Magic Mushroom Powder is my secret weapon in my kitchen! Sprinkle this umami-packed, Whole30-friendly seasoning salt on anything to make it delicious!
DIYers: I bet you glanced at my latest Holiday Gift Guide and shook your heads. Sure, there were lots of sleek gadgets and baubles available for purchase, but you want people to feel your love for them in the form of a homemade edible present. A gift you buy at the store just ain’t the same, right?
Perfect DIY Holiday Gift
Well, guess what? I’ve got a quick and fun project that’ll appeal even to folks who are allergic to crafting: adorably labelled jars of my world-famous Magic Mushroom Powder—published here on my site for the very first time! Every crazy-busy caveperson can channel his or her inner Paleo Martha Stewart with this spiced salt blend. It takes only five minutes to make, and we’ve already created awesome printable labels for you.
In other words, you have no excuse not to make this gift.
Why everyone will love Magic Mushroom Powder
For the past few years, Magic Mushroom Powder has been one of the most popular recipes in our Webby-award winning iPad app, and also in our first cookbook (which—by the way—was named by Serious Eats, Powell’s, and America’s Test Kitchen as one of the best cookbooks of the year!). But until now, Magic Mushroom Powder’s been my secret weapon—one I always keep stocked in my kitchen.
As The Oregonian wrote:
We’re always learning new things when we try out recipes in the Foodday Test Kitchen. But every once in a while we discover an ingredient or technique that makes us rethink everything we’ve been doing in the kitchen.
That just happened with Magic Mushroom Powder. It’s a spice blend with a psychedelic-sounding name, and while it has no hallucinogenic powers, it truly is magic, adding much-desired umami to everything it touches.
How do you use it?
Magic Mushroom Powder can be used in place of salt in virtually any dish, adding an immediate flavor punch to everything from scrambled eggs and ground meat to roasted veggies and chicken wings. Even your vegan friends’ll dig it!
You can use it to sprinkle on roasted broccoli, just like Dylan Dreyer of the Today Show! Watch this Today show segment where she names Magic Mushroom Powder her favorite food seasoning!
I’ve scaled up my original recipe so that you can offer 12 of your favorite people the gift of umami. (Of course, your secret’s safe with me if you prefer to just make a humongous jar for yourself.)
Where can you buy Magic Mushroom Powder?
UPDATE: You can purchase Magic Mushroom Powder online at The Spice Lab and on Amazon!
Ready to knock everyone’s holiday stockings off with Magic Mushroom Powder?
Ingredients
- Dried porcini mushrooms: Folks have substituted other dried mushrooms for porcinis, but I think they have the best flavor for this seasoning salt. If you use ground dried porcini mushrooms, just use the equivalent weight (3 ounces).
- Diamond Crystal Kosher salt: This is a seasoning salt so the Magic Mushroom Powder will taste salty—you use it in place of salt in your recipes! However, I specifically use Diamond Crystal kosher salt because it is 53% lower sodium per volume than table salt so adjust accordingly if you use a different brand or type of salt.
- Red pepper flakes: adds a smidge of heat to the seasoning blend, but it doesn’t make it very spicy.
- Dried thyme
- Freshly ground black pepper
How to make Magic Mushroom Powder
Measure out all your ingredients.
In my original recipe, I used a spice grinder to pulverize the mushrooms—but to blitz this larger amount of dried porcinis, you’d be wise to use a higher-volume food processor or super-powered blender.
Dump your dried ’shrooms in the food processor and pulse a few times to chop them up uniformly. If the lid of your food processor isn’t on tight, a fine mist of mushroom dust will erupt from the crack, so check the seal before you continue blitzing.
Next, turn the processor on for 2 minutes or as long as it takes for the mushrooms to break down into a fine powder. (If you use a super-charged blender like a Vitamix, you’ll finish in less time.)
Warning: Do not open the container immediately after switching off your processor. A mushroom cloud will literally explode out of the top and you’ll find yourself coughing up Magic Mushroom Powder for the next few minutes. Instead, be patient and let the powder settle before you open it.
In a large bowl, combine the powdered mushrooms, salt…
…red pepper flakes, dried thyme…
…and freshly cracked black pepper.
Stir well to combine.
Once the red pepper flakes are evenly distributed, you’re all set!
If you’re packaging this magical seasoning salt for your friends, print a set of labels on a full sheet of sticker paper. Carefully cut them out and stick them on 12 mini jars.
Scoop out a scant ⅓ cup of the Magic Mushroom Powder, and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Pull up the sides of the parchment and use it as a funnel to transfer the seasoning salt into each jar.
Voilà!
Add a gift tag if you’re feeling fancy—and then hand out jars of umami-packed mushroom dust like some deranged fungus-loving Santa!
Wondering how to use Magic Mushroom Powder? Simply use it in place of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (in a 1:1 ratio) in all of your favorite recipes!
Need more ideas on how to use Magic Mushroom Powder?
- Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies (Ratatouille-style)
- Umami Roast Chicken
- Instant Pot Magic Short Ribs
- Instant Pot Magic Pork
- Instant Pot Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Magic Crown Roast of Pork
- Magic Wings
- Air Fryer Cracklin’ Chicken
- Easy Paleo Meatloaf
- Carrot Cardamom Soup
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Sheet Pan Meatballs and Broccolini
- Baked Kale Chips
- Asian Meatballs
- Instant Pot Oxtail Stew
- Instant Pot Zucchini Bolognese
- Sheet Pan Chicken and Mushrooms
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Meat Sauce
- Instant Pot Cheater Pork Stew
- Eggs in Purgatory
- Easy Umami Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Magic Mushroom Powder
Ingredients
- 3 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 cups Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Measure out all your ingredients.
- In my original recipe, I used a spice grinder to pulverize the mushrooms—but to blitz this larger amount of dried porcinis, you’d be wise to use a higher-volume food processor or super-powered blender.
- Dump your dried ’shrooms in the food processor and pulse a few times to chop them up uniformly. If the lid of your food processor isn’t on tight, a fine mist of mushroom dust will erupt from the crack, so check the seal before you continue blitzing.
- Next, turn the processor on for 2 minutes or as long as it takes for the mushrooms to break down into a fine powder. (If you use a super-charged blender like a Vitamix, you’ll finish in less time.)
- In a large bowl, combine the powdered mushrooms, salt, red pepper flakes, dried thyme, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir well to mix thoroughly. Once the red pepper flakes are evenly distributed, you’re all set!
- If you’re packaging this magical seasoning salt for your friends, print a set of labels on a full sheet of sticker paper. Carefully cut them out and stick them on 12 mini jars.
- Scoop out a scant ⅓ cup of the Magic Mushroom Powder, and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Pull up the sides of the parchment and use it as a funnel to transfer the seasoning salt into each jar.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just used it to flavor my last batch of seed crackers. Yum!
I just made this and tasted it and it is very salty. Is this the kind of thing where I need to let it hang out a bit before using it? Should I add more mushrooms? My kitchen smells super good tho! Thanks for the help!
Magic Mushroom Powder is supposed to taste salty because you can use it as a 1:1 replacement for Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
I just made this ( the large quantity with 2 cups of salt) I am finding it very salty and don’t know if there is anyway to fix it? I’ve only used it once and sprinkled on chicken and skin was nice and crispy but much too salty which is unusual as I like salt! Any ideas on how I can add something to help?
Thank so much
Magic Mushroom Powder is used in place of salt in my recipes so it should taste salty!
I realize that but still find way too salty. Can I add something to make it less salty?
Add more mushroom powder! Did you use Diamond Crystal kosher salt? If not, the amount of salt should be halved in the original recipe.
Can I use pink Himalayan salt instead of kosher salt as it is not available here
Yes, but probably use half the amount of Himalayan salt.
OMG I guess I am the only idiot to blitz the silica gel packet that was in with the mushrooms. I’m planning on using the powder regardless. YOLO.
I’m so confused — 3/3 adults in this house find this mix inedible. We came here to see if we did something wrong. It’s WAY to salty. We threw away the wings we made a few weeks ago. Then today I tried to cut the salt with almond flour when seasoning chicken thighs and it was also a disaster. What am I missing here? The salt is out of control. (Yes, we used the right type of salt.) Are you supposed to use a very tiny amount as you would use salt?
Magic Mushroom Powder is meant to be used in place of salt in recipes so if a recipe asks for 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, you would use 1 teaspoon Magic Mushroom Powder.
How long does the magic mushroom powder Keep? I made a huge jar about 3 years ago when I was on the Whole 30 diet and want to use some of it to make you umami chicken tonight. Is it still good?? Thanks!
I also have some old homemade MMP that I use but it might be time to make a new (smaller batch) if your blend is 3 years old.
When I first made this and saw how much salt the recipe called for, I made a conscious decision not to add any salt because I wanted to use this as an additional seasoning and not a salt substitute. So for anyone saying it’s too salty – it is! So try making this with less salt or no salt.
Hi Michelle!
I purchased a tin of Magic Mushroom Powder at Whole Foods Market a while back, recently rediscovered how wonderful it is, and now I’m nearly out of it. 🙂 I’ve got the dried porcini mushrooms, and plan to use half the amount of salt, since I won’t be using Diamond Crystal. However, the red pepper flakes in the tin we purchased are fairly small, not full-size red pepper flakes. I actually prefer them that way, so the “heat” is distributed more evenly. Are the red pepper flakes coarsely ground in the commercial version? Thanks very much!
Question: seems like people are saying this is too salty when scaled up. Also this makes too much for a single person. I am wondering if we could see the original, smaller size recipe? It may have worked better for some. Thanks.
The original recipe is in my first cookbook. The saltiness is the same for both recipes because it is scaled up by weight. MMP is a salty condiment because it is used in place of salt in recipes.