Brain Chocolate

An instant mushroom hot chocolate with lion's mane: 30 g of organic certified lion's mane powder blended into 120 g of Fairtrade hot chocolate mix, in a 150 g bag. That gives about 1 g of lion's mane in each 5 g serving, and 30 servings per bag. It is the sweetest way we stock lion's mane and the one most likely to be drunk by the whole household.

The brand launched it at the Elsecar Wellbeing Event, where the first batch sold out in a few hours. It comes as a single bag or in 2 and 3 pack deals.

What it is

This is the format for anyone who wants lion's mane in a drink but does not want coffee or an unsweetened cacao. It is an instant mix, so the powder dissolves in hot water without a pan or a whisk. The hot chocolate base already contains milk powder and sugar, which is why it tastes like a standard hot chocolate rather than a health drink. The lion's mane makes up one fifth of the bag.

Two teaspoons is about 5 g, which is a lighter cup than many hot chocolates suggest. Use more if you want it richer; the lion's mane goes up in proportion, so a 10 g cup carries about 2 g of mushroom. Lion's mane has a mild, savoury flavour that disappears entirely behind cocoa, so there is no mushroom taste to get past.

Because it contains milk powder it is not vegan or dairy free. The lion's mane cacao is the zero sugar, dairy free alternative with the same 20% lion's mane, if that is what you need.

This is a Herba Store UK own-label product. The hot chocolate mix is Fairtrade, as stated by the brand.

How to make it

Add up to 2 teaspoons (about 5 g) to a mug and stir into hot water. Because the mix already contains milk powder, water alone gives a milky drink; made with milk it is richer still. It also dissolves in warm oat or almond milk, though the base itself still contains dairy.

• Single pack: 150 g, 30 servings, £14.99 (about 50p a serving)
• 2 pack: 2 x 150 g, £29.99
• 3 pack: 3 x 150 g, £39.99 (£13.33 a bag, about 44p a serving)
• About 1 g lion's mane per 5 g serving

Reseal the bag and keep it dry. Hot chocolate mix clumps if it gets damp; a clip or an airtight tin keeps it free-flowing.

What's inside

• Lion's mane powder, 30 g per bag (20%), organic certified per the brand
• Fairtrade hot chocolate mix, 120 g per bag (80%)
• Contains sugar, milk powder and cocoa
• About 1 g lion's mane per serving

Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is the white, spined mushroom; here it is the dried powder. Cocoa is roasted, ground cacao bean with most of the fat removed. Milk powder is dried milk, which is what makes the drink creamy with water alone and also what makes it unsuitable for vegans. The brand has not published the full percentage breakdown of the hot chocolate mix itself.

Who it's for

People who want lion's mane as a sweet evening cup, families where a mushroom coffee would not get drunk, and anyone replacing a bedtime hot chocolate with one that carries something extra. It suits the hour before bed, a cold afternoon, or a child-friendly alternative to the coffees on the same shelf. The 3 pack is the saving if it becomes a nightly habit.

If you want no sugar or no dairy, the cacao is the one. If you want caffeine, the two mushroom coffees carry arabica.

Pairs well with

The lion's mane cacao is the unsweetened, dairy free sibling. For a morning cup rather than an evening one, Brain Coffee blends lion's mane with chicory and arabica. For the mushroom on its own, the lion's mane powder is 100% fruiting body. See the whole mushroom coffee shelf, everything under teas and drinks, and every lion's mane format under lion's mane.

Frequently asked questions

What is mushroom hot chocolate?

A hot chocolate mix with mushroom powder blended in. This one is 80% Fairtrade hot chocolate mix and 20% lion's mane powder, made up with hot water like any instant hot chocolate.

Does mushroom hot chocolate have caffeine?

Only the trace amount naturally present in cocoa. There is no coffee in it, unlike the two mushroom coffees on our shelf.

How much lion's mane is in a cup?

About 1 g, based on 30 g of lion's mane in a 150 g bag at a 5 g serving.

Does it contain dairy?

Yes, milk powder. Mix it with water and it is still a milky drink. The lion's mane cacao is the dairy free option.

Our guide to mushroom coffee explains how these instant blends are made and how the hot chocolate, cacao and coffee versions differ. 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.