Mint and Lime Cannabis-Infused Cheesecakes (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free)

I have a confession to make: I’m new to making cannabis edibles.

Often when people come to my blog or Instagram and see my passion for cannabis and plant based food, they assume I spend my free time feverishly cooking up a storm of infused goodies. And that makes total sense, because the two pair exceptionally well.

Truth be told, I love cannabis. I love vegan food. And I love edibles. But until very recently, I hadn’t experimented much in the kitchen with making my own medicated treats.

There are a few reasons for this: In Colorado, obtaining edibles was as easy as walking to my local dispensary and choosing from a glorious plethora of medicated options. Ice cream? Chocolate bars? Sunflower seeds? Cookies? Gummies? Check, check, check, check. Admittedly, I fell into the habit of picking up my weekly 250mg chocolate bar, portioning off a few pieces to snack on with my evening tea, and calling it a wrap. Occasionally, I’d splurge on a bottle of infused oil or vegan butter and make myself some chocolate chip cookies, but this was the extent of my experimentation with edibles in the kitchen.

It wasn’t until moving to Florida (where edibles with THC are currently only legal if you prepare them yourself) that I began exploring the wonderful world of home-prepared medicated treats.

There is so much to learn and explore when making your own edibles, and I’m finding the options stretch far beyond the boundaries of your traditional hash brownie or gummy recipe. From decarboxylating flower for use in baked goods to making your own homemade cannabudder, the opportunities (and gadgets!) available for creative cannabis cooking inspiration are endless.

And guys. I. Am. Having. So. Much. Fun.

I’ve got a long way to go before I level-up in cannabis cooking expertise, but I’m fully enjoying the journey – and I hope you’ll join me in trying out a few of my creations along the way!

Grow Healthy Frūtful Cannabis Distillate

For my first recipe, I decided to try a new product from Grow Healthy Dispensary: Frūtful Mint and Lime cannabis distillate.

Cannabis distillate (or cannabinoids that have been distilled from plant matter) is a fairly-new method of cannabis extraction. Up until recently, the two main methods of creating cannabis concentrates required solvents (such as alcohol or butane) or pressure and rinsing. Both methods could potentially leave behind plant matter or solvent residue in the final product (not my favorite thing).

But during the process of cannabis distillation, cannabis molecules are separated and refined using heat and vaporization instead. The end product is a solvent-free, odorless concentrate with a potency that can reach up to 99%. (Win!)

There are a few reasons why I love this particular distillate. Firstly, it contains a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC – and while distillate made with THC only is great, I personally love the mellow, even effects of products that contain a wide range of cannabis compounds. The addition of CBD with the THC in this distillate yielded a batch of edibles potent enough to ease me into a restful sleep, but not so strong that I found myself waking up dizzy and nauseas in the middle of the night (does this happen to anyone else?)

Secondly, it tastes amazing. Distillates are typically mild in taste and smell, making them a great option for infusing medicated treats – but if you’re a patient who’s particularly sensitive to the earthy flavor of cannabis, you may still pick up a “canny” note or two.

Frūtful distillates are packed with fruit-derived terpenes that I found perfect for creating these minty-lime cheesecakes. If I hadn’t infused them myself, I’d never know they were medicated.

Thirdly, they’re produced by Grow Healthy – and while there are several dispensaries in the Florida Market that I like and support, this one has stolen my heart with their incredible flower, accessible educational information, and transparency.

Some dispensaries in vertically-integrated states consider the cannabinoid and terpene content of their products to be proprietary – and while this may be a smart business move, it renders patients helpless in determining whether or not a product is right for them. I appreciate Grow Healthy’s commitment to patient interests for this reason.

If you’re a legal medical cannabis patient in Florida, you can buy Frūtful Distillates here.

Cooking with Cannabis Distillate

I was very surprised at how easy it was to cook with cannabis distillate. It sounds intimidating at first, but if you can stir, you can make edibles! Here are a few tips to keep in mind when making this recipe:

• Distillate is an incredibly thick, sticky liquid – for this reason, submerging the syringe in a bowl of hot water before adding it to your oil will soften the distillate, saving you time and hassle. However, THC begins to degrade at 230 degrees, so make sure your water doesn’t exceed this temperature.
• Stir, stir, stir! Once you mix your distillate into the oil, make sure it is fully-incorporated. This will ensure the THC and CBD in your goodies are evenly-distributed throughout the mixture and will prevent one cheesecake from being stronger or weaker than it’s buddy. In this recipe, I utilize a high-speed blender for this, which worked very well.
• Do not taste the batter – unless you plan to be home for several hours and don’t have anything planned for the evening but a coloring book session and some snacks. You’d be amazed how many milligrams of THC the end of a wooden spoon can hold (I learned this the hard way. Weeeee!)

A Note on Dosing

This recipe yields ten single-serving cheesecakes at a dose of approximately 19mg of THC and 19mg of CBD per piece. If you’re new to cannabis edibles, it is very important to familiarize yourself with a little edibles 101 to avoid consuming too much THC. For more information on dosing, check out my article 4 Tips for Consuming Cannabis Edibles or utilize websites websites like Leafly.com to help you find your ideal individual dose.

A Note on Legality and Safety

To protect your rights and safety, it’s important to ensure you’re following your individual state’s laws and regulations around consumption of cannabis edibles. When in doubt, check your state’s government website, or utilize handy maps like this.

It also goes without saying that edibles should be kept in a safe place, out of reach of children and away from minors.

DIY Mint and Lime Cannabis Distillate Infused Coconut Oil

What you’ll need:

• 1 .5 gram syringe Grow Healthy Frūtful Mint and Lime Cannabis Distillate
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 mug or bowl of hot water (do not exceed 230 degrees)
• A microwave

Instructions:

• Heat water and place in bowl or mug
• Remove distillate syringe from the plastic outer tube (do not remove syringe cap) and submerge entire syringe in hot water
• Allow to sit for several minutes (you can prepare the crust for the recipe while you wait)
• Measure out your coconut oil and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on medium heat for 1 minute or until fully melted.
• Remove syringe from hot water, remove plastic cap, and empty contents into the bowl of hot coconut oil.
• Stir like your life depends on it with a wire whisk or fork
• Set aside and prepare the rest of the recipe. When you are ready to use your infused oil, place it in the microwave for 1 – 2 minutes to ensure distillate is fully incorporated and give it one more stir
• The oil is now ready to be used in your recipe!

Mint and Lime Cannabis-Infused Cheesecakes (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free)

These delicious, melt-in-your-mouth no-bake cheesecakes are the perfect single-serving treat. Free of refined sugar or animal products, these cheesecakes utilize natural, healthy ingredients and produce a mellow, even high.

Crust:

½ cup almonds

½ cup gluten-free oats

8 medjool dates, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes

2 Tbs coconut oil

Pinch of salt

Filling:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for one hour or overnight and drained

¼ cup DIY Mint and Lime Cannabis Distillate Infused Coconut Oil (see recipe above)

½ cup agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey (if not vegan)

½ can full-fat coconut milk, shaken well

Juice of three small limes

1 Tbs lime zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp sea salt

Instructions:

1. Line muffin tin(s) with ten liners. Prepare DIY Mint and Lime Cannabis Distillate Infused Coconut Oil. Set aside.
2. For the crust, place oats and almonds in a high-speed blender and pulse until finely-ground. Add remaining crust ingredients and blend until a sticky dough forms (it should be the consistency of sticky, coarse crumbs). Scoop by heaping Tbs into muffin liners and press down to form crusts. Store any remaining crust mixture in a glass jar in the fridge for use in a later recipe.
3. Rinse blender basket and return to blender. Combine soaked and drained cashews, infused coconut oil, agave nectar, coconut milk, lime juice, lime zest, vanilla and sea salt. Blend on high until mixture becomes smooth, slightly-fluffy and free of lumps. Distribute mixture evenly over crusts and smooth tops with a spoon. Freeze until set, approximately two hours or overnight. When ready to serve, garnish with lime wedges, mint leaves, and a sprinkle of lime zest. Store in a sealed plastic bag or Tupperware container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Yeild: 10 cheesecakes

THC: 19.4mg (per cheesecake)

CBD: 19.4mg (per cheesecake)