Cacao vs. mushroom coffee vs. coffee
Three ways to fill your morning mug. Here’s how they compare on what’s in the cup, the caffeine, the taste and the price per cup.
- 300+reviews
- 6mushroom extracts
- $2.50a cup
Coffee-free, with naturally occurring caffeine · 30-day guarantee
One heart, one cupHot water and about 30 seconds of frothingThe side by side
What’s actually in your mug
Heart MagicFrothed and velvety 
Mushroom coffeeThin, coffee-colored 
CoffeeThin and dark
| Compared on | Heart Magic | Mushroom coffee | Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|
| The base | Ceremonial cacao | Coffee, usually | Coffee |
| Coffee-free | ✓ | ✕Usually not | ✕ |
| Caffeine | A small amount, naturally occurringplus theobromine | Variesmostly from the coffee | About 95 mgper 8 oz cup† |
| Functional mushrooms | 6 extracts
| ✓amounts vary by brand | ✕ |
| Weight per serving | 17 gone heart, the whole thing goes in your cup | About 2.5 to 6 gper packet or scoop‡ | About 13 g of groundsper 8 oz cup, filtered out after brewing§ |
| Portioned | Pre-portioned hearts | Packets or scoops | Measured grounds, pods or beans |
| How you make it | Hot water + ~30s froth | Stir into hot water | Brew |
| Taste | Rich, deep chocolate | Coffee, often a little earthy | Coffee |
| Creaminess | Velvety when frothedwhole cacao keeps its own cacao butter | Usually thin, like coffeeunless you add creamer | Thinunless you add milk or creamer |
| Price per cup | $2.50about $2.25 at 3 bags | Varies by brand | Varies |
- Cup photos are illustrations of each drink, not photos of specific brands.
- “Mushroom coffee” here means mushroom blends built on coffee, the most common kind. Brands vary, so check the label of the one you buy.
- ¶ Elemental’s ingredient breakdown, per 17 g heart.
- † USDA FoodData Central, brewed coffee. Caffeine varies with the bean and the brew.
- ‡ Serving sizes printed on common mushroom coffee labels.
- § The Specialty Coffee Association’s Golden Cup ratio, 55 g of coffee per liter of water.
The row most comparisons skip
Price per cup
Every bag is 20 hearts, and one heart makes one cup. Buy more at once and each cup costs less. Bundle savings apply to your first order.
- 1 bag · 20 cups$2.50
- 2 bags · 40 cups$2.37
- 3 bags · 60 cups$2.25
Why people switch
They wanted a coffee-free cup
Heart Magic has no coffee in it. Cacao does contain a small amount of naturally occurring caffeine, along with theobromine.
They wanted it to taste like a treat
The base is whole ceremonial cacao, so it tastes like rich chocolate, not coffee with something stirred in.
They were tired of scooping
Each heart is portioned at 17g. Drop one into 8 oz of hot water and froth for about 30 seconds. Same cup every time.
Ready to switch?
Heart Magic Ceremonial Cacao Hearts
Try it for 30 days. If it’s not your cup, get a full refund.
- Portioned 17g hearts: one heart, one cup
- Ceremonial cacao + six mushroom extracts
- Vegan, gluten-free, no refined sugar
- Coffee-free, with naturally occurring caffeine
Renews at $50 every month. Two deliveries minimum.
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Source cacao tested for heavy metals
- Free shipping on every monthly delivery
Why Heart Magic?
It keeps the parts of a morning cup people like, warm, rich and quick, and swaps the coffee for ceremonial cacao and six mushroom extracts. Each heart is portioned, so there’s nothing to scoop or measure.
Ingredients & nutrition
Every blend: ceremonial-grade Peruvian cacao and six fruiting-body mushroom extracts (Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chaga, Golden Oyster and Maitake). Vegan, gluten-free, no refined sugar.
Signature: plus warming spices, tahini and a touch of panela. Nutrition label
Eternal Bloom Rose: plus rose, tahini and a touch of panela. Nutrition label
Elemental: nothing else. Unsweetened, 16g of cacao in every 17g heart. Nutrition label
Our supplier tested the cacao paste our hearts are made from for heavy metals. The certificate covers that source cacao, not the finished hearts. Read the certificate
Directions
Heat 8 oz of water to just off the boil. Drop in one heart and froth with a handheld frother or blender for about 30 seconds, until smooth. For a creamier cup, top it with a splash of plant milk.
Caffeine
Heart Magic contains a small amount of caffeine that occurs naturally in cacao, along with theobromine. If you’re pregnant, sensitive to stimulants or take medication, check with your doctor first.
300+ reviews
From people who made the switch
“I recently gave up coffee. Heart Magic is the perfect replacement.”
“So smooth and rich i absolutely love it and start every day making me one, sometimes two!”
“Something I actually look forward to rather than rush through.”
Questions, answered
Is it the same as mushroom coffee?
Does it have caffeine?
Which blend should I start with?
How do I make it?
How does monthly work?
What if it’s not the right fit?
Keep the ritual. Change the cup.
Same warm mug in the morning, made with ceremonial cacao instead of coffee. Try it for 30 days.
P.S. If you’ve been reaching for mushroom coffee because you wanted more from your morning cup, I get it. When I sit with cacao, I feel grounded and present. There’s space in my brain to see things again and not be so consumed by them.
So try one bag for yourself. It’s about $2.50 a cup, and your first order is covered by our 30-day Heart-Open Guarantee. If it doesn’t earn a place in your mornings, you get a full refund. And if you change nothing, tomorrow’s mug looks exactly like today’s.
Jacob
Heart Magic founder
