When the chocolate craving strikes you are going to want to make sure you have this decadent brownie recipe! Make these Peppermint Frosted Brownie Cookies, when you want some mint. Or try Bailey’s Irish cream Chocolate Chip Cookies with a hint of cocoa right in the batter. A family favorite are these Nutella Oreo Truffles, which can be decorated any way you like them.
Rocky Road Brownie Recipe
Yes, you read that correctly! This rocky road brownie recipe has triple the chocolate. That means triple the flavor, right? There are even TWO types of chocolate chips in this recipe, dark chocolate and semi-sweet. I mean, this recipe takes brownies to a whole new level!
Mix up all the ingredients for the fudgiest brownies and then bake them for a bit. Here comes the fun part, adding on all of the decadence. Gooey marshmallows get mixed in with fresh peanuts and chocolate chips and that gets plopped on top. And why stop there?
Drizzle on even. more. chocolate!! Yay!! This is going to make your mouth do a happy dance.
Triple Chocolate Brownies
I am sure you have heard of Rocky Road ice cream. Cold, creamy chocolate ice cream that is swirled with miniature marshmallows (YES!) and chopped up almonds.
As a kid I definitely ate my fair share of rocky road! When I first heard that there was marshmallows in the ice cream, I was SOLD. I have discussed my love of marshmallows in the past like in this Lucky Charms Bars recipe. They are also good in these peanut butter s’mores cookies and no bake s’mores.
And these Fluffernutter Cookies, which are THE fluffiest peanut butter cookies sandwiched around fluffy marshmallow frosting. These are sooo good that my hubs said they may replace his favorite dessert which is BROWNIES. Needless to say, I was shook!
Another reason I wanted to make Julie’s Triple Chocolate Rocky Road Brownies is because brownies are my husbands favorite dessert…I think?? He’ll eat them either way and so will the kids!
Why Make Rocky Road Brownies?
- To fulfill that chocolate craving.
- They are delicious and your family is going to love them!
- Easily doubles to take to a picnic or potluck to feed a crowd.
- These are fun and messy.
How did Rocky Road get its Name?
It is said that William Dreyer (yes, the man behind Dreyer’s ice cream) moved to the United States from Germany in 1906. From New York he moved to California, where he opened an ice cream shop in the town I actually grew up in, Visalia, Ca!
Apparently, one day in 1929 he cut up some walnuts and marshmallows and threw them into his chocolate ice cream. He called it “Rocky Road” because the stock market had just recently crashed and was making life, well, rocky! He had hoped that this flavor would bring some joy to people.
Rocky Road Brownies Ingredients
Here are all of the ingredients you need to make each portion of this rocky road brownie recipe. It’s basically three different layers of deliciousness.
Brownie Batter Ingredients
- Flour: All purpose flour.
- Cocoa Powder: Make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder, if sugar is added to it the brownies will come out way too sweet.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar.
- Salt: I like to use fine sea salt, if you use table salt you may need to cut it back to 1/8 tsp or it may be too salty.
- Butter: Unsalted butter that has been melted.
- Eggs: Use large eggs in this recipe.
- Vanilla: You want real vanilla extract for this recipe and not imitation vanilla flavor.
- Chocolate Chips: Dark chocolate chips (or chunks) go into the brownie mixture.
Rocky Road Brownie Topping Ingredients
- Mini Marshmallows: You will need about 5 ounces or 2 cups of mini marshmallows.
- Peanuts: I like that Julie uses peanuts in this recipe, it gives the brownies a peanut butter chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are used in this layer.
Chocolate Drizzle Ingredients
- Butter: Unsalted butter that has been melted, but slightly cooled.
- Powdered Sugar: Sift if the powdered sugar has a lot of hard clumps.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Whipping Cream: You can also use half and half or milk.
How to Make Rocky Road Brownies
- Preheat the oven. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Mix in melted butter, eggs, and vanilla, combining until smooth.
- Gently fold in chocolate chips and pour into the prepared 8×8 pan.
- Bake brownies. Then pull out of oven.
- Cover the top with mini marshmallows, nuts, and chocolate chips.
- Bake for a few more minutes to melt the marshmallows.
- In a small bowl mix all ingredients for the drizzle together. Add it to a zip bag and cut a tiny bit off the corner or piping bag with a little cut off the tip. Drizzle over warm brownies.
- Let cool before cutting.
Can I Make Rocky Road Brownies from a Box Mix?
I like to make baked goods from scratch, but also like to have a good cheater recipe, too. So, I wanted to include a short cut recipe in case you are in a hurry.
- Using a 16 ounce box of brownie mix, make according to the package directions adding in the 1/3 cup of chocolate chips.
- Cook the brownies according to the package.
- Top with the the topping ingredients and bake for 4-6 minutes.
- Mix the topping ingredients and drizzle the chocolate onto warm brownies.
How to Apply the Chocolate Drizzle
I like to either use a zip bag that has a little of a corner cut off or a piping bag with the tip cut off. Before cutting the bag, fill with the chocolate topping, then snip a little off the bag. Drizzle across the top of the brownies horizontally and then vertically. You could also use a fork or spoon dipped in the chocolate and then drizzle across.
How to Cut Rocky Road Brownies
The best time to cut brownies is once they have completely cooled. Run a very sharp knife under hot water and dry it, then slice into brownies. Once knife gets too goopy, repeat the process of running it under hot water and drying it. Then cutting again.
Tips to Make the Best Rocky Road Brownies
- Always hand mix the brownie batter. After combining the dry ingredients with a whisk, you can switch to a wooden spoon to mix the wet ingredients into the dry.
- Don’t over mix ingredients. Only mix until the flour disappears. This will ensure that the batter doesn’t get over mixed.
- Good quality ingredients. Using good quality ingredients will ensure you get the best brownies.
- Use boxed brownies. If you are in a hurry, you can use a box mix to make the brownies. I included the directions above.
- These brownies are RICH. A small square might not look like that much, but they are quite rich.
- Make a double batch. Easily double the ingredients to make a double batch of this brownie recipe. Bake in a 9×13 pan.
- Eat them warm. Reheat brownies in microwave for a few seconds for a warm treat.
Rocky Road Brownie Variations
- Use different nuts. I use peanuts in this brownie recipe, but you could use chopped up almonds, cashews, pecans, or hazelnuts.
- Make your own marshmallows. It would be fun to put your own homemade marshmallows into these nut brownies.
- Add caramel. You could make rocky road brownies with caramel, you can make your own caramel or buy the pre-jarred stuff. Drizzle it on with the chocolate drizzle or on its own.
- Use different chocolate chips. Instead of using dark chocolate chips and semi sweet chocolate chips you can use different flavors like white chocolate or even butterscotch or a combination of any of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these rocky road brownies dairy free? No, I do not recommend making these brownies without dairy.
Can I make these rocky road brownies gluten free? Although I have not tried making these brownies gluten free, they may work with a gluten free flour. If you try it let me know how it turns out.
Rocky Road Brownie Storage Instructions
How to store brownies? Let the brownies cool and put in an air tight container. They should last about 2-3 days at room temperature. Storing them in the refrigerator can make them dry out.
Can you freeze rocky road brownies? I don’t recommend freezing these brownies.
Freaky Friday
Hooray, it’s Freaky Friday (my favorite Friday)! If you are wondering what I am talking about, Freaky Friday is a blog hop that happens every quarter that was created by Michaela from An Affair From the Heart. You HAVE to go check out her blog, she has got some of the best recipes and is a just a great person!
For this quarter, I was randomly assigned to Julie’s Blog, Hostess at Heart. I had a blast looking over Julie’s blog, she has an abundance of delicious recipes. Some of the ones that caught my eye were these Overnight Brioche Cinnamon Roll and this Baked Blackened Shrimp Recipe. Her adoration for entertaining and cooking for her family and friends really shines through.
See all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Spring Edition Recipes
Hosted by – An Affair from the Heart
- An Affair from the Heart – Blueberry Lemon Pull-Apart Bread
- Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Baked Asparagus with Parmesan
- The Carefree Kitchen – Carrot Cake
- The Culinary Compass – Dunkaroo Dip Recipe
- Devour Dinner –Fruit Charcuterie Board
- Family Around the Table – Fresh Strawberry Milkshake
- Feast + West – Frozen Grasshopper Martini
- Home Cooked Harvest – Rocky Road Brownies
- Hostess at Heart – Honey Bun Cake
- Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog –Homemade Sour Cream Funfetti Cupcakes
- Off the Eaten Path – Beer Margarita Recipe
- The Speckled Palate – Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bourbon and Walnuts
- Sue Bee Homemaker – No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
- Take Two Tapas – Crab Dip
- The Wimpy Vegetarian – Texas Trash Dip Warm Bean Dip
Try these other sweet recipes!
- Air Fryer Chocolate Frosted Biscuit Donuts
- Bakery Style Strawberry Muffins
- No Churn Butterfinger Ice Cream
- Homemade Apple Crumble
- Cream Cheese Bars
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes.
NEVER MISS A RECIPE!
Follow me on social for more recipe ideas & inspiration!
PINTEREST / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM
Rocky Road Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownie Layer
- 1 cup sugar, granulated
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, measured and sifted
- 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour, spoon and level technique
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Marshmallow Topping
- 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Drizzle
- 1/4 cup butter, melted, slightly cooled
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon whipping cream, half and half or milk can be substituted
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with non-stick cooking spray.
-
In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
-
Mix in melted butter, eggs, and vanilla, combining until smooth.
-
Gently fold in chocolate chips and pour into the prepared 8×8 pan.
-
Bake for 30 minutes. Then remove from oven and top with the mini marshmallows, nuts, and chocolate chips.
-
Bake 4 to 6 minutes just to melt the marshmallows.
-
In a small bowl mix together the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and whipping cream. Add it to a zip bag and cut a tiny bit off the corner or piping bag with a little cut off the tip. Drizzle over warm brownies. Let cool before cutting.
Recipe Notes
- Always hand mix the brownie batter. After combining the dry ingredients with a whisk, switch to a wooden spoon to mix the wet ingredients into the dry.
- Don’t over mix ingredients. Only mix until the flour disappears. This will ensure that the batter doesn’t get over mixed.
- Good quality ingredients. Using good quality ingredients will ensure you get the best brownies.
- Use boxed brownies. If you are in a hurry, you can use a box mix to make the brownies. I included the directions above.
- These brownies are RICH. A small square might not look like that much, but they are quite rich.
- Make a double batch. Easily double the ingredients to make a double batch of this brownie recipe. Bake in a 9×13 pan.
- Eat them warm. Reheat brownies in microwave for a few seconds for a warm treat.
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Nutrition Information
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out!
If you’ve tried this or any other of my recipes, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and leave me a comment. I love hearing from you! Share a picture on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookedharvest.
Leave a Reply