The Chocolatey Dairy Queen Hack To Get A Crunchy Bite Every Time

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There's a bunch of discontinued Dairy Queen Blizzard flavors that we wish would make a comeback, but, in the meantime, we're forever daydreaming about ways to make our DQ frozen treats even better ... keeping in mind that the ingredients of Dairy Queen soft serve disqualify it from being actual, factual "ice cream." It's a truth universally acknowledged that a person with a sweet tooth in possession of a Blizzard must be in want of more and more mix-ins, whether you indulge in Mint Oreo or Choco Brownie Extreme. To that end, we're obsessing over the DQ hack making the rounds on social media, in which customers request side orders of the chocolate shell topping that DQ uses on its chocolate-dipped cones. With this in hand, customers can dip each spoonful of Blizzard in the cup and coat it in crunchy chocolate. Some even ask for the chocolate shell to be swirled as an additional topping inside their Blizzards!

Chocolate shell mix may seem like it's magic, but it's really just a combination of chocolate and coconut oil. If you understand what it means to temper chocolate, you know that can be a finicky process. On the other hand, the coconut oil in a chocolate shell goes solid when it comes into contact with something cold (like Dairy Queen soft serve) and quickly transforms into a hard outer layer. This means that you can encase every bite of your Blizzard in a crunchy chocolate coating, adding texture and cocoa goodness to your dessert!

While some social media clips have shown enthusiastic guests ordering different types of soft serve dips to achieve this hack (like strawberry and confetti cake flavors), as of this writing, Dairy Queen only offers the chocolate shell. If you are lucky enough to find other varieties in the wild due to differences in time or availability, feel free to seize upon the opportunity! 

Anecdotally, it seems that the price you pay for your side of chocolate shell will vary by store, with some franchises charging less than a dollar for a small condiment cup of chocolatey goodness. We've heard of ambitious customers requesting whole bags of the topping, but while we commend the audacity, we can't help but think that may lessen your chances of success. There are scattered reports of Dairy Queen locations being unwilling to sell it at all, which is a bummer. As is the case with all drive-thru special requests, being nice to employees is always a good tactic (and you should probably keep more labor-intensive special requests off the table during busy hours).

Of course, it's easy enough to purchase your very own "magic shell" products at the grocery store — Amazon even sells a three-pack of Hershey's chocolate, Reese's peanut butter, and Heath toffee flavors — or make your own with some high-quality food-grade coconut oil and a little patience. Neither of these alternatives is as convenient as Dairy Queen supplying the goods, but you will still experience the delight of adding extra chocolate magic to your Blizzard.