We’re taking the classic Rocky Road ice cream to another level- rocky road brownies! Layers of fudgy brownie, gooey marshmallows, and almond ganache- they’re made in one bowl with no mixer in less than one hour!
After working as a pastry chef, I’m always dreaming up new ways to enjoy classic favorites, and Rocky Road just happened to find its way into my freezer for inspo!
Just like my s’mores brownies, these rocky road brownies were made for summer barbeques, holidays, or as a weeknight treat. They feature everything you love about the ice cream- rich chocolate flavor, squishy marshmallows, and crunchy almonds, but in brownie form.
Serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or Rocky Road!), and enjoy them all season long!
Table of Contents
Tips for Baking This Brownie Recipe
Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is my #1 baking tip! If your brownies are coming out dry and crumbly, it’s likely you’re using too much flour.
Chill before cutting. The almond ganache layer will be soft and chewy at room temperature, but this makes cutting them into clean squares difficult! Chilling the brownies in the fridge for one hour sets the ganache so they are easy to cut.
Use a metal baking pan. Glass and ceramic pans retain heat differently and will take longer to bake. For an accurate bake time, I highly recommend using a metal pan!
Enjoy with ice cream. For the ultimate Rocky Road experience, serve each brownie with a scoop of vanilla, chocolate, or Rocky Road ice cream!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows are best since they are the perfect size to melt quickly without browning! If you only have large marshmallows, try and cut them into smaller pieces. This will yield a super gooey marshmallow layer.
Chocolate chips: I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips for the perfect amount of sweetness. You can also use bittersweet or dark chocolate chips for a less sweet flavor.
Cocoa powder: For a rich chocolate flavor like my marble brownies, use Dutch-processed cocoa powder like Ghiradelli. You can substitute it with regular cocoa powder if needed.
Almonds: For that classic Rocky Road flavor, we’re using chopped almonds for an added crunchy texture! Feel free to substitute the almonds with walnuts or peanuts or leave them out entirely.
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Stream in the chocolate mixture. Slowly stream in the melted butter and chocolate mixture, whisking until combined.
Step 3: Fold in the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour and salt. Don’t overmix, or the brownies will have a tough texture!
Step 4: Bake! Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Once baked, spread the mini marshmallows over the top and return the pan to the oven for 3 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
Step 5: Make the almond ganache. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate chips, stirring to combine. Then, stir in the chopped almonds. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then gently spread on top of the marshmallows.
Step 6: Cool and cut. Set the pan aside to finish cooling completely. Then, chill the pan in the fridge for 1 hour.
For clean slices, use a sharp knife, wiping it clean in between cuts, to cut the brownies into 9-16 squares.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Store leftover brownies in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature.
Freezing: You can freeze the leftovers in an airtight container or freezer bag for 1-2 weeks. Note that after some time, the marshmallow may not be as gooey!
FAQs
Rocky Road ice cream is a chocolate-based ice cream that is packed with marshmallows pieces and almonds.
Yes, I recommend cutting them into 4-5 smaller pieces, and they should melt just like the mini ones.
Yes! Follow the instructions on the box for mixing and baking.
Let the pan chill in the fridge until the ganache is set. Then use a sharp knife, wiping it clean between cuts, to cut the slab into squares.
More Brownie Recipes
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Rocky Road Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
Almond Ganache
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup chopped raw almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180 C. Prepare an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper to cover all four sides.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate chips, stirring every 20-30 seconds, until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder, then set aside.10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (156 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla.1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 2 (100 g) large eggs, 1 (18 g) large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stream the melted chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Then, fold in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips.2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (90 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/3 cup (63 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Spread the mini marshmallows on top and return the pan to the oven for 3 minutes.3 cups (140 g) mini marshmallows
- Then let the pan cool on a wire rack while you make the almond ganache.
- Heat the cream until almost boiling, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Wait 1 minute, then stir to combine. Once smooth, stir in the chopped almonds. Allow to cool for 3 minutes, then gently spread it over the top of the marshmallows. Let the brownies finish cooling at room temperature, then chill in the fridge for 1 hour before cutting to make them easier to slice.4 tablespoons (47 g) heavy cream, 3/4 cup (129 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 3/4 cup (100 g) chopped raw almonds
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
i love that the brownies are rich and chocolate-y. i cut back some on the sugar, and i could have easily cut back even more. my biggest complaint is that the brownies retain so much moisture they turn to mush the day after baking them and basically taste like eating brownie batter. i love me a soft, moist brownie, but i don’t want to feel like i’m eating batter.
Hi Lumi, it sounds like they were most likely underbaked! Try baking them 5+ minutes longer.
this is weird, i gave this recipe 3 stars, but i see it was changed to 4…
unfortunately, the brownies were not underbaked. i poked them with a toothpick to check for done-ness. i ate them the first night and they were just fine. they turned soft and mushy by the next evening, about 24 hours later.
Lumi, you also mentioned changing the recipe by decreasing the sugar. The problem with that is that the sugar plays an important role of retaining moisture. Because you decreased it, that is likely the reason this happened if they were baked correctly.
Hi!
Great Recipe! I 1st made this in college decades ago and lost the recipe. Thanks to you I have it again. My friend told me this was called “Rocky Road.” So all these years I thought it included brownies… not fudge or ice cream. (Just sharing another reason in which I couldn’t find the exact recipe. lol!)
I’m originally from southeast Louisiana, so I did make an exchange, so they would turn out as I remembered. I used pecans instead of peanuts. Also I used a little extra melted chocolate, marshmallows and pecans, so that I could have almost 2 layers of marshmallows, pecans and chocolate. Just enough to make it look a little more bumpy.
*Now I want to share what my daughters, grandmother on their father’s side did. (She’s a very good cook!) She was out of mini marshmallows one time she made this but came up with a n excellent solution. She had regular size marshmallows and new they wouldn’t melt properly due to size. So she cut up each marshmallow into 4 to 6 pieces. A few marshmallows were a little fluffier and ended up being cut into 6 pieces. Anyway, it turned out fine and no one knew she used large marshmallows. They melted just fine. She did use a little powdered sugar to keep the big marshmallows from sticking to the knife. I believe a little butter would also do the same. And I hope this helps people that are in the same situation, so they don’t have to make a mad dash to the grocery store, just for mini marshmallows. As for the huge campfire marshmallows for s’mores, I believe you could use them too, as long as you cut them into 6 or 8 pieces… But at that point, I’d make a run to store. lol!
Happy Baking! 🙂