
- Total time: 45 to 50 minutes
- Servings: 16
- Equipment needed: 8-inch square baking pan, parchment or wax paper (optional), mixing bowls, whisk or electric mixer with whisk attachment, spatula or mixing spoon
Wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup cannabis-infused oil or melted cannabutter
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (tsp) vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or beet sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder, ideally 100% cocoa with no added sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup unbleached or whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cacao nibs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter, vegetable oil, or coconut oil. Or, line the baking pan with parchment or wax paper.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the cannabis-infused oil or melted butter and coconut or beet sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- To the same mixing bowl, add the vanilla extract and apple sauce and mix well. Then, add the eggs and beat until smooth.
- In a different mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, salt, and flour.
- Slowly add the combined dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Add the cacao nibs and mix until just combined. The batter should be thick.
- Pour the batter evenly into the greased baking pan. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the batter, if needed.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. For fudgier brownies, bake for 30 minutes. For more cake-like brownies, bake for 35 minutes. The brownies are done when you can put a toothpick in the middle of the pan and it comes out without any wet brownie batter.
- Let cool before cutting into 16 even-sized pieces.
How to dose homemade pot brownies
The strength of homemade cannabis brownies depends entirely on the cannabis infusion used in the batter and how many servings are in the recipe.
To dose your brownies, you first need to know how much tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or other cannabinoids were in the cannabis oil or butter used in the full recipe. Then, you can divide this by the number of servings to estimate the dose in each brownie.
Once you know the amount in each serving, you can choose to consume partial or multiple servings depending on your needs and preferences.
Remember, it’s best to start with low doses, especially if this is your first time trying a recipe. Edibles can create particularly strong effects because of how they are metabolized in the body, and their effects can take 1 to 2 hours to set in. Be sure to wait several hours before increasing your dose with an additional serving.
Recipe tips and notes
- Storage tips: Just like standard brownies, cannabis-infused brownies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They’re best when eaten within 2 days. To extend their freshness, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge, although this may dry them out more quickly.
- For vegan cannabis brownies: Use vegan cannabutter or a plant-based cannabis oil, and substitute two large eggs for the liquid from a 15.5-ounce can of chickpeas — aka aquafaba.
- For gluten-free cannabis brownies: Substitute 1/2 cup of unbleached or whole wheat flour with oat flour.
- For added flavor or texture: Customize your brownie recipe by adding optional ingredients to the batter before baking. Some delicious additions include shredded sweetened coconut, almond extract, pecans, walnuts, or peanut butter.
