Magic Shell Recipe on Food52 (2024)

5 Ingredients or Fewer

by: Marian Bull

July8,2013

5

2 Ratings

  • Makes 1 cup

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

This is barely a recipe, but it really is magic. All you need are two parts coconut oil to three parts chocolate -- make as much or as little as you like. Pour it over your favorite ice cream, wait a few seconds, and there you have it: magic shell, made at home. —Marian Bull

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 2 bars (160 grams) good quality chocolate (I prefer dark)
  • 100 grams coconut oil
  • Ice cream, for serving
Directions
  1. Chop your chocolate and add it to a microwave-safe container with coconut oil. Melt in 30-second intervals until liquid.
  2. Pour over ice cream (or smoothies!), and watch it harden. Then crack it open. Magic!
  3. Because of the melting point of the coconut oil, the magic shell will stay liquid in a hot kitchen and solidify after sitting in a cold kitchen or the fridge. If your leftover shell hardens, just re-melt in the microwave.

Tags:

  • Condiment/Spread
  • Ice Cream/Frozen Desserts
  • American
  • Chocolate
  • Make Ahead
  • 5 Ingredients or Fewer
  • Summer
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-Free
  • Dessert

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • crazyblues

  • daisybrain

  • KtMcB

  • SaucyCuisine

  • Cheryl Parrish

Recipe by: Marian Bull

writer

24 Reviews

Laila June 14, 2019

If you use "refined expelled pressed coconut oil", it does not have coconut flavor and very neutral and is used for meals and baking if you don't want the coconut taste. Also the 2:3 weight ratio oil to chocolate is the recommended ratio for choc shell in Cooks Illustrated. The coconut oil is what makes it harden fast when frozen, more chocolate will make it more like chocolate sauce.

Leonnora September 12, 2018

Isn't it time to put ounces in parentheses for your USA followers?

Luvtocook August 12, 2014

Your ratio of chocolate to oil does not comport with the actual ingredients listed. Three parts chocolate is 150 grams, not 160. Or are your numbers just a rough estimate, i.e., the more chocolate the better?

dchu February 1, 2014

I don't much care for the coconut-chocolate flavor combination, so I used food grade cocoa butter from my local co-op (thanks Rainbow Grocery!) Yummy!! Disclaimer: I haven't tried the original Magic Shell, so can't say how this version compares.

Sherlock April 15, 2014

Coconut oil doesn't have a coconut flavor. If it does, it's not supposed to.

amy May 16, 2016

I'll have to try a different brand of coconut oil. The Trader Joe's brand I've always used definitely tastes and smells like coconuts.

Jan January 10, 2014

what does 100 grams equal?

Patricia M. April 15, 2014

3.5 ounces

crazyblues January 7, 2014

i'm thinking that in the tropics we might use cacao butter instead of coco oil, which down here at 9º north, is runny at room temp. Seems like the right taste and texture. ya think? might even be worth a trial up there, in the cold. (ha ha)

beekeeper October 29, 2013

This is everything it's cracked up to be. I'll never use chocolate sauce again.

daisybrain July 29, 2013

Yum. We put it on frozen bananas. Tomorrow, home-made drumsticks.

KtMcB July 24, 2013

Used some of MARIANs MAGIC shell to make a magical birthday cake for my husband tonight. Small chocolate lava cake, double dipped half a banana in magic, one dip with coconut and the second with crystallized ginger, and did a banan split on top of cake with ice cream and banana half with the final magic shell on top. With a candle of course!

SaucyCuisine July 19, 2013

I put some leftover magic shell sauce in the fridge and reheated it in the microwave the next day. Magically, it was just as good the next day.

Carolyn V. July 18, 2013

Gonna try it with my 6 yr. old grandson. Funnn!

Cheryl P. July 16, 2013

This looks wonderful and fun!

Jan July 15, 2013

Is there a suggested "shelf Life"?
Do you recommend refrigerating extra? Thanks

susan V. July 15, 2013

i dont have a microwave. can i melt in a saucepan?

Patty B. July 15, 2013

Yes, Melt it over a pan of water so the chocolate will not burn.

Laura July 14, 2013

could you use the flavored chocolates??.. the salted or maybe chili chocolate

RHafer July 14, 2013

just made, delish!

Marian B. July 14, 2013

So glad you enjoyed it!

hardlikearmour July 9, 2013

I'm curious to know how you got your ratio? The Jeni's Splendid book uses a higher percentage of chocolate for the "bombe shell" recipe (340 g chocolate to 75 g coconut oil).

Marian B. July 14, 2013

This is the ratio that I've always used, but sometimes I use more or less -- it's more of a guideline.

hardlikearmour July 14, 2013

Thanks! I was thinking you played "mad scientist" with different ratios and found the perfect one.

Magic Shell Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is Magic Shell made of? ›

Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Cocoa, Chocolate, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Soy Lecithin, Milk, Salt, Vanilla.

Why is Magic Shell so good? ›

The "shell" effect in Magic Shell is due to the presence of coconut oil and sunflower oil, both of which contain high amounts of saturated fat, and sugar, which produces a chocolate mixture which is solid at higher temperatures than would otherwise be the case with normal ice cream topping.

Why does Magic Shell get hard? ›

Both chocolate dip and Magic Shell get their magic instant-hardening ability from oils like coconut and sunflower that are high in saturated fat. As temperature drops, saturated fats harden, and coconut oil, in particular, turns firm, almost glassy, when cold.

Can you unfreeze Magic Shell? ›

If the topping becomes thick and difficult to use, we suggest running the bottle under hot water, and shaking well to reincorporate the topping. Can Magic Shell® topping unfreeze? If Magic Shell® topping is not in contact with something cold, it will typically unharden.

Do you need to refrigerate Magic Shell? ›

DO NOT REFRIGERATE. If refrigerated or stored in a cool place, Magic Shell topping will harden. Run under hot water until topping returns liquid. Store at room temperature.

Does Magic Shell go bad? ›

More specifically, our Magic Shell Caramel Topping would have a 24 month shelf life, unopened, from the date in which it was manufactured, which would be reflected by the Best When Used By date printed on the bottle. We hope this helps!

Who invented Magic Shell? ›

Magic Shell is a dessert product produced by Smucker's in the US, originally created as Ice Magic by Cottees in Australia, and sold in the UK as Bird's Ice Magic.

How long has Magic Shell been around? ›

First released by Smucker's in 1982 as an ice cream topping, Magic Shell quickly became a staple in fridges around the United States. Its ingredients include chocolate, sunflower oil, and coconut oil.

Does Magic Shell work on popcorn? ›

Just a touch of oil creates a smooth texture in the melted chocolate. The use of coconut oil with chocolate is sometimes referred to as “magic shell.” This is because of the hard shell that forms once the mixture sets. It's great for popcorn and ice cream.

Will melted chocolate with coconut oil harden? ›

Not only does coconut oil make your chocolate coating shine, but it also helps the chocolate harden. Have you ever noticed that, if the temperature outside is particularly warm, your coconut oil liquifies right in its jar? Then, if it's cold out, the coconut oil will solidify.

How do you harden homemade chocolate? ›

You don't add ingredients to chocolate to make it harden, you temper it by heating it to a specific temperature, cooling it to another temperature, then heating it again. This causes the chocolate to crystalize in a way that leaves it hard and shiny. The temperatures are different for different kinds of chocolate.

What if the Magic Shell is too thick? ›

If the magic shell is too thick to pour or separates, simply reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and stir well until combined and thin enough to pour again.

Why won t hershey syrup freeze? ›

Store-bought chocolate syrup, like Hershey's chocolate syrup, tends to freeze well because of its high sugar content and the presence of high fructose corn syrup. These ingredients prevent the syrup from freezing solid, meaning it maintains a tar-like consistency even when frozen.

Will chocolate syrup harden? ›

Chocolate Syrup will also harden a bit as you let it cool, so it could be used as a dairy-free ganache. It would be an excellent frosting, although I would not recommend making truffles with this recipe.

How does magic turtle shell work? ›

It's essentially chocolate melted with coconut oil and when it's drizzled over something cold – like ice cream and milkshakes – it firms up into a hard, shell-like consistency – hence the name “magic shell.”

Can you use Magic Shell on strawberries? ›

magic shell ice cream topping. I feel like this is a super hack. you pour it in the cup, dip your strawberry, put it on your parchment paper, and it sets up. no mess, no heating.

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