Bulletproof mushroom coffee might be the next big trend in health and fitness circles, but why is this unique creation much different from a regular cup of Joe or even from a regular cup of bulletproof coffee itself?
I recently stumbled upon an alternative to my obsession that claims to be much more improved than the real stuff.
What sold me on this alternative blend was its proximity to the real thing, yet it will take you from zero to hero, increase concentration, balance out the coffee shakes, and reduce your mid-morning coffee craving. And it comes with all the antioxidants and anti-aging and weight loss properties.
Before I get into how to make this magical combination, it is essential to understand what bulletproof coffee is and why adding adaptogenic mushrooms to the mix will give it that extra vigor and boost.
If you are a follower of low-carb diets or a real coffee aficionado, you have probably already heard of bulletproof coffee.
If not, let’s explore what bulletproof coffee is, how it’s made, and how to make it even better by adding some adaptogenic mushrooms—powering up your energy and prolonging that caffeine hit and tailoring it to your taste, needs, and dietary preferences.
What Is Bulletproof Coffee?
Bulletproof coffee, also known as keto coffee or butter coffee, is an energizing caffeine drink made with good fats, often used as a pre-workout driver, increasing your exhaustion by up to 21 minutes compared to a non-coffee workout.
Bulletproof Coffee was born as a breakfast meal replacement by Bulletproof Diet founder Dave Asprey. This concept became quickly popular among low-carb and keto followers, busy parents as well as professional athletes because of its filling and energetic qualities, and high fat and low carbs approach to mind and body fuel!
To make it, simply blend together freshly brewed coffee, highly clarified butter and MCT oil. And call it a hack or an improvement, we are going to add some mushrooms to the mix as well. So, here is the full recipe below.
How To Make Bulletproof Mushroom Coffee
I’ll admit, Bulletproof coffee isn’t as convenient as simple to make as a regular cup of Joe; it requires more consideration, preparation, and some blending, and provides a different purpose. So forego your barista and your simple bean-to-cup coffee or iced latte and add in a fat source to your hot cup of mushroom coffee for an improved and supercharged bulletproof coffee.
Ingredients
- 1 Sachet or one rounded teaspoon (2.5 grams) of mushroom coffee mix.
- 1 tsp MCT oil.
- 1 tsp of clarified butter (ghee) or grass-fed, unsalted butter.
- For the vegan version, use 1 tsp of coconut oil instead of butter. (More vegan alternatives below).
How To Make:
- Using a large mug, blender, or Nutribullet cup, and dissolve the sachet of mushroom coffee mix in 7 oz (200 ml) of hot water.
- To bulletproof it, add the MCT oil and the ghee and blend for 30 seconds until smooth and creamy, with bubbles on the top.
- Serve into your favorite mug and get going with your day!
If you are using a regular coffee cup for mixing, then use an immersion blender to mix all the ingredients. (Do it carefully to avoid splatter or splashing).
If you don’t have any type of blender at hand, then worst-case scenario, you can whisk it with the fork, but you will not get such a delicious and smooth result as you would with the blender.
If you prefer to make your own brew from your favorite beans or grounds, then, instead of using a ready-made mushroom coffee mix, you can just add 2 scoops of a pure mushroom blend to your drink instead. (Like the Four Sigmatic 10 Mushroom Blend below).
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How To Make Bulletproof Coffee Without Butter – Go Nuts!
Sideline the ghee or grass-fed butter from the original Bulletproof coffee recipe in favor of a vegan alternative that still packs a flavorful punch and all the benefits of Bulletproof coffee, with a dairy-free twist. Organic cold-pressed coconut oil is quite trendy and for a good reason. Coconut oil offers many benefits, has a relatively neutral, delicate taste, and is widely available.
The fatty acids in coconut oil act differently than most other dietary fats and are shown to encourage your body to burn fat and provide energy to your brain and body.
Almonds are an excellent pairing for a vegan bulletproof coffee with coffee having a naturally nutty flavor to it. Almond butter as a replacement for dairy butter gives the same effect without animal products.
Hazelnut, cashew butter, or even seed butter like tahini are also great dairy alternatives that can be whizzed within a blender giving a rich, creamy texture, perfect to start the day with. Now, that you have mastered making that energizing and delicious beverage, let’s look at each ingredient separately and what benefits they have to offer.
What’s MCT Oil?
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MCT oil is a supplement made from medium-chain triglycerides. Medium-chain triglycerides are fats commonly found in foods like coconut oil.
MCTs allow your body to digest quickly, turning food and drink into energy and, when included within bulletproof coffee, accelerate your caffeine intake allowing continuous, prolonged energy.
Some people prefer to use MCT oil over coconut oil because it is tasteless and odorless. When using coconut oil, you may still get a slight hint of coconut taste in your coffee, plus coconut oil also contains both medium-chain fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids.
You can use either or both in your blend. Go with what taste you prefer (Or what you have handy in your cupboard!)
What Is Ghee?
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Ghee is essentially clarified butter. It is much more concentrated in fat than butter because milk solids and all the water have been removed. Because ghee does not contain milk solids, it is entirely lactose-free pure butterfat.
Because all the milk solids have been removed, it does not require refrigeration and can be kept at room temperature for several weeks. In fact, like coconut oil, it may become solid when kept at cold temperatures.
Because ghee contains a higher fat concentration, it provides:
- More short-chain saturated fats.
- Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
- Butyric acid than regular butter.
Because ghee contains more polyunsaturated fats like conjugated linoleic acid, it may help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol, improve metabolic fitness, and assist with fat loss.
You could find ghee in some supermarkets or buy it online, but it is a lot cheaper to make your own.
Check out these 3 easy ways to clarify butter at home >>>
What Is Mushroom Coffee Mix?
Mushroom coffee is low caffeine and a nutrient-filled alternative to regular coffee. It is instant or ground coffee mixed with powdered medicinal fungi. Mushrooms’ earthy tang complements roasted coffee beans, giving it a slightly nutty and earthy flavor and high levels of antioxidants and nutrients for better focus, productivity, and energy.
How Is It Made?
The process of making mushroom coffee involves drying and grounding consumable adaptogenic fungi into a fine powder. This powdered extract is then mixed with regular coffee.
Most often used fungi to make mushroom powder include Lion’s main, Cordyceps, Chaga, and Reishi. These are chosen for their high antioxidant level and well-blending flavor.
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What Are The Benefits Of Mushroom Coffee?
Drinking mushroom coffee will not only give you the benefits of the regular Joe, but you will also get all of the great benefits of consumable adaptogenic fungi.
The most notable benefits include:
- Overall wellness boost
- More balanced energy
- Better focus
- Antioxidant properties
- Immune support
- Neutralizing free radicals
- Reduced anxiety
- Anti-aging benefits
- Improved metabolism
- Better sleep
- Stress relief
- Relaxes sore muscles
- Promoting weight loss
- Has neurotrophic and nootropic properties
Mushroom coffee is the ideal brew to boost your productivity, energy, and focus to kick-start your day or power through your afternoon slump.
Check out the video below for the main benefits of the added blends of mushroom extract.
Antioxidant Properties Of Edible Fungi
We are regularly exposed to a massive amount of pollution in our daily lives. Whether it’s from the air or other contaminants, we are routinely exposed to conditions that can cause cellular damage to our bodies over time.
However, mushrooms protect us from this unavoidable damage that has sadly become part of our ordinary lives. Prolonged exposure to some of these free radicals can cause oxidative stress in our bodies. That has been linked to all sorts of degenerative conditions.
Antioxidants are very powerful micronutrients that help clear your body of free radicals.
There are various foods known to be antioxidant-rich. One of the most popular ones that we all know is green tea. It has been said to be packed with antioxidants and anti-aging properties. If green tea is packed with antioxidants, then this coffee is absolutely overflowing with this stuff.
However, some mushrooms are more antioxidant-rich than others, but ultimately, they are all packed with the stuff. If I had to recommend some, it would have to be the Chaga and perhaps Reishi.
Chaga and Reishi are some of the most powerful natural antioxidants available. Rich in glutathione, ergothioneine, and adaptogens. These antioxidants help ward off diseases, fight damage by free radicals, and even positively affect liver function.
Nootropic Edge Of This Coffee
In addition to lowering oxidative stress on your body and brain, some mushrooms like Lion’s Mane and Chaga have also been shown to give you a mighty boost of natural nootropics by strongly elevating acetylcholine levels in your body.
Also, containing unique compounds like erinacines and hericenones makes these mushrooms an exceptional nootropic and neurotrophic superfood.
Does Mushroom Coffee Have Caffeine?
The caffeine found in this coffee is very similar to that of green tea. This can vary, but in general, one cup of mushroom brew contains an average of 40-50 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to 1/2 cup of regular coffee or one cup of green tea.
Just to give you an interesting comparison, Robusta beans, which contain the most caffeine, have almost four times more caffeine per cup than mushroom coffee.
Having a modest caffeine concentration can be really good for many people because it cushions the prolonged side effects of consuming too much caffeine. You will be less prone to jitters and Insomnia. It is also better if you are struggling with restlessness and hyperactivity.
Potential For Weight Loss
This might be the most alluring of all the advantages of this earthy coffee blend.
Coupled with the right diet, it could be one of the most essential beverages on your menu. Being part of a balanced diet that already promotes weight loss, this brew can help boost your metabolism and is also low in carbs, and fat content and supports glycemic balance.
There are specific properties present in most adaptogenic mushrooms that result in a steady boost of energy consumption. These properties cause your body to consume more energy and break down fat deposits.
Assuming that you are already on a calorie-deficit diet plan and live an active lifestyle, this brew can certainly give you an extra edge and nudge you closer to your weight loss goals, especially when combined with the bulletproof recipe above.
What Fungi Are Used In The Mix?
The Reishi mushroom is also named Lingzhi and Ganoderma Lucidum with a kidney-shaped reddish cap.
There is an assortment of mushrooms that have been packed into this product for it to be so multi-faceted and effective. As mentioned above, the most popular ones are Chaga, cordyceps, and Reishi.
To pick the most important ones, I have narrowed the list down to just a handful that have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, dating back to 600 A.D.
- Lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum)
- Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)
- Mitake (Grifola frondosa
- Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
- Turkey Tail (Trametes Versicolor)
- Coliolus (Trametes versicolor)
- Cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis)
- Shitake (Lentinula edodes)
- Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
- Agarikon (Laricifomes officinalis)
These are just a handful of mushrooms used in this earthy beverage that many have come to love so much.
Regular vs. Mushroom Coffee – Which One Is Better?
Observing the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee.
I think I have been building up to this particular question for quite some time now. It’s the ultimate question, which is better: the new mushroom coffee, or the regular old cup of Joe?
Mushroom Coffee is different in a few ways:
- The most apparent is that it contains mushrooms! (It does contain actual coffee as well).
- It contains only half the caffeine as regular coffee.
- It contains a lot more nutrients and antioxidants.
- Comes with many more additional benefits.
- It has an earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter herbal taste.
I would definitely recommend giving it a try and see how you like it. I personally have swapped my regular cuppa completely for this new mix and then bulletproofed it on top of it.
Having one or two cups a day is sufficient for extra nutrients and an antioxidant boost for a day. Perhaps right before you need to concentrate during study or work is a great time to drink it.
What Does Mushroom Coffee Taste Like?
Mushroom coffee has a clear advantage on the nutrients front, but would the regular cup of Joe beat it in the taste department?
Most people don’t mind being very earthy and zen, but when it requires chugging an earthy-tasting beverage every day for a month, their devotion to the lifestyle will be no doubt tested.
Luckily, this is not the case with this mushroom combo.
Mushroom coffee does taste very similar to a regular cup of Joe. For some, it may taste like a healthier version of something. The nicest way to describe it is to have an earthy, slightly nutty flavor.
Regardless of what you think of the taste, we can say this with confidence: it tastes nothing like the mushrooms you eat on your dinner plate.
Picking The Best Mix
Since Mushroom coffees aren’t as widespread as some other drinks, only a handful of reliable brands offer this type of coffee blend. Luckily, as this drink becomes trendier, there are more and more options to choose from.
I will cover two of my favorites below.
The price is also something to consider.
It depends on what quality or brand you are looking for. The average coffee producer makes their products reasonably cheap and affordable, whereas the mushroom coffee is slightly above that price or sometimes double that.
A double pack, expressos-style ground coffee from Café Bustelo, is about $16. In contrast, 30 sachets of the Four Sigmatic Coffee mix is more than twice the price.
Four Sigmatic Organic Coffee With Chaga And Cordyceps
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Four Sigmatic is one of the most popular ones out there. They are also known for their mushroom hot chocolate mix and excellent customer service.
I would recommend this brand to anyone who is looking for an existing alternative.
It has one downside, however. It is quite pricey.
PureShrooms Organic Mushroom Coffee With Lion’s Mane
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This one is a slightly cheaper alternative to the previous one. This is by no means inferior to Four Sigmatic, but in my opinion, it just doesn’t taste as good. However, they do have quite the flavor bank, and their recipes are mostly tailored for weight loss.
Although it’s not the tastiest alternative to a nearly perfect Four Sigmatic, it is a lot cheaper. Also, its perks have made it the obvious choice for anyone who is looking to curb the side effects of drinking coffee without altogether quitting it.
It contains just enough caffeine to keep you going and not to mention that it is packed with all sorts of antioxidants.
All in all, PureShrooms is a reliable second choice. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for less caffeine or more nutrients. It is a practical alternative to the real thing, and it is a beverage in its own right.
Related article: What Is Grain Coffee? – Nutritious Roasted Alternative To a Regular Cup Of Joe.