It is totally possible that this is the most random Our Best Bites post ever. We often get requests for how to make those crunchy things that are inside Carvel and Dairy Queen and other ice cream cakes, so I used my awesome stalker research skills to find out how they’re made. I also had this little awesome tip on how to make your own chocolate shell at home. Suddenly, I had these two seemingly unrelated mini recipes that are so simple that it was kind of weird to post them on their own, but they were things I really wanted to share with y’all. And since they really are related, I combined them. I’m living on the edge here. With Oreos and Magic Shell.
Because those are the only two ingredients in the Crunchies.
Except that in all my stalking research, all the measurements were these vague ideas like, “Cut up some Oreos and pour enough Magic Shell over them so they’re moist but not soaked.” Um, huh? That does me no good. So I started playing around with proportions until it felt right. Except that I measured all along the way so I could give you guys measurements because I love you that much.
You know how those standard-sized packages of Oreos have 3 rows in them? Place two of those rows in a food processor.
The rest of the Oreos left in the package will be sad that their friends are gone and when cookies are sad, they become devoid of calories. Just sayin’.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can place them in a heavy-duty Ziploc bag and then crush them with a rolling pin. Or take out all your aggression with a meat mallet. It works, I promise. Either way, you’ll want to crush them so they’re mostly crumbs, but it’s cool if there are a few chunks in there. And you’ll want 2 1/2 cups of crumbs.
Pour a 7.25-ounce bottle of Magic Shell over the cookie crumbs.
Mix it up well.
Spread it between layers in ice cream cakes (or similar desserts like these Mint-Chip Ice Cream Brownie Squares) or hand-mix them into softened ice cream, press them into ice cream bowls or ramekins before adding ice cream sundae toppings, or sprinkle them on top of your favorite frozen treats.
But alas, you say, I do not have/like/want to use Magic Shell. No worries. All you need is a little chocolate and some coconut oil.
There are a lot of cool things about coconut oil (and lots of great health benefits in spite of the fact that it’s high in saturated fat), and one of those things is that it’s solid at room temperature, so it’s good at helping melty things like chocolate stay firm at room temperature and hard and crunchy at lower temperatures.
Anyway.
Chop up some high-quality chocolate and combine them in a microwave-safe bowl with the coconut oil.
You can also use chocolate chips…I actually planned on using chocolate chips, but I couldn’t find them and assumed SOMEONE had snacked them away until I found them in an empty box of cereal a week later. My life is complicated.
Heat the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring every 20 seconds, until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle it over ice cream…
or dip your favorite cold treats into the sauce. Or mix it with crushed Oreos to make your homemade Carvel Crunchies (and we come full circle…DUM DUM DUM!) Just don’t forget to lick the spoon because that is the very best part.
We’ve had a few questions about different flavors and colors of Homemade Magic Shell. It’s TOTALLY do-able, but be sure any flavors or colors you add don’t have any alcohol in them; otherwise, it will cause the chocolate to seize up and clump and that is not magical in any way. Wilton has some good basic flavors–you can look for them in a store like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s or buy them online here or here. Gel/paste food colorings (like Wilton or Americolor) are also alcohol-free, so if you want to use those to tint white chocolate, they should be fine.
Homemade Ice Cream Cake Crunchies
Ingredients:
2/3 standard package of Oreo cookies (or 2 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs)
1 7.25-ounce bottle Magic Shell ice cream topping (or almost 1 cup of homemade Magic Shell, recipe below)
Instructions:
Crush the Oreos so you get 2 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs. Pour the Magic Shell topping over the cookie crumbs and mix well to combine. Use as an ice cream topping or the filling for ice cream cakes or pies.
Homemade Magic Shell
Ingredients:
8 ounces high-quality chocolate
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions:
Combine chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring every 20 seconds, until smooth. Drizzle over ice cream, dip frozen/cold treats in the chocolate, or use in the Homemade Ice Cream Cake Crunchy recipe.
Questions & Reviews
I don’t know what I did wrong the crunchies were uncutable. The ice cream was melting everywhere and I couldn’t cut the crunchies. It was embarrassing and so messy. They tasted great but how are you all cutting through them?
This is my first time on your site, just happened upon it looking to perfect a way to make my 30 yr old baby her ice cream for her birthday. I just know I can do it better than DQ. Anyway, love, love, love this place. enjoyed your sense of humor and answering my questions that were in my head without having to write and ask or search somewhere else, new fan for sure!! thanks
Wow! That’s awesome! I love magic shell and its so much more fun to make it homemade!
I have made 4 ice cream cakes (taste way better than DQ) with this crunch. My kids LOVE it and so does the rest of the family.
If this works… you’ll be my hero. seriously.
You may want to change the title or name of this. Someone else I follow posted Magic Shell in the name of their hardening chocolate sauce and Magic Shell came after them. Just FYI. She had to change the name, and they suspended her website until they were satisfied. Crazy world!
May I have of bowl of this gorgeousness right now? Pleaaaase???
OMG! Just sayin’… I love you! I think I may have gained 50# just reading those directions. Oh, and those photos, yeah I gained some serious weight! I will be trying this tomorrow! Thank you!
It’s excellent! I’ve made to ice cream cakes and the kids wanted extra crunch on the 2nd one I made. EXCELLENT!
omg…first, the recipes are great. Always happy to find out that someone else did the stal….research for me! Second, you are hilarious! I love your writing style. You should consider writing a book! Thanks for the post!
I was wondering if you could use this in just a regular cake (non ice cream cake) in between the layers as well?
You can use whatever you like, but the chocolate sauce here “sets” with cold temperatures.
I just wanted to say thank you! Not only for figuring out the awesomeness that is “crunchies” but also for having an amazing sense of humor!!! I was laughing all the way through this post! I must now continue reading on your blog because I am completely enthralled!
As a past Dairy Queen employee, I just wanted to let you know that the cake centers are usually made out of cold fudge sauce and smashed up ice cream sandwich cookies.
My husband loves the crunchies in the DQ cakes! Might have to try this. Thanks for sharing. Btw, Kate, you are hilarious!
My husband and I actually own a Dairy Queen and I make all our cakes and the inside crunchy stuff is actually hot fudge and plain chocolate wafer cookies crunched up.
This makes more sense. I made a “copycat carvel ice cream cake” over the weekend and used the recipe with the oreo’s and the magic shell as the filling. What a disaster! The filling hardens like a rock and you cannot even cut through it. You have to eat the top of the ice cream cake first then flip the piece over and eat the bottom and then hopefully by that time you can bite through the crunchy middle without breaking your teeth. I so wish I had seen your post before I did it following this web sites recipe. Can you be more specific on the measurements of hot fudge sauce and chocolate wafer cookies (what brand of cookies did you use?).
Thank you!
these were awesome. or this is awesome. whatever, it’s awesome! thank you so much!!! I linked to you today!
Do you shake the magic shell up first (to initiate the “shell” properties) or do you avoid shaking it and just pour it in the bowl?
I wish I would’ve seen this earlier today! I made myself an ice cream cake for my birthday but I used pretzels and shell fudge stuff because I didn’t REALLY know how to make the real crunchy stuff. I guess I wasn’t far off with the shell but still!
You’d be better off in this recipe using only the outsides of the oreo cookies and using cold hot fudge. Technically, the inside of the cake is made with cold fudge, the same stuff that’s used in Buster Bars…which *is* different than hot fudge.
–daughter of former DQ owner (back in the days when we still made the Dilly Bars, Buster Bars, DQ Sandwiches, and cakes in store)
I worked at Dairy Queen for years when I was in high school. The crunch for the cakes is not made with Oreos. It’s more like a crumbled up, not-very-sweet chocolate wafer cookie. If you’re familiar with English digestive biscuits, those are a whole lot closer.
You are funny!
So going to try this.
So perfect for Labor Day.
Thanks
Suzie BEE****
I work for Dairy Queen. We put a layer of Fudge and crunch in between the ice cream. It’s Hot Fudge that we use. Not sure what the crunch is made of, but it’s not Oreos, when I take a bite of the plain crunch it taste do different than an Oreo.
Good thinking on the DQ crunch. I own a DQ and we do make it with chocolate crunchies and chocolate cone coating. Yours is moister than what we make ours. Ours is still moveable and drier. Then there is also fudge layer in the cakes too. Spread the fudge on 1st then sprinkle the crunch coat on top.
Do you think it could be used for the crust of a cheesecake it would the oven ruin it and it wouldn’t be able to freeze up?
I used to work at DQ in high school and you are almost spot on with the crunchies, but the Oreos aren’t quite the right cookie. The cookie crunch (dry) they use does not have the cream in it. Can you still get the oreo crumbs in the baking aisle? They would probably be just the thing. I for one am not a fan of the ice cream cakes but that is from making them over and over and over again lol, but my hubby and kid demand one every birthday. lol.
Can’t you substitute equal amount of Crisco shortening for the coconut oil?
My hubby is a big ice cream lover and can’t eat it without magic shell. He dished up a bowl the other night only to discover we were out of magic shell. I had the stuff to make some following your recipe, so I did. I felt pretty pleased with myself until a few bites in and the homemade version starting tasting more and more like wax. It was HORRIBLE!!! We ended up picking it off the ice cream and throwing away what was left. It was horrible. My ingredients were fresh and I followed your directions exactly. What the heck? Hubby was not so impressed after all… 🙁
Weird, maybe it was the brand of coconut oil??
I can not express what a lifesaver this recipe is!! Our family loves ice cream cakes, but my youngest has a sensitivity to chocolate (I know… so sad…). She is always looking at the cakes in the freezer case and wishing there was a way for her to enjoy them. This recipe will be perfect for making our own version using golden Oreos and white chips! Can’t wait to try this and surprise her! BTW-absolutely love your blog and lost count of how many recipes I have used and saved!! Keep up the wonderful work!!
So cool. I would have never known guessed that is how the crunchies were made!!
known or guessed