Rocky Road Ice Cream
This Rocky Road Ice Cream recipe is creamy, chocolatey, and packed with marshmallows and crunchy nuts. It’s everything you love about your favorite ice cream flavor—made at home with simple ingredients and no ice cream machine required. It’s an easy dessert that’s great for hot days, birthday parties, or when you're just craving something sweet and chocolatey.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup nuts divided
- 1 cup mini marshmallows divided
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, cocoa powder, and sugar. Whisk continuously until everything dissolves into a smooth, chocolatey mixture. No need to boil—just heat until smooth.1 ½ cups milk, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 cup sugar
- Remove from heat and pour the chocolate base into a container. Chill in the refrigerator until completely cold.
- In a separate bowl, mix the heavy cream with the vanilla extract.2 cups heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pour the chilled chocolate mixture and cream mixture into your ice cream maker. Churn for about 20 minutes, or until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
- Pause the machine and fold in ½ cup chopped nuts and ½ cup mini marshmallows. If your machine doesn’t have room, transfer everything to a mixing bowl and gently stir them in.¾ cup nuts, 1 cup mini marshmallows
- Spoon the ice cream into a loaf pan or freezer-safe container. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts and marshmallows.
- Freeze for at least 3 hours, or until firm.
Video
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Notes
- Use good cocoa powder: Go for unsweetened cocoa powder for a deep chocolate flavor. Dutch-process cocoa works great too.
- Chill completely: Don’t skip chilling the chocolate base. Cold mixture gives you creamier ice cream.
- Nut options: Use your favorite kind! I like roasted almonds or walnuts, but pecans, peanuts, or hazelnuts work too.
- Marshmallow mix-in tip: Cut larger marshmallows if that’s what you’ve got—mini ones just fold in more evenly.
- Add texture: Toasting the nuts before adding them gives an extra crunch and flavor.
- No ice cream maker: You can freeze the base in a loaf pan, stirring every 30 minutes for a few hours until creamy.
- Other additions: Feel free to add in mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, or shortbread cookies broken into small chunks.
Storage Instructions
- Freeze: Store any leftover Rocky Road Ice Cream in an airtight container in the freezer. For the best texture, press a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly onto the surface of the ice cream before sealing the lid. This helps prevent ice crystals from forming.
- Shelf life: It’ll stay fresh for up to two weeks, but honestly, it never lasts that long in my freezer!
- Serve: When you're ready to serve, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping.
Nutrition
Calories: 440kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 7gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 41mgPotassium: 289mgFiber: 3gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 951IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!