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Peanut Butter Magic Shell is an easy 3-ingredient topping that hardens when you pour it over ice cream. You can make your own “dipped” cones or sundaes at home in just minutes!

peanut butter magic shell cracked with spoon

This peanut butter magic shell is amazing over strawberry ice cream, for a peanut butter and jelly flavored sundae, or you can serve it over chocolate ice cream for more of a peanut butter cup flavor. Either way, it’s totally delicious!

I’ll also share how to add cacao powder to this recipe, for a chocolate peanut butter magic shell.

Ingredients You’ll Need

All you need is 3 simple ingredients!

  • Peanut butter
  • Coconut Oil
  • Maple syrup

Not surprisingly, one of the main ingredients in a store-bought Magic Shell topping is coconut oil. Because of its high saturated fat content, coconut oil solidifies almost instantly when chilled, making for an incredibly fun, ice cream topping that will “crack” when your spoon breaks into it.

peanut butter shell hardened on ice cream

Don’t love coconut flavor? Don’t worry! You can use an expeller pressed, or ultra-refined coconut oil, to get the hardening effect, without any coconut flavor.

Use all-natural peanut butter for the best flavor and consistency. Peanut butter brands with added ingredients will be thicker to stir, and might require that you add more oil, or less maple syrup, since some are already sweetened. Luckily, this is the kind of recipe that you can taste as you go!

How to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Make sure you start with ingredients that are at room temperature or melted, otherwise they will be difficult to mix together smoothly.
  2. Mix. Use a small whisk to combine the melted coconut oil, peanut butter, and maple syrup. If your kitchen is cold, you can do this over a double boiler on the stove, to keep things warm.
  3. Enjoy! It’s best to use this mixture soon after making it, so the magic shell topping is easy to pour. Add a thin layer to your ice cream and watch it harden in about 30 seconds! If you use a thick layer of shell, it might take longer to harden, FYI.

Feel free to adjust the ratio of ingredients to your liking. For a less-sweet topping, use less maple syrup, and for a runnier consistency, add another tablespoon of coconut oil.

peanut butter magic shell mixed in bowl

Variation: Chocolate Peanut Butter Magic Shell

Prefer your ice cream topping to taste like a peanut butter cup? Try this!

Makes 6 tablespoons:

  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder
  • 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon all-natural peanut butter

Whisk the ingredients together, then serve over your favorite ice cream. This makes roughly a 1/4 cup, but feel free to double or triple it to make more!

peanut butter magic shell added to ice cream

Storage Tips

This mixture can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or for up to 1 month in the fridge.

If your kitchen is cold like mine, this magic shell topping may solidify, even when stored outside of your fridge. To use it again, place the jar of magic shell in a bowl of hot tap water for 10 to 15 minutes, or melt it in a double-boiler before serving again.

peanut butter magic shell cracked with spoon

Peanut Butter Magic Shell

5 from 4 votes
Peanut Butter Magic Shell is made with just 3 ingredients and will create a hard shell when served over your favorite ice cream. It takes only minutes to prepare!
prep5 mins total5 mins
Servings:4

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter (38 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (12 grams; use refined/expeller pressed for best flavor)
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup (36 grams; at room temperature)
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature; they will be difficult to mix if anything is cold. In a small mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt. Use a whisk to mix well.
    peanut butter magic shell mixed in bowl
  • Adjust any flavoring to taste, adding more peanut butter if desired. For a runnier consistency, you can add more coconut oil, too. It won't affect the flavor as long as you're using refined coconut oil. Once it's well mixed, pour it over your favorite ice cream and watch it harden in about 30 to 60 seconds.
    shell added to ice cream from spoon
  • Store any leftover magic shell in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 month. If it solidifies, you'll simply have to melt it again before serving. Place the jar in a bowl of very hot tap water and let it rest for 15 minutes to help it become pour-able again.
    finished magic shell cracked with spoon

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for roughly 1 heaping tablespoon of magic shell topping. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
For a chocolate peanut butter shell, add 2 tablespoons of cacao powder and an additional 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, to help make it pour-able.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: coconut oil, peanut butter magic shell

If you try this Peanut Butter Magic Shell, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.

Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Let me know if you have any flavor or topping requests!

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. Wow, this looks tasty! I’m already obsessed with the combo of frozen banana slices and peanut butter, so I imagine it would be delicious with a layer of peanut butter shell. I find bananas have a very similar texture to ice cream once frozen, so this would be great to make little “ice cream” bites. Excited to give this recipe a try!

  2. Do you think your Magic Shell recipe would work if you drizzled it in like a Stracciatella version? If you are taking requests (lol, you are the BEST), have you tried a vanilla base with a healthy nut brittle mixed in or a Rocky Road flavor?