Not everyone wants their edible to taste like they just bit into a nug of weed. That earthy, herbal flavor can be a dealbreaker, especially for people who are new to cannabis and just want the effects without the plant taste.For years, that “weedy” flavor was just part of the experience. Back in the day, the main ingredient in edibles was green-tinged cannabutter or cannabis-infused oils that smelled and tasted exactly like the plant. If you’ve ever had a brownie that tasted like someone blended up a handful of trim and dumped it into the batter, you know exactly what I’m talking about.But the edible market has come a long way. The science behind making edibles has improved, and most products today use processed or refined extracts that help mask the plant’s natural flavor while isolating THC, the compound responsible for the high. That way you get the effects without the strong cannabis taste. These days there are plenty of options for people who want the effects of cannabis without that loud weed flavor.Here are some edibles you’d never guess had weed in them. I’ve tried and reviewed a few in this list. As for the ones, I haven’t, don’t worry, I made sure to check their reviews about their taste.PHoto Credit: Maha HaqBest Non-Weed-Tasting THC Edibles SnapshotBest THC Gummies: KANHA’s 15mg THC Fast-Acting GummiesBest THC Chocolate: 3Chi’s 15mg THC Milk Chocolate BarBest THC Baked Good: Hometown Hero’s Cinna Crunch Cereal Bites THC + CBDBest THC Drink: Keef Cola’s 10mg THC Root BeerBest THC Warm Drink: MOOD’s Sleep Hot CocoaBest THC Tablets: 1906’s 2mg THC Drops (pills)Best THC Gummies: KANHA Nano Fast-Acting GummiesPHoto Credit: Maha HaqKANHA Nano Fast-Acting gummies have been around for over a decade and are still one of the most reliable options if you want something that tastes like gummy candy instead of cannabis. The company uses distillate in many of its formulations, which helps remove that strong plant flavor you sometimes get with more “full spectrum” products.The flavors lean toward fruit-forward profiles—think sour melon, berries, or citrus—and the dosing is straightforward. Depending on the flavor and SKU you get, each gummy is usually 10mg or 15mg THC. It has a perforation in the middle to make them easy to portion out to get the right dosage.Edibles can be tricky for newer consumers. Some people swear they didn’t get high (because they didn’t take enough), while others end up way too high (because they took too many). KANHA tries to make that process a little more predictable with its “fast-acting nano” formulations, which are designed to kick in faster than traditional edibles.(opens in a new window)KanhaKANHA Nano Gummies 10ct, 15mg THC Gummies(opens in a new window)$27.99 at CBD.coBuy Now(opens in a new window)Best THC Chocolate: 3CHI’s Chocolate BarPhoto Credit: 3ChiInfused chocolate can be a hit or miss… don’t forget the dreaded weedy brownies. But if made right, chocolate has a great potential at covering up some of the cannabis flavor. The decadence of well-sourced cocoa tends to overpower that earthy plant taste, which is one reason cannabis chocolate bars have been around for so long. 3Chi is a good example with their high-dose 300mg THC Milk Chocolate Bar. Just like the average chocolate bar, it can be broken up into small squares, each piece containing 15mg THC, so it’s easy to control how much you’re taking. You can even snap one square in half if 15mg is too much for you.If THC gummies aren’t really your thing but you still want something that tastes familiar, THC chocolate is usually one of the easiest places to start.(opens in a new window)3CHIDelta 9 THC Milk Chocolate Bar(opens in a new window)$19.99 at 3ChiBuy Now(opens in a new window)Best THC Baked Good: Hometown Hero’s Cinna Crunch Cereal Bites THC + CBDPhoto Credit: Hometown HeroHometown Hero’s Cinna Crunch Cereal Bites are basically what would happen if a Rice Krispies Treat and Cinnamon Toast Crunch had a baby. They’re sweet, buttery, a little crunchy, and heavy on the cinnamon. More importantly for this list, they don’t have that unmistakable weed aftertaste that can ruin an otherwise good edible.Each bite has 20mg THC + 20mg CBD, so the dosage is no joke even though the actual treat looks pretty innocent. If 20mg is more than you normally take, just cut it up. And if you really want that cereal experience, pair it with some milk. I also like that it’s something besides another gummy. I would imagine there are approximately eight billion THC gummies at this point, enough for every human on this world. Sometimes I just want an edible that feels like an actual snack.(opens in a new window)Hometown HeroCinna Crunch – Cereal Bites THC + CBD(opens in a new window)$44 at Hometown HeroBuy Now(opens in a new window)Best THC Drink: Keef Cola’s 10mg THC Root BeerPhoto Credit: Maha HAqDrinking is often easier than chewing, and cannabis beverages tend to be one of the more approachable ways to consume. Over the last few years, cannabis drinks have exploded in popularity, and brands like Keef Cola are part of that shift. A lot of cannabis drinks today are low-dose sparkling tonics or flavored seltzers, usually around 2–5mg of THC. But there are also higher dosed options like this 10mg THC root beer that don’t carry that strong herbal taste. Root beer does a good job covering it up. The vanilla and spice flavors are strong enough that the herby taste is barely noticeable. For people who want something a little more social without the classic “weed brownie” vibe, drinks like these can make a lot of sense. (opens in a new window)Keef ColaKeef THC 10mg Classic Soda Bubba Kush Root Beer(opens in a new window)$16.99 at Total Wine & MoreBuy Now(opens in a new window)Best THC Warm Drink: MOOD’s Sleep Hot CocoaPhoto Credit: Maha HaqMOOD’s Sleep Hot Cocoa is probably one of the coziest ways to take an edible. I’ve reviewed the Advanced version before, and it tastes much more like an actual cup of rich hot chocolate than some weird cannabis-infused wellness drink.The Advanced packet contains 30mg THC + 15mg CBD + 15mg CBN, plus ingredients like magnesium, L-theanine, reishi, and ashwagandha. So despite the innocent-looking mug of cocoa, it’s definitely one of the stronger products on this list and is geared more toward nighttime use.Most importantly for this roundup, I didn’t get any weed taste from it. The chocolate is rich enough to cover most of the earthy flavor from the cannabinoids and other ingredients, and the little marshmallows make the whole thing feel even more like regular hot cocoa.Read my full review on MOOD’s Sleep Hot Cocoa here.(opens in a new window)MoodSleep Hot Cocoa(opens in a new window)$49-$59 at MOODBuy Now(opens in a new window)Best THC Tablets: 1906’s 2mg THC Drops (Tablets)Photo Credit: Maha HaqSome people would rather avoid flavor entirely, and that’s totally fair. In that case, edible tablets are probably the easiest option. 1906’s Drops tablets are small, swallowable pills infused with THC, other cannabinoids, plus herbal ingredients. They’re designed to be taken more like a supplement than a traditional edible, which means there’s basically no cannabis taste involved. 1906 also offers a range of different formulas depending on the effect you’re looking for. Some tablets are CBD-forward, while others blend THC with CBN or CBG in different ratios. Each tablet is precisely dosed, often around 2.5mg to 5mg, which makes it easier to control how much you’re taking. They also tend to be faster-acting than some traditional edibles, which can make the whole dosing guessing game a little easier to manage. For people who want the effects of cannabis without tasting it at all, tablets like these are about as straightforward as it gets.(opens in a new window)1906Drops (BLISS)(opens in a new window)$44 at 1906Buy Now(opens in a new window)How I Chose the Best Edibles That Don’t Taste Like WeedTaste was obviously the biggest thing I was looking at here. If an edible still has a strong grassy or herbal aftertaste, it doesn’t really matter how good the effects are. It doesn’t belong on a list for people who don’t want to taste weed.I also wanted some variety. Gummies are probably the easiest edible to find these days, but they’re far from the only option. So I looked at chocolate, drinks, other sweet treats, tablets, and other formats that either cover up the cannabis flavor well or avoid it altogether.Does an Edible Have to Taste Like Weed to Work?Not at all. The part that gets you high is THC, not the flavor of the cannabis plant. That might sound obvious, but I think there’s still an assumption that an edible that really tastes like weed must somehow be stronger or more “legit.” That’s not how it works. A gummy that tastes like watermelon candy can contain just as much THC as a brownie with a very obvious cannabis aftertaste.How hard an edible hits is going to depend much more on the dose, your tolerance, the formulation, and how your body metabolizes THC. So definitely don’t judge the strength based on how little weed you can taste.A Quick Tip for Avoiding “Weedy” EdiblesIf you’re trying to avoid that strong weed flavor, shop for edibles made with distillate or other refined extracts instead of full-spectrum oil. Distillate sometimes gets a bad reputation from cannabis purists because it’s more processed, but that refining step is actually what strips out a lot of the plant material that causes that earthy taste while isolating THC—the part that actually gets you high.And if you really don’t want to taste cannabis at all, drinks and tablets are usually the easiest place to start. The cannabis industry has spent years figuring out how to make THC products more approachable, and it shows. These days you can enjoy the effects of cannabis without tasting the plant at all.My Final VerdictIf you just want a familiar edible that doesn’t taste like weed, KANHA’s gummies are probably the easiest place to start. But I think the more interesting picks are the ones that don’t feel like traditional edibles at all. Hometown Hero’s Cinna Crunch Bites taste like an actual snack, MOOD’s Sleep Hot Cocoa turns THC into a nighttime drink, and 1906’s tablets skip the whole flavor issue completely.The main thing is to pay attention to dosage. An edible tasting like regular candy, chocolate, or soda doesn’t make the THC in it any less real.The post The Best Edibles That Don’t Taste Like Weed appeared first on VICE.