My lion’s mane matcha latte is our perfect coffee replacement for extra focus in the morning. This superfood drink combines the benefits of Japanese ground green tea and the medicinal mushroom into a delicious latte for mental clarity, focus, productivity and creativity.
Matcha contains caffeine and L-Theanine, which together can help increase energy and concentration while reducing nervousness and irritability. Lion’s mane may help improve brain function by promoting neural nerve growth. This may also help improve memory and concentration, making it an absolute brain booster.
In fact, my yoga teacher pointed out that my concentration has been better lately. It had become a running joke that I would do something completely different than what was instructed at least once in each class. Is it a coincidence or is my morning lion’s mane matcha latte behind my sudden ability to stay focused? In any case I’ll continue to drink it 🙂
You’ll learn more about the additional benefits of regularly consuming matcha and lion’s mane, as well as how to prepare the lion’s mane matcha latte in this blog post.
What do you need to make lion’s mane matcha latte?
- Matcha powder
Matcha is powdered green tea that is traditionally used in tea ceremonies in Japan. It is also rich in antioxidants, which help protect our cells and strengthen the immune system.
The best way to froth your matcha is with a chasen, a matcha whisk. Move the chasen very quickly in shape of an M for nice foamy matcha. If you don’t have a chasen, you can also use a milk frother.
Matcha should be consumed in moderation due to its caffeine content.
- Lion’s Mane powder
Lion’s mane (Hericium Erinaceus) is a fungus that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.
It may not only contribute to improving brain function, but also strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation, support digestion, lower cholesterol levels, and protect the nerves. You can read more in this healthline blogpost on lion’s mane.
Lion’s mane is an adaptogen, meaning that it may support the body’s resilience in coping with physical and emotional stress.
Lion’s mane and matcha are called nootropics, which is a collective term for plant substances and dietary supplements that are believed to have a positive effect on your mental performance.
You may be wondering whether mushroom powder in tea tastes mushroomy. Don’t worry, the taste of lion’s mane is masked quite well by the matcha, and you will get used to the taste. For starters, I recommend using twice as much green tea powder as lion’s mane, and then you can try a 1:1 ratio if you like the taste. Everyone has their own sweet spot, and of course, you can sweeten the lion’s mane matcha latte to your liking.
How much lion’s mane should you take? The measuring spoon in most packaging measures 400 mg. A daily intake of at least 250 mg is recommended, and up to 3 g is considered safe.
If you are allergic to mushrooms, I do not recommend lion’s mane or other medicinal mushrooms for you. But luckily, matcha latte tastes great even without it 🙂
If you cannot get used to the taste, you don’t have to miss out on the benefits of lion’s mane, there also are hericium capsules.
- Plant-based milk
I like to use oat milk or rice milk. I also often hear that lion’s mane matcha latte tastes great with coconut milk, which I still need to try.
- Optional sweetener
Personally, I like the taste as is, but if you like your lion’s mane matcha latte a bit sweeter, you can add maple syrup, rice syrup, agave syrup, coconut blossom sugar or something similar to your taste.
Lion’s Mane Matcha Latte (Mushroom Matcha)
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 ml oat milk or rice milk
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder
- 1/2 teaspoon lion's mane powder
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or other sweetener optional
Instructions
- Heat the plant-based milk. It should be about 80 degrees Celsius, so steaming but not boiling.
- Put matcha and lion's mane in a small bowl, add a shot of the hot milk (about 2-3 tablespoons) and either froth with a matcha whisk or a milk frother.
- Pour the hot plant-based milk into a cup, add the matcha mixture, stir and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I add collagen to this latte?
This recipe is intentionally vegan, so it doesn’t contain animal-derived collagen. If you want a plant-based boost, you can stir in a vegan “collagen” powder instead, these don’t contain actual collagen (which only animals produce), but provide amino acids like glycine and proline plus vitamin C, which support your body’s own collagen production.
If you like matcha, check out my matcha pralines or matcha popsicles. Looking for more coffee alternatives? Check out my 7 cozy coffee alternatives for more inspiration.
Delicious…. I made mine in my Vitamix. I put in hot water and a handful of macadamia nuts for the nut milk and then I threw in a date for the maple syrup along with the teaspoon of Matcha and half teaspoon lions mane. I also added a sprinkle of sea salt and a little splash of Pure vanilla extract …. I like to throw in an I like to throw in a scoop of collagen to get in that protein… absolutely delicious if you do use macadamia nuts make sure to blend this mixture in the vita mix until it’s completely smooth. It takes a bit. Thank you for this yummy recipe
Hi Cheri, thank you so much for your feedback. Your macadamia nuts version sounds delicious!