Homemade Magic Shell Recipe

Try this homemade magic shell ice cream topping recipe, and be amazed at how simple and delicious (and customizable!) it is.

Using only two ingredients, you can make a marvelous crispy chocolate coating for your ice cream.   Stick with basic chocolate, or spice it up with any flavor combinations you can dream of.  It's so easy and addictive, you won't be able to resist making up several batches and sharing them with your friends.  In fact, the basic recipe I used is vegan!  (for all of your non-dairy frozen treats)

What makes this recipe a true winner in my book, is that it's almost fool-proof.  You don't have to hover over your stove, hoping your chocolate won't turn, or that it won't temper right, or anything.  Set it over low heat, and you can even walk away from it long enough to write up an Instructable!

Step 1: Ingredients

There are two basic ingredients for this recipe:

• Coconut oil
• Chocolate

Naomi from The Accidental Vegan recommends 1 cup of coconut oil to  1-2 cups of chocolate.  Jocelyn at Brownie Points Blog  recommends 100g coconut oil and 150g chocolate.

I discovered that for an 8oz jar (which makes a super cute gift, btw), the following ratio was perfect (but if you don't have a scale, the first set of measurements is fine!):

• 90g coconut oil
• 135g chocolate
• dash sea salt

Once you try this recipe, you'll want to make it again, and you'll start to think about getting crazy with the flavors.  Do it!  Use tiny splashes of flavored extracts to get started, and build your flavor profiles from there.

Comments

[cowscankill]

Are there other ways of making Magic Shell? I specifically mean without coconut oil (I happen to have a very allergic friend). I'm not allergic, so this looks delicious! Well done! (p.s. Seriously, no joke, every time I click a food 'ible it's by scooch o.o?)

[scoochmaroo]

No! There is no way but my way!

Ok, now we've got that settled, I've been anticipating this very question.

Though I think the flavor profile would be quite different, you could also use a non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening in place of coconut oil.  Do not use Crisco, or your taste buds will hate you and never forgive you.  But Spectrum makes a very respectable substitute that would serve well here.

[cowscankill]

Ah, very interesting. Has the same hardening properties, I presume.

[pppoootttzzz]

Is there a specific type of chocolate one must use?

[scoochmaroo]

Yes, you absolutely must use your favorite chocolate.
Otherwise it's just silly.
You can even use fancy chocolate bars with chili and bacon!

[92033]

Don't use 'Crisco'? Yikes!...as a kid I use to pull out my Mom's Crisco can, scoop out a cup or two in a bowl and pour in a lotta sugar. Mix it up and gobble it down like there was no tomorrow....a yummy snack. Taste good to meeee. :-)

[ziegism]

I made this tonight, and it is EXACTLY like the store bought stuff, only better, because it is homemade and customizable. Great instructable!

[scoochmaroo]

I know, right? It may be the best thing I've ever made.

[atombomb1945]

Bacon? Dude, never thought of that.... Better yet, dip cool or cold bacon into it for instant chocolate covered goodness.

[jugglebird]

My anthropology teacher mentioned that when he spent time with the Inuit in Alaska one of their common desserts was berries mixed with Crisco.

[Spokehedz]

While this is not the most disturbing thing I have ever read, it is close. Now peanut butter + sugar... That's good eatin'!

[milominderbinder]

hehe, Crisco and sugar? Aound here, we call that frosting ;)

[yanksguy]

Hey! I used to do something similar. I'd use a cup of lard, a quarter teaspoon of vanilla, and a quarter cup of sugar all mixed together to make frosting. Yum!

[92033]

Yummy-yummy-yummy...tastes good in yer tummy. Yep...Crisco was one of my all time favorite treats as a kid. My Mom used it a lot in baking cookies, pie crusts, frostings, etc. When I 'thought' she wasn't looking I'd grab a fast fingerfull and gulp it down. Of course, she always 'knew' and would gently slap my hand with the mixing spoon. lol. I see there are several Crisco lover followers on here today. Good minds think alike. :-)

[Websprinter]

Butter is a fine substitute for coconut oil except it makes a slightly softer shell and must be refrigerated. The hair goes up on the back of my neck at the thought of using a microwave (radiation here folks!!) so soften in a pan of hot tap water instead or just make enough shell for you and guests and keep extra in the fridge. I make mine with a stick of butter and two heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder instead of chocolate + a teaspoon of vanilla. I thought it would be bitter the first time I made it but found there is sooooo much sugar in the ice cream, I can't tell the difference. My original recipe is half and half coconut oil and butter (total 1/2 cup) and a heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder placed in a double boiler over hot tap water.

[lukeyj15]

You must use real chocolate, not malt powder or chocolate sauce

[mabapeg]

web This sounds good.... Can you give me exact ingredients and amounts.. Not sure if you are using 1/2 and 1/2 liquid. ...Thanks

[matt_sawyers]

*Gag*...

[matt_sawyers]

I sometimes add honey to my peanut butter & a dash of maple syrup. Mmm

[92033]

Hi Matt...I 'ALWAYS' add honey to my peanut butter. :-) Open a fresh jar, scoop an opening for honey and pour it in...mix 'er up and keep eatin' and pourin' 'till the entire jar is empty. Love the Crunchy style. 'A Meal Inna Jar'. Danggit...now I gotta get me a couple jars tomorrow. lol. ~ ED

[danzabell]

This came out fantastic on strawberries! Hulled them, put in toothpicks, and froze the 'berries. Used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, a pinch of salt, and two drops of vanilla. For one 16 oz./454 gram package of strawberries, a little more than 1/2 of the recipe was used. The first layer solidified pretty quickly, but the third layer took about a minute to solidify. Also, I spun them slowly to make an even coat. Thanks for another great 'ible, Miss Scoochmaroo!

[scoochmaroo]

Yay! Next time be sure to share pictures!!

[scoochmaroo]

Ok, 92033, you may use Crisco. Clearly your taste buds are already on board and will require no forgiveness.

[atheniangreek]

Can't you use palm kernel oil or palm oil instead of coconut? They have similar melting points I was just wondering for those who are allergic to coconuts

[glynnes]

Can anyone change these from grams to ounces or cups? Thanks!

[Twinmum]

Bought some coconut oil today and am going to try this. I wondered about using copha, but it is made from hydrogenated coconut oil and you said to use a non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, so not sure what difference there will be. Thought I would try with the oil first (to have something to compare it to) then will try with the copha. If the copha works, it would pobbably work out cheaper than the oil.
mmm, if it turns out, I can see the kids deciding to have ice cream more often, even if it is the middle of winter at the moment lol

[AMAZONIAbydjljwilliams]

Copha is made in Australia, and not known or readily available in the states..which is unfortunate..cos Copha ROCKS!
When Scoochmaroo says not to use non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, she means Crisco, which is a COMPLETELY different animal than Copha! (and that is a euphemism..cos we know its not ACTUALLY animal products!)
If you are an Australian..you can liken Crisco to 'Superfry'..not something you would never want to put in a Chocolate Crackle! (Hmm..not about to mix sugar with Supafry and go nuts either!!!)
So in answer to the 'will it works part'...yes, Copha is absolutely going to work.
If you buy the 'Ice Magic' stuff in Australia..its ingredients include the EXACT same chemical breakdown as Copha..although there is not actually anything in it that qualifies as Chocolate!

[beck464]

Try it with peanut butter chips.

[bgoldberg1]

Some brands of peanut butter chips have ingredients which are unhealthy -- either for you (trans fatty acids), or the environment (palm oil).

Also, some peanut butter chips contain dried whey or powdered milk -- this isn't unhealthy, but it certainly isn't vegan.

[bgoldberg1]

For peanut butter lovers:

White chocolate + partially defatted peanut flour (medium or dark roast) + pinch of salt

Defatted peanut flour can be gotten either online, or in many health food stores.

[adrian09]

my magic shell has a kind of coconut smell, is there a way to get rid of the smell?

[cgibson11]

if you get a really good quality coconut oil - extra virgin, cold pressed - it will usually have a pleasant coconut smell. if you get oil of a lesser quality it doesn't smell as coconutty.

[scoochmaroo]

I could be the coconut oil you're using. I would recommend either upping the amount of chocolate, or cutting some of the coconut oil with another oil that sets when it's cold, like a non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.

[adrian09]

okay

[Victoman]

You can get some nice organic deperfumed/unsented coconut oil now!! Check that out if you want a less coconut smelly version. :)

[adrian09]

my coconut is really like oil, how do i melt it? or just put it into the pan, heat it?

[scoochmaroo]

Make sure that it will actually harden up when it gets cold first. If it doesn't, it won't work. If it does, then use, just put it in the pan to heat it enough to melt the chocolate.

[adrian09]

gee thanks. btw, how much coconut oil should i use for 200g of chocolate?

[scoochmaroo]

135g chocolate : 90g coconut oil =
1.5 grams chocolate : 1g coconut oil, so
200g chocolate: 133g coconut oil, and
150g chocolate (your following question) : 100g coconut oil

[adrian09]

thx