These Rocky Road Brownies take thick, fudgy brownies and top them with a layer of marshmallows and salted peanuts swirled together with melted chocolate. What makes this recipe different is that you’re not just sprinkling toppings on top of finished brownies. Instead, everything gets coated in chocolate first, then spread over the brownies while it’s still warm and gooey. The marshmallows get slightly melty, the peanuts stay crunchy, and the whole thing sets into something that’s part brownie, part candy bar, part total decadence.
I love brownies much more than ice cream, so these rocky road brownies are perfect for someone like me who wants that rocky road flavor and crunch without the ice cream. Of course, I’m not going to judge if you want to eat these brownies WITH a bowl of rocky road ice cream. The more the merrier!
Testing results for rocky road brownies
- We’re using melted butter to give these brownies the best texture and the glossy, crackly top.
- These brownies took 26 minutes in our test oven, however timings may vary since not every oven is exactly the same. We recommend checking on the brownies at the 26 minute mark. For fudgy brownies there will be some moist crumbs on a toothpick inserted into the middle. If you like your brownies gooey reduce the baking time by a few minutes. Likewise, if you prefer them set all the way through, increase the baking time by a few minutes.
- This recipe has been developed with a semi-sweet chocolate topping for the rocky road element. We recommend you use the Bain Marie method to melt the chocolate and butter as opposed to melting in the microwave like you did the brownies. This is because the ratio of butter to chocolate is different and there’s a possibility the chocolate can seize when there is less butter.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Chocolate: use a good-quality semi-sweet chocoalte, like Guittard or Ghirardelli.
Eggs: make sure the eggs are room temperature.
Cocoa powder: Hershey’s regular is just fine here.
Marshmallows: use a mix of mini and regular if you like.
Nuts: we used peanuts but you could use pecans or walnuts.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make rocky road brownies
- Make and bake the base layer of brownies.
- While brownies are baking, make the rocky road layer: melt the chocolate and stir in marshmallows and peanuts until coated in chocolate.
- Allow the brownies to cool and then top with the rocky road mixture. Scatter remaining uncoated marshmallows and peanuts on top before the chocolate sets.
- Allow to sit at room temperature for a couple of hours. Sprinkle with sea salt before serving.
We’ve had a long-standing love affair with brownies here. Our lifelong favorite comes from an old Hershey’s cookbook: these Fudgy Cocoa Brownies are called the best ever for a reason. But you also can’t miss out on these Salted Caramel Blondies, filled with white chocolate and dollops of caramel sauce. They are out of this world! And our Easy Slutty Brownies are just that, super easy and a crowd favorite.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Rocky Road Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
For the brownies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped and divided
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the rocky road topping
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips OR semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 ½ cups marshmallows (use a mix of mini and large if you like), divided
- 1 ½ cups salted peanuts, divided
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9”x13” baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Make the brownies:
- In a large mixing bowl add the butter and 3 ounces of the chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Melt in the microwave in 15-30 second bursts, stirring well each time.3/4 cup unsalted butter
- Add the sugar to the melted butter and chocolate. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat it into the mixture until combined. At this stage the mixture will look grainy and that is ok.2 cups white granulated sugar
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on a high speed until completely combined, about one minute.3 large eggs, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt.1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on a slow speed until you can no longer see dry patches of flour.
- Add the remaining 3 ounces of chopped chocolate and fold through. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top with a palette knife or the back of a spoon.
- Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 26 minutes or until the edges are set. Use a toothpick to check for doneness – for fudgy brownies it should have a few moist crumbs stuck to it. Remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before adding the topping.
Make the Rocky Road topping:
- Place a heatproof bowl over a pan filled with an inch of simmering water. Ensure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Add the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate and butter. Allow the chocolate and butter to melt, stirring occasionally.2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips OR semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Reserve 1/2 cup marshmallows and 1/4 cup of peanuts. Add the remaining marshmallows and peanuts to the melted chocolate and butter and mix well to completely coat all the ingredients.3 1/2 cups marshmallows (use a mix of mini and large if you like), divided, 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts, divided
- Spread the Rocky Road topping on top of the cooled brownies. Scatter over the reserved marshmallows and peanuts so they’ll stick while the chocolate is still wet.
- Allow the brownies to set at room temperature for two hours. Before slicing, sprinkle over some flaky sea salt.flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Notes
- Take care not to over-mix the brownie batter after adding the flour and cocoa, mix only until just combined. Over-mixing at this stage can lead to tough brownies.
- These brownies took 26 minutes in our test oven, however timings may vary since not every oven is exactly the same. We recommend checking on the brownies at the 26 minute mark. For fudgy brownies there will be some moist crumbs on a toothpick inserted into the middle. If you like your brownies gooey reduce the baking time by a few minutes. Likewise, if you prefer them set all the way through, increase the baking time by a few minutes.
- This recipe has been developed with a semi-sweet chocolate topping for the rocky
road element. We recommend you use the Bain Marie method to melt the chocolate and butter as opposed to melting in the microwave like you did the brownies. This is because the ratio of butter to chocolate is different and there’s a possibility the chocolate can seize when there is less butter. - We used mostly mini marshmallows for the Rocky Road topping with a few large
ones mixed in for texture. You can use all mini if you prefer. Nuts are classic in Rocky Road and salted peanuts are an excellent addition here. You can substitute with any nuts, such as almonds or cashews. - A small amount of marshmallows and peanuts are reserved and not coated in
chocolate. This is to add some visual interest to the finished brownies. - We recommend adding a sprinkling of flaky sea salt as this balances the sweetness of the chocolate really well.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Rocky Road Brownies should be stored in an airtight container. They will keep very well at room temperature for at least 3 days. Refrigerate them to extend the freshness up to a week, but allow them to come to room temperature before eating.
You can use almost any nut in this recipe. We would substitute with walnuts, pecans, or macademia.
Of course! You can make the base layer of brownies using your favorite boxed mix and then add the rocky road topping.
Once the brownies have completely cooled, use the parchment paper lining to lift them out of the pan. We’ve found this to be a two-person job when working with a 9×13-inch pan. Place the brownies on a cutting board and slice with a knife dipped in hot water.
