Great-grandma’s amazing Rocky Road recipe is just four simple ingredients: a chocolate marshmallow lover’s dream! You’d be hard pressed to find an easier no-bake dessert recipe, and people go crazy for it! It’s perfect for a simple weekend treat, potluck, or neighbor gifts during the holidays.
Rocky Road
My Mother-in-law has some totally CLASSIC recipes that she is nice enough to let me share here on the blog. Some of those include the BEST Texas Sheet Cake you will ever have and this Classic Chicken Casserole recipe, which happens to be my husband’s favorite meal from childhood 🙂 .
This Rocky Road recipe, in particular, is a treasured family recipe from her Grandmother–my husband’s Great Grandmother–that they make as a family for birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions.
My MIL told me that her grandma would always make this for the grandkids birthdays. Each grandchild would get a whole pan just for themselves — it was the gift they most looked forward to, especially because they didn’t have to share 🙂 .
How to make Rocky Road:
You need four simple ingredients to make rocky road:
- marshmallows
- Baker’s chocolate
- butter
- vanilla
Cut the marshmallows into quarters (I use scissors to do this and I dip the scissors in water to help prevent the marshmallows sticking to the scissors). Next layer the marshmallows inside an 8” pan.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and then slowly spoon the mixture evenly over the marshmallows, making sure it gets spooned lightly into every little crack and crevice over the top of the marshmallows. Place the whole pan in the fridge to allow it to set. 
Cut the fudge into small squares for serving. Cover the pan and store the rocky road in the fridge. It will last well for at least 1 week.
A few tips for this recipe:
Use regular size marshmallows, not mini’s.
I know using mini marshmallows, rather than cutting the big ones, would be easier, but the texture of the fudge wont be the same. Stick with these (any brand will work).
Salted or unsalted butter will work.
If using unsalted butter, just add a tiny pinch of salt to the chocolate mixture.
Pour or spoon the melted chocolate slowly and evenly.
Slow and steady is best to make sure you evenly cover the entire top of the pan, and to make sure the chocolate is able to seep into the crackers between all of the marshmallow layers.
If you haven’t had Rocky Road before, you are in for a huge treat! It’s the easiest thing to make and it’s soo delicious! You really can’t go wrong with marshmallows and dark chocolate!
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Great-grandma's amazing Rocky Road recipe is just four simple ingredients and a chocolate marshmallow lover's dream! We love this easy, no-bake dessert recipe.
- 10 ounce bags marshmallows , cut into 1/4's
- 8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 1/2 cup butter , chopped (*see note)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Grease a 8x8'' baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
Cut the marshmallows with scissors by first wetting the tip of the scissors in a cup of water. This will help prevent the marshmallows sticking to the scissors.
Add cut marshmallow to the pan.
In a saucepan over low heat (or a double boiler) add chocolate and butter. Stir constantly until melted and smooth.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract and walnuts, if using.
Spoon melted chocolate over marshmallows, trying to make sure the chocolate spread evenly covering over top and gets into all of the cracks.
Refrigerate until set. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe Video
*If using unsalted butter, add 1/8 tsp salt to the saucepan.
I originally shared this recipe December 12, 2014. I’ve updated it with new photos and clearer instructions.
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Katelyn Shaw says
I’M going to be in serious trouble ! Looks delicious!
Beth says
Why the butter pieces in the bottom of the pan? By the way it looks delicious. If it has marshmallows and chocolate I am all about it:)
Lauren Allen says
Hi Beth, That’s how my mother-in-law does it and she says it works the best for getting them out of the pan! 🙂
Whitney says
How many ounces is the “box” of semi-sweet chocolate that you use? I have seen a couple of sizes, I believe-4 oz and 8oz?
Lauren Allen says
I use an 8oz box! I’ve updated that in the recipe! Thanks
Deborah walsh says
I love them but do you know we bakers pay forty dollars for that same exact bottle of vanilla in Canada New Brunswick! I call it liquid gold!
Rebekah says
These look amazing! Would it work to use mini marshmallows?
Lauren Allen says
I’ve never tried the mini marshmallows because, according to my MIL (this is her recipe), it just doesn’t turn out as good….so I”m not sure. But I’m sure it would still taste good…
justine says
So the only issue I have with this recipe is that once you add the vanilla to the chocolate it seizes up and turns chunky… I follwe’d the recipe exactly how it says and twice it has destroyed the chocolate… very irritating now I have to go out again and buy more chocolate and do it my own way… very disappointed..
Lauren Allen says
I have never had that issue. My best guess is the chocolate itself was heated too high and that’s what caused the seizing.
Lisa says
Chocolate will seize up if to high in heat. Add alittle more butter or heavy cream. Also I added chopped pretzels excluding salt
Grammy says
Yum that sounds really good ? I can’t wait to try with pretzels
Emily says
Seized chocolate isn’t instantly useless, you can just add butter or heavy cream and reheat it and mix it to de-seize it.
Linda says
What is the answer to Justin’s commit. Does your chocolate clump up with vanilla? What can be done about it? You can just e-mail the answer to me, thanks. I want to try this but I can’t afford redos!
Christina says
Hi Lauren,
What was your response to Justin and Linda’s questions? I would like to try this recipie, but I don’t want to make any mistakes.
Thanks!
Christina
Lauren Allen says
I have never had that issue. My best guess is the chocolate itself was heated too high and that’s what caused the seizing. If you’re worried about it you can leave the vanilla out all together.
Amie says
Can’t wait to make it. Thank you!
J says
Looks amazing! Will try with with unsalted cashew pieces.
Lauren Allen says
That sounds delicious! I would love to know how it turns out!
Courtney says
Hi! Can you make these a week in advanced and freeze them? Will they still be as good?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Courtney, I have not experimented freezing this recipe, so I couldn’t say. But I do think they would be great made a week in advance and stored, covered, in the fridge.
Teresa Petty says
My mother used to make this but she made a chocolate brownie type cake made from scratch that all of this was put on top of after baking. The marshmallows were put on after letting the brownie cool some but is still warm which helped in the melting some and then she made the sauce and would pour over the top of it. It was called the Mississippi Mud Cake. Rich and delicious was the only thing to say about it. Drinking a ice cold glass of milk with it made it even better. It definitely is delicious.
Lauren Allen says
Hi Teresa! Loved your story, and I totally love that idea :-)! I have both a Mississippi Mud Cake and Mississippi Mud Brownie recipes on my website–they’re fantastic!
Deb says
I make rocky road every. Chistmas
It was a favorite of my moms
Then my husband and also brothers
I tried this one this year and find it to be the perfect recipe. I add cut in half candied cherries for a surprise on color, taste and texture. Not a whole lot. Walnuts my nutmeat of choice. Small marsallows work fine. Thank you for recipe
christina says
It works great.if chocolate is heated on very low, always cones out great.I use maple marshmallows.going ti do sone experiments with grandkids with this level.
Emily says
Made this today, added walnuts to mine. Super yummy.
Lee says
Very tasty! I made this on a warm day and had trouble cutting the refrigerated fudge. I popped it in the freezer for about 15 min and was then able to cut it into pieces without tearing it apart. I returned it to the fridge before trying to remove it from the pan. I omitted the nuts , but I’m thinking about stirring in coconut or sprinkling it on for my next batch. The candied cherries would also be good.
Mary says
So good. So so good! Could be my husband’s all time favorite treat.
GRAMMY D. says
Mt Mother used to make this for the holidays but she would mix chopped pecans & drop it on wax paper, she would make different kinds, chocolate, white chocolate & butterscotch? they were so good? I’m going to try putting pretzel pieces instead of pecans & use Mexican vanilla, it’s way better…
Laura says
Mt Mother used to make this for the holidays but she would mix chopped pecans & drop it on wax paper, she would make different kinds, chocolate, white chocolate & butterscotch? they were so good? I’m going to try putting pretzel pieces instead of pecans & use Mexican vanilla, it’s way better…
Jill says
Hi~how much vanilla and bakers chocolate do you use~? I’m an exact measuring gal…lol
Lauren Allen says
If you look for the recipe card at the end of the post you will see the exact ingredients.
8 oz. baking chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla
TP, RN says
Can I use semi sweet chocolate chips instead of the bakers chocolate? If so how much? Thanks in advance for you reply
Lauren Allen says
That should be fine as long as they are high quality chocolate chips that will melt and not seize. I would use about 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips. 🙂