Mushroom Coffee Recipes
I’ve known about the benefits of mushrooms for some time but hadn’t started regularly incorporating them into my diet until recently. In comes Four Sigmatic. I’d heard about Four Sigmatic through a few of my favorite podcasts and ever since I tried my first Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee, I was hooked. Now I absolutely love waking up to my cup of mushroom coffee.
What is Mushroom Coffee?
What is mushroom coffee you may ask?! Well, today we’re going to learn all about it, how to drink it and the benefits of the mushrooms it contains. I’m also sharing 6 delicious and nourishing mushroom latte recipes that are perfect for making with Four Sigmatic mushroom coffees.
Don’t worry, guys. Mushroom coffee is not what you might think. There are no mushrooms floating in it and no, it does not taste like mushrooms. Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee is made from regular coffee infused with medicinal mushroom extracts and it’s official, I’m in love.
To create a cup of mushroom coffee, all you need to do is mix the powder with hot water, much like instant coffee. Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee is made from real coffee mixed with wild-harvested and organic fruiting body extracts and each serving contains 500 mg of dual extracted mushrooms and 50 mg of caffeine.
Four Sigmatic Features
- organic
- vegan
- paleo
- sugar-free
- no fillers
- it’s instant and so easy to make, no mess, just mix it with hot water!
- increases my productivity and focus throughout the morning, especially the Lion’s Mane version!
- the Cordyceps coffee makes a killer pre-workout, try the bulletproof mocha version below
- perfect for traveling, keep ’em stashed in your purse
- half the amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee, no jitters!!
- easy on digestion
- no coffee crash
- delicious on their own or made into mushroom coffee lattes and elixirs
- made with organic coffee, so no mycotoxins
- love what the brand is all about
What Kind of Coffee Do they Use?
Four Sigmatic uses premium instant coffee that’s:
- organic
- 100 percent Arabica
- grown in the highlands of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Mexico
- grown under the canopy of shade trees in rich, volcanic soil
The beans are carefully roasted and brewed, then the coffee is concentrated through evaporation and finished off by spray-drying it into a pure instant powder. They also run their coffee through a third-party laboratory to ensure the absence of mycotoxins.
Coffee, Minus the Jitters
One of the reasons I was so interested in switching my regular coffee routine over to Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee was over the last year or so, I’ve grown increasingly sensitive to caffeine. Four Sigmatic coffee blends have about half the amount of caffeine as regular coffee. I can handle it, woohoo!
Coffee is also high in antioxidants, can improve focus and productivity, I truly enjoy everything about it from its flavour, to the routine of a morning cup of coffee, to its glorious smell, and I really didn’t want to give it up.
Thanks to the functional mushrooms in mushroom coffee, now I can enjoy those benefits and support my metabolism without getting the terrible jitters regular coffee had been giving me.
Benefits of Mushroom Coffee
Mushrooms have been used as a health food for thousands of years. For example, cordyceps mushroom has been used in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine since at least the 15th century. Four Sigmatic three different kinds of fruiting bodies (mushrooms) in their coffee: cordyceps, chaga and lion’s mane. Let’s check out the benefits of each.
Benefits of Cordyceps
Coffee energizes us by stimulating the central nervous system and adrenal glands. Combining that with the more balanced cellular energy support of cordyceps mushroom can result in balanced stimulation while only using half the amount of caffeine found in a regular cup of coffee.
When I first heard about where cordyceps grows…uhh, it’s parasitic and grows on caterpillars backs? I was a little unsure about that. But no big deal, Four Sigmatic doesn’t actually use caterpillars in their production methods, making it suitable for vegans and everyone else.
The fruiting bodies of organic cordyceps militaris have been shown to have energy supporting properties. In traditional Eastern medicine, cordyceps is recommended as a tonic with claims that it improves energy, appetite, stamina, libido, endurance, and sleeping patterns.
The studies coming out on the benefits of cordyceps mushroom are promising. With claims ranging from enhanced athletic performance and improved aerobic capacity, to cancer prevention, improved mental energy, managing blood sugar levels and strengthening the immune system, it will be interesting as more clinical evidence comes out that backs up the many health claims surrounding this mushroom superfood.
Benefits of Lion’s Mane
Recognized for their cognitive enhancing properties, these delicious mushrooms have been used traditionally for hundreds of years. Coffee can be an outstanding productivity tool on its own but even more so when coupled with a good lion’s mane extract!
Benefits of Chaga
The antioxidant properties of chaga mushrooms will transform your cup of Joe from an energizing treat to a healthy lifestyle choice!
Four Sigmatic uses renowned wild-crafted chaga mushroom that’s dual-extract for their coffee blend. They use both hot water and alcohol extraction on the mushrooms, and standardize the final product to have at least 30 percent polysaccharides (more than 15 percent beta-glucans) and 2 percent triterpenes. Their pure spray-dried extract powders don’t contain any sugars, fillers, or carriers.
The best part about Four Sigmatic is you can enjoy all these benefits without sacrificing great-tasting coffee. The flavour and mouth-feel of mushroom coffee is so close to regular coffee, it’s pretty hard to tell the difference.
When to Drink Mushroom Coffee
I love my mushroom coffee first thing in the morning as an alternative to regular coffee. I’ve brought it traveling with me and love it for a little pick-me-up when I’m on the go. Since it has half the amount of caffeine as regular coffee, I’ll often have a cup late morning as well.
If you’re sensitive to caffeine or are looking for an afternoon energy boost that won’t affect your sleep, I would recommend the Four Sigmatic Hot Cacao, Chaga Elixir or Cordyceps Elixir.
How to Use Mushroom Coffee
I usually keep it simple and enjoy my mushroom coffee black, made with just hot water. The single-serve packets are easy to use plus they’re perfect for taking to work, on flights or any other time you might want a coffee on the road. To make one cup of coffee, just open a packet, add the powder to a mug with 1 cup of hot water and stir to mix. It actually mixes in so easily you don’t even really need to stir it.
Alternatives to Cream and Sugar
Four Sigmatic doesn’t have that acidic bite that some regular coffee can have so I don’t feel the need to add any milk or sugar to mine. It tastes great just on its own! If you prefer your coffee with a little milk and sugar, here are some healthy options to do so:
Most days I drink my Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee black. I love the strong, rich coffee taste and prefer it to sweeter coffee first thing in the morning. If you like your coffee on the sweeter side, I recommend using one of the following natural sweeteners (adjust amount to suit taste) per 1 cup of coffee:
- 1-2 tsp coconut sugar
- 1-2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 2 small soft dates (blend if using)
- 6-8 drops organic liquid stevia extract
Adding Milk to Mushroom Coffee
As I said, I enjoy Four Sigmatic black so I don’t usually add plant-based milk unless I’m making one of the recipes below. If you enjoy your coffee with a splash of milk in your coffee, I recommend the following plant-based milk:
- unsweetened almond milk: store-bought or homemade with optional natural sweeteners such as dates, maple syrup or other flavours like cinnamon and vanilla) – try my homemade almond milk recipe!
- unsweetened cashew milk: store-bought or homemade with optional natural sweeteners such as dates, maple syrup or other flavours like cinnamon and vanilla)
- oat milk: really easy to make your own, blend 1 cup old-fashioned oats with 3 cups water, strain through a nut-milk bag and store in the fridge for up to 3 days – try my homemade oat milk recipe!
- hemp seed milk: really easy to make your own, just blend 1 cup hemp seeds with 3 cups water and store in the fridge for up to 3 days, no need to strain
- full-fat coconut milk: for an extra-creamy option, best blended in (can also make your own with fresh coconut meat)
- any other homemade nut milk or coffee creamer recipe
Use this amazing milk frother for foamy, mushroom coffee lattes.
Mushroom Coffee Recipes
As much as I love the coffee black, sometimes I like making specialty coffee drinks as well and you can create amazing, creamy, rich and frothy mushroom lattes with just a blender. The possibilities for creating these nourishing drinks are endless but today I’m sharing my 6 favourite mushroom coffee recipes that work perfectly with Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee.
Let’s get into it!
How to Make These Recipes
To make any of these recipes, add all ingredients to a blender (or use an immersion blender or milk frother), and blend for 30-60 seconds until creamy and frothy. Blending these drinks creates the most amazing foamy coffee drink, even if all you add is a bit of coconut oil or butter.
My go-to mushroom coffee latte is 1 packet of Mushroom Coffee blended with a splash of almond milk and MCT oil but sometimes I like to get a little fancy and make one the latte-inspired recipes below.
1. Bulletproof Mushroom Coffee
This mushroom coffee creation is one of my favourites. It’s a take on bulletproof coffee made with cacao powder for a mocha twist plus added antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. You can use coconut oil or MCT oil to make this. I don’t add any sweetener to this recipe but if you like a hint of sweetness try one of the optional sweeteners below.
- 1 Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee mixed with 7 oz hot water or milk
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or MCT oil
- optional: 1 date, a few drops of stevia extract or 1 tsp pure maple syrup or other natural liquid sweetener
2. Maca Bulletproof Mushroom Coffee
Similar to the coconut oil mushroom coffee above, this version also has cinnamon and maca for even more health benefits. I also like a little pinch of cardamom in this one.
- 1 Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee mixed with 6 oz hot water
- 1 tsp – 1 tbsp MCT oil, coconut oil or coconut butter
- 2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp maca
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- optional: 1/4 tsp cardamom
- optional: 1 date, a few drops of stevia extract or 1 tsp pure maple syrup or another natural liquid sweetener
3. Cashew Butter Mushroom Coffee
You guys are going to love this one! It’s extra creamy and frothy thanks to delicious, creamy cashew butter. If you don’t have any cashew butter, you can soak raw cashews in hot water for a couple of hours and drain before using. I like to combine the cashew butter with a little coconut oil, MCT oil or coconut butter for even more froth. You can drink this with or without sweetener, it’s delicious either way!
- 1 Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee mixed with 7 oz hot water
- 1 tbsp cashew butter (you can also use almond butter or organic peanut butter)
- 1 tsp – 1 tbsp MCT oil, coconut oil or coconut butter
- splash of plant-based milk of choice
- optional: 1 date, a few drops of stevia extract or 1 tsp pure maple syrup or another natural liquid sweetener
4. Pumpkin Spice Mushroom Coffee Latte
I had to include a Pumpkin Spice Latte on this list! This latte is naturally sweetened, is made with real pumpkin puree and tastes incredibly rich, frothy and creamy. My favourite way to sweeten this recipe is with 2 medjool dates blended in. You can make this extra creamy by using warm almond milk in place of the hot water.
- 1 Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee mixed with 6 oz hot water
- 2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk
- 8 drops liquid stevia extract, 2 small soft dates or 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tbsp pure pumpkin puree
5. Protein Bulletproof Mushroom Coffee
I love the flavour and frothiness that some vegan vanilla protein powder adds to this. Since the protein powder is sweetened, you don’t need any extra sweetener in this one.
- 1 Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee mixed with 8 oz of hot water
- 1 tsp – 1 tbsp MCT oil, coconut oil or coconut butter
- 2 tbsp vegan vanilla protein powder of choice
For more ideas, check out my vegan bulletproof coffee.
6. Golden Milk Mushroom Coffee Latte
This golden milk latte is energizing, nourishing and perfect for cool Fall and winter mornings. The black pepper improves the bio-availability of the active compounds in turmeric, so don’t leave it out. I also enjoy a pinch of cardamom in this one.
- 1 Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee mixed with 6 oz hot water
- 2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk (or any other plant-based milk)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, MCT oil or coconut butter
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- optional: 1 -2 dates, a few drops of stevia extract or 1 tsp pure maple syrup (or more to taste)
For more info, check out my vegan golden milk recipe.
Make That An Iced Coffee
Any of the above recipes can be made iced by using cold water or almond milk instead of hot water and pouring over ice cubes. For a thicker, Frappe-style coffee drink, try blending your latte creation with a few ice cubes and/or half a frozen banana.
Shop Four Sigmatic Now
If you guys want to try Four Sigmatic they’ve offered Running on Real Food readers 10% off with the code RUNNINGONREALFOOD at check out.
I LOVE your smoothie book and your blog. You are an inspiration!! I’ve been vegan for a while and cook a fair amount, but your blog gets me excited every time!! Thank you for your content
Carolyn Edmond
Thanks so much, Carolyn! That made my day. Thanks for the sweet message, I’m so glad you enjoy my site!
Love the review and recipes.I do something similar with my daily morning Tea by brewing dried mushroom with the tea in the infuser. I also sometimes add essential oils specifically for my needs. It’s great to have healthy alternatives. I personally can’t drink coffee because of the jittery caffeine effects. With my Tea I am able to get organic plant-based caffeine from my loose leaf that provides sustained energy without the jitters. The nice thing about loose leaf is you can add more hot water and reuse several times lasting throughout the day. Much more economical. Whether you drink coffee, water, tea, or a juiced smoothly to get your day going, it’s awesome to add healthy ingredients and additives to your morning ritual. As a lifelong athlete and fitness freak, I am always looking for tips to change things up. For many, this coffee will be something different. Kudos on an excellent article.
Mushrooms are certainly nutritious and good for health – but mushrooms in coffee is a new one! I hadn’t even heard of this before your post but it sounds fascinating.
Although admittedly, I’m very glad that the coffee itself doesn’t taste like mushroom. That would be bad.
Staying healthy on a budget is an uphill battle througout my entire life. Exercising, eating healthy, and striving to make progress in my journey to continually live healthy is a job I’m currently failing at. Hopefully I can begin again soon with eating right and doing my cardio as if I’m training for another marathon to run. And to talk about Mushroom coffee… what kind of Mushroom is that? Shiitake?
I love this stuff! Mushroom coffee is awesome and all of the recipes you’ve provided are so helpful! Definitely going to try the pumpkin spice version – perfect for fall!
yes!!! I found this last year because of TIm Ferriss. I don’t even drink coffee, but I was intrigued and have tried it a few times…but I have to do super small amounts because I”m not sued to caffeine!
Wow! I love how this takes regular coffee and makes it even better! I usually brew myself half decaf/half regular coffee anyway so I love the fact that this mushroom coffee has half the caffeine!
This is such an interesting idea! I’ve never heard of mushroom coffee before, but I’d love to try it. And your photos are beautiful!
I’ve never heard of mushroom coffee but I must say I’m definitely intrigued!
Sounds pretty neat, I’ve never tried mushroom coffee! Have to keep an eye out for it now.