A healthy, refreshing, and immune-boosting twist on a chocolate cake - packed with veggies and medicinal mushrooms to keep you feeling strong, healthy, and happy.

Cake for breakfast? Why not! Especially when it’s a grain-free, paleo Peppermint Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake!

The name may be a mouthful, but it’s a mouthful of immune-boosting health and taste-bud happiness. Loaded with ingredients like sweet potato, avocado, and Real Mushrooms 5 Defender Mushroom Extract, this chocolate cake is one that ticks the “good enough for breakfast” (or any time of the day!) box.

As mentioned earlier, this cake also ticks the “immune-boosting box” thanks to the blend of organic extracts of Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake, Turkey Tail mushrooms, and Chaga found in the Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders. You can find more details about what each mushroom does for you in this article, 7 Medicinal Mushroom Benefits for Health.

The bottom line is immune health, brain and nervous system support - all wrapped in a delicious, veggie-loaded chocolate cake.

Let’s move onto what really matters. The breakdown of the recipe.

Peppermint Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 medium roasted sweet potato
• 1/4 cup mashed avocado
• 3 pasture-raised eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of “5 Defenders Tea” - blend of ½ cup hot water and 1-2 tsp Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup cacao
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon real salt
• 1-3 TB monk fruit sweetener depending on how sweet you like desserts (I used 2 TB and felt they were quite sweet, my husband thought they were perfect. You can also substitute your favorite granular sweetener like coconut sugar.)
• Peppermint essential oil (4 drops – I used Young Living)

*always be sure to use food-grade essential oils

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Make your 5 Defenders Tea by mixing 1 heaped tsp of Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders Mushroom Extract with 1/2 cup of hot water. (You can even try doing 2 heaped tsp for a more intense flavor and medicinal effect). Set tea aside.
3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, mash together roasted sweet potato, avocado, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and the 5 Defenders Tea.
4. Into the same bowl, add the coconut flour, cacao, salt, baking soda, monk fruit sweetener, and 4 drops peppermint oil.
5. Mix until well combined and there are no clumps.
6. Pour mixture into a lined 8×8 pan.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
8. Top with some coconut cream or whatever fun, delicious toppings you want! And enjoy!

Superfood Coffee Ice Cream w/ Hardshell Chocolate Sauce

• Add a full tray of coffee ice cubes
• 1.5 scoops whey isolate (about 4-6 tbs)
• 1 tbsp collagen protein powder
• 1-1.5 tbs powdered lakanto sugar
• 5 grams L-glutamine
• 1 tsp Real Mushrooms Lions Mane 
• 1/2 tsp Real Mushrooms Chaga
• 1 pastured egg yolk
• 1 tbsp MCT oil
• Pinch of pink salt
• Capful of vanilla extract
• 1/4-1/2 dropper Vanilla stevia

• 4 tbsp cacao powder
• 2 tbsp powdered lakanto sugar
• Pinch of pink salt
• 1 tbs MCT oil
• 1 tbsp melted cacao butter
• 4-6 drops vanilla stevia

How: Stir until smooth and add to piping bag.

Scoop out the ice cream and the drizzle on the chocolate sauce. Add any other toppings and ENJOY!! If you make this awesome creation from Crosby Tailor. Be sure to tag us both for a chance featured 🙂

We all love and adore adding our medicinal mushrooms to our favorite meals, coffee, tea, smoothies, chocolates and beyond! Well, another upcoming trend that you may be aware of is beauty care products that use medicinal mushrooms like chaga, reishi, maitake, shiitake, and tremella. We've been intrigued by the idea of adding mushroom extracts to body care for some time. So, we felt inspired and curious to explore this idea some more!

This is a classic skin balm inspired by a great recipe we found in the book Healing Mushrooms by Tero Isokauppila. It is both calming and hydrating as it is rich in shea, cacao butter, and coconut oil. These stable and soothing fats help nourish and moisturize dry skin. The addition of Chaga, which contains the unique compounds called SOD (superoxide dismutase) and melanin, which further boosts its skin nourishment and protective factors from everyday stressors like environmental toxins, UV light, dehydration, and nutrient-poor food. This skin food can really help during those times when you are putting your skin through the wringer! I hope you like it! If you make it be sure to tag us. We would love to see it! 🙂

Chaga Skin Food Ingredients

• 9 Tbsp shea butter
• 6 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
• 3 Tbsp cacao butter
• 10 drops tea tree oil (feel free to experiment with different essential oil blends here!)
• 2 tsp Real Mushrooms Chaga extract

Directions

1. Using the double boiler method. Add the shea, cacao, and coconut oil. Melt at low heat until everything is mixed just right. Be mindful not to turn the heat up too much!
2. Next, add your desired essential oils and chaga powdered extract. Use a whisk to combine everything nicely. Once you have done so. Pour into a small mason jar or some other fun creative jar you intend to use! Store in the refrigerator. It will need at least a 2-4 hours to solidify. You can then store at room temperature. This will keep for roughly a couple of years. ENJOY!!

Ingredient Benefits

• Chaga – Contains SOD (superoxide dismutase) and melanin, which boosts skin nourishment and protective factors from everyday stressors like environmental toxins, UV light, dehydration, and nutrient-poor food.
• Shea butter, extra virgin coconut oil, cacao butter – This trifecta of natural moisturizers mimic the oil our skin naturally produces and therefore their fatty acids are readily absorbed by our skin to hydrate it. They are also known to possess their own antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so are helpful in repairing damaged, irritated, and inflamed skin.
• Tea tree oil – This essential oil has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties which make it ideal for protecting abraded skin from infection, helping to diminish skin inflammation, and even to repair skin from acne lesions.

To learn more about how mushroom extracts can be used for skin care, read our article Mushroom Benefits for Skin: 5 Ways Fungi Foster Dermal Health.

With the flu and cold season in full swing. Nourishing our bodies and mind is even more critical to safeguard ourselves from these nasty little viruses and bacteria. The ideal food that comes to my mind is medicinal mushrooms. Think of mushrooms like the following:

• shiitake
• maitake
• turkey tail
• reishi
• chaga
• cordyceps militaris
• lions mane

All of these medicinal mushrooms play a role in supporting and enhancing our immune system in a variety of unique ways along with nourishing various organs of the body. What's not to love here!?

Let's move onto the recipe portion!

Allison of flabstofitness has hands down one of the most delicious sounding mocha drinks you can dream of. Let's get started!!

• 1 cup organic coffee of choice
• 1 scoop Vital Proteins Mocha Creamer
• 1/2 tsp chaga extract
• 1/2 tsp organic ceylon cinnamon
• stevia to taste (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cordyceps-m extract, if you’re already sick + need mental endurance to continue working (obviously not recommended, but sometimes you’ve gotta do it!)

Directions:

1. Brew your coffee with your preferred method of choice
2. Add 1/2 of the coffee and all the other ingredients to a coffee mug and blend using an immersion blender or milk frother!
3. Add the rest of the coffee and froth the top of the drink. Enjoy!! 🙂 Please be sure to tag @flabstofitness and @real_mushrooms! We would love to see your creations!

In need of a different take on the classic energy bites recipe that typically calls for dates and some kind nut or seed. Here at Real Mushrooms HQ, we have been experimenting with different medicinal mushrooms of all kinds for an energy bite recipe. In this recipe, chaga extract pairs beautifully with the nutty flavor of hemp seeds and caramel sweetness from the dates. The balance of chaga, which gives an earthy tone and the slight bitterness from the cacao really bring this recipe up a notch. I think you guys will really enjoy this one! Let's get down to business. Shall we?!

• 1  to 1.5 cups packed pitted dates (medjool is ideal here)
• 2 cups pecans
• 6 Tbsp raw cacao powder 
• 3  to 4 Tbsp hemp seeds (plus more for rolling at the end of the recipe)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
  
• 1 tsp Real Mushrooms Chaga extract
• 3 Tbsp creamy almond butter or sunflower seed butter
• 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil (not necessary - but lends for some extra goodness!!)

1. First, add dates to a high-speed blender and blend till the dates are pretty blended up.
2. Once done take the dates out and add in the pecans next. Blend this up till they turn to little pieces.
3. After that, add in the cacao powder, nut or seed butter of choice, chaga extract, sea salt, and coconut oil if desired! Blend everything up till it begins to bind together and turn more dough like.
4. Take the energy bite dough and place in the fridge for roughly 10-20 minutes.
5. Take out the dough and roll the dough into energy bites or small size energy bars, Whatever suits your fancy here!

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag us @realmushrooms for a chance to be featured! We would love to see your creation!

Here is a festive and nourishing smoothie to fire things up this holiday season! You've got many things going for it. It contains cashews, which are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. Cashews are rich in minerals like copper, manganese, and magnesium. This smoothie is infused with Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders, which contains 5 key medicinal mushrooms (reishi, chaga, maitake, shiitake, and turkey tail) known to support/boost our immune system.

This smoothie could serve many forms as either a pre-workout, post-workout and or a solid snack between meals this holiday season! Let's dive into the recipe, shall we!?

Cashew Mocha Mint Smoothie:

• 2  to 3 Tbsp raw, organic cashews or pecans
• 1 Tbsp cashew butter
• 1/2 tsp Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders
• 2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips (aim for 70% cacao content)
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• handful of fresh mint
• 1.5 Tbsp cacao nibs
• 1 Tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ginger
• dash of cayenne
• 3 medjool dates
• 1 scoop of ideally chocolate mint protein flavor or vanilla protein (plant-based protein or grass-fed whey or grass-fed beef protein can work here)
• 1.5 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup cold brew coffee
• 1/4 maple syrup or coconut nectar
• Roughly 2 cups of ice

Add everything to the blender and blend till desired consistency is met. ENJOY!!! Feel free to top this smoothie with toppings like hemp seeds, coconut flakes, and cacao nibs, chia seeds, and/or granola.

A non-stimulant (a.k.a. stim-free) pre-workout smoothie made with Cordyceps mushroom extract and beets to help boost your performance, reduce your fatigue, and conquer your training session in a delicious way!

Your alarm goes off, and it’s that time again. Time to get that workout in, to train your muscles, and give your body the love it deserves.

And it’s also a great time to give your taste buds some delicious love too! Because if you’re going to dedicate your time to a workout, you want to get the most out of it, right? You want to increase your endurance, boost your performance, and beet that fatigue (pun intended!).

Enter the beet mint smoothie. The functional power of Cordyceps mushroom extract combined with the blood-flow-boosting power of beets makes this the perfect stim-free pre-workout drink.

This smoothie will help you conquer your workout and reach your goals, without the crash and burn, jitters, itching, headaches, or sleeplessness that can accompany taking stimulant-based pre-workouts.

If you want to learn more about the advantages of mushrooms for improving your stamina, energy, and recovery, check out our article on stimulant-free pre-workout and post-workout supplements.

Our Beet Mint Smoothie Recipe pairs the respiration support of Cordyceps mushrooms with the nitric oxide-boosting properties of beets for a comprehensive stim-free pre-workout.

How does this beet mint smoothie help your workout?

If you want to reap all the benefits of a workout, your body needs fuel. And smoothies are a great way to efficiently fuel up, especially when you put specific ingredients in the mix.

This hearty and delicious smoothie uses the fuel power of functional Cordyceps mushroom powder and beets for improved cardiorespiratory and muscle endurance and performance.

Beets contain ample nitric oxide to help increase blood flow, improve lung function, and strengthen muscle contractions (1, 2). The Cordyceps extract powder generates a comprehensive anti-fatigue effect, to increase overall endurance and stamina (3).

As with all fuel, there are different levels of quality. And we believe you deserve to fill up your gas tank with premium-grade — a.k.a 100% organic fruiting-body powder made from the Cordyceps mushroom, with no added grain, starch, or fillers. Our potent mushroom extracts will give you the most benefits from functional fungi to help you reach your performance and athletic goals.

How long before my workout should I make this stim-free pre-workout smoothie?

It’s best to enjoy this pre-workout smoothie thirty minutes to one hour before you begin your training session.

So, try skipping the coffee and stimulants and blend this smoothie up before your next workout session.

Beet Mint Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup steamed beets or 1-2 tsp beet powder
½ cup purple cabbage
½ cup dark berries like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or a berry blend works well here
1 sprig of fresh mint (peppermint or spearmint)
1 tsp Real Mushrooms Cordyceps-M
1 tsp Vitamin C powder (Acerola cherry-based)
3 Tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Add all ingredients to the blender and blend until desired consistency.

Enjoy this stim-free pre-workout in good health!

Workouts don’t have to be a grueling process. Instead of forcing yourself to do something you dislike day in and day out, try choosing something you love doing! Making it fun makes it sustainable.

Your body will thank you.

And not just your body, but your mind too! Working out is not just about your physique; it’s also a great way to show your mind some love too. It’s a way to de-stress, boost your feel-good hormones, and to release any stuck emotions.

So head to the kitchen, whip up this delicious stim-free pre-workout smoothie, turn up the tunes, and smash your workout!

Other mushroom supplements to give you a power boost

You can easily try out other mushroom powder extracts that have workout-supporting benefits. There are wonderful options, each with its own unique profiles and benefits. To learn more, you can read our article which highlights the top mushrooms for stimulant-free pre-workout and post-workout supplements. These different mushroom extracts can easily be added to whatever you’re cooking up in the kitchen.

Join the mushroom recipe challenge! Get creative in the kitchen with different ways to get more mushrooms in your diet. Invent your own recipe and share via insta @realmushrooms. We will feature the winner’s recipe on the blog & give you a coupon for any Real Mushroom product of your choice!

References

1 Domínguez R, Cuenca E, Maté-Muñoz JL, García-Fernández P, Serra-Paya N, Estevan MCL, Herreros PV, Garnacho-Castaño MV. Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory Endurance in Athletes. A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2017; 9(1):43. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9010043

2 Jones, A. M., Thompson, C., Wylie, L. J., & Vanhatalo, A. (2018). Dietary Nitrate and Physical Performance. Annual review of nutrition, 38, 303–328. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-082117-051622

3 Xu Y. F. (2016). Effect of Polysaccharide from Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes) on Physical Fatigue Induced by Forced Swimming. International journal of medicinal mushrooms, 18(12), 1083–1092. https://doi.org/10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v18.i12.30

Charlotte Press of Press.Start Nutrition has the perfect protein bar packed full of healthy fats, anti-oxidant rich spices, complex carbohydrates, and protein to fuel you during this holiday season. On top of that, these protein bars are enhanced with Lion's Mane mushroom, which helps support and boost cognitive function and potentially even aid in short and long-term memory support!

We love how easy this is to put together. With just one bowl and eight ingredients, you're on your way to snack heaven.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Protein Bars

Serves 8, paleo, DF, GF, grainfree, RSF

• 1 cup nut butter of choice
• 2 tsp Real Mushrooms Lions Mane 
• 1/2 cup vanilla protein of choice
• 3 tbsp organic pumpkin purée
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp - 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey {depending how sweet you want it, I only used 1 tsp of organic maple syrup, but use more for sweeter}
• 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips

Directions: Mix all ingredients together until a dough forms. Press dough into a parchment-lined 8x8 pan and freeze for an hour. Remove and cut into 8-10 rectangles depending on how big you want them. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet & bake at 300 for 12 minutes. Store in the fridge.

Daisy has outdone her self with this delightful and nourishing bounty bars with a potent immune-boosting mushroom known to support the mind, body, and soul. If you make these be sure to tag @daisy_scoopwholefoods and us @real_mushrooms!! We would love to see to how your bounty bars turn out!!

• ⅓ cup coconut milk
  
• ¼ cup coconut butter
  
• ¼ maple syrup
• 2 cups of unsweetened desiccated coconut
  
• 2 tsp of Real Mushrooms Reishi 415
  
• 200 grams of dark chocolate such as Real Mushrooms' chocolate bars with 5 Defenders

Directions:

1. Gently heat ⅓ cup coconut milk in a pot, add ¼ cup coconut butter, ¼ cup maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt.
2. Once smooth and well combined, add 2 cups of unsweetened desiccated coconut and optional 2 tsp Real Mushrooms Reishi 415.
3. Scoop into the lined loaf tin, flatten and place in freezer for 1-2 hours.
4. Next, melt down 200g of our mushroom chocolate bar.
5. Slice your solidified coconut mixture into 7-8 bars, then gently dip into melted chocolate and coat using 2 forks. Let excess drip off as much as possible.
6. Place on baking paper, drizzle leftover chocolate over the top of all bars, then place in the fridge to set. Enjoy! 🙂

*Disclaimer: The statements made in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information in this article is intended for educational purposes. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by licensed medical physicians. Please consult your doctor or health practitioner for any medical advice.

Do you find yourself having a hard time incorporating Turkey Tail mushroom into your everyday routine? Well, you are in luck here. This recipe tastes delicious and delivers an immune-boosting punch whether you are having this as a post-workout meal or decadent dessert. Either route is sure to deliver here! Recipe details below:

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 frozen bananas
• 1 to 2 Tbsp of organic peanut butter
• 3 to 5 Tbsp of coconut cream
• 1/4 to 1/2  cup of coconut, almond, hemp milk (add more or less to improve the mixability in the blender)
• A handful of coconut shreds
• 1 scoop of organic plant-based or grass-fed whey protein powder of your choice
• 1 tsp Real Mushrooms Turkey Tail Mushroom extract
• 1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
• 2 to 3 Tbsp cacao powder
• 1/8 tsp ginger powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder

Directions: Feel free to get fancy here and use any kind of topping of your choosing depending on what you have available. Add everything to the blender and blend till desired consistency!! ENJOY 😉

We are on a tonic kick lately with drinks. Can you tell!?! This is another dandy of a recipe that uses our 5 Defenders mushroom blend. It compliments nicely with the other unique ingredients like coconut butter, cacao powder, and raw honey. The final result is this soothing and calming tonic drink that is sure to excite your senses and calm you down. This tonic could also serve as a nice hot cocoa alternative as well. Serve up, however, suits your fancy!!! ENJOY!!!

Cacao Coconut Mushroom Tonic

• 500mL water, off boil for 2-3 minutes added to:
• 1 pinch of celtic sea salt
• 1 (slightly heaping) tbsp. of raw, organic, heirloom cacao
• 1 tsp. coconut butter
• 1 tsp. of 5 Defenders Mushroom Complex
• raw honey to taste

Directions: Blend, top with black sesame seeds, and get satiated!

Caffeine is quite the substance. Some folks praise it and how much better he or she performs whereas for some folks it hinders their performance in a lot of ways. Both perspectives have equal merit. I think it's safe to say that caffeine is very individual based and will vary from person to person. This leads me to our next topic of discussion. How do you still get that coffee like experience with that aroma, color, boldness, and stimulation, but without the stimulation!? This superb spiced mushroom elixir by Jonathan P. Shanks has just what the doctored ordered.

More details below!!

Spiced Mushroom Elixir

• Mug of organic brown rice milk (heated) (preferably sprouted brown rice)
• 1 tsp raw organic cacao powder
• ¼ tsp organic cardamom powder
• ½ tsp Real Mushrooms Lion’s Mane
• ½ tsp Real Mushrooms Cordyceps-M
• ½ tsp Real Mushrooms Reishi 415
• ½ tsp of decent organic coconut oil
• Pinch of Himalayan salt
  

Directions: Blend it all together for about a minute after heating the milk and it’s good to go. You can use any milk you like and also swap out the cardamon for ginger, cinnamon, maca etc. The cacao and coconut oil give it a lovely thick chocolate texture.