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
I was wondering if you could use this in just a regular cake (non ice cream cake) in between the layers as well?
You can use whatever you like, but the chocolate sauce here “sets” with cold temperatures.
I just wanted to say thank you! Not only for figuring out the awesomeness that is “crunchies” but also for having an amazing sense of humor!!! I was laughing all the way through this post! I must now continue reading on your blog because I am completely enthralled!
As a past Dairy Queen employee, I just wanted to let you know that the cake centers are usually made out of cold fudge sauce and smashed up ice cream sandwich cookies.
My husband loves the crunchies in the DQ cakes! Might have to try this. Thanks for sharing. Btw, Kate, you are hilarious!
My husband and I actually own a Dairy Queen and I make all our cakes and the inside crunchy stuff is actually hot fudge and plain chocolate wafer cookies crunched up.
This makes more sense. I made a “copycat carvel ice cream cake” over the weekend and used the recipe with the oreo’s and the magic shell as the filling. What a disaster! The filling hardens like a rock and you cannot even cut through it. You have to eat the top of the ice cream cake first then flip the piece over and eat the bottom and then hopefully by that time you can bite through the crunchy middle without breaking your teeth. I so wish I had seen your post before I did it following this web sites recipe. Can you be more specific on the measurements of hot fudge sauce and chocolate wafer cookies (what brand of cookies did you use?).
Thank you!
these were awesome. or this is awesome. whatever, it’s awesome! thank you so much!!! I linked to you today!
Do you shake the magic shell up first (to initiate the “shell” properties) or do you avoid shaking it and just pour it in the bowl?
I wish I would’ve seen this earlier today! I made myself an ice cream cake for my birthday but I used pretzels and shell fudge stuff because I didn’t REALLY know how to make the real crunchy stuff. I guess I wasn’t far off with the shell but still!
You’d be better off in this recipe using only the outsides of the oreo cookies and using cold hot fudge. Technically, the inside of the cake is made with cold fudge, the same stuff that’s used in Buster Bars…which *is* different than hot fudge.
–daughter of former DQ owner (back in the days when we still made the Dilly Bars, Buster Bars, DQ Sandwiches, and cakes in store)
I worked at Dairy Queen for years when I was in high school. The crunch for the cakes is not made with Oreos. It’s more like a crumbled up, not-very-sweet chocolate wafer cookie. If you’re familiar with English digestive biscuits, those are a whole lot closer.