The Best Cannabis Caramel Recipe — Plus 4 Ways to Use Cannabutter Caramel

A good cannabis caramel recipe might be the most versatile infused thing you can make. Unlike a batch of brownies that’s done when it’s done, cannabis caramel sauce can be a longer-lasting treat—an ingredient that works drizzled over ice cream, swirled into coffee, coating apples, or baked into something else entirely. Make it once, and you’ve got a week’s worth of options in a mason jar in your fridge.

This cannabis infused caramel recipe is the one we keep coming back to. It’s straightforward, it works, and the results taste like you spent way more time on it than you did. The recipe comes first, then we’ll get into four solid ways to actually use it.

This cannabis butter caramel recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together in under 15 minutes. The full cannabis caramel sauce recipe is below.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup cannabutter

1/2 cup distilled water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Equipment:

Medium-sized saucepan

Spatula

Mason jar with lid

Instructions:

1. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, heavy cream, cannabutter, water, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Whisk constantly and gently for 8 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Don’t walk away—keep an eye on the heat and adjust as needed to avoid burning.
3. Stir in the vanilla extract and heat for one additional minute.
4. Turn off the stove and remove the pan from heat. Let the sauce cool for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer to your mason jar using the spatula to get every last bit out of the pan.
6. Refrigerate until cold. Store in the fridge.

A cannabis caramel recipe is not complicated, but a few things will make or break it.

Don’t rush the heat. Medium heat is the move. Too high and the sugars scorch before the sauce has time to come together. If you see it starting to brown too fast, pull the heat back immediately.

Whisk the whole time. This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it situation. Constant, gentle whisking keeps the sugars from sticking to the bottom and ensures everything incorporates evenly, including the cannabutter.

Know when it’s ready. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and hold a line when you run your finger through it. If it’s still runny after 8 minutes, give it another minute or two. If it’s gone grainy, the heat was too high, and the sugars have crystallized, start over.

If it seizes: Add a tablespoon of warm water and whisk vigorously over low heat. This can bring it back if caught early.

Nail these cannabis caramel recipes by making sure your cannabutter is fully melted before it goes in—cold butter hitting hot sugar is a fast way to cause problems.

This cannabis infused caramel recipe keeps well when stored properly. Transfer it to a sealed mason jar and refrigerate—it’ll last up to two weeks in the fridge without any issue.

For longer storage, it freezes well. Let it cool completely, seal tightly, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to use it again.

To reheat, warm it low and slow, either in a small saucepan over the lowest heat setting or in 15-second increments in the microwave, stirring between each. Don’t blast it with high heat, or you’ll break the texture.

One thing worth knowing: THC is stable at refrigerator and freezer temperatures, so potency holds through storage. What you made is what you’ve got.

Potency in this cannabis butter caramel recipe comes entirely from your cannabutter, so the first step is knowing how strong your butter is.

If you made your cannabutter with a known quantity of flower and a calculator (MagicalButter’s dosage calculator is a solid reference), you can work out the total milligrams in your 1/2 cup of butter. From there, divide by the number of tablespoons in the batch to get a per-serving estimate.

This cannabis caramel recipe yields roughly 16 tablespoons of sauce. If your half cup of cannabutter contains 200mg THC total, each tablespoon contains approximately 12.5mg—a solid single dose for most people.

The practical takeaway: measure your servings. Caramel sauce is easy to overuse because it tastes good and you’re not thinking about it as medicine. One tablespoon is a serving. Two is a decision.

Here’s where the cannabis caramel recipe really earns its place. The sauce works as a standalone drizzle, but it’s even more useful as a building block. These four cannabis infused caramel recipe applications are all easy, all delicious, and all worth keeping in the rotation.

A classic that hits every fall—or honestly, any time you want something that feels more like a treat than an edible.

What you need:

4 medium apples (Granny Smith hold up best—the tartness balances the sweet)

1 cup cannabis caramel sauce, warmed

Popsicle sticks or skewers

Optional toppings: crushed nuts, mini chocolate chips, sea salt flakes

How to make it:

1. Wash and dry your apples thoroughly—any moisture will prevent the caramel from sticking.
2. Push a stick firmly into the stem end of each apple.
3. Warm your cannabis caramel batch to a pourable but thick consistency.
4. Dip each apple into the caramel and rotate slowly to coat, letting the excess drip off.
5. Roll in toppings if using.
6. Set on parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating.

Dosing note: Each apple uses roughly 3-4 tablespoons of caramel sauce, depending on size. Factor that into your per-apple dose before you hand them out.

This cannabis caramel recipe is the one that surprises people most—it works better than expected, and not just for the taste.

Fat-soluble cannabinoids like THC absorb more efficiently when consumed with fat. A latte made with whole milk or cream and a tablespoon of cannabis butter caramel recipe sauce hits more consistently than a lot of other edible formats, because the dairy fat helps with absorption.

What you need:

1 shot of freshly brewed espresso or dark roast coffee 

3/4 cup of whole milk

1 tablespoon of cannabis caramel sauce 

How to make it:

1. Brew a strong shot of espresso or very strong coffee.
2. Steam or froth 3/4 cup of whole milk.
3. Stir 1 tablespoon of cannabis caramel sauce into the hot espresso until fully dissolved.
4. Pour the milk over and stir gently.
5. Top with a light drizzle of plain caramel if you want the full coffee shop moment.

For an iced version: dissolve the caramel sauce in a small amount of hot water first, then pour over ice with cold brew and milk. The cannabis caramel recipe dissolves better in something warm before it hits the ice.

If you want to layer effects responsibly, this is the one to be thoughtful about. A cannabis infused caramel recipe swirled into a brownie batter that’s also made with cannabutter means both components are contributing to the final dose. Do the math before you cut.

What you need:

1 box brownie mix (plus whatever the box calls for: eggs, oil, water)

1/4 cup cannabis caramel sauce, at room temperature

How to make it:

1. Prepare the brownie batter according to the box directions. If you want to double down, sub cannabutter for the oil called for in the recipe. If you’d rather keep it lighter, use regular oil—the caramel swirl is already doing work.
2. Pour batter into a greased 8×8 pan.
3. Drop spoonfuls of cannabis caramel sauce across the top of the batter.
4. Use a knife or skewer to swirl the caramel through the batter in slow figure-eights.
5. Bake at 350°F per box instructions, typically 25–30 minutes.
6. Cool completely before cutting.

Dosing note: If you used cannabutter in the batter AND the caramel swirl, this is a double-infused product. Cut small squares and wait the full two hours before deciding you need more.

The easiest one on the list and the most dangerous to have around. Cannabis caramel popcorn comes together fast and disappears faster—which is exactly why portion awareness matters here.

What you need:

8 cups popped popcorn (plain, no butter or salt added)

3/4 cup cannabis caramel sauce, warmed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Optional: 1/2 cup roasted peanuts or pecans

How to make it:

1. Spread popped popcorn on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Warm your cannabis caramel recipe sauce until it’s pourable but not too thin.
3. Drizzle over the popcorn evenly. Toss to coat.
4. Sprinkle with sea salt and any add-ins.
5. Bake at 250°F for 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes to keep the coating even.
6. Spread out to cool completely on parchment before eating—the caramel needs to set fully.

Dosing note: This recipe uses roughly 3/4 cup of sauce spread across the full batch. Divide by the number of servings you intend to eat, not the number of servings you hope you’ll stop at.

For more than a decade, Herb has been a gathering place for people who love, use, and are simply curious about cannabis. What started as a small corner of the internet has grown into a community where millions come to learn, share, and stay connected to the culture.

Here’s what you can tap into at Herb:

Learning hub and guides that break things down clearly, from growing weed outdoors to understanding how terpenes impact your high

News hub that spotlights the latest cannabis culture and policy shifts

Dispensary directory to help you find licensed shops in your local area

Monthly strain picks, featuring rotating Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid favorites

Deals page, updated monthly with the best cannabis discounts available online

Stay connected with the Herb community by subscribing to our newsletter, following us on Instagram, and X for the latest in cannabis lifestyle and culture.