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Home - Bars

Published: May 11, 2016 · Modified: May 10, 2023 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

Rocky Road Brownies

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All our dreams have come true in the form of a brownie piled high with nuts, toasted marshmallows, and ice cream. These rocky road brownies will be a new favorite weekend dessert. 

Overhead photo of brownies in pan topped with toasted marshmallows and nuts

Why you'll love it

Rocky road brownies are a type of chocolate brownie that has nuts and marshmallows. They are great because they combine the rich, chocolatey goodness of brownies with the crunchiness of nuts and the softness of marshmallows, creating a delicious and satisfying dessert.

Baking them in a skillet instead of a pan creates a crispy, caramelized edge and a fudgy, gooey center. The skillet allows for better heat distribution and retention, which results in a more even and consistent bake. Additionally, serving the brownies in a skillet adds a rustic and charming touch, making it a visually appealing dessert, especially when you top with some ice cream!

That being said, you can bake these in a regular baking pan and they will come out delicious that way, too! I recommend a square baking pan that is 9 x 9 big.

Brief rocky road history

The popular form of rocky road is the ice cream which was created by William Dreyer, of Dreyer’s Ice Cream. It was debuted in Oakland, CA in 1929 during the Great Depression as a way to cheer people up. It was actually inspired by a brownie-like dessert that originated in Australia.

The name itself has two alleged inspirations. It is inspired by the rocky and bumpy road construction projects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The phrase "rocky road" is also used to describe any difficult or rough journey, and it's thought that the dessert, with its combination of crunchy nuts and soft marshmallows, was named after this concept of a challenging and uneven path which makes sense as a Great Depression dessert.

Pan of rocky road brownies with nuts and toasted marshmallows topped with ice cream

Ingredient overview

You only need a few basic ingredients to make this recipe, chances are that you have all or at least most of the ingredients already. Here are some of the important ingredients you need to know about. The full list of ingredients and their amounts are in the recipe card below.

  • Flour - All-purpose flour works best in this recipe, but white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour are also great to use if you want to add a bit more wholesomeness. The whole wheat can also add to the texture of the final brownie.
  • Cocoa powder - You can use either natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder, however I am a fan of using natural cocoa powder in this particular brownie.
  • Chocolate - For a super fudgy brownie, we use a lot of chocolate. I prefer to use a blend of dark and semi-sweet chocolate for the best flavor that isn't too sweet. I do not recommend milk chocolate as it can end up being too sweet when we add everything else.
  • Sugar - This recipe calls for granulated sugar, but you can use brown sugar if you want to add more depth.
  • Nuts - You can use any nuts you have around here. I like using peanuts, walnuts, and/or almonds.

How to make

Making your rocky road brownies is so easy to do. If you are making them in a skillet, it makes the process even easier.

  1. Melt the chocolate and the butter together on low and allow it to cool so it is warm to the touch.
  2. Add in the sugar and whip until it fully incorporates.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well-combined.
  4. Add in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder and stir until just combined.
  5. Bake, then top with the nuts and marshmallows, plus any other toppings you'd like!

Brownie toppings

Along with the nuts and marshmallows, there are many other ways you can enhance your rocky road brownies.

  • Add chocolate chips or a chocolate drizzle.
  • Drizzle a tasty salted caramel sauce or peanut butter hot fudge.
  • Instead of using vanilla marshmallows, you can mix it up with strawberry marshmallows or chocolate marshmallows.
  • Vanilla ice cream makes a welcome topping to just about any brownie.
close up of brownies in pan topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce

Recipe FAQs

Can I use any type of nuts?

Absolutely! You can use any kind that you have available and like, even if its not traditional.

Can I make this gluten-free?

You can use a 1 to 1 gluten-free baking mix to make these gluten-free. I recommend Bob's Red Mill's baking mix in particular.

Recipe Card

The most delicious and easiest one bowl skillet rocky road brownies. The perfect weekend dessert!

Rocky Road Brownies

Amanda Powell
Fudgy and so much fun, these rocky road brownies are always a hit.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Course Brownie Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 403 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 5 oz dark chocolate
  • 5 oz milk chocolate
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 oz mini marshmallow
  • 3 oz chopped lightly salted walnuts
  • 2 oz lightly salted almonds
  • ⅓ cup chocolate chips
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • In a 10-inch skillet, heat the butter and chocolate together on low until it is almost completely melted and immediately remove from heat.
  • Allow the residual heat to melt the remaining butter and chocolate.
  • Beat in the sugar until well incorporated and the mixture is ribbony.
  • Beat in the eggs one by one until fully incorporated.
  • Mix in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder until it is fully mixed in.
  • Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes.
  • Top with the marshmallows, nuts, and chocolate chips. Toast the marshmallows using a kitchen torch, or with the oven broiler. Serve warm with several scoops of vanilla ice cream

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 149mgPotassium: 175mgFiber: 3gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 286IUCalcium: 33mgIron: 3mg
Keyword almonds, brownies, marshmallow, peanuts, rocky road, walnuts
Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

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About Amanda Powell

Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ripon hassan says

    October 16, 2022 at 9:26 am

    These are so delicious and has been very nicely described that really helped me lots.5 stars

    Reply
  2. Amanda {Striped Sptaula} says

    May 30, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    This is decadent perfection! I want to grab a spoon and dive in. And not share with anyone! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Wajeeha says

    May 21, 2016 at 9:35 am

    Amanda these look amazing...I think I want a whole batch to myself! 😉

    Reply
  4. Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com says

    May 14, 2016 at 2:29 am

    Whoa, Amanda, this just might be the sexiest thing I've ever seen! Looks phenomenal. xo!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      May 15, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      Haha yes, it's very sexy. I could only eat it when no one else was around!

      Reply
5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Hey, I'm Amanda!

I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a cookbook author, food science nerd, world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese.

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