This recipe was developed in partnership with iHerb. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Body Unburdened and make the work I do possible!

I’ve got a surprise for you…

Take a bite of one of these scrumptious-looking chocolatey macaroons.

They’re as delicious as they look, right!?

Now what if I told you they were made with just a few simple, real ingredients, and didn’t include any refined sugar?

Andddddd what if I told you they contained a number of antioxidant-rich, immune-boosting superfoods, one of which was cacao and the others… cordyceps and reishi mushrooms!?

OK so maybe the title of this blog post and recipe — Superfood Cocoa-Shroom Macaroons — tipped you off and spoiled the surprise.

Now now, don’t let the mushrooms scare you away! Because 1) these macaroons taste absolutely nothing like mushrooms and 2) cordyceps and reishi mushrooms are two potent superfoods that your diet could definitely use a little bit more of.

Cordyceps and reishi mushrooms have both been used in traditional herbal medicine for centuries.

Now you know I love chocolate and consider cacao to be a superfood that I can’t choose not to go a single day without! (In case you’re skeptical, I’ve outlined the proof chocolate is healthy – yes, including many, MANY studies.)

And like cacao, both cordyceps and reishi mushrooms contain potent free radical fighting antioxidants. They’ve also been shown to help reduce inflammation, improve energy levels, and boost the immune system. Fun fact: reishi is known in China as the “Divine Mushroom” and “King of Mushrooms,” which is very telling of this medicinal mushroom’s reputation. And according to Dr. Josh Axe, “cordyceps are impressive disease-fighting mushrooms that have been used for centuries to reduce symptoms of respiratory disorders, coughs, colds, liver damage and much more. They’re a true ‘superfood’ in the way that they fight the effects of aging and stress, help keep the body free from disease, and also increase energy levels.”

Of all the ways I can imagine sneaking these superfood shrooms in your diet…

Madre Labs’ CocoCeps has got to be the yummiest.

It’s just 3 simple ingredients: organic cocoa powder, organic cordyceps powder, and organic reishi powder.  The cordyceps used in CocoCeps is lab-grown under low-temperature, low-oxygen conditions for maximum potency, and the reishi mushrooms are the only certified organic full-spectrum micronized reishi currently available. But again, it really doesn’t taste at all how you’d imagine it would — like rich chocolate and nothing like mushrooms!

Not only can it be used to make a delicious superfood-spiked hot cocoa, but CocoCeps is also perfect for baking and making chocolatey treats. Just like these Superfood Cocoa-Shroom Macaroons!

Superfood Cocoa-Shroom Macaroons

Ingredients:

• 1-½ cups organic unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup Madre Labs CocoCeps powder
• 4 tablespoons organic raw honey
• 6 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil (should be solid at room temp*)
• 3 tablespoons organic coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon mineral-rich sea salt (like Real Salt)
• Optional: extra shredded coconut to coat the macaroons

*Your coconut oil should be solid (not liquid) but soft, and easy to work with. If it’s liquid, pop it in the fridge to solidify a bit.

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients to large bowl.
2. Mash the mixture together with a fork — or you can use your hands, which is definitely faster! — until you have a consistent “dough.”
3. Use about a tablespoon of the mixture to form a compact ball with your hands (so be sure to wash your hands first!). Your body heat will melt the coconut oil, so try to do this as quickly as possible!
4. After you’ve formed the balls, roll them into the extra shredded coconut.
5. Pop your chocolate-covered snowballs in the fridge to set for a couple of hours. Keep them in the fridge until they are ready to be enjoyed to keep their shape!

Grab your superfoods (and save some money!) with iHerb.

iHerb has become one of my favorite online stores for natural products, healthy foods, and even supplements. Not only do they have a huge selection of products (over 35,000!) they also have seriously amazing prices – most of the products are much cheaper than you find at your local grocery or health food store. Plus, the website’s layout makes it really simple to find what you need and learn more about the products. iHerb’s also a Google Trusted store (which means you get free protection on your order), ships to 160 countries, and offers customer service in 10 different languages.

I picked up everything I needed for this recipe on iHerb, as well as some of Madre Labs’ other superfood products: CaféCeps and CocoCardio. CaféCeps is an instant coffee beverage and another yummy way to get cordyceps and reishi into your diet. CocoCardio, on the other hand, contains beet juice powder and hibiscus in addition to cocoa – like CocoCeps, it can be used like cocoa powder in baking as well as to make a superfood hot cocoa.

And on top of iHerb’s already great prices, get an extra $5 off your first order of $20 or more when shop through this link!