How to use black maca powder: taste, recipes and dosage

Short answer: Of our black maca powder you take 2 to 5 scoops (about 2 to 5 grams) a day, preferably during or just after a meal. First stir it into a splash of liquid, then add it to a smoothie, porridge, yoghurt, cocoa or coffee. The full, earthy taste goes well with cocoa, coffee, banana and cinnamon.

Last updated: November 5, 2026 · Written by Florian Fermin

Black maca is the same plant as yellow maca, Lepidium meyenii, but with a dark tuber. It is less common and tastes fuller. We at GOYU sell black maca as powder and as capsules. Below you can read how to fit the powder into your day, with five recipes. What maca is is covered in our article on maca, and the difference between the colours in black maca vs yellow maca.

How do you use black maca powder?

Take 2 to 5 scoops a day, stir it into a little liquid and mix it into your food or drink. Here is how:

1. Measure. Take 2 to 5 scoops; 1 scoop is about 1 gram. If you are just starting, begin with 2.
2. Stir. First mix the powder with a small splash of water or (plant-based) milk into a smooth paste. That way you get no lumps.
3. Mix in. Add the paste to your smoothie, porridge, yoghurt, cocoa or coffee and stir well.
4. Take it with a meal. The label says: preferably during or just after a meal.
5. Close the pack. Press the pouch firmly shut so the powder stays dry and loose.

What does black maca powder taste like?

Fuller and earthier than yellow maca, which is mild, nutty and slightly sweet with a hint of caramel. The powder does not dissolve completely. On its own in water the taste is quite pronounced; in a drink with cocoa, coffee or banana it blends in more. Cinnamon, dates and peanut butter go well with it too.

5 recipes with black maca powder

Each recipe is for 1 person. Add up the maca from all recipes that day and stay within 2 to 5 grams.

1. Hot black maca cocoa

250 ml (plant-based) milk, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa, 3 scoops of black maca (3 grams), a pinch of cinnamon and, if you like, 1 teaspoon of honey or date syrup. Stir the cocoa and maca into a splash of cold milk, heat the rest of the milk, pour it over and whisk everything well.

2. Black maca latte

1 espresso or 150 ml strong coffee, 100 ml frothed milk and 2 scoops of black maca (2 grams). Stir the maca into the hot coffee before adding the milk. The earthy taste of black maca goes well with coffee.

3. Banana and cocoa smoothie

1 (frozen) banana, 250 ml oat milk, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 teaspoon cocoa and 3 scoops of black maca (3 grams). Blend for 30 seconds until smooth.

4. Overnight oats with black maca

50 grams rolled oats, 150 ml milk, 100 grams yoghurt, 2 scoops of black maca (2 grams) and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix it in a jar in the evening, put it in the fridge and eat it in the morning topped with fruit.

5. Date and cocoa balls with black maca

100 grams pitted dates, 50 grams rolled oats, 50 grams nuts, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 5 grams black maca and a pinch of salt. Blend everything in a food processor and roll into 10 balls. That gives about 0.5 grams of maca per ball. Keep them in the fridge.

Can you heat black maca powder?

Yes, you can add it to hot cocoa, coffee or porridge. In the Andes, the dried tuber is traditionally cooked before it is eaten, usually as a drink (Gonzales, 2012). Whether heating changes the composition of maca powder, and what that would mean, we do not know. We make no claims about that.

Black maca powder or capsules?

Powder is handy if you want to add it to your food or drinks, capsules if you want no taste or are on the go.

A detailed comparison of the forms is in maca capsules or maca powder, and more about amounts in maca dosage.

How do you store black maca powder?

Cool, dry and dark, and out of reach of children, as the pack says. Use a dry spoon or the dry scoop, because moisture makes the powder lumpy. Close the pouch well after use and check the date on the pack for shelf life.

What should you check when buying black maca powder?

• Colour on the label. Once ground, you cannot reliably tell which colour of maca it is. Does the label clearly say "black maca", and is it a single colour or a mix?
• One ingredient. Maca powder should contain only maca.
• Organic and origin. Maca comes from the Andes in Peru. An organic product carries the EU organic logo with the code of the control body.
• Analysis. In France, an analysis must show that certain alkaloids in maca stay below 10 ppm (Compl'Alim). Feel free to ask about it.
• Price. Black maca is rarer: in a Peruvian count, 6 to 10% of the harvest was black (Meissner et al., 2016). That is why it usually costs more than yellow maca.
• Dosage and warnings. The label should show a clear daily dose and the advice to talk to your doctor first if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.

Our Organic Black Maca Powder consists of one ingredient: organic black maca from Peru. Prefer capsules? Then there are our Black Maca Capsules 500 mg Organic. The maca tuber is listed in the European Commission's Novel Food Catalogue as a regular food. You will find all colours and forms on buy maca.

Who should not use black maca powder?

Are you pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or do you have a medical condition? Then talk to your doctor or pharmacist first. That is also stated on our pack.

Summary in 3 points

• Take 2 to 5 scoops (about 2 to 5 grams) of black maca powder a day, preferably during or just after a meal.
• Stir it into a splash of liquid first; it goes well with cocoa, coffee, banana, cinnamon and porridge.
• When buying, check the colour on the label, a single ingredient, organic, origin, analysis and warnings.

Frequently asked questions

How much black maca powder per day?

Of our black maca powder 2 to 5 scoops a day, about 2 to 5 grams. Start with 2 scoops and do not exceed the daily dose on the label.

Can you put black maca in coffee?

Yes. Stir the maca into the hot coffee before adding milk. The full, earthy taste goes well with coffee and cocoa.

Does black maca dissolve in water?

Not completely. First stir it with a small splash of liquid into a paste and then top up. In a smoothie or shake you notice it least.

What is the difference between black and yellow maca?

It is the same plant with a different colour tuber. Black maca is rarer and tastes fuller, yellow maca is milder and sweeter. The composition differs partly per colour.

Is black maca powder organic?

Ours is. The pack lists organic black maca (Lepidium meyenii) as the only ingredient, and the maca comes from Peru.

Sources

1. Gonzales GF. Review of the ethnobiology and ethnopharmacology of maca, including traditional use in Peru. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:193496. doi:10.1155/2012/193496. PubMed 21977053
2. Meissner HO, Mscisz A, Piatkowska E, et al. Peruvian Maca (Lepidium peruvianum): (II) phytochemical profiles of four colours of maca from two growing areas. Int J Biomed Sci. 2016;12(1):9-24. PubMed 27127450
3. Compl'Alim (French government). Lepidium meyenii Walp.: permitted in food supplements (root and tuber), alkaloids derived from methyltetrahydrocarboline below 10 ppm, to be shown by analysis. Accessed November 5, 2026. compl-alim.beta.gouv.fr
4. European Commission. Novel Food Catalogue, entry Lepidium meyenii Walp. (POL-NF-09281): tubers "not novel in food". Accessed November 5, 2026. ec.europa.eu
5. GOYU, labels and product pages of Organic Black Maca Powder and Black Maca Capsules 500 mg Organic (ingredients, use, storage and warnings), accessed November 5, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes and is not medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If in doubt, during pregnancy, or when taking medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist.