Mud/Wtr is a coffee alternative that gives you more focus and natural energy without the crash. If you have heard about Mud/Wtr you know how expensive it can be to buy it from the company themselves. My husband and I have a DIY mud wtr recipe that tastes exactly like the original.
If you do not want to make your own and are just wanting to buy it straight from Mud/Wtr then you can check them out here. They are a great company with a powerful mission.
WHY WE SWITCHED TO MUD/WTR
My husband loves his coffee. He drinks a few cups per day. Heck, his family even owns a coffee shop! Coffee is love. This is no dissing on coffee.
However, he started to notice horrible stomach cramping after drinking his morning ritual. After some elimination, we discovered coffee was giving him trouble. Strong amounts of caffeine were the culprit as well as the acidity in coffee.
My husband is a wrestling coach. If you know wrestlers, you know they don’t complain about much unless something is going on! I knew when he was curled up in a ball on the couch we had to make a change.
When visiting my cousin in Arizona, I told my aunt all about my husband’s conundrum with coffee. They too were having the same issues! She told me she switched to drinking the mud wtr alternative and I was intrigued.
When I heard the price tag was nearly $1.66+ per serving I nearly choked. With research from my aunt and a little help from the internet, we found the perfect recipe.
I have EVERYTHING you need in the links below. This recipe’s cost comes down to 100 servings for $.48 to $.76 (depending on how large your tablespoons are etc.) and In other words .48-.76 cents per serving. That is much better!
WHAT IS MUD/WTR MADE UP OF?
The Ingredient List
- Cacao
- Masala Chai
- Turmeric
- Himalayan Sea Salt (Be careful adding this if you are sensitive to salt)
- Cinnamon
- Chaga
- Cordyceps
- Reishi
- Lions Mane
- We also love to use Laird Superfood creamer to add once blended!
WHAT INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE MUD/WTR
Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Powder
Mushroom Extract Sacred 7 Powder
HOW TO MAKE MUD/WTR + TOOLS YOU WILL NEED
The process could not be any more simple. You will get a large mixing bowl out with a whisk and a measuring cup.
Once you have all of your ingredients above, open the bag and start mixing them all. Please do not mix the creamer to the MUD/WTR recipe. This is only for adding after the drink is hot and prepared.
Store in an airtight container, and use 1 Tablespoon per cup of water or milk of choice. If you are using the superfood creamer, use about a teaspoon for every cup.
You will also need a milk frother to blend it all together.
MUD/WTR RECIPE
- 1 Tin of the Blue Lotus Masala Chai
- 2-3 Cups of Cocoa powder (depends on how creamy and chocolaty you like it)
- ½ cup of the Mushroom Extract Sacred 7 Powder
- 1 Cup of Ceylon Cinnamon
- 1 cup Turmeric Powder
- 1/8- ¼ cup Himalayan Sea Salt *LEAVE OUT OF BATCH IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO SALT
Mix with a frother WELL and store.
DIY MUD/WTR RECIPE
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1 Tin Blue Lotus Masala Chai Exact product linked in the post
- 2-3 Cups Cocoa powder This will depend on how creamy and chocolaty you like it. This can easily be adjusted to liking.
- 1/2 Cup Mushroom Extract Sacred 7 Powder
- 1 Cup Ceylon Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Turmeric Powder
- 1/8 Cup Himalayan Sea Salt Feel free to leave the salt out if you don't want to add straight to your mixture. Either way 1/8 a cup will work for the total of 100 servings.
Instructions
- The process could not be any more simple. You will get a large mixing bowl out with a whisk and a measuring cup.
- Once you have all of your ingredients above, open the bag and start mixing them all together. *Please do not mix in the creamer to the MUD/WTR recipe. This is only for adding after the drink is hot and prepared.
- Store in an airtight container, and use 1 Tablespoon per cup of water or milk of choice. Froth well or there will be chunks and residue left at the bottom.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Excellent recipe! I used organic cacao instead of cocoa in this recipe. The option on the cocoa powder is 2-3 cups per batch. I used 2.5 cups. That amount is perfect.
I will have to try that out. We are just about to make more! Thanks for the suggestion!
I got the bug to try making this DIY before I read your recipe.
I started with a cup of cocoa powder, I added a bunch of individual organic mushroom powders I had gotten at Grocery Outlet for about 6.99 per bag. Chaga, Reishi, Lions mane, cordyceps. I didn’t use the whole bag of each one but about a cup all together of these 4.
Then I added some chopped dark chocolate and some of a tumeric latte mix and a mushroom matcha latte powder mix I already had.
Then I added some extra turmeric, some cinnamon, cardamom and powdered ginger.
I didn’t have any black tea powder or anything like that. I just mixed up an approximation of what mud wtr has in it. I might try to find some less expensive chai mix or just buy a good chai in a box.
I’m not adding salt or powdered milk or milk alternative. I’ll add that stuff when I make it.
Depending on where you live you might be able to find cheaper versions of all the other ingredients. Our health food coop has most if not all the items you listed and some others that are less expensive for the same flavors.
Thanks for the inspiration. I’m confident I can design my own drink that tastes as good or better than mud wtr. Definitely cheaper:))
PS adding some fat would be a good idea as some of the healthful ingredients need fat to make them bio-available.
I’m so happy to find this recipe! I was diagnosed with thyroid nodules recently, not sure yet if they are cancerous so I was told to avoid all acidic food and sugar. I am a huge coffee drinker so that was hard to hear since there is so much acid in coffee. Do you know if any of these ingredients turn acidic at all?
Hi Sandy! Glad you found this recipe! I know my husband is extremely sensitive to acidic foods and drinks lately. He switched to MUD/WTR and his stomach issues went down dramatically. I cannot speak on whether or not the ingredients turn acidic at all! I am sorry!
SO out of curiosity, how much would this break down to cost per serving? I think it’s like $40 if autoshipped (maybe plus shipping?) for a month of servings- going to assume about 30, which makes it about $1.33 per serving. Let’s see this recipe makes approx 100 servings. The mushrooms, Blue lotus alone are about $50. Plus the organic cacao is probably what, like $15, the turmeric and cinnamon are reasonable at probably $10 for the two of those. And pink salt is negligible at a dollar or so for the amount. SO that would be (according to the prices linked approx) $76 for 100 servings. Wow, that’s like half the price assuming this does end up tasting like the original. I wonder if the Blue Lotus masala chai mix can be substituted by either making your own or finding another brand. I wonder what instant masala chai is comparable. That’s my main question. This little tin is over $20 after tax, about 2.5 oz or something. What inexpensive brands are similar enough that arent’ full of sugar? If someone figures this out, please let me know! Message me on FB or maybe email me. Cash is pretty tight right now.
Hi Noel!
It is under $1.00 per serving after it gets broken down. Shipping costs do not apply.The masala chai comes out to .18 per cup (it makes 100 cups). For the mushroom blend: it comes to about .14 cents per cup since it has about 80.5 teaspoons in the package. I add 1/2 up of this to my BIG batch. It you add in a bit more (say 1.25 teaspoons per serving) you will be right around the $.69 cent mark per serving. If you only add in .25 per serving you will be more around the $.14 per serving. I don’t really know about different brands and tastes but if you stick to this recipe you will be pleasantly surprised. I have been told time and time over by many that it tastes so similar! Be careful on the salt and you should be good to go. After a lot of trial and error it is best to either add in 1/4 cup salt to the mix or just by the cup so you don’t ruin your blend!
I’m sorry, I just showed my math by cost of ingredient that was posted here, and the lowest I could possibly get based on those products were above were about $0.76 per cup and the real MUD/WTR is about $1.33 per cup. I’m not sure if you understood what I was saying and asking, but IF the Blue Lotus Masala Chai mixture was also made from scratch, it would be even cheaper. That stuff is expensive premade, but if you make it yourself and have the ingredients at home like clove, nutmeg, ginger etc(looking at the ingredients on the can) it would save a really large portion of the overall cost.
I see what you are saying. That is actually a really smart idea! That Lotus does cost a pretty penny. You should try it out!! I am sure it would still taste just a great…. keep me posted!
I found a 1 pound bag of the blue lotus chai on amazon for $70. the 3 oz tin was $18. I can get 5 batches with a little extra left over from that. But I like your idea of making it yourself. I will have to google for a recipe. I found a different mushroom blend. so I’m hoping it doesn’t taste too different. it’s an organic blend $44 for a pound. double the size of the recommended one for slightly cheaper. I got everything off Amazon. I’ve only been drinking the Mud brand for about a week and my brain fog seems to be lifting. I also started taking glycine at night it is supposed to help you sleep better. only been doing that 3 days now and I have been waking an hour earlier than usual feeling refreshed not grumpy and wanting more sleep. I’m actually feeling pretty amazing I was thinking at 54 I’m falling apart but now. I’m much better.
Wow, Nadine! I just got my first order of MUD\WTR yesterday, so today is day 2. I’m 61…I hope I get some of the same results that you have LOL! I have also been waking up wondering why I feel kinda grumpy and wanting to just stay in bed another hour! First time hearing of glycine. Thanks for the insight!
Hi! Thanks for this recipe! Should we add black pepper to this as well to activate the turmeric????
Of course! I haven’t tried adding pepper to the turmeric. I would say if you want to do this add it by the cup into the Tablespoon instead of the whole batch (just in case it alters flavor). It is very strong without the pepper. There is conflicting words about pepper truly activating turmeric as it doesn’t really help that much with absorption! Up to you! If you try it let me know how you like it!
This is a good start, but there is something off with the recipe. I love turmeric, but this amount is very turmeric-overwhelming and not very drinkable, which is frustrating at this amount (100 servings). I’ve been drinking mudwtr daily for over a year, and am trying to tweak this recipe to make it more palatable.
Hi Alice,
Thanks for leaving your feedback! I appreciate it. Everyone is so different with their tastes etc. Some people (myself and husband) like this recipe as is. Others add less cinnamon, less salt, less turmeric etc… tweak it and make it yours!
I read the reviews on the chia and alot of people said its peppery so its prob has black pepper in it already
I am excited to try this recipe. Am I reading the cinnamon and Turmeric quantities right? Seems lie alot.
Yes it is correct. This makes just over 100 servings so it is a lot of distribution
This looks great, thanks so much for sharing. Im curious if you leave out the black tea powder on purpose?
Hello,
There is no black tea powder in this recipe. I didn’t leave it out on purpose. There is no need for it in this specific mixture 🙂
There is black tea powder in the chai tea mix.
Hi Susan,
The ingredients do have black tea powder. The full ingredients: Cardamom, Ginger, Cloves, Cinnamon, Black Tea, Nutmeg
Thank you so much for sharing! ??
Your website popup prompt for email subscription seems broken. I subscribed, then am not able to close the popup. I tried Firefox and chrome. So I haven’t been able to read this post
Hey! Just fixed it. Thanks for letting me know!
Hello thanks so much for the recipe. I’m excited to try it. Since this is my first time trying mud water, do you have a recipe for a single serving instead of 100? I don’t want to waste any ingredients if I don’t like it or have an allergic reaction to it since I’m sensitive to almost everything.
Hi Deni!
I do not have 1 serving breakdowns because the ingredients used are all different products. The mushroom blend is the most expensive and makes the drink “the drink” in my opinion and it can only be bought in bulk. Also the masala chai is also a huge factor. My best advice would be to order from the company MUDWTR they have a 15 serving option for $25. See if that works!
Thanks for sharing! I’m excited to make this. Just checking- is it one 3 oz tin of the masala chai? There are different size options available on amazon.
Yes it is 3 oz. 🙂
Disappointed. I spent a little over 80$ followed the recipe exact and this is ruined due to the 1/4 cup of salt… I don’t even know if it tastes like mud/wtr because all I taste is salt. Now I have to spend another $80 and buy a new container to fix this salty drink. I do not recommend adding salt.
Aw! I’m sorry it was too salty for you. We added 1/4 cup and liked it just fine. I have instructions on this post to leave it out if you are worried about the salt. I also have had feedback that 1/8 cup works too. I recommend on my YouTube video to add it in by the cup as well and not to the whole batch. This is totally a personal preference thing unfortunately. I hope it can be fixed…
Do you have any suggestions on how to fix the salt problem once mixed? I have the same issue. While I should have left it out, I assumed it would be okay as listed in the recipe and it tastes only of salt. I don’t want to waste all of it and hoped to add other ingredients to try to fix this batch.
Adding a bit of cacao helps!
I found this to be a bit heavy on the cinnamon & salt salt taste when comparing to my remaining Mud-Water. I’m going to try adding a 1/2 batch w/o the cinnamon & salt to the current batch to see if it balances out. The masala chai already has a bit a cinnamon in it, but adding the cup of additional cinnamon seemed to mute the remaining chai flavors which I enjoy.
I’ll let you know how it comes out.
Hi, I’ve been a big MUDWTR fan, but it’s a bit costlier than I’d like, so I’m grateful for this recipe!
I just had my first cup after making a full batch and am really happy with it. It’s a bit saltier than I prefer, but I can just add a bit more cocoa along with each cup. Thanks again!
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it exactly as stated above, and as others have said, the taste of cinnamon and salt is overpowering. Do you have any suggestions on how I can balance that out?
Hi Heidi!
Anytime I added more cacao it would balance out the salt a bit… hope this helps!
Hi, i Read the reviews on the chai and it said it was very peppery so I don’t think you need to add pepper. What size is your glass container? Thanks, excited to make it.
I just ordered everything from your link, so hope you get commission or whatever, thank you. they were out of stock on the vanilla laird creamer you recommend so I am going to their site directly to get it, I have never tried this but have to cut back on my coffee intake due to heartburn issues so praying it will help and taste good! The reviews here were very helpful. I’ll let you know how it all turns out.
Thanks for the support! Oh darn on the vanilla laird creamer! I have seen it at Costco too. If you are ever around a Costco try and ask if it’s there. It was awhile ago though, so don’t make a special trip! I hope it turns out well! I have had so many different people give feedback on loving the formula. Some thought it was a touch salty (if you are sensitive to salt just don’t add the 1/4 cup in the mixture just add half of that to be safe). Some said cinnamon was a bit much- again add cacao or just go a hair back on cinnamon depending on your sensitivity levels! Hope you enjoy! It is good for your body!
Thanks, Elan!! How did you like it?
I found that 1/4 cup of salt was way too salty. Will definitely cut that in half for my next batch. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Rita,
Thanks for the feedback!
Wonderful that all the sources are already chosen and linked here- We got them all. But the batch we just made tasted of way too much cinnamon. I would cut it down to half a cup.
We’ll make it again in a month, doublecheck if that we’re correct in this. But until then, the recipe is needing the cinnamon severely cut back.
Hi Jacob,
Thanks for leaving your feedback! Some have said that yes- I added this in my YouTube description!
Is there an alternative to the masala chai? I don’t drink black tea. Thanks!
Jim,
I am not sure to be honest… your guess is as good as mine!! Maybe someone on this thread will answer better!
Blue Lotus Chai – Rooibos Is a great alternative.
Yes, I used the Rooibos Blue Lotus Chai as I’m allergic to black tea. It seemed fine, but it has a strong clove taste, and I’ll cut back next time I make the mix. I may have used the larger size can… not sure what size the recipe recommended.
Curious about the things you left out like the lions mane. Are those items not beneficial or necessary? I am new to this coffee alternative game so I am just curious what the difference is between the things you left out and the things in the list above your recipe.
Hi Lisa,
There is lions mane in the mushroom extract powder. Other ingredients include: Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Maitake, Shiitake, Turkey Tail, Chaga.
Hope this helps!
I can’t comment on the recipe, since I haven’t tried it yet, though I intend to! I have been contacting MUDWTR and now FGO after reading in Consumer Reports about heavy metal contamination in herbs and spices. Lead is often added to turmeric to increase its weight and accent its color. The FDA does NOT regulate this. Neither MUDWTR nor FGO will release test results. They say they test (but will not state the standards they use, e.g. at what level would they not use the product) and that they comply with FDA standards (again, no real standards). I have found a turmeric source that does test and is totally transparent with their testing: American Turmeric (americanturmeric.com). I will be using that and wanted to share that information. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Great info Melissa! Thank you for sharing on this post.
Hi. I love a good DIY. Thank you. The MUD/WTR sounds helpful; however, I have an allergic response to the mushroom mixes. I’ve tried mushroom tea and immediately after a few sips, I begin flushing on my face. That’s a warning single to stop or my gut going to be in pain next. Anyway, do you think it can be effective without the mushroom addition? I’m actually caffeine sensitive so it’s decaf for me. Be nice to get a little something to help inflammation in my morning drink. I do not like Golden Milk or I’d use that. Thank you!
Yikes. Warning signal! Whoops. My gut is going to…
I was so excited to see this recipe because I want to stop caffeine. I bought everything and put it together and tried it.
The taste was great. I love it. I used 1/4 cup salt and 2 cups of cocoa.
BUT, I became so jittery and my heart was racing, even 12 hours later. I can drink a full pot of coffee and not even feel like this.
I saw someone mention the other type of Chai, which I look into and try again.
But I’m so disappointed to have lost this entire batch. I can’t handle the caffeine in it.
Thanks for leaving your personal experience and feedback! I have not ever heard of heart racing and caffeine such as this- I am sorry you had this experience! I would cut down the serving size to 1/2 tbsp. and maybe give it another shot!!
Hi there,
It tastes almost like MudWtr, but the consistency is different and for some reason the drink settles and gets slimy on the bottom if I don’t drink it it real fast.
Why is this happening?
Hey Esther!
I had this problem too- did you get a good frother? This helps a ton…. if you have one just give it a really girl whirl before drinking!!
If you would create the MudWtr REST recipe next, I would be forever grateful! : )
Hello ? since I usually buy my spices in bulk, I make my own chai spice mix. Would you know the amount of masala chai mix in cups since the tin can is in 3 oz net wt,? I’m excited to try this recipe since coffee started to taste like vinegar to me post-Covid ?. Looking forward to your response. Thank you!
Hi Mary!
Thanks for reaching out. I honestly do not have a 100% confident answer for you since I have not personally made the masala chai mix by myself. I have always purchased it but I bet this is a more cost efficient way to even save more money on MudWTR. The google search comes back as 0.375 cups and that 1 oz. is roughly 1/8 of a cup!
Hope this helps you!
Lauren
So I made this…1 c of cinamon was way too much. Next time I will use 1/4c and adjust from there. 1c was hello all I taste is cinamon. The original only has a slight hint.
I would also start with 2c cocoa I found 2.5 just a slight bit too much. As I use some of this batch I will add other ingredients back in and just not add any cinamon.
Now do you have a REST recipe that is what I really want as I am still paying full price for that ouch.
Thank you so much for Thai recipe!! If you’re looking here to check reviews, go ahead and use her links for all the products, I double checked prices and mushroom blends, this is the real deal! Due to other reviews, I 1/4 the recipe (fits right into the small original mud/wtr tin), and only added a bit of salt. For my second batch, I added a bit more chai and cocoa to my own taste. I also ended up putting the cinnamon through my Krups grinder first for an even finer grind – it made for less grit at the end. Hands down excellent recipe and it saves $$ on the original. Thanks again!
Hi, just wanted to thank you for this recipe! I’d been trying unsuccessfully to create my own version for a while. I subscribed to them for about a year and really loved it, but have to cut expenses. I finally got the chai blend you recommend and it made all the difference.
Julie this makes me so happy! Thank you for messaging!! Enjoy!
Your recipe is awesome.
Do you have a recipe for mud water rest?
Not yet but want to work on it!
I must be doing something wrong. I don’t see anyone mentioning that this drink comes out chewy with tea leaves in every sip. The flavor is fine and after running it through a filter, it’s decent. But the recipe suggests that just using a frother should be sufficient.
Hi Nathaniel,
I am so sorry you experienced tea leaves! I have never experienced this nor heard of this before…..
I made this MUD/WTR recipe a couple of weeks ago and have given myself a some time to incorporate it in my morning routine in place of coffee. Not going to lie, my first cup was really “muddy” and the turmeric and earthy flavors were a bit overwhelming (I have not had actual MUD/WTR so I have nothing to compare flavor against). I kept at it however, and am loving a cup or two of this as part of my morning. I add some honey or maple syrup and the earthiness gets cut down a bit, but I’m starting to like the mud and feel some sense of grounding and clarity (maybe its placebo, maybe all mushrooms are magical, maybe caffeine jitters and cravings are taxing on the body). Compared to when I would have coffee daily (2-3 cups), I have noticed that I feel a more sustainable state of energy throughout the day without the need to load up on more caffeine. I recently traveled for work and didn’t bring any of my homemade MUD/WTR with me and I found myself not enjoying the feelings from the few times I had coffee (shaky and upset stomach).
I will be making this again for sure once I get through the remaining 85+ servings from my first batch. I think I might adjust to have a bit more chai flavor come through. Considering adding some form of chai that lacks caffeine or adding chai spice components individually in addition to the tin of Blue Lotus that the recipe calls for.
Thanks for this great recipe!
Thank you. Have you tried the evening version or have any plans to create a recipe for it? Thanks again for this.
Hi,
How many ‘batches’ does this recipe make?
Thx
I made my first batch based on your exact recipe and it’s fantastic! Thanks for posting this in such detail with the links to the ingredients.
Just made my first batch. Thank you!
What gives this recipe the caffeine content or does it not have any caffeine?
I was so excited to try this… But I need help sprucing it up. It’s smells delicious, but I just don’t like the taste. HELP!!
I made this and it tastes bitter. Is this bitter taste the tumeric?
I followed the recipe, but used a chai latte mix (with milk and suger added).
Any idea how I can fix it and get rid of the bitter taste?
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve been looking for a coffee alternative and heard about Mud water…after clicking the “try Mud” Ad button in an unrelated YouTube video I was watching, I was taken to the Mud site. It looks and sounds like a great alternative, but I am not in a financial position for any expensive subscription services of any kind. I’m a full time student. The world is all subscriptions and master classes these days…Anyway, all that to say THANK YOU for creating this recipe as a DIY alternative – I’m going to try it!
Love this. Made my second batch today. It’s such a cost savings, since I like to drink a cup or two of MUDWTR every morning. I appreciate that you suggested specific items, such as the Blue Lotus chai. It made my shopping much easier.
This is so good! I’ve been drinking Mud/Wtr to lower my dependence on coffee and it’s pretty good but your recipe is much better tasting,, richer, more flavorful, creamier…. Thank you for the recipe. For the cacao I used 2C and for the salt 1/8C.
Question about this recipe. We started drinking mud\wtr a few months ago and would like to try our own. Mushroom extract is the FIRST ingredient on the official mud\wtr container/bag which would mean or imply mushroom is the largest quantity of the ingredients. However, your recipe and others I have found online are pretty much all the same which only include a 1/2 cup of mushroom extract for the whole recipe. That is a very small amount relative to cinnamon, chai, turmeric, and cocoa which call for 1 cup of each. Why is the mushroom such a small amount?