I have been getting a lot of ads for mushroom coffee. Aparently, it heals whatever ails you! It reduces stress and inflammation, heals your gut, improves your sleep and mood, and gives you better energy levels. That’s what the ads say, at least!

Curious, but not being a coffee drinker, I looked into other mushroom drinks. I’m all for the convenience of getting mushroom benefits in a yummy, cozy drink. There are really expensive mushroom hot chocolate mixes out there, but most of the ingredients are ones I already have at home anyway. So why not just order mushroom powder and make my own hot cocoa!? So much more cost-effective and then I can control the taste and ingredients, anyway.

The Benefits of Mushrooms

Mushroom coffee ad or not, there are proven benefits to mushrooms. Have you heard about the study showing that even just one white mushroom a day reduced breast cancer chance by 64%?

Mushrooms are unique in their way of protecting the brain, strengthening the immune sysytem, and fighting cancer.

You can get the link to that study and read about many more mushroom benefits from this article by Joel Fuhrman.

Can you Taste the Mushrooms?

You simply add a teaspoon (or 2 if you want!) to regular hot cocoa and I promise—you can’t taste it! My kids were appalled when they found out there was mushroom powder in their hot cocoa, because it tasted normal.

About the Mushroom Powder

There are a lot of varieties out there, but I tried this one because it has four different types of mushrooms in it and seemed like a high-quality, trusted brand. I really don’t love mushroom flavor so I was a bit nervous, but then pleasantly surprised by the delicious taste of my hot cocoa! You can find this on Amazon, but I ordered mine for a few dollars cheaper from Azure Standard (I love that website! Go create a free account after clicking that link!).

Other Ways I Pack My Hot Cocoa With Nutrients

I’ll often stir a spoonful of canned pumpkin into my hot cocoa, when I have some leftover I don’t have a use for. It adds beta carotene and fiber and gives it a creamy, thicker consistency. Kind of like my Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe.

I add adaptogens, as explained in this post: Adaptogenic Hot Cocoa.

I’ll use dates to sweeten it, and add some ginger. See this Date-Sweetened Ginger Hot Cocoa recipe for details.

I’ll add a bit of turmeric or cinnamon to make it a bit like Golden Milk.

Get a Frother!

If you like making your own creamy warm drinks (or protein shakes or other drink mixes), I highly recommend getting a frother! I need to replace mine so I don’t get those clumps of cocoa you see in the picture. They are so handy and make useful, inexpensive gifts!