What kind of CBD oil is best for cooking?
If you’d like to cook with CBD, it’s best to use a high-quality CBD oil. Choose a product that meets at least these standards:
- Lab-tested by a third party and provides a Certificate of Analysis or CoA.
- Extracted using alcohol or safe solvents like supercritical CO₂. Avoid butane extracted products.
- Organic and non-GMO.
CBD has a distinctive flavour —grassy, slightly bitter— often described as an acquired taste. Some people think it’s best to embrace its earthy notes, while others prefer to mix it with sweeter ingredients to conceal its natural grassiness.
Can CBD be used as a frying oil?
The short answer is NO. The first thing you need to know is that CBD should never be heated above 120ºF/49ºC, as high temperatures will cause it to lose its properties (and, incidentally, will also make it taste foul). This means you can’t fry or even sauté with it.
Heating CBD to high temperatures will cause a loss of cannabinoids and terpenes. Terpenes are volatile compounds found in hemp and cannabis —as well as in other plants— that enhance CBD’s beneficial properties.
Can you freeze CBD?
CBD can be frozen without losing any of its valuable properties, so you can safely add it to treats such as ice creams, popsicles or fudgesicles.
The best ingredients to use when cooking with CBD
Since consuming fat increases CBD absorption, it’s ideal to incorporate it into high-fat meals, pairing it with ingredients that contain good fats:
- Nuts and seeds
- Avocado
- Oily fish
- Eggs
- Full-fat dairy
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Dark chocolate
- Coconut milk
Easy ways to add CBD to your meals
If you’re interested in cooking with CBD but want to start simple, try these simple ways to add CBD to your food:
- Add a few drops to salad dressings.
- Mix a teaspoon of CBD into guacamole.
- Add a few drops to a smoothie.
- Sprinkle it over your morning cereal or yogurt. Top with nuts and seeds for a dose of good fats.
- Mix a few drops into your tea or coffee.
- Use it to make ice cubes. Start with filtered water or coconut water and a few drops of CBD oil. Consider adding a few of your favourite berries or frozen fruit chunks.
- Sprinkle over any meal as a finishing oil.
CBD sweet recipes
Because of its slightly bitter flavour, CBD is well-paired with sweeter ingredients. However, since CBD will lose its properties if exposed to high temperatures, uncooked treats are the safest option for preserving the benefits of CBD.
These recipes are naturally high in healthy fats, which will make CBD easier to absorb.
Avocado chocolate mousse with CBD
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp / 15ml CBD oil
- 2 ripe avocados
- ¼ cup / 30g cocoa powder
- ¼ cup / 60ml melted dark chocolate
- Agave syrup, honey, or any other sweetener to taste
- Milk or nutmilk of choice (add it in tablespoons until the mixture reaches the desired consistency)
- A pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Serve cold.
Raw CBD energy balls
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp/ 30ml CBD oil
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 bananas
- 1 cup/ 240g coconut cream
- 1/3 cup / 50g nuts, finely chopped
- 1/8 cup / 30ml agave syrup
- 1/3 cup / 40g desiccated coconut
- 1 + 1/8 cup / 195g dark chocolate, melted
Mash the avocado with the bananas. Add the coconut cream, CBD oil, and agave syrup. Stir in the finely chopped nuts and put the mixture in the freezer for at least 3 hours. Once it resembles the texture of ice cream, shape it into small balls, using a spoon or an ice cream scoop. Coat with melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with desiccated coconut. Keep them cool!
CBD savory recipes
For more savory tastes, CBD works great in salads. Again, we maintain its therapuetic properties by not overheating it.
Pear & Goat cheese salad with CBD dressing
Ingredients:
- Arugula leaves
- 1 ripe pear
- Goat cheese
- ¼ cup / 40g pecan halves
For the dressing:
- 1 tsp/ 15ml CBD oil
- 3 tbsp/ 45ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp/ 15ml vinegar
- ½ tbsp/ 7.5ml wholegrain mustard
- ½tbsp/ 7.5ml agave nectar
- Salt and pepper to taste
To make the salad, place a bed of rocket leaves on a plate. Top with slices of pear and crumbled goat cheese. Toast the pecans in a frying pan, adding a sprinkle of brown sugar so they caramelize slowly, and add them to your salad. For the dressing, combine the ingredients in a jar, cover it with a lid, and shake well.
French Lentil & Beet salad with CBD dressing
Ingredients:
- 2 cups / 400g cooked French lentils
- 2-3 beets
- ½ pomegranate
- Feta cheese, to taste
- Fresh mint and dill
For the dressing:
- 1 tsp/ 15ml CBD oil
- 3 tbsp/ 45ml olive oil
- ½ tbsp/ 7.5ml wholegrain mustard
- ½tbsp/ 7.5ml agave nectar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Place the cooked lentils in a bowl once they’ve cooled down a bit. This salad can be eaten warm, but if you prefer to have it cold, let them cool down completely. Add the diced beets, the pomegranate seeds and the crumbled Feta cheese. To make the dressing, combine the ingredients in a jar, cover it with a lid, and shake well. Mix it in, and serve with fresh mint and dill.
The Bottom Line
If you’d like to cook with CBD, use a high-quality CBD oil. Since high temperatures will ruin both its properties and its flavour, use it as a finishing oil to drizzle over warm or cool dishes, or add it to uncooked treats. To maximize absorption, combine it with ingredients that contain good fats.
Sources
- A Systematic Review on the Pharmacokinetics of Cannabidiol in Humans. NCBI. November, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6275223/#__ffn_sectitle
- Heat exposure of Cannabis sativa extracts affects the pharmacokinetic and metabolic profile in healthy male subjects. NCBI. May, 2012. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22411724
- The stability of cannabis and its preparations on storage. NCBI. January, 1076. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22411724
- CO2 vs. Butane Extraction. Medxtractor. https://medxtractor.com/co2-vs-butane/
