In addition to oils, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are available as isolates, distillates and rosins. Baking with them can be tricky as some of these materials have varying degrees of potency.

“A distillate is in an oil form, almost like a honey,” said Brianna Jenkins, director of chemistry and quality assurance, Red Mesa, a large-scale hemp processor and producer of CBD and other cannabinoid raw materials in Utah. “Depending on the distillate, some can be solidified at room temperature and need to be heated and homogenized before use. Some are liquid at room temperature. The isolates are crystalized powders. That would be similar to using baking soda or baking powder in a recipe. I’d say both are easy to use.”

Jenkins explained that CBD isolates would be nearly 100% CBD, but distillates are not 100%.

“If you’re wanting a 100-mg cookie, you can put 100 mg of CBD isolate in. But if you have a distillate at 90% CBD, you have to take that potency into account to ensure you have 100 mg of CBD,” Jenkins said. “With isolates, you have to do less math.”

With THC, each batch of ingredients must be tested to ensure proper dosage in a formulation, said Dave Owens, chef and culinary director of Proper Brands, which sells edibles in Missouri under the Honeybee Edibles brand.

“I have to adjust the formulation to account for that so we can hit the designated mark, of say 5 mg for a gum drop,” he said. “Whatever the number is, I have to adjust the formula to compensate for them. It’s a little bit of spreadsheet work.”

Bakers can infuse butter or oils like coconut oil with cannabis, but the potencies can vary widely. This is a method that has been used by home bakers for personal use.

“It’s a little bit of roulette to get it right,” Owens said. “You’re just guessing.”

Rosins are extracted from plants without solvents, but they have a strong flavor that can be a challenge in a formulation.

“If you decide you want to go with something that’s a little more natural, like one of the rosins, for example, they are very hashy, so you have to work with the flavor a lot, meaning you have to eat the product a lot,” said Jessica Cristadoro, president and chief executive officer, Food Business Consulting. “So it’s kind of a workplace hazard.”

She said she has worked with a flavor ingredient that provides a hashy flavor without the THC, helping her get the formulation right without the psychoactive effects of working with THC.

Cannabinoids can degrade when exposed to higher temperatures so bakers have to be careful when baking with them.

“Cannabinoids will start to degrade around 105C, which is 221F,” Jenkins said. “Cakes can be a little bit harder to cook because they’re in the oven for 45 minutes. You may start seeing a tiny bit of degradation, so you may need to add a little overage so you want it to be 100 mg exactly.”

When making products with several cannabinoids, it is important to note that not all cannabinoids are equal in thermal and oxidative stability, said Keith Woelfel, director of research and development, Ripple, a THC edibles manufacturer located in Commerce City, Colo. 

“For example, CBC, THCV and delta-9 THC tend to be more susceptible to oxidative and thermal degradation both during processing like baking as well as through shelf life,” he said.

One hazard of baking with cannabinoids is that waste can be costly, such as a distillate getting stuck in a bowl.

“Keep in mind the cannabis ingredient itself is really expensive so if it gets stuck in the sprayers, you’re going to be mad,” Cristadoro said.

She suggested using as few containers as possible when mixing up the product to help mitigate the problem.

While cannabis and hemp are growing in popularity, they can pose several challenges for bakers interested in producing them. It requires a good understanding of the legal hurdles and understanding how to handle these ingredients.

“Baked goods and snacks are definitely a new market,” Jenkins said. “They’re just kind of starting. But gummies also started that way, and they have exploded.”

This article is an excerpt from the December 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Cannabis/CBD/Hemp, click here.