Holiday Cannabis Recipes: Cocoa, Eggnog, Desserts and More

These holiday cannabis recipes keep things simple: familiar seasonal drinks and desserts, each with a measured dose of THC per serving. Most start from a store-bought tincture, which states its strength on the label, or from a homemade base such as infused syrup, butter or honey. Every recipe is alcohol-free and meant for adults 21 and older. Before you stir anything in, here's the dose math, how to label for guests and how to store leftovers safely.

Before you start: dose math for holiday cannabis recipes

Every recipe here comes down to one number: the milligrams of THC in each serving. Decide that first, then work backward.

Pick a per-serving dose. Canadian public health officials suggest 2.5 mg of THC or less as a starting point for anything you eat or drink. For a mixed group of adults, that's a sensible ceiling per mug or piece.

If you use a tincture, divide the THC in the bottle by its volume to get milligrams per milliliter. At 10 mg per mL, a quarter milliliter holds 2.5 mg. Michigan caps adult-use tinctures at 10 mg of THC per dose and 200 mg per package. Alcohol-based tinctures add a few drops of alcohol, so choose an oil- or glycerin-based one if you want drinks fully alcohol-free. Our cannabis tincture guide explains dropper math in detail.

If you use a homemade base, estimate its strength:

1. Multiply the grams of flower by 1,000, then by the THC percentage as a decimal. Half a gram at 24% THC holds at most 120 mg.
2. Divide by the servings in your base. Spread across 1 cup of syrup, which is 48 teaspoons, that's about 2.5 mg per teaspoon.
3. Use the answer as a ceiling. The real figure depends on how fully the flower was decarboxylated and how much THC the infusion pulled out, and home batches rarely mix perfectly evenly.

Raw flower needs heating first, a step called decarboxylation, so its THCA becomes THC. For a syrup base, start with our infused simple syrup recipe.

Label for guests. Each infused item needs four things on its label: that it contains THC, the milligrams per serving, the date and "21+ only." Keep infused food on its own tray and tell guests about it directly.

Quick infused add-ins

Each of these takes about five minutes and one measured dose. For drinks, add the dose once the drink is off the heat and in the mug, so every cup gets exactly what you measured.

Cannabis hot chocolate

• 1 cup milk or oat milk
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
• A pinch of salt
• One measured tincture dose

1. Warm the milk in a small pan over medium-low heat.
2. Whisk in the cocoa, sugar and salt until smooth, then pour into a mug.
3. Measure your dose with the dropper and stir it in well.

Alcohol-free THC eggnog

• 1 cup store-bought eggnog, checked to be alcohol-free
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 cinnamon stick
• One measured tincture dose

1. Pour the chilled eggnog into a glass, or warm it gently in a small pan.
2. Stir in your measured dose.
3. Dust with nutmeg and add the cinnamon stick for stirring.

Infused whipped cream

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A measured tincture amount for the whole batch

1. Decide how many dollops you'll serve and the dose in each. Eight dollops at 2 mg each need 16 mg in the bowl.
2. Whip the cream and sugar to soft peaks.
3. Add the vanilla and the measured tincture, then whip briefly to blend.
4. Portion into equal dollops right away and label the bowl.

Peppermint mocha

• 1 cup hot coffee
• 1/2 cup warmed milk
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• One measured tincture dose

1. Whisk the cocoa into the hot coffee until it dissolves.
2. Add the peppermint extract and the milk.
3. Stir in your measured dose and serve.

Cannabis maple syrup

• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 120 mg of THC from a tincture, for about 2.5 mg per teaspoon
• A clean bottle with a tight cap

1. Warm the syrup slightly so it pours easily.
2. Stir in the tincture thoroughly, then pour it into the bottle.
3. Label it with the milligrams per teaspoon and refrigerate it.
4. Shake before every use, since the mix can separate.

Infused desserts

Baked desserts like brownies, bars and cookies work best when the dose is built into the fat. Make an infused butter or oil, estimate its strength with the math above and use only as much as the batch needs. Then:

• Mix thoroughly. Stir the infused fat into the batter longer than you normally would, so it spreads evenly.
• Cut evenly. Use a ruler to cut equal pieces. Divide the batch total by the number of pieces to get each piece's dose.
• Keep pieces small. Small squares make it easier to stay at a low dose.

For a full step-by-step version, see our pot brownies recipe. Christmas edibles and other holiday edibles look just like regular desserts, which is exactly why the labeling step matters.

No-bake and quick bites

No-bake oatmeal cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons butter in total, part of it measured infused butter
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups quick oats

1. Bring the sugar, milk, cocoa and the plain butter to a rolling boil, stirring, and boil for 1 minute.
2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the infused butter, peanut butter and oats.
3. Drop 12 equal spoonfuls onto parchment and let them set for about 30 minutes.
4. Divide the infused butter's total milligrams by 12 and label each cookie.

Sunflower seed butter works in place of peanut butter.

Infused s'mores

• 4 ounces dark chocolate
• 1 tablespoon infused coconut oil or butter, measured
• 8 graham cracker sheets, broken in half
• 8 marshmallows

1. Melt the chocolate with the infused fat over very low heat, stirring until smooth.
2. Pour it into a small lined pan, chill until firm and cut 8 equal squares.
3. Toast the marshmallows and sandwich each one with a chocolate square between two crackers.

Each s'more holds one-eighth of the infused fat's total dose. For a version with infused marshmallows, see our cannabis s'mores recipe.

Holiday drinks: cider, coffee and an alcohol-free canna-cocktail

Spiced cider

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 strip of orange peel
• One measured tincture dose

1. Simmer the cider with the spices and peel over low heat for 10 minutes.
2. Strain it into a mug.
3. Stir in your measured dose.

For a brighter, citrus-forward take, try our apple cider recipe.

Maple cinnamon coffee

• 1 cup hot coffee
• 1 teaspoon cannabis maple syrup from the recipe above
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream
• A pinch of ground cinnamon

1. Pour the coffee into a mug.
2. Stir in the measured teaspoon of syrup and the cinnamon.
3. Top with the milk and stir again.

Cranberry lime spritz

• 3 ounces unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce plain simple syrup
• 3 ounces sparkling water
• One measured tincture dose
• A sprig of rosemary

1. Shake the cranberry juice, lime juice and syrup with ice.
2. Strain over fresh ice and stir in your dose.
3. Top with sparkling water and garnish with the rosemary.

Toppings: infused honey

A spoonful of infused honey dresses up warm biscuits, a cheese board or a cup of tea.

• 1/2 cup honey, which is 24 teaspoons
• 60 mg of THC from a tincture, for about 2.5 mg per teaspoon
• A pinch of ground cinnamon
• A clean jar with a lid

1. Warm the honey gently by setting its jar in a bowl of hot water.
2. Stir in the tincture and cinnamon until fully blended.
3. Seal the jar and label it with the milligrams per teaspoon.

For a version infused straight from flower, see our canna-honey recipe.

Dosing tips: low and slow, one serving at a time

• Start low. Keep first servings at 2.5 mg of THC or less.
• Wait before seconds. Eaten cannabis may not kick in for up to 2 hours, and it can need up to 4 hours to peak. The CDC has noted that people sometimes eat several servings before the first one kicks in, which is how a pleasant evening turns into a long one.
• One infused item per guest. Infused cocoa plus an infused cookie plus infused whipped cream adds up quickly. Choose one per evening and serve everything else plain.
• Expect a long evening. Effects from eaten cannabis last 4 to 12 hours, and some can last up to 24.
• Leave out the alcohol and the car keys. Health officials advise against mixing cannabis with alcohol, and nobody should drive after an infused serving.
• Check with a clinician first if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, take medications or have a health condition. The FDA strongly advises against using THC in any form during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

If someone has too much, help them to a quiet spot with water and stay close. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for advice, or 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing or fainting.

Storage: airtight, labeled, cold and out of reach

Canadian health officials warn that edible cannabis carries a higher risk of accidental poisoning, especially for children and pets. Holiday kitchens are busy, so store infused food with the care you'd give medicine.

• Airtight and labeled. Use sealed containers marked with THC, the milligrams per serving and the date.
• Cold where it counts. Infused cream and eggnog keep no longer than their plain versions, so follow the date on the carton and make them close to serving time. Keep infused syrup in the fridge.
• Separate. Give infused food its own shelf or box, away from everyday snacks and leftovers. Opaque containers help.
• Out of reach. Store it up high or locked away, never on a counter where kids or pets can get to it.
• Clean up right away. Collect leftover infused servings as soon as the party winds down.

If a child or pet eats something infused, call Poison Control or your vet right away. 21+ only. Please consume responsibly.