Mushrooms like lion’s mane and chaga fall under the “adaptogenic/nootropic” category of functional foods, often touted for their immune and brain-enhancing benefits.

This mix features prebiotics and mushrooms to promote focus, stress relief, and digestion – an ideal coffee replacement if you want to steer clear of caffeine’s negative impacts.

HARMONIZE YOUR MICROBIOME

When it comes to mushroom coffees, purveyors have two options for their approach: they can go all out with an extravagant blend filled with exotic spices and overtones; or take the safer approach and concoct a beverage that tastes similar to other drinks rather than having its own distinct identity. Ryze falls under this latter strategy with its drink that lacks an identifiable taste profile and reminds many consumers of products found at corner coffee shops.

There are various products out there claiming to offer the perfect mushroom coffee experience in the morning, but at their core they all provide something similar: a cup of coffee with added “functional” ingredients like L-theanine for managing caffeine’s jittery effects or ashwagandha for mood boosting purposes. Shroomi stands out by using ground coffee beans rather than instant or pre-ground versions for an authentic tasting mushroom coffee alternative experience.

Functional coffees are often advertised as brain-boosting nootropics and adaptogens, yet their science remains uncertain. Most studies conducted are small-scale animal or Petri dish studies rather than human trials, making identifying individual mushroom benefits harder due to interactions among them.

Beyond Brew takes an unconventional approach to mushroom coffee by adding probiotics and other gut-friendly extras, creating a wellness latte that more closely resembles a smoothie than any coffee replacement option on this list. Combining prebiotics, probiotics, plant-based vitamins and minerals and coconut milk yields a flavor less similar to coffee than its competitors on this list.

Beyond Brew may appear expensive at first glance, but it can actually be one of the smartest purchases for your wallet. The blend includes six of nature’s most powerful mushroom extracts – including lion’s mane, reishi, chaga, maitake and cordyceps. Beyond Brew offers potency alongside balanced energy for maximum performance and functional support.

GET ENERGY WITHOUT THE CAFFEINE

Mushroom coffees that incorporate ground coffee beans may taste very similar to regular coffee, or possess an unexpected savory undertone. Meanwhile, mushroom coffee mixes that don’t use coffee as their foundation often possess more of a cacao-like or chocolaty aroma and texture. Beyond Brew is one such coffee replacement which boasts prebiotics, probiotics and collagen to promote gut health. This drink features an assortment of mushrooms – such as lion’s mane, reishi and chaga – along with probiotics – but the star of this show is its probiotics content; making this more of a wellness latte than performance stack. Still one of the top choices among coffee lovers looking to boost both their digestive health and immunity systems!

Selecting the ideal blend for your morning ritual can be difficult when transitioning away from traditional caffeine-loaded options, particularly if switching over from regular caffeinated options. When searching for functional mushroom coffee alternatives that can be made using half-caf or decaf coffee grounds, look for functional mushroom coffees containing less than 55 milligrams of caffeine per serving from Four Sigmatic and Joe’y brands, among others.

Most functional mushroom coffees I sampled included additional functional ingredients besides mushrooms. These typically included adaptogens and nootropics – substances used to help reduce stress, increase mental clarity, or boost energy levels – such as adaptogens like adaptogenic herbs such as Ashwagandha or Rhodiola that may support stress management or mood support; others like Guarana and Taurine may support cellular energy.

Laird Superfoods and Noom are two popular coffee-free blend brands. Both provide multiple versions of their products, but their lineups share similarities in that both focus on pairing functional mushrooms with gut-friendly extras; Laird’s Superfoods Perform blend contains lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps with reishi, maitake and agaricus mushroom vitamin D; while Noom Defense features Rhodiola Rosea extract for immune support as an additional ingredient.

KEEP YOUR MORNING RITUAL

If you don’t want to give up caffeine altogether, mushroom coffee could be an effective way to cut back while still getting an energy boost in the morning. Beyond Brew has 7 mg of caffeine per cup and contains prebiotics and probiotics which promote digestive health while providing cognitive energy benefits. You can add Beyond Brew seamlessly into any hot beverage you like!

Beyond Brew stands apart from most mushroom coffees by using its blend as the foundation for their wellness drink, creating a more balanced formula and providing greater functional benefits than similar products. They combine mushrooms (lion’s mane, reishi, chaga and cordyceps) with probiotics, prebiotics, collagen, plant-based vitamins D & B12 plus other gut-friendly ingredients into one easy product for optimal gut health benefits.

Customers also turn to cocoa-based roasts instead of instant coffee for an enjoyable cocoa-flavored experience, similar to unsweetened hot chocolate rather than the harshness of espresso. This allows for an easier transition and allows users to mix this beverage with oat milk, coconut milk or even make smoothies out of it!

Mushroom coffees that use ground coffee beans tend to taste similar to regular coffee with an earthy aftertaste, such as Laird Superfood’s Performance blend which includes lion’s mane, reishi and chaga mushrooms alongside Arabica coffee beans for maximum impact per serving. Their Performance blend packs in over 2000mg of mushrooms per cup!

Noom offers a more extensive array of mushroom species per serving than the previously listed varieties, such as lion’s mane, reishi, maitake, chaga and cordyceps as well as previously mentioned varieties. Their formula also features probiotics, prebiotics and collagen peptides to support gut health as well as mood and stress support herbs such as rhodiola ashwagandha and cinnamon for additional support.

Noom’s product stands out as being among the most cost-effective options, coming in at approximately $20 for a 20-serving container. This makes it an exceptional value when considering all its functional advantages over competing options that cost more per serving.

LOSE THE MIDDAY CRASH

Functional coffee brands promise better mornings, smoother energy, and more – but how do you choose between them all? Four factors matter most when selecting functional coffee: ingredients, functional content, taste and cost. In terms of ingredients, mushroom coffees often rely on dried or powdered extracts from various mushrooms (chaga, lion’s mane, reishi and cordyceps being popular choices) for their beneficial properties – with many brands providing blends combining several to achieve your desired effects.

Many mushroom coffees can be prepared using traditional coffee brewing methods, like using a drip machine or French press. These types of mushroom coffees taste just like traditional coffee but with an earthy hint from mushrooms; most of those we tested fit this category, including our winning Shroomi blend and Laird Superfood’s Perform and Focus blends; others, such as Atlas+ Latte Superblend and Joe’y mixes from Laird Superfood incorporate instant coffee for faster preparation times than others.

These instant beverages offer an alternative to ground coffee that is sweeter and creamier than its counterpart. Their creamy texture more closely resembles that of iced tea or yerba mate than coffee, and often pair well with non-dairy milks like Pacific Foods’ coconut and original Silk soy milks. Some brands such as Melting Forest’s delicious flavor or Everyday Dose’s subtle bitterness might put off coffee purists – yet these instant drinks remain easy to drink without leaving behind any residue at the bottom.

One of the more intriguing developments in the mushroom coffee scene has been the rise of specialty roasters like Heady Cup. Utilizing their own roasted beans, their dark roasts feature subtle bitterness that may turn away light-roast fans but will satisfy most mature drinkers who have outgrown Folgers and Stumptown; creating creamy cups with just the right blend of sweetness and alertness for those seeking an experience beyond Folgers and Stumptown.