How to Make Piña Colada Cordyceps Popsicles

How to Make Piña Colada Cordyceps Popsicles

A tropical getaway. Biting into these on a summer afternoon, that's exactly what these Piña Colada Cordyceps Popsicles taste like. The essence of sunshine blended with the health-boosting power of mushrooms, the classic beach drink gets a family-friendly frozen mocktail makeover. 

Cordyceps, mango, and pineapple combine for a sustained energy boost and fight inflammation, making this a perfect post-workout recovery treat. 

Piña Colada Cordyceps Popsicles

Piña Colada Cordyceps Popsicles, one plain and one with coconut yogurt, in backyard sunlight. Beautiful orange gold color.
  • Serving: 6 popsicles
  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 4-6 hours
  • Must-have: Popsicle molds 

Ingredients 

  • 1 can of full fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup of frozen mango
  • 1 cup of frozen pineapple
  • 2 tbsp Cordyceps Powder
  • 2 droppers Reishi Tincture
  • 1 cup of coconut yogurt to layer with (optional) 

Instructions

Filled popsicle molds for the popsicles with coconut yogurt

  1. Combine coconut milk, frozen mango, and frozen pineapple in a blender and blend until smooth. Add Cordyceps Powder and Reishi Tincture. Blend for 5-10 more seconds until combined. 

  2. Pour popsicle mix into popsicle molds. If using coconut yogurt, give it a stir to loosen the texture before adding. Fill molds ¾ of the way with the fruit and mushroom mixture, and top the rest with yogurt. 

  3. Freeze until solid and serve! 

Recipe Substitutions

  • Swap in your base of choice. Coconut milk can be subbed for a combination of almond milk and banana, or other options. 
  • Add Chaga Tincture or Lion's Mane Tincture for even more adaptogens.
  • Add Lion's Mane Powder for a brain boost. 
  • Try other fruit combinations! If you can dream it, you can popsicle it. 

The Health Benefits of Adaptogenic Mushroom Popsicles

Natural Energy

Cordyceps Powder elevates energy levels without the sugar or caffeine crash you probably know all too well, and they have been proven to boost muscle recovery. That makes these popsicles, especially when combined with the high levels of vitamin C from both fruits.

Mango and pineapple are excellent sources of natural sugars and carbohydrates, which also provide a quick energy boost. The natural fructose in fruits delivers a sustained energy release, helping to prevent the sudden spikes and dips associated with processed sugars.

Adding in Reishi Tincture helps the body regulate stress and aid in sleep hormone production, which is essential for hot days spent outside. 

Fight Inflammation

Inflammation is one of the ways our body attempts to heal itself. It manifests in lots of ways, from viruses to bacteria to even the red swelling around your skin near a cut. These are short-term inflammation scenarios, but unfortunately, in a study from 2014, researchers fond that nearly 60% of Americans had chronic inflammatory diseases. 

Cordyceps is one of the expert mushrooms when it comes to muscle damage, a common response to inflammation. Researchers have found that the natural properties increase the activity and quantity of stem cells, which in turn are responsible for muscle repair. Cordyceps also strengthens the muscle fibers, aiding against future injury. 

Bromelain in pineapple is an enzyme with anti-inflammatory properties, known to reduce muscle inflammation and the digestion of proteins, which help speed up the body repair process.

Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Protection

Oxidative stress is a condition where excessive free radicals in the body cause cellular damage, contributing to aging, inflammation, and diseases like cancer and heart disease. These unstable molecules are a normal part of metabolism but can increase to harmful levels due to factors such as pollution, smoke, and UV exposure.

Reishi and Cordyceps mushrooms are known for their robust antioxidant properties. Recent advancements have led to the development of a combined extract, showing enhanced capabilities in fighting oxidative stress. This blend contains a rich array of bioactive compounds including phenolic acids, flavonoids, triterpenes, and nucleosides— notable ones being ferulic acid, ganoderic acid A, adenosine, and cordycepin.

The antioxidant-rich combination of Reishi and Cordyceps has also shown surprising efficacy in protecting human skin cells from oxidative stress caused by H202, reducing cell death by 21-22 percent. This breakthrough underscores the potential of these mushrooms to mitigate the effects of oxidative stress, protecting the body from the cellular damage that can lead to chronic conditions. 

Next: How to Make Vegan Reishi Golden Milk

Back to blog