Knowing how to make mushroom hot chocolate properly is the difference between a velvety mug and a gritty puddle with a crust on top. The good news: it takes about two minutes and one spoon. Below is the method we use for Shroom Riot, hot and cold, plus which milk to reach for, frother versus spoon, how to adjust the strength, and four variations for when the standard cup gets too comfortable. Riot against the ordinary, even in your own kitchen.
Key takeaways
- Standard serving: one heaped tablespoon (about 10 g) in 200 ml.
- Hot method: stir 30 seconds, rest one minute, stir 30 seconds.
- Cold method: same steps, but rest for two minutes.
- A frother or shaker gives the smoothest cup, especially cold.
- Try it salted, spiced, iced or with peppermint once you have the basics down.
Prep: 2 min · Makes: 1 mug (200ml)
Ingredients
- 1 heaped tablespoon (about 10g) Shroom Riot Cocoa
- 200ml hot water, milk or a milk alternative
Shroom Riot contains milk (whey) and is sweetened with sucralose, so it is not suitable for vegans.
How to make mushroom hot chocolate: the hot method
This is the standard way, and it is the one the serving size on the pouch is built around.
- Spoon. Add one heaped tablespoon, about 10 g, of Shroom Riot to a mug.
- Pour. Pour in 200 ml of hot water, milk or a milk alternative.
- Stir. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Rest. Leave it for one minute.
- Stir again. Stir again for 30 seconds, and drink.
Step four is the one everyone skips, and it is the one that matters. The pause gives the powder time to take on liquid properly, so it mixes in instead of sitting at the bottom of the mug. Our blend is milled so that at least 98% passes an 80-mesh screen, so the powder is ready to dissolve. It just needs that minute.
If you are heating milk on the hob, warm it gently until it steams and pull it off before it boils, then pour it over the powder. A rolling boil tends to leave a skin and catch on the bottom of the pan.
The cold method
Shroom Riot mixes cold as well. Same powder, same quantities, longer rest.
- Add 10 g of powder to a glass or a shaker.
- Pour in 200 ml of cold water or cold milk.
- Stir or shake for 30 seconds.
- Leave it for two minutes.
- Stir or shake for another 30 seconds.
Cold liquid takes longer to work into a powder, which is why the rest doubles. If you make it cold regularly, this is where a shaker or a frother earns its place.
Water, whole milk or oat milk?
All three work. The choice is about the cup you want.
Water
The lightest option, and it lets the cocoa lead. It is also the simplest way to keep your measurements exact.
Whole milk
The fullest, roundest cup. Britain has been doing this for a while: Sir Hans Sloane is credited with mixing cocoa with milk after encountering the drink in Jamaica in the late 17th century, which is how milk chocolate drinks came to England. Semi-skimmed sits in between if whole feels like too much.
Oat milk
Oat milk is a plant milk made from whole oats, with a creamy texture and a mild oaty flavour that sits comfortably alongside cocoa. Barista versions froth well. One thing to be clear on: oat milk does not make this drink dairy-free. Shroom Riot contains milk (whey), so it is not suitable for vegans or for anyone with a milk or dairy allergy. Cows' milk is one of the most common food allergens, so it is worth saying plainly.
Frother or spoon, and how strong to make it
Frother versus spoon
A spoon and the 30-60-30 rhythm (stir, rest, stir) will give you a smooth, well-mixed cup. A handheld milk frother or a shaker gives the smoothest result of all, and it is worth using if you are making it cold or you are the sort of person who notices texture. A frother also puts a little foam on top, which nobody has ever complained about.
Strength ratios
10 g in 200 ml is the standard serving, and it is the one the 30 servings in a 300 g pouch are based on. From there, adjust to taste:
- Richer and thicker: 15 g in 200 ml. More powder in the same liquid gives a denser cup, and a pouch then makes 20 servings rather than 30.
- Standard: 10 g in 200 ml. Thirty servings per pouch, about £0.67 a cup at £19.99 a pouch.
- Longer and lighter: 10 g in 250 to 300 ml. A bigger, gentler mug for the same powder.
Neither end is wrong. It is your mug.
Four variations worth trying
Salted
Make the standard hot cup with milk, then add a small pinch of flaky sea salt as you give it the final stir. Salt and cocoa have been friends for a long time. Start with less than you think; you can always add.
Spiced
Stir a pinch of ground cinnamon and a scrape of nutmeg into the powder before the liquid goes in, so the spices mix through evenly. For something with more bite, add the smallest pinch of chilli. Good for the first cold evening of the year.
Iced
Use the cold method with 200 ml of cold milk, shake it well, then pour it over a glass full of ice. If you like it strong, go to 15 g of powder, because the ice will melt into it. A summer cup that still tastes like cocoa.
Peppermint
Make the standard hot cup, then add a drop or two of peppermint extract, or steep a few fresh mint leaves in the hot milk for a couple of minutes and strain them out before pouring. Peppermint is a cross between watermint and spearmint and it has been flavouring sweets for years. A few drops are plenty: it is strong stuff.
If you are new to the whole category, start with our guide to mushroom hot chocolate in the UK, which covers what it is and what to look for on a label. For the detail on what goes in our pouch, see the about page, and the usage guide has the method in a form you can keep open by the kettle.
FAQs
How much mushroom hot chocolate powder should I use?
The standard serving is one heaped tablespoon, about 10 g, in 200 ml of hot water or milk. That is the serving the 30-serving count on a 300 g pouch of Shroom Riot is based on.
Can you make mushroom hot chocolate with cold milk?
Yes. Follow the same method with cold water or milk, but let it rest for two minutes instead of one before the final 30-second stir. A frother or shaker gives the smoothest cold result.
Why does my mushroom hot chocolate go lumpy?
Usually the rest was skipped. Stir for 30 seconds, leave it for a full minute, then stir for another 30. That pause lets the powder hydrate instead of settling at the bottom.
Can I use oat milk?
Yes. Hot water, cows' milk or a milk alternative all work. Bear in mind Shroom Riot itself contains milk (whey), so oat milk does not make the drink dairy-free or vegan.
That's the method. Two minutes, one spoon, and a pause most people skip. Grab a pouch of Shroom Riot Cocoa, pick a variation and make it your own. It is £19.99 a pouch, or £15.99 on subscription at our launch price, with free UK delivery on subscriptions.
