Rocky Road
intro
Rich, fudgy no-bake treat loaded with crunchy nuts, soft marshmallows, and chewy graham crackers, coated in smooth chocolate for a crowd-pleasing sweet bite.
Ingredients
Steps
Line a 20cm (8-inch) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 5cm (2-inch) overhang on two opposite sides for easy removal once set; set the prepared pan aside at room temperature.
Set up a double boiler by filling a small saucepan with 5cm (2 inches) of water, and bring it to a gentle simmer over low heat (no rolling boil). Place a heatproof glass bowl over the pan, ensuring the bowl’s bottom does not touch the water. Add the chopped chocolate, butter, and golden syrup to the bowl, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula for 3-4 minutes until fully melted and completely smooth. Remove the bowl from heat immediately, then stir in the vanilla extract.
Let the melted chocolate mixture cool for 5 minutes at room temperature, stirring once halfway through, until it reaches 43°C (110°F). It should feel warm, not hot, to the touch to prevent melting the marshmallows added in later steps.
Add the mini marshmallows, chopped roasted peanuts, and broken graham cracker chunks to the cooled chocolate. Stir thoroughly with a silicone spatula for 1-2 minutes until every marshmallow, nut piece, and cracker chunk is fully and evenly coated in chocolate, with no dry patches remaining.
Scrape the entire rocky road mixture into the prepared parchment-lined pan. Use the back of a clean silicone spatula to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan, creating a flat, compact 2.5cm (1-inch) thick slab with no large air gaps. Take care not to press so hard that marshmallows are squished out of shape.
Place the uncovered pan in the refrigerator for 2 full hours, until the chocolate is completely firm to the touch with no give when you press the center lightly. Do not chill in the freezer, as rapid temperature change can cause chocolate bloom (white powdery streaks on the surface).
Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire set rocky road slab out of the pan and transfer it to a wooden cutting board. Peel the parchment away from the slab edges, then use a sharp knife (warmed by running under hot water and wiped dry between cuts) to slice the slab into 12 even 5cm (2-inch) square pieces.
Tips
2.Skip the freezer to speed up setting time: freezing causes chocolate to develop unappetizing white, powdery cocoa butter bloom on the surface, and can make marshmallows tough.
3.Swap add-ins to match your taste: replace peanuts with toasted almonds or walnuts, add 50g dried cranberries for a tangy pop, or mix in 50g chopped soft caramel pieces for extra richness.
OMG this rocky road is SO good!!! I brought it to our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and every single piece was gone in 10 minutes. I used extra mini marshmallows and threw in some crushed pretzels for a salty kick, total game changer. So easy even my 10 year old could help make it, no fancy equipment needed!
My kids went absolutely crazy for this! I’ve made no bake treats before that turned out rock hard or too sticky, but this texture was perfect — chewy, crunchy, not too sweet. The 2 hour chill time is so manageable too, I didn’t have to wait half a day to eat it lol. Will be adding this to our regular weekend treat rotation!
Super solid base recipe! I swapped the milk chocolate for dark chocolate (70% cacao) because that’s what I had in the pantry, added some dried cranberries instead of raisins, and it turned out chef’s kiss. No fuss, zero oven time which is perfect for these brutal Arizona summer days when I don’t want to heat up the whole house.
Made this for our office potluck yesterday and I’ve already had 3 coworkers text me for the recipe! Only note: I let it chill a little longer than 2 hours because I ran errands and lost track of time, and it was totally fine. The rocky road didn’t get too hard at all even with an extra 90 minutes in the fridge.
This is the perfect dorm recipe! No oven needed, only a handful of ingredients, I made it in my mini fridge and it turned out amazing. I used cheap generic chocolate chips from the campus convenience store, leftover mini marshmallows from s’mores night, and crushed up some peanuts I had stashed. 10/10 would make again for late night study sessions.
So happy this recipe is naturally gluten free as long as you use GF chocolate and check your marshmallow labels! I made it for my niece’s birthday party since she has celiac, and none of the other kids even realized it was GF. The only swap I made was using GF rice cereal instead of regular graham crackers, worked like a charm.
Uh oh, I think I messed mine up? My chocolate seized up a little when I was melting it, so the texture is a little grainy. It still tastes fine, just not as smooth as the pictures look. Any tips for next time so I don’t do that? I was melting it in the microwave in 30 second bursts like the recipe said, maybe I overdid it?
I make rocky road every Christmas for cookie tins, and this is hands down the best base recipe I’ve ever tried. I add red and green mini M&Ms, crushed candy canes, and a little extra vanilla, and it’s the most popular thing in my tins every year. People always say it tastes better than the fancy bakery version!
Love that I can make a big batch of this on Sunday and keep it in the fridge for quick little treats all week! It holds up so well for 4-5 days without getting weird, which is perfect for when I need a little sweet pick me up after work. I portion mine into little bite sized squares so I don’t eat the whole pan in one sitting lol.
Great recipe! I swapped the peanuts for roasted almonds because my youngest has a peanut allergy, and it turned out incredible. It’s so nice to have an easy treat recipe that’s simple to adapt for food allergies without sacrificing any flavor. My whole family devoured half the pan before it was even done chilling fully.
Is there a way to make this without dairy? My daughter is vegan and I want to make this for her graduation party next weekend. I was thinking of using vegan chocolate chips and coconut oil instead of butter, but I wasn’t sure if the ratios would be the same!
Dude, how did I not know how easy rocky road is to make? I always thought it was some fancy candy you had to buy at the store, but this took me 20 minutes tops to throw together. I threw in some chopped up Reese’s cups because I had them left over from Halloween, and it was insane. 10/10, will be making this monthly.
This was perfect for our church potluck last Sunday! I added a handful of toasted pecans instead of peanuts for a little southern twist, and everyone was raving about it. The best part is I didn’t have to turn my oven on in 90 degree Georgia heat, which is a total win in my book.
Total lifesaver for last minute school bake sale! I forgot I signed up to bring treats until 2 hours before I had to be at the school, and this came together so fast. I grabbed all the ingredients from the grocery store on the way home, threw it together in 20 minutes, popped it in the fridge, and it was perfectly set by the time I had to leave. Sold out in 5 minutes at the sale!
Tastes exactly like the rocky road I used to get from the old school candy shop downtown when I was a kid! I used a mix of milk and dark chocolate, added extra walnuts, and used those big fluffy homemade style marshmallows instead of mini ones, and the texture was out of this world. So nostalgic and delicious.
Quick question! I want to make this for a friend’s birthday, but I don’t have a square baking pan. Can I use a 9x13 rectangle pan instead? I’m worried it will be too thin if I spread it out that much, or do I need to double the recipe?
Perfect trail snack! I cut this into extra thick chunks, wrapped them individually in parchment paper, and brought them on my weekend backpacking trip. They held up really well in my pack even when it was a little warm out, gave me the perfect sugar and protein boost on the trails. Way better than store bought energy bars!