Homemade Chocolate Magic Shell

A rich, homemade Chocolate Magic Shell you’ll want to put on everything all year-long. Made with just two ingredients and a few minutes in the microwave, this chocolate ice cream topping is fantastic on frozen bananas, pineapple and frozen yogurt.

Chocolate Magic Shell

Remember Magic Shell? It was one of my favorite things growing up. I was so fascinated by how something so watery and liquid would freeze in seconds when poured over a bowl of ice cream. I always used more than necessary and, inevitably, would end up chiseling my way through the shell with a spoon to get to the ice cream.

Like a mini gold mining expedition….but in a small bowl…on my lap. Ok, I guess it’s not even remotely the same thing but this was what I would think about while digging my way to dessert. I even kicked my favorite hot fudge sauce to the curb for a jar of this amazing ice cream topping!

If you’ve never tried Magic Shell before you’re in a for a real treat. It’s a chocolate sauce that hardens to a crisp shell when poured over something cold like ice cream or frozen bananas.

It’s often used to coat ice cream bars, too, and we love it on top of frozen fruit for a healthy snack.vThe best part is it’s made in the microwave with just two ingredients….coconut oil and chocolate. You can make a big batch to store in the pantry to whip up easy desserts on the fly. It’s simple and shelf stable!

How Does It Work

Homemade Magic Shell is made with chocolate and fat, most often coconut oil, that is melted together until it’s liquid-y and smooth. When poured over ice cream, it hardens to a shiny, firm shell that can be cracked with a spoon.

Coconut oil contains a high amount of saturated fat, so it’s solid at room temperature but liquid when heated. Once the chocolate and coconut oil are melted together, the mixture has the consistency of chocolate sauce (think Hershey’s syrup), but as soon as it’s poured over ice cream it quickly cools down, causing the coconut oil to firm back up.

I used virgin coconut oil for this recipe, which is made from fresh coconuts and has a strong coconut-y scent and flavor. If you want a less pronounced coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil which has a neutral flavor and aroma.

Tips for Making Chocolate Shell

Even with an easy recipe such as this one, there are a few tips to help make it successfully.

• Use a clean, dry bowl to mix your ingredients. Any residual oil or water left in the bowl can react with the chocolate causing it to seize up.
• Heat the chocolate and coconut oil in short 30 second increments in the microwave stirring between each until the mixture is smooth.
• Allow your Magic Shell to cool for a few minutes before pouring over ice cream or dipping your ice cream bars into it so it doesn’t melt the ice cream.

How To Store It

You can store your Chocolate Magic Shell in the pantry in an airtight container. It will firm up a bit in the pantry so be sure to reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds to make it liquid again.

I see recipes on Pinterest for Magic Shell all the time but the few times I’ve tried them they’ve either been too firm and didn’t cover the ice cream or too liquid  they slid off the surface before hardening. I tweaked the recipe to find the perfect ratio of ingredients and THIS, my friends, is exactly like the real thing.

Serving Suggestions

 And it’s so easy, you can enlist your kids to help in the kitchen. And they will LOVE spooning the chocolate sauce over their ice cream and frozen treats!

I’m still fascinated like a little girl whenever I use this “magic” chocolate sauce….but now I know what ingredients are in it and won’t feel guilty if I over indulge a bit. Even when I drench a bowl of my homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with it!

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