Cherry Magic Shell

If you love getting a cherry dipped ice cream cone at Dairy Queen, this cherry magic shell recipe is for you! Made with just 3 ingredients, it has a prominent tart cherry flavor (so much better what you get at DQ) and it's super easy to make in just 5 minutes. Pour it over vanilla ice cream and watch it harden into a crunchy shell in just a few seconds!

We have DQ at home 😉

This simple recipe is part of our viral series, Better Than Store-Bought. We typically recreate store-bought snacks (like cheez-its, pop tarts or even cookie crisp cereal!), but this summer, we wanted to try a few nostalgic ice cream recipes.

We already made homemade Choco Tacos a few years ago, and we're working on a recipe for strawberry shortcake ice cream bars (the ones with the crunchy strawberry cookie coating!). But one of our favorite childhood ice cream treats was a simple vanilla ice cream cone with cherry dip at Dairy Queen!

To be totally honest, I haven't had one in a while, but I knew we could definitely make it taste better, with real cherry flavor. To nobody's surprise, the DQ version uses artificial cherry flavor. We wanted to try it with tart cherry concentrate, but we were a little worried it would cause the white chocolate to seize up.

Thankfully, it worked great! And the cherry flavor is FANTASTIC. It's super tart and cherry-forward, with just enough sweetness from the white chocolate. Coconut oil is the key ingredient for making it harden up into a shell, but don't worry – you can't taste it.

You can definitely make this without food coloring, but keep in mind that the color will be a more muted red-brown. We added a little bit to make it look like the real thing, which also makes it a bit more appealing.

Try drizzling this over ice cream at home. It's obviously great over vanilla, but would be even better over chocolate ice cream. Oooooh, or cherry chip ice cream! (One of my personal favorites. That might need to be our next recipe...)

Key Ingredients Needed for Cherry Magic Shell

• White chocolate chips: A lot of less expensive brands of white chocolate chips tend to be waxy, too sweet and may seize up when you add food coloring. We always use Ghirardelli or Guittard white chocolate chips and they work great (and taste great).
• Refined coconut oil: Unrefined and refined coconut oil have very different flavors. Unrefined will give you a very strong coconut flavor, whereas refined is not noticeable at all in this recipe. That's why we suggest using it. But if you don't mind coconut flavor, any kind will do!
• Tart cherry concentrate: You can buy this at many grocery stores, especially specialty stores like Whole Foods. Keep in mind that it's on the pricey end, but it's a concentrate, so you're only meant to use very small quantities at a time. We love to dilute it with water or sparkling water. It's great for exercise recovery and sleep!
• Food coloring: Optional, but this is what gives you that vibrant red hue. We like this natural food coloring.

How to Make Cherry Magic Shell

1. Add the white chocolate chips and coconut oil to a heat-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir thoroughly. Return to the microwave for 20 seconds, then stir well. If the white chocolate still isn't completely melted, return to the microwave for another 20 seconds. 

1. Once the white chocolate is fully melted, whisk in the tart cherry concentrate and food coloring. 
2. Let the mixture cool slightly before drizzling or pouring over very cold ice cream. Let it harden completely, then enjoy! 

Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!

• Don't overheat the white chocolate: Microwave in shorter bursts (no more than 30 seconds) and make sure to stir thoroughly between each burst. You can also microwave at 50% power to prevent seizing.
• Keep water away from the chocolate: Even a tiny drop of water can cause white chocolate to seize up, so make sure your bowl, spatula or whisk is totally dry.
• Troubleshooting: If your white chocolate starts to thicken, get grainy, or seizes up when you add in the tart cherry or food coloring, try melting an additional 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and whisk it into the mixture. If that doesn't work, return the white chocolate to the microwave for short 10 second bursts, whisking well between each burst. 
• Try it with milk or dark chocolate: Of course, the color won't be a vibrant red, but it will still taste fantastic!
• How to pipe ice cream: If you want to make a cone that looks just like the one you'd get at Dairy Queen, here's how to do it. Add vanilla ice cream to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for about 10 seconds, until it's creamy. Transfer to a piping bag with an open star tip. Pipe into a cone, then return to the freezer until it's fully hardened before dipping in the cherry magic shell.

More Summer Desserts You'll Love

We can't wait for you to make this cherry magic shell in your own home! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

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