When I was growing up in Australia during the ’90s, our version of Magic Shell was called Ice Magic, and it was all anyone under 12 wanted to eat. Name aside, the appeal was the same: When drizzled over ice cream, the chocolate sauce would instantly harden into a snappy shell you’d have to bust through with a spoon. Watching the velvety ripples solidify was thrilling.
Though the store-bought options have nostalgia on their side, making a batch at home couldn’t be easier. Classic chocolate requires just three ingredients and comes together in the microwave in minutes. Like the commercial brands, coconut oil is the workhorse here. It’s solid at room temperature and liquid when heated, so it firms up as soon as it hits a freezing scoop of ice cream. Coconut oil also softens the chocolate just a bit, making it possible to break through the shell without a jackhammer. We opted for refined coconut oil, which has a neutral flavor. But if you love the taste of chocolate and coconut, the unrefined stuff works.
Once you’ve nailed the classic version, channel your inner child and experiment with other flavors. Tahini and white chocolate is vanilla-y, nutty, and asking to be drizzled over strawberry ice cream. If you love Reese’s Pieces, combine peanut butter and chocolate, and pair it with coffee or caramel ice cream. While your chocolate shell is still setting, top it with crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, toasted coconut, or sprinkles.