If you’ve ever drizzled store-bought Magic Shell over ice cream, you know it is truly magical! But did you know it only takes a couple of ingredients to make it at home? This Homemade Magic Shell is rich and smooth and sets up perfectly over your favorite ice cream for that satisfying snap. Once you try it you’ll never go back to the bottle!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Chocolate – You can use chocolate chips or a nice bar chocolate. I prefer Semi-sweet or dark chocolate but this will work with milk chocolate as well.
- Coconut oil – This is what makes the magic, since coconut oil is solid at room temperature, and when frozen, it makes the chocolate quickly melt in your mouth. You can use refined or unrefined coconut oil. Refined coconut oil does not have any coconut flavor. If you use cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil, expect to be able to taste mild coconut flavor. It’s not overpowering though-I actually love the mild coconut taste with the chocolate.
How to Make Homemade Magic Shell
- Combine the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat in the microwave in 20-30 second increments, stirring between each heating, until melted and smooth. Enjoy!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished Magic Shell Topping in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 30 days for best results.
- If your house is on the warmer side it will remain pourable. If it solidifies, just pop it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and stir before use.
Bonus Recipe: Ice Cream Cookie Crunchies
These crunchy cookie pieces, coated in a chocolatey shell, make a great ice cream topping, mix in for homemade ice cream, or addition to an ice cream cake. You can also press them into muffin tins to make little dessert cups.
Ingredients
- 2/3 standard package of Oreo cookies (2 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs)
- about 1 cup of homemade Magic Shell Topping (or one 7.25-ounce bottle store-bought)
Instructions
- Crush Oreos. You’ll need 2 1/2 cups cookie crumbs.
- Add Magic Shell Topping just a little at a time and mix well. You may not need to use a full cup.
- Use as desired. If you’re using as a layer in an ice cream cake, Don’t make a full thick layer of these crunchies or it might be hard to cut! Instead sprinkle them so there’s some give to cut nice slices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This will work with white chocolate, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, etc. If you can find cherry chips, you’ll have a cherry dipped cone like your favorite nostalgic DQ treat. However, you may need to add extra coconut oil to achieve the desired consistency with some of these other chips. Start with what’s written in the recipe here and add more little by little until it’s smooth and drizzles nicely. It’s also helpful to smear a thin layer on a piece of parchment paper and place in the fridge for a few minutes for it to solidify. Taste it and adjust as needed!
You can certainly try! Your topping may just take a longer to set up and have a softer texture once solidified, not the snap Magic Shell is known for. While coconut oil is 100% fat, butter includes water, so it changes the consistency just a bit, but tastes super delicious.
Yes, any neutral oil will work. Vegetable oil or avocado oil. You’ll want to just add a little at a time until you get the consistency you like since it’s a bit different than coconut oil.
Yep! Add a bit of peppermint, orange, or almond extract after melting. Be careful to add just a little at a time or the mixture may seize. You could also try flavoring oils, which are less likely to affect the texture negatively.
Dipped Cones
You can also use this recipe to make dipped ice cream cones. Try making the magic shell with a variety of chips for fun flavors! TIPS:
- Make sure your ice cream is packed solid down the cone so it doesn’t fall out.
- Use very cold ice cream fresh out of the freezer.
- It’s also fun to pour down the bottom of a waffle cone for a fun surprise!
Homemade Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping
Instructions
- Combine chocolate and 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat in the microwave in 20-30 second increments, stirring each time until smooth. 2 tablespoons is the minimal amount of coconut oil you'll need, but depending on your preference, you can stir in more at this point. The more coconut oil you add, the thinner the consistency and shell. My personal preference is a total of 4 tablespoons coconut oil to 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Drizzle over ice cream, dip frozen/cold treats in the chocolate, or use in the Homemade Ice Cream Cake Crunchy recipe (see Notes below).
Notes
- Store finished Magic Shell Topping in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 30 days for best results.
- If your house is on the warmer side it may remain pourable. If it solidifies, just pop it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and stir before use.
Homemade Ice Cream Cookie Crunchies
Ingredients
- 2/3 standard package of Oreo cookies (or 2 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs)
- 1 7.25-ounce bottle Magic Shell ice cream topping (or almost 1 cup of homemade Magic Shell Topping)
Instructions
- Crush the Oreos so you get 2 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs.
- Pour the Magic Shell topping over the cookie crumbs a little at a time (you may not use all of it) and mix well to combine. Use as an ice cream topping or the filling for ice cream cakes or pies.
Questions & Reviews
For chocolate mint, you can get oil of peppermint or wintergreen. Wilton sells a pack of four different oils, which includes 2 different mints, I think and a cherry or strawberry.
For flavoring chocolate and barks, always use oils, not extracts. Extracts have water in them. That is what makes the chocolate seize. The paste or gel food colors work to color them also. Don’t use liquid food colors. This idea sounds great !
YUMM! This looks amazing! Have to try it and post about it over at my blog! Thanks!
Rockin’ my world as always! AND I just got your cookbook for my birthday. So, total win for me, and major brownie points for the hubby who got it for me.
I made the mint chip ice cream brownies yesterday with the crunchies in place of the Oreos. So, so good! The only problem is with the magic shell in there, it made it slightly hard to cut. The ice cream and cool whip were getting really soft and runny and it was still a little bit difficult to cut through the magic shell layer. So, if you are going to put the crunchies in the brownies, make sure you are among close friends and presentation is not important. : )
Thanks so much for posting these recipes!!! I had no idea you could make your own hard shell chocolate sauce. How cool! Can’t wait to try these! 🙂
We used this recipe as a jumping off point for our own ice cream cake yesterday and it was too good not to share! My mom had the great idea to use the ‘leftover’ row of oreos as a crust: smash them, mix with 1/4 cup melted butter and 2 tsp sugar. Spread in the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Freeze.
Then we left a container of vanilla ice cream out to soften while we made the crunchies. Spread half the carton of ice cream over the cooled crust, add about 3/4 of the crunchies, pour over a thick layer of hot fudge, then top with the rest of the ice cream. Garnish with the rest of the crunchies, drizzle more hot fudge AND freeze.
The springform pan was great: run a knife around the edge when frozen, remove the ring, then run a large knife under hot water, dry and use it to easily slice up portions.
We’re already trying to think of variations!
Darn! I was going to make homemade Magic Shell this week and post the recipe on my blog. Ya beat me to it 🙂 The crunchies look great!!
Yummy! I don’t comment much, but I love your site, recipes, and how down to earth you and Sarah are! You are my go to site for everything! I hope you don’t think I am a freak, but would you be willing to share an address that I could send you a baby gift?
So sorry I spelled Sara wrong!
Can you use the crunchies in a regular cake or just icecream cake
Sure! You might want to pop it in the fridge, though.
I made this yesterday and it was so easy and delicious! Perfect timing because my mom’s favorite is magic shell- so I gave it to her in a small mason jar with a small ice cream as a thank- you. She loved it! I was wondering if you have used coconut oil in any baked goods and if so would you substitute it for the oil, shortening or butter in the recipe? How would it change the flavor?
PS- thanks for teaching me how to cook!