Mushroom Cacao

An instant mushroom cacao with no sugar: 80% raw cacao powder and 20% lion's mane mushroom powder, both organic according to the brand. The cacao comes from the Peruvian Amazon, 75% Criollo and 25% Forastero and Trinitario beans. It is the unsweetened, dairy free way to drink lion's mane, and it doubles as a baking cocoa.

Raw cacao is unroasted and tastes darker and more bitter than cocoa. You add your own sweetener, or none. A 150 g bag is about 30 cups, and it comes single or in 2 and 3 pack deals.

What it is

Raw cacao is cacao beans that have been fermented and dried but not roasted, then cold pressed to remove most of the fat and milled to a powder. It is darker, more acidic and more bitter than Dutch-process cocoa, with more of the bean's natural character. Here it is four fifths of the blend; lion's mane powder is the rest. Both are instant powders, so the drink is stirred rather than brewed, though cacao does settle and benefits from a second stir.

The bean varieties matter to cacao in the way grape varieties matter to wine. Criollo is the rarer, more delicate bean with a less bitter profile; Forastero is robust and full; Trinitario is a hybrid of the two. The brand's 75% Criollo blend leans towards the finer end.

Because there is no sugar or milk powder in the bag, this is the most adaptable of our hot drinks: sweeten it, make it with oat milk, drink it black, or use it in baking as you would cocoa. The lion's mane hot chocolate is the sweetened, milky sibling if you want it sweet and ready-made.

This is a Herba Store UK own-label product. The brand describes raw powders, no excessive processing, and no preservatives, sweeteners, colourings or additives.

How to make it

Up to 2 teaspoons per cup, stirred into hot or cold water or milk, or blended into smoothies and milkshakes. Add honey, maple syrup or a sweetener to taste. In baking, substitute it for cocoa powder weight for weight; the lion's mane disappears into brownies and cakes.

• Single pack: 150 g, £14.99
• 2 pack: 2 x 150 g, £29.99
• 3 pack: 3 x 150 g, £39.99 (£13.33 a bag)
• At 1 g lion's mane per serving and 20% lion's mane, a serving is about 5 g, so a bag is about 30 servings at roughly 50p each

Reseal and store in a cool, dry cupboard. Cacao keeps well but takes on smells from strong spices stored next to it.

What's inside

• Raw cacao powder, 80%, Peruvian Amazon beans (75% Criollo, 25% Forastero and Trinitario)
• Lion's mane mushroom powder, 20%
• 1 g of lion's mane per 2 teaspoon serving
• Zero sugar; no preservatives, sweeteners, colourings or additives, per the brand
• Organic, per the brand

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is the tree whose fermented seeds become chocolate; raw cacao powder is those seeds unroasted, pressed and milled. Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is the white, spined mushroom, dried and powdered. Cacao contains a small amount of caffeine and theobromine naturally, far less than coffee.

Who it's for

People who want lion's mane in a drink without sugar, dairy or coffee. It suits an evening cup made with oat milk, a post-workout shake, a baking cupboard, and anyone following a vegan or low sugar routine who still wants something chocolatey. It is also the drink for people who find hot chocolate too sweet and coffee too strong.

If you want it sweet and creamy without doing anything, the hot chocolate is ready-made. If you want a coffee flavour, the chicory or arabica blends are the ones.

Pairs well with

The lion's mane hot chocolate is the sweetened, milky version. The caffeine free chicory coffee is the other zero sugar drink, with a coffee rather than chocolate taste. For the mushroom alone to add to your own cocoa, the lion's mane powder is 100% fruiting body. See the full mushroom coffee shelf, everything in teas and drinks, and all formats under lion's mane.

Frequently asked questions

What is raw cacao?

Cacao beans that have been fermented and dried but not roasted, then pressed and milled. It is darker, more bitter and less processed than cocoa powder.

Is cacao the same as cocoa?

Same bean, different processing. Cocoa is roasted and often alkalised; raw cacao is unroasted. Cacao tastes sharper and more bitter.

Is it sweetened?

No. Zero sugar and no sweeteners. Add your own if you want it sweet.

How much lion's mane per cup?

1 g per 2 teaspoon serving, according to the brand.

Our mushroom coffee guide covers how these instant blends are made, including the cacao and hot chocolate versions. Herbastore ships this product from the UK, with free UK shipping on orders over £40. Orders are packed by Herbastore UK, so if you are buying from more than one of our brands everything arrives together.