A woman holding a cup of tea with CBD oil

How to Make CBD Oil Taste Better: Creative Ways to Improve Flavor

Some people have a hard time describing what CBD oil tastes like naturally. You might hear something like earthy, grassy, or even nutty. Some people think it tastes raw, like cooking oil or microgreens. None of these are wrong; everyone experiences taste in different ways. Unfortunately, some people dislike the taste even if they like what CBD oil can do for them.

If you’d describe CBD oil in a less-than-savory way, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a taste you dislike. There are quite a few ways you can improve the flavor. Let’s dive into our favorite ways to make CBD oil taste better right now. 

Why Does CBD Taste Like It Does?

CBD oil has a strong flavor because it contains a class of compounds known as terpenes. These compounds naturally occur in many different plants, including lavender, pine, and cannabis.

But there’s not just one type of terpene. In fact, a recent study found that a hemp plant may contain around 200 different types. Since they all have slightly different tastes, it produces a complex flavor profile in hemp derivatives like CBD oil.

Related: What’s the Best Tasting CBD Oil?

Mix CBD Oil with a Sweetener

Mixing CBD oil with a sweetener is a quick and easy way to improve the taste. And we don’t mean taking it with a spoonful of sugar. We prefer to add a few drops of CBD oil to a spoonful of honey and mix it around.

If you want to try something even more unique, you could put a piece of chocolate under your tongue before you take the oil. The flavors mix in a way that helps enrich the chocolate taste.

Take It with Yogurt

If you’re not up for using a sweetener, yogurt is a great alternative. Simply mix a few drops into a spoonful of yogurt and swallow it. You can also hold it under your tongue for a bit, which is the best way to let it fully absorb

We recommend choosing yogurt with a high-fat percentage, such as Greek yogurt, since this will help the CBD absorb into your body efficiently.

A woman holding on to a blue bottle

 

Mix Your CBD Oil into a Drink

There are so many options for drinks that you can add CBD oil to make it taste better. A few drops in your morning coffee or tea easily dissolve, making it barely noticeable. Alternatively, mix your oil into a smoothie to create new flavor options.

Chase It with Something

For some people, it’s not the initial taste of the CBD oil that bothers them; it’s the aftertaste. It tends to linger and doesn’t go away with a swig of water. Following it up with something better tasting can improve the experience. Remember that if you take CBD oil sublingually, you want to hold it under your tongue for at least 60 seconds to absorb it. Try not to follow it up with your food or drink until after this.

A piece of fruit or granola bar can do wonders to eliminate the aftertaste. Alternatively, you can take a sip of soda or juice. In these cases, a stronger flavor is generally better.

If you want something even easier, try mints. It doesn’t matter which flavor. Just pop one or a couple to switch to a taste you enjoy quickly. Alternatively, you can pop a mint while you place the oil under your tongue. You’ll get some flavor mixing, but it won’t affect absorption. Finally, chewing gum for 10-15 minutes is a mindless way to make the taste disappear. 

Looking for a high-quality CBD oil that won’t taste gross? Try our regular strength CBD Oil Drops made with hemp isolate and a minty aroma.

Brush Your Teeth Before

The mint flavor of your toothpaste is the perfect mask for the taste of CBD oil. In addition, brushing your teeth removes the thin layer of bacteria in the mucus lining your mouth. This lets the oil absorb faster and reduces the aftertaste, as it won’t stick to the film. In fact, you probably won’t even need to brush afterward because there will barely be an aftertaste if you brush before.

Hold Your Nose

The way we taste foods is a complex play between our sense of taste and smell. Your nose can perceive more types of molecules, giving you a better picture of what you are tasting. 

If you hold your nose while consuming CBD oil, you’ll end up with a less pronounced taste. In fact, some people report that doing so can block about half of the flavor profile of CBD oil.

Turn It into a Meal

CBD oil can be easily incorporated into many dishes. You can drizzle a few drops over a salad or melt it onto toast. You can even kick it up a notch and replace some olive oil in a meal.

CBD oil is actually better absorbed when taken with a meal. Just ensure you stick to your recommended dose and don’t overdo it.

Related: How to Determine the Right CBD Oil Dosage for You

Cool It Down

Cooling CBD can also help improve the taste of some people as it causes it to be more muted. It’s theorized that this is because your taste buds react to the freshness and cold taste before they can react to the taste of the CBD itself.

Create Your Own Flavored CBD Oil

You aren’t stuck with the original flavor of CBD oil. If you’re up for a little experimentation, you can create your own unique flavors. Mix in cold-pressed oils or terpene isolates of your choice into your CBD oils and shake well. Then use them as you usually do. You’ll find a variety of cold-pressed flavors. We recommend starting with a small dose to see how you like it before adding it to a whole bottle. 

Once you’ve flavored your CBD oil, you can use one of these other methods of improving the flavor, such as adding the flavored CBD oil to your tea or a salad for a unique taste.

A woman applying Popped.NYC CBD body butter on her thigh

 

Use a Different Form of CBD

If you decide you just don’t want to deal with the taste of CBD oil but still want the benefits, you might want to consider choosing CBD capsules instead. You can swallow these just like any other pill without having to taste it. Alternatively, you can take CBD gummies. These are almost the opposite, as you'll want to taste how delicious they are.

Bonus points come from the fact that it’s quite easy to control the dosage of capsules or gummies.

There are even other options depending on the potential benefit you’re looking for. Body butter can be a great way to get the benefits of CBD in a localized area, say if you have sore joints. Or you could use a CBD oil roll-on to soothe away the aches.

Looking to try some other CBD products but aren’t sure which ones? Sample our favorites in our A Taste of Popped mini gift set. 

Choose a High-Quality CBD Oil

Getting a good-tasting CBD oil doesn’t have to be as bad as it sounds. Choosing high-quality CBD oil is critical to getting both a food flavor and a good product. Poor quality ones can use cost-cutting ingredients such as petroleum solvents that worsen the taste and the concentration. A high-quality one will use good ingredients with a better flavor profile while ensuring you get a product that does what it says.

In addition, you can choose specific types of CBD oil that actually taste good. Look for one made with hemp isolate, which doesn’t contain the terpenes that give off the weed-like aroma. We even have ones that give you a nice minty finish without pulling out the mints.

Start Enjoying the Taste of CBD Oil

Taking your CBD oil doesn’t need to be an unpleasant task because of the flavor. Whether you add it to your coffee, mix in some honey, incorporate it into a meal or simply choose a better-quality option, you’re sure to find a way to make your CBD oil taste better so you can enjoy it.

Related: Best Time of Day to Take CBD Oil: Finding Your Ideal Schedule

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