Can you bake with magic mushrooms? The short answer is yes, you absolutely can. And for those so inclined, baking and cooking with small doses of psilocybin can be an interesting and fun way to change your holiday baking routine. Instead of the normal, and maybe a little boring, holiday cookie selection you’re used to, you could have some truly cosmic cookies and treats to share with friends and family around the holidays (with their well-informed consent).

My first foray into the psychedelic industry started with the launch of my book, Cooking with Magic: The Psilocybin Cookbook. In the book, I cover some ways to cook and bake with psilocybin. The key to this is low temperatures and avoiding prolonged cooking times. Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, begins to break down at high temperatures, although the exact temperature at which this occurs can vary slightly depending on various factors. Generally, psilocybin will begin to degrade at temperatures above 190°F. This is when you may lose some of the naturally occurring psilocin in the fruiting body. Psilocin is the active hallucinogen converted from psilocybin in the gut. It’s important to note that prolonged exposure to high heat above 475°F can lead to significant degradation of psilocybin, reducing the potency of the mushrooms.(1)

The optimal cooking methods involve lower temperatures or shorter cooking times to preserve the psilocybin content. For instance, steeping mushrooms in hot water for tea is a common method that typically doesn’t reach temperatures high enough to cause significant breakdown of psilocybin. However, in this case, we are talking about baking with psilocybin, which requires moderately high temperatures. With this in mind, you should expect to see some loss of potency, which, in my experience, is roughly 10% throughout the cooking time.

Psilocybin-Ginger Snap Cookies

Psilocybin-Ginger Snap Cookies

These psilocybin-infused ginger snaps are based on the recipe my grandmother has been using for decades. The flavors and spices are well-balanced and warm, with a distinct ginger bite. The addition of psilocybin to the cookies does add noticeable earthy, mushroomy flavors, but it is not overwhelming or unpleasant. The icing for the cookies is optional, but it adds a nice holiday flair, and the vanilla and lemon flavors help to counterbalance the mushrooms.

Servings: 16
Dosage for Macrodose Version: 1.0 Grams Per Cookie
Dosage for Microdose Version: .20 Grams Per Cookie

(Note: One gram of magic mushrooms is a low to moderate dose but is high enough to bring on some changes in perception, mood, and cognition. Sensitive individuals may begin to experience low-level open-eyed visual, euphoria, and body high. The microdose option should not cause acute effects, although this will vary for each individual based on sensitivity, experience, and tolerance.)

Ingredients for Cookies:

280 grams of all-purpose flour
170 grams unsalted butter, softened
5 grams of baking soda
200 grams sugar, plus extra for rolling
2 grams salt
1 large egg (approximately 50 grams)
15 grams of ground ginger
5 grams ground cinnamon
3 grams ground cloves
60 grams molasses
16 grams dried and ground Psilocybin mushrooms (for 1 gram per cookie) or 3.2 grams (for 0.20 gram per cookie)

Ingredients for Icing:

200 grams powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2-3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
Red food coloring
Leave a portion of the icing uncolored for white

Instructions:

  1. Preheat Oven & Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F)—line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and ground mushrooms.
  3. Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs and molasses: Beat the egg and molasses until well combined.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
  6. Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into small balls (about the size of a walnut), then roll each ball in extra sugar. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.
  7. Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are set and the tops are crackled.
  8. Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing and Decorating Instructions:

  1. Make Icing: In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Adjust the consistency with more milk or sugar if needed. It should be smooth and thick enough to hold its shape.
  2. Color the Icing: Divide the icing into two bowls. Color one portion with red food coloring and the other leave it uncolored for white icing.
  3. Decorate the Cookies: Once the cookies have fully cooled, use a small piping or zip-lock bag with a tiny corner cut-off to pipe the icing onto the cookies. Coat the entire cookie with red icing and allow it to set. Once fully set, add white dots to mimic the appearance of “magic mushrooms.” Use white icing to add details or stems if desired.
  4. Let Icing Set: Allow the icing to set for a few hours before serving or storing the cookies.

Enjoy your Psilocybin-Ginger Snap Cookies! These whimsically decorated cookies are sure to be a conversation starter.

Magic Mushroom-Infused Mexican Hot Chocolate

Magic Mushroom-Infused Mexican Hot Chocolate

This absolutely magical, psilocybin-infused Mexican hot chocolate is based on the recipe in Cooking with Magic: The Psilocybin Cookbook. The flavors are rich, deeply chocolatey, and sweet, with some spice and a little heat. Unlike the cookies included above, the mushroom flavor from the psilocybin is almost entirely covered by the flavors of the hot chocolate. The two pair well together, but please watch your dosing carefully if you choose to have both. It is best served with a whipped cream dollop and extra shaved chocolate for dusting. Adding and subtracting psilocybin as needed is easily done for this recipe. Simply calculate the dosage you’d like, weigh it, and add it to the milk for extraction.

Servings: 8
Dosage: 0.5 grams of Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) per serving

(Note: A half-gram dose of psilocybin is relatively low. You can expect slightly increased visual acuity, brighter colors, and elevated mood at this dosage. Psilocybin may also make you feel drowsy in low doses.)

Ingredients:

4 grams of dried psilocybin mushrooms, finely ground
2 tablespoons of brown sugar (adjust to taste)
8 cups of milk (or a non-dairy alternative)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
200 grams of high-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Whipped cream (optional for serving)
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
Extra cinnamon or chocolate shavings for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Psilocybin Infusion:
    a) In a small saucepan, gently heat 2 cups of milk (do not boil).
    b) Add the ground magic mushrooms to the milk and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
  2. Strain the Mixture:
    a) Use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain the mixture, removing the mushroom particles. Return the infused milk to the saucepan.
  3. Make the Hot Chocolate:
    a) Add the remaining 6 cups of milk to the saucepan and warm over medium heat.
    b) Add the cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir well.
    c) Add the chopped chocolate and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
  4. Finalize and Serve:
    a) Once the mixture is hot, remove the cinnamon sticks.
    b) Serve the hot chocolate in your favorite mugs, topped with whipped cream if desired, and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or chocolate shavings.

Enjoy your Magic Mushroom-Infused Mexican Hot Chocolate!

Note: The recipe is designed to contain approximately 0.5 grams of psilocybin mushrooms per serving. Adjust the amount of mushrooms or the number of servings according to your preferences and needs, and always use responsibly with someone you know and trust.

This material is not intended as a replacement or substitute for any legal or medical advice. Always consult a medical professional about your health needs. Psychedelics are widely illegal in the United States, and readers should always be informed about local, state, and federal regulations regarding psychedelics or other drugs.

  1. Kargbo, R. B., Sherwood, A. M., Meisenheimer, P., Lenoch, K., & Abebe, S. B. (2022). Psilocybin: characterization of the metastable zone width (MSZW), control of anhydrous polymorphs, and particle size distribution (PSD). ACS Omega, 7(6), 5429–5436. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c06708