This Funfetti Magic Shell hardens over cold ice cream into a crackly birthday cake shell both kids and adults will love. It brings back all the nostalgia of the bottled stuff with about five minutes of effort!
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Magic Shell is such a nostalgic treat for me. How cool was it to pour chocolate or vanilla syrup over your ice cream and have it harden into a candy shell? It truly felt like magic.
It's still very much available at grocery stores, but did you know you don't have to buy magic shell and that you can actually make it yourself at home? And it will make your summer ice cream nights so much more fun.
I decided to make a sprinkle-filled funfetti magic shell for some extra fun both kids and adults will love. It's so easy to make with just a few ingredients and a few minutes!
❤️ Why this recipe works
It uses real white chocolate: this gets you get a rich, creamy flavor instead of the waxy taste of a lot of bottled shells.
Coconut oil is the magic: it stays liquid when warm but hardens fast when it hits cold ice cream, which is the whole trick behind magic shell.
An optional touch of almond extract boosts birthday cake flavor: just a small amount gives you that unmistakable birthday cake flavor without any cake required.
It's super fast and easy: it takes just one bowl and a few 20-second microwave bursts and the magic shell is ready to pour.
You can make it ahead: it keeps at room temperature for up to a week, so it's ready whenever an ice cream craving hits.
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make my funfetti magic shell (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Chopped white chocolate bar or chocolate chips: I recommend using white chocolate bars, but high-quality chocolate chips work, too.
- Refined coconut oil: refined is best because it doesn't have coconut flavor, but you can use unrefined if you don't mind this.
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract: I'm listing this as optional as you may not have it, but it does add a more funfetti birthday cake flavor to the magic shell.
- Salt
- Rainbow sprinkles: I recommend jimmy-style sprinkles and not nonpareils as the color is less likely to run. I absolutely love and highly recommend rainbow sprinkles from Sweetapolita.
🍦 Recipe tips
- Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil low and slow. I recommend doing 20-second intervals and stirring well after each one. White chocolate scorches faster than regular chocolate, so keep a close eye on it.
- Let the mixture cool to warm (instead of hot) before you add the sprinkles. If it's too hot, the sprinkles may melt or bleed their color into the mixture.
- If you're not going to use the magic shell right away, I recommend waiting to stir in the sprinkles as they can soften or bleed their color into the mixture over time and you want them to be as bright and bold as possible. One thing I love about Swetapolita sprinkles is that they don't seem to bleed!
- The colder your ice cream is, the faster and crackier the shell will set.
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- Once you pour the magic shell over the ice cream, add extra sprinkles on top immediately, before the shell hardens, or they will not stick. This makes the magic shell even more vibrant and pretty.
But seriously, isn't this so fun! I don't know why I haven't been making this my entire life.
Just like when I was a kid, I sat there and marveled over how the white chocolate dripping down the ice cream suddenly just hardened in place!
Your kids are going to love this, but honestly, most adults will, too. It brings back so many great memories and is also absolutely delicious!
⏲️ How to store
One of the great things about this funfetti magic shell is that it keeps fresh for about a month and it can be stored at room temperature.
I recommend keeping it in a mason jar or other airtight container.
Even when kept at room temperature, the mixture will still need to be warmed before use as it will likely harden a bit in the container. I recommend microwaving it in 10-15 second bursts, stirring between each, until it is smooth and pourable.
🎉 Variations on recipe
Once you know the basics behind making homemade magic shell, it becomes pretty easy to make it in any fun flavors you want! Here are some of my favorite ideas to take this funfetti version to the next level:
- Match the sprinkles to the occasion: use red and green sprinkles for the holidays, pink and red for Valentine's Day, orange and black for Halloween, etc.
- Add color: stir in a drop of gel food coloring for a pastel shell that still tastes like birthday cake.
- Chocolate magic shell: swap the white chocolate for semisweet or dark chocolate and skip the almond extract for a classic version.
- Cake batter boost: add about 1 tablespoon of dry funfetti cake mix along with the sprinkles for an even stronger birthday cake flavor.
- Add some crunch: fold in a spoonful of crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers for a little texture. Just note these will get soggy if you're not using the magic shell right away.
🙋♀️ FAQ
🥳 More funfetti recipes
Here are some more of my favorite funfetti-style recipes:
I have tons of ice cream recipes this magic shell would be delicious on, but top it on this sprinkles ice cream for the sprinkle lover in your life!
If you fondly remember magic shell from your childhood or you want to give your kids another reason to believe you can make magic, try this delicious funfetti recipe for your next ice cream night!
Let me know if there are any other magic shell flavors you want to see me recreate here!
📖 Recipe
Funfetti Magic Shell
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Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped white chocolate (you can also use high-quality white chocolate chips)
- 3 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract (optional, but recommended for cake flavor)
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles plus more for topping
Instructions
- Put the white chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until the white chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), and salt.
- Let the mixture cool for about 5-10 minutes, until it's pourable but no longer hot.
- Stir the rainbow sprinkles in right before using.
- Pour the Funfetti Magic Shell over very cold ice cream and top with extra sprinkles immediately, before the shell sets.
- Let sit for about 30 seconds, or until the topping hardens.
Notes
- Store leftover magic shell in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You will need to rewarm it briefly before using.
- I find that refined coconut oil is best because it has a more neutral flavor. Unrefined coconut oil will also work, but it will add a slight noticeable coconut flavor.
- The almond extract is optional, but just a small amount helps give the magic shell more of a classic birthday cake flavor. You can skip it if you don't have any.
- Make sure the melted white chocolate mixture is warm, not hot, before stirring in the sprinkles. If it's too hot, the sprinkles may start to melt or bleed.
- If the magic shell gets too thick as it sits, microwave it for 10-15 seconds and stir until pourable again.
- My favorite rainbow sprinkles are from Sweetapolita.
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