It’s almost the holidays, so it’s time to get baking — and maybe get a little baked too. We’ve been workshopping our best edibles tips, tricks, and recipes so that you can enjoy your fave holiday treats with a little extra kick.
Today, we’re coming at you with something a little unique: a drink recipe. We often see people adding a little…spice…to their beverages with some liquor, but people who don’t drink (or just prefer a little tree) deserve something fun too. So, today, we present Beard Bro’s Cannacocoa, the perfect hot drink for the holiday season.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Cannabutter or oil
2 oz. Unsweetened chocolate
4 Cups of milk (minus 4 teaspoons)
⅓ Cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tsp cinnamon
2 Tsp espresso (or strong coffee)
Marshmallows or whipped cream (to top)
To start, you’ll need to make your cannabis infusion. Since weed is lipid soluble (meaning it dissolves in fat), you’ll need to prepare either a cannabutter or a cannabis oil. We’ve used both and personally find the flavor of coconut oil a bit milder than the butter, so that’s our infusion of choice for today. However, it’s totally up to you to decide which one to use, as both options work well for this recipe.
When you’re picking a strain to infuse, it’s important to remember that terpenes will affect the flavor of the weed. For hot cocoa, we like strains with the terpene beta-caryophyllene because they often have a lightly spicy, woody aroma that’s reminiscent of cloves. Cannabis strains that boast high amounts of beta-caryophyllene include GSC, Bubba Kush, and Sour Diesel, and they make the perfect pairing for this recipe.
To infuse your cannabutter, just decarb some nicely ground flower at around 200F for 20 minutes. It should be a golden brown color. Then, steep it in some hot butter or oil for at least an hour and a half. The amount of weed you use in the infusion will determine the strength. We like to stick with half an ounce for a cup of butter, which is pretty strong and comes in at around 60mg per tsp. You can always make it weaker or stronger by adjusting the ratios.
Once your base is infused, strain the flower out and transfer your cannabutter to a different container. We’ll use our melted butter or oil for hot cocoa, so there’s no need to refrigerate it. Instead, just take 2 oz of unsweetened chocolate, chop it up, and let it melt in the warm oil. The amount of oil depends on the dosage strength you’re looking for. The recipe we’ve provided makes 4 servings, so we’ll use 4 teaspoons of oil. Once the chocolate is pretty much melted, you can add the milk, sugar, and salt. Make sure you stir it really well to emulsify the oil or butter – a handheld milk frother will usually do the trick.
Once everything is mixed together, stir in the cinnamon and coffee – this is the key to masking the weed taste. Of course, if you enjoy the taste (or picked a complimentary terpene profile), you can skip this step. For those who want to add a little spice to their cocoa, though, these additions are delicious.
And that’s it! We hope you enjoy this recipe. Be sure to follow us for more infused holiday treats!
