Our 3-ingredient homemade magic shell makes our Chocolate Covered Frozen Fruit pops a fun easy after school snack or healthy dessert for all your entertaining needs. (Vegan, Gluten-Free and no refined sugars)
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Table of Contents
Nature’s Candy Without the Guilt!
Our quality assurance testers described our chocolate covered frozen fruit like this…. “MMMMM so good, tastes just like candy. Love that addictive chocolate crunch. Can I have more?” So, there you have it! It’s a winner.
They did not need to know that this healthy snack was made without refined sugar, packed with 10 powerful superfood blend Cacao Bliss, or that we whipped this up in under 10-minute flat. Heck no! That is our little secret.
Last Minute Healthy Snack
Are you excited or dreading the whole back to school process? One thing for sure no matter what time of the year or what the occasion, as soon as those kids come barreling through that door, they are going to be hungry. Are we right?
Having a readily available healthy snack is top on our priority list. Whether you have made a batch of our Cranberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies, Toasted Almond and Date Lara Bars, Whole Wheat Herb Focaccia Bread or our chocolate covered frozen fruit treats, you are going to be armed and ready the moment they enter the door.
However, don’t let this recipe fool you. These little frozen treats are fancy enough to serve as a sweet ending to any Valentine’s Day gathering, a Baby shower Potluck Menu or a delicious way to cool off after trying one of our Summer Grilling and Chilling Recipes.
Homemade Magic Shell
It really is magic. When you combine cacao powder, coconut oil and just a touch of maple syrup, it creates this thin chocolate sauce. When the chocolate sauce hits something cold like frozen fruit, Mocha Banana Ice Cream, our Avocado Ice Candy, or Matcha Banana Strawberry Ice Cream Cups, it hardens up into a delicious crunchy chocolate vegan magic shell.
You may be wondering why does adding coconut oil to the chocolate make it harden? Have you ever noticed how coconut oil becomes a white solid scoopable tropical oil at 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) but melts at around 74 degrees F (23 degrees C)? This natural change in coconut oil is what causes the homemade magic shell to harden when it touches something frozen. The fats from the coconut oil solidify and the chocolate gets crunchy. This is one magic trick you need to try ASAP!
Fun Ingredients
Coconut Oil
We used an organic virgin (unrefined) pure coconut oil. The main differences between refined and unrefined coconut oil are with taste and smoking points.
Refined coconut oil is made from dried coconuts and has a more neutral scent and flavor compared to unrefined coconut oil. Unrefined or virgin coconut oil is made with fresh coconut and has a more intense coconut flavor. Refined coconut oil has a higher smoking point compared to unrefined coconut oil. If you do not like coconut oil, you can swap with vegetable shortening.
Cacao Bliss
Cacao Bliss is an organic superfood elixir blend. We are seriously addicted to those mood enhancing and feel-good vibes. Cacao Bliss is made with ceremonial-grade unprocessed cacao, turmeric, MCT oil, Lucuma, coconut, Himalayan Sea salt, cinnamon bark powder, monk fruit extract, mesquite, and black pepper. It is happily gluten-free, non-dairy, vegan, keto, paleo, USDA organic, soy free, non-GMO and so delicious in our Mexican Chocolate Cherry Smoothie and Iced Bumblebee Coffee.
Although you could use regular unsweetened cocoa powder, we have been adding Cacao Bliss in our smoothies and our afternoon coffee for a healthy boost of energy in the middle of the day. If you would like to give Cacao Bliss a try, enter the promo code “CUISINE” on checkout to receive 15% off your online order.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is a delightful way to sweeten this dessert without refined sugars. We used just a small amount as we really enjoy that deep dark chocolate flavor from the cacao powder. You can also use honey if you are not vegan.
If you like your sweets, sweeter, you can increase the amount by a teaspoon or two. We have not tested this recipe with other alternative liquid sweeteners but if you do, please let us know how that goes.
Frozen Fruits of Choice
Firm ripe banana slices, strawberries, pitted cherries, nectarines, and kiwi fruit were all delicious in this recipe. Use whatever fruits you have on hand. However, these Chocolate Covered Frozen Fruit pops with a Homemade Magic Shell would be delicious with FROZEN…
- pineapple
- raspberries
- Mangoes
- peaches
- Blueberries
- blackberries
- grapes
- apples
- or any fruit you desire.
Already prepared frozen mixed fruits at the market work like a charm or you can also use fresh fruits and freeze them. However, melons do not really sound good topped with chocolate, do they?
Toppings
Toppings are totally optional and totally fun! We used finely chopped roasted almonds, desiccated coconut, and a little bit of colored sprinkles for the boys. Maybe you want to garnish with a few crushed Oreo cookies like we did with our Mint Oreo Balls Without Cream Cheese recipe. Now here is where you can get creative with your toppings. Here are just a few ideas.
- Mini chocolate chips
- Freeze dried crushed strawberries
- Crushed graham crackers
- Crushed gluten free cookies
- Finely chopped pecans, pistachios, walnuts, etc.
- Chia seeds
- Finely chopped dried fruits like goji berries, nectarines, cranberries
How to Freeze Fruit?
You can certainly feel free to use already prepared frozen fruit from the market. However, in the summer we love all the fresh seasonal sweet fruit. The way we freeze fruit is to do the following…
- Wash and allow your fruit to dry.
- Line a baking sheet or large plastic Tupperware with lid with parchment or waxed paper.
- Remove pits and seeds. Slice fruits like nectarines, peaches, and plums
- Peel bananas, kiwi, pineapples, papaya, mango, etc.
- Slice fruits into one to 3 bite sized pieces.
- Place the fruits on the lined baking sheet or plastic container in a single layer.
- If you want to make fruit pops, add in a toothpick or skewer into the fruit BEFORE you freeze them.
- Cover with either plastic wrap or the lid for the plastic container.
- Freeze for about 3 hours or overnight.
- If planning on storing the frozen fruit for an extended period, the frozen fruit can be transferred to a sealed freezer bag or even a vacuum sealed bag to prevent freezer burn.
How to Make Chocolate Covered Frozen Fruit?
Are you ready to make this super easy snack or dessert? Let’s go!
- Freeze fruit or use pre-frozen fruit
- Mix coconut oil, Cacao Bliss, and maple syrup to make the liquid chocolate homemade magic shell.
- Dip the frozen fruit in the liquid chocolate sauce.
- Garnish with all kinds of fun toppings.
- Watch the magic happens in seconds as the liquid chocolate sauce turns into a hard crunch chocolate shell when it hits the frozen fruit.
- Enjoy!
Naming Convention
Child Psychology 101. Do not tell your kids these frozen treats are healthy. God forbid, don’t even bring up the fact that they have fruit. Let’s come up with some fun names so they think these are sinful treats that they can only have on a special occasion. Here are some ideas…
- banana popsicles
- chocolate strawberry popsicles
- banana fudge pops
- chocolate banana popsicles
- Frozen banana pops
- banana fudge bombs
- decadent chocolate covered strawberries
- dark extra chocolate candied fruit bombs
- blow your mind fruit pops
- chocolate icy pops
- chocolate covered frozen fruit bites
You get the idea! These are a very special treat!
Hints for Success
The is one of our favorite chocolate covered fruit recipes. Don’t you love the fact that it is so easy to make and is packed with healthy guilt free ingredients. Here are a few things to note to make our Chocolate magic shell frozen fruit successful.
- Use ripe but firm fruit if you are prepping and freezing your own.
- If you want to save time, use already prepared frozen fruit in bags from the grocery store or market.
- Do not refrigerate the homemade magic shell or it will harden. Store at room temperature.
- If your chocolate magic shell gets thick or starts to harden, pop it back in the microwave for just 5 seconds at a time on full power or just until it turns back into a sauce.
- Do not store leftover frozen fruit in the refrigerator or it will turn mushy. Store leftovers covered in the freezer.
Which Fruit is Our Favorite?
That really is a tough question. We really enjoyed all the different frozen fruits. Chocolate covered frozen bananas are probably one of our favorites, especially topped with nuts. Kids seem to love this one maybe because it tastes like ice cream with the creamy texture. However, frozen chocolate covered strawberries is super romantic for a Valentine’s Day, hot date or even a special gathering. Chocolate covered cherries are really the cherry on the top, so sweet and little. Actually, these are quite addictive.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Frozen fruits can last about 6-8 months in the freezer if you are not taking them in and out of the freezer and allowing them to thaw.
Yes, you can. However, you cannot let strawberries completely thaw before you eat them. Strawberries and all other fruits tend to become a little softer if they are frozen and then thawed.
The secret to making homemade magic shell is to use coconut oil or other oil that changes from a liquid state to a solid state when it gets cold. Coconut oil is in a solid state at 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) but melts at around 74 degrees F (23 degrees C). This natural change in coconut oil is what causes the homemade magic shell to harden when it touches something frozen. The fats from the coconut oil solidify and the chocolate gets crunchy.
More Fun Banana Recipes
Gluten-Free Cardamon Banana Pancakes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
Matcha Banana Strawberry Ice Cream Cups
Banana Spring Rolls (Air Fryer Method)
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Chocolate Covered Frozen Fruit (Homemade Magic Shell)
Equipment
- parchment paper or waxed paper
- baking sheet with plastic wrap or covered plastic container
- toothpicks or small skewers
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas or about 1.5 - 2 cups of any fruit desired like strawberries, cherries, nectarines, kiwi, etc.
- 10 small skewers or toothpicks
Homemade Magic Shell
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil we used organic unrefined
- 2 tablespoons Cacao Bliss or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey (increase up to 3 teaspoons, if you like it sweeter)
- toppings for garnish optional (finely chopped nuts, unsweetened shredded coconut, sprinkles, etc.)
Instructions
Use Frozen Fruits or Freeze Your Own
- If using prepared frozen fruit, skip to next step. Convenient pre-packaged frozen fruits like frozen sweet cherries, pineapple slices, strawberries, etc. all work well and save you time. (Just before dipping the frozen fruits into the homemade magic chocolate sauce, place a toothpick or small skewer in each piece so it is easier to dip and eat.)
- Steps to freeze your own fruit…1) Wash and allow your fruit to dry or peel bananas.2) Line a baking sheet or large plastic Tupperware with lid with parchment or waxed paper.3) Remove pits and seeds and slice fruits like nectarines, peaches, and plums4) Peel bananas, kiwi, pineapples, papaya, mango, etc. 5) Slice fruits so they can be eaten in 1 to 3 bites. 6) Place the fruits on the lined baking sheet or plastic container in a single layer.7) If you want to make fruit pops, add in a toothpick or skewer into the fruit BEFORE you freeze them.8) Cover with either plastic wrap or the lid for the plastic container.9) Freeze for about 3 hours or overnight. 10) If planning on storing the frozen fruit for an extended period, the frozen fruit can be transferred to a sealed freezer bag or even a vacuum sealed bag to prevent freezer burn.
Homemade Magic Shell
- Determine how much fruit you will be covering in the homemade magic shell. For example, if you are just going to cover a couple of bananas, you will only need to make a small portion. However, if you want to make enough for about 8-10 guests you will need to make more. Check out our sliding scale below for details. This recipe easy to remember because the ratios are all the same. 1:1 ratio for the coconut oil and Cacao Bliss. 2- 4 servings (2 tablespoons of coconut oil, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of Cacao Bliss or unsweetened cocoa powder)5 - 6 servings (4 tablespoons of coconut oil, 4 teaspoons of maple syrup and 4 tablespoons of Cacao Bliss or unsweetened cocoa powder)8 -10 servings (6 tablespoons of coconut oil, 6 teaspoons of maple syrup and 6 tablespoons of Cacao Bliss or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- If coconut oil is in a solid state, microwave for 15-20 seconds on high just until it melts.
- Add maple syrup or honey to the melted coconut oil.
- Finally, add the Cacao Bliss or unsweetened cocoa powder to the coconut oil and maple syrup and mix with a fork until well combined. Press the fork downward towards in the bowl to remove any lumps. Check out our video in the recipe card below to see how the whole process in completed.
- Drizzle on or dip the frozen fruit in the homemade magic shell.
- Sprinkle on toppings like finely chopped nuts, coconut flakes or sprinkles if desired BEFORE the magic shell hardens.
- Place the chocolate dipped frozen fruit on a parchment paper or waxed paper lined plate or serving platter.
- If you want to store for later, place in the freezer in a covered plastic ware with lid lined with parchment paper or waxed paper so it does not stick.
- Allow the chocolate covered frozen fruit to sit at room temperature for about 10 to15 minutes before eating. This allows the flavors of the fruit and the chocolate to come through. In addition, it is better for your teeth. (smiling) Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- pineapple
- raspberries
- Mangoes
- peaches
- Blueberries
- blackberries
- grapes
- apples
- or any fruit you desire.
- Mini chocolate chips
- Freeze dried crushed strawberries
- Crushed graham crackers
- Crushed gluten free cookies
- Finely chopped pecans, pistachios, walnuts, etc.
- Chia seeds
- Finely chopped dried fruits like goji berries, nectarines, cranberries
Kevin says
Looks great!!!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much!
Carla says
I guess I can make these ahead of time and then pull them out and look like an entertaining diva
Lynn Fenby says
This is a DELICIOUS treat! What a BEAUTIFUL presentation!!! Truly, a yummy dessert.....I am quite sure that this is the only way that fruit should be served. Ever.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Lynn. We can't even fruit unless it has been dipped in chocolate now. We are totally spoiled.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Wow, I wish I had an after school snack like these when I was growing up. 😊
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Karen, us too! Maybe the grandkids can enjoy the things we did not.
Balvinder says
This is such a fun idea and they would definitely be loved by people of all ages.
HWC Magazine says
We must admit, the adults really enjoyed testing and quality assurance process... (smiling) Stay well and take care
Jimmy G says
Can believe only three parts! Simple for the grandkids
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Jimmy. A great one for the grandkids as there is nothing to cook or hot so its a safe and fun activity for them.
Abbe says
Chocolate covered goodness in my opinion! Who can resist anything with a magic chocolate shell? Certainly not me!
HWC Magazine says
We are right there with you on that. These little chocolate treats are irresistible. Thank goodness they are little healthier compared to melted chocolate as we have been doing our fair share of recipe quality assurance. Take care
mjskitchen says
What fun this is! I would love to have my nieces over and do this with them. They would have a blast.
HWC Magazine says
Great idea MJ! No baking required so it is a really fun and safe recipe dessert idea to do with the kids. Wishing you a super week ahead.
Eha says
Am not a snack type of person but have certainly enjoyed strawberries dipped in melted chocolate . . . don't think they were frozen tho' ?! Beautiful to look at and different and fun !!! Shall try but with ordinary cacao or chocolate methinks - have just googled your 'bliss' - yes, it is available at quite a few places from $A 58- 72 per packet ! well, perchance 'no; to that 🙂 !
HWC Magazine says
Hi there Eha! Thank you, these chocolate fruits have been a huge hit with the kids and the adults too. Everything on a stick is a little more fun, right? As you know, we are not big on super sweet desserts but these are naturally sweet and that is a very good thing. You can certainly exchange with unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe as well. Hope you are staying well.
Hannah says
Well now those are just little bites of heaven! I remember when Trader Joe's sold the chocolate dipped banana coins they were such a big hit. These are so similar, but healthier and cheaper. What's not to love about that? 🙂
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Hannah! Yes, these little chocolate covered frozen fruits are very similar but the best part is that you can use any fruit you desire and you get that extra bonus from all the delicious superfoods in the Cacao Bliss. Stay cool and take care on these hot and steamy days.
Chef Mimi says
What fun! forget the kids, I want these.
HWC Magazine says
You got that right! During the several batches we have made during the recipe testing process, we have certainly been thoroughly enjoying the quality assurance process. (smiling) Thank you and take care
Heidi | The Frugal Girls says
Your presentation is so beautiful. These little bite sized delights would create such a fabulous party appetizer!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Heidi. These little chocolate covered frozen fruit are liked as much by the adults as the kids. Everything is always more fun on a stick, right?
John / Kitchen Riffs says
These look great -- loads of flavor, pretty easy to make. And also pretty healthy. Perfect. 🙂 Thanks!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks John! As you know we are pretty big on quality assurance, so we have managed to eat quite a few in the last several days and will be sad when they are all gone. Thanks goodness these chocolate covered frozen fruit are so easy to whip together.
Anonymous says
Look like Morrel Mushrooms
Shelley Fredman says
The first time we saw these was at Tanabata festival in Japan. They are delicious. Thanks for showing how to create these fun summer treats for ALL ages.
Anonymous says
Shelley, I miss Japan so very much. I am sure that my banana Popsicles are not as beautiful as the ones at the Tanabata festival but we sure had fun making them. Thank goodness I tried one before I set them out as a treat as they were demolished. Take care