Inspired by rocky road ice cream- rocky road brownies! This recipe takes the classic ice cream to a whole new level with fudgy brownies, almonds, and gooey marshmallows baked on top. Easy to make in one bowl in less than one hour!
Confession time- I never actually tried rocky road until about a year ago; crazy right?! Although, I knew once I tried it that I needed to develop these rocky road brownies.
The base of these brownies is my s'mores bars, which is one of my favorite recipes for summer! The gooey marshmallow layer is baked onto the brownies, then sprinkled with more almonds and even more melted chocolate.
If you love creative brownie recipes, you must try my popular Pretzel Brownies, Pecan Brownies, and Cheesecake Brownies.
Jump to:
why you'll love these rocky road brownies
- These brownies taste just like rocky road ice cream (minus the ice cream) in brownie form! Although I highly recommend serving them with a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream on top while they're still warm!
- This recipe requires less than 10 ingredients and can be made in one bowl, no stand mixer is required. It's very similar to my mint brownies!
ingredient notes & substitutions
Mini marshmallows: I tested these rocky road brownies with both mini marshmallows and large marshmallows, and found that the mini ones work best.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: You can use dark chocolate chips instead. I don't recommend using white or milk chocolate chips because they will make the brownies too sweet.
Espresso powder: While optional, this ingredient intensifies the chocolate flavor, like in my espresso brownies! My favorite brand is King Arthur Espresso Powder.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder: This recipe calls for unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor. You can substitute it with regular cocoa powder if needed.
variations
Feel free to substitute the almonds with your favorite nuts like walnuts, peanuts, or a combination. You can also top them with homemade marshmallows!
recipe instructions
Line a metal square 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper on all four sides. Then preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
Step 1: Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract together until combined.
Step 2: Stream in the chocolate mixture. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the melted butter and chocolate chips into the bowl. Mix until just combined.
Step 3: Fold in the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt until just combined.
Step 4: Bake! Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the chopped almonds over the top. Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 33-40 minutes.
Step 5: Add the marshmallows. Pull the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the miniature marshmallows over the top of the brownies. Return to the oven and bake for 2 minutes longer (watch them carefully!) until they look puffy and lightly golden brown.
Alternatively, use a kitchen torch (my preferred way!) to lightly toast the marshmallows.
Step 6: Cool and cut. Cool the pan of brownies on a wire rack until completely cool before cutting. Drizzle them with melted chocolate and more sliced almonds if desired.
Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy your rocky road brownies!
expert baking tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card. If you do not have a scale, use a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup.
- Cut when cool. I know it's impossible to wait, but the brownies will fall apart if cut into when still warm.
- Enjoy warm. I think all brownies are better served warm! Once cut, gently warm them in the microwave and serve with ice cream if desired for the ultimate treat.
- Use a metal pan. Glass or ceramic pans retain heat differently and will need to bake at a different temperature or will need the bake time adjusted.
storage & freezing
Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
You can freeze the baked brownies in an airtight container for up to 1 month!
recipe faqs
Rocky Road ice cream is a chocolate-based ice cream that is packed with marshmallows pieces and almonds!
Definitely! 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 baking and mixing.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but I often hear readers have success using a 1:1 ratio like Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour!
Run a sharp knife under hot water then liberally spray or oil it (canola oil works best). In between cuts, run the knife under hot water and wipe it clean before re-oiling it. This should keep the marshmallows from sticking to the knife!
other brownie recipes you'll love
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below, 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!
Recipe 📖
Rocky Road Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- â…” cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour *see notes below for measuring*
- ¼ cup unsweetened dutch cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 10 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup + ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted) for drizzling
Instructions
- Line a metal square 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper on all four sides. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.⅔ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened dutch cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Melt the chocolate chips and butter together until smooth.10 tablespoon unsalted butter, ⅔ cup + ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined. Stream the melted butter and chocolate into the bowl, whisking constantly until just combined.½ cup light or dark brown sugar packed, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fold the dry ingredients into the batter until just combined. Then pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the almonds over the top. Bake for 33-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. In my oven, 35 minutes is perfect!½ cup chopped almonds
- Take the pan out of the oven and cover the top with the mini marshmallows. Return the pan to the oven for about 2 minutes, until the marshmallows are puffy and lightly golden brown. You can also use a kitchen torch, which is my preferred way!1 cup mini marshmallows
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with more almonds and mini marshmallows if desired.semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted)
- For clean cuts, liberally spray or oil a sharp knife. In between cuts, run the knife under hot water and wipe it clean. Re-oil it before the next cut. This will help keep the marshmallows from sticking to the knife!
- Enjoy your rocky road brownies with a scoop of ice cream!
Debbie says
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! 🙂
Lisa M. says
AMAZING! Everyone loved these brownies and they tasted just like rocky road. Such an easy recipe to make, these are definitely going to be made again soon!!