Rocky Road Fudge made with peanut butter and puffed rice, sweet marshmallows and a slew of nutritious additions. This 6-ingredient, melt-in-your-mouth candy is easy to make and energizing to eat.
Rocky Road Fudge, or rocky road candy, as it is often called, is a traditional and super easy dessert to make in the summer. I use simple ingredients in my fudge including dark chocolate chips and milk instead of sweet condensed milk which I find too processed.
Like my 2-ingredient fudge, and my chocolate peanut butter fudge, no cooking is necessary, and it takes just a few minutes to toss all the ingredients in a bowl and then let it freeze.
We love to make a stash of this delicious homemade marshmallow fudge to have on hand in the freezer to add to ice cream, or to snack on as an afternoon pick up.
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Why You Will Love This
No cooking involved. An easy traditional fudge that you put together by melting chocolate chips, peanut butter and milk, and chill to set. No cocoa, condensed milk, evaporated milk needed.
Cleaner ingredients. This unique and traditional candy is a cold fudge that is crispy, crunchy, creamy and gooey all at once. That's because of the addition of crispy crunchy cereal, creamy nut butter, and mini marshmallows.
Fits all diets. My version uses ingredients that allow it to be dairy-free, nut-free and I provide gluten-free options as well.
Ingredients
- Peanut butter - Use peanut butter or another nut butter. Try to choose one that has only nuts as an ingredient. If it has added sugar, your fudge might be too sweet.
- Coconut milk - any milk can be used, but coconut milk has higher in healthy fats so it makes the fudge creamy, and it doesn't taste like coconut.
- Chocolate chips - use a dark chocolate chip or bar at least 60% cacao.
- Puff cereal - I use Kashi cereal when gluten-free is not needed; or rice krispies or quinoa puffs - this is my homemade tutorial on how to puff quinoa!
- Mini Marshmallows - I use dairy free Dandies brand.
- Optional mix-ins - such as sunflower seeds or nuts.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Tools Needed
- measuring cups
- mixing bowl
- loaf pan, parchment paper
- knife
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Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete and printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
- Line a loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper
- Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter, coconut milk to a pyrex measuring cup and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between to achieve a creamy texture.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature or near it. You will have to keep stirring occasionally to keep it from solidifying. You need to allow it to become cool enough so when you add the marshmallows, they don't melt.
- Fold in the cereal and marshmallows when you feel it is cool enough.
- Spread the mixture in the pan and tap to level it off.
- Chill the pan in the freezer for one hour or refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Lift the fudge out of the pan and cut.
- Store in a sealed container in the freezer, eating as you want.
Recipe Tips
Correcting seized chocolate. This recipe is fairly straightforward, however one area that can cause issues is the melted chocolate can seize or appear chunky after you add the milk. If this happens, heat the mixture in the microwave for 10 seconds and stir vigorously.
To make this recipe gluten free and nut free, be sure all mix-ins are gluten free and use a sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
Variations & How to Serve
Add chunks to homemade chocolate ice cream made in a blender or even a ninja creami.
Mix chunks into my applesauce chocolate chip cookies, or my oatmeal chocolate chip bars.
Vary the mix-ins to your rocky road fudge by adding peanuts, mini marshmallows, even sprinkles.
FAQS
Rocky road fudge stays 2 days at room temperature since it contains no dairy. Refrigerate after that in a sealed container for 2 weeks, and in the freezer for three months.
The traditional candy was created in the early 1920s - according to Wikipedia - and originally was composed of just chocolate, marshmallows and walnuts. Later on, walnuts were swapped for almonds. Current day recipes often have additional add-ins such as crispy cereal and seeds and chocolate chips.
More Fudge Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Rocky Road Fudge
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- loaf pan, parchment paper
- knife
Ingredients
- ¾ cup nut butter
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk Do not chill the can, allow the solids and liquids to combine, and shake the can before measuring out.
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- ¾ cup puff cereal (Use Kashi cereal, or to keep it gluten-free, use Rice Krispies or Quinoa puffs
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 2 tablespoon seeds or crushed nuts or walnuts or almonds
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Instructions
Prep
- Line an 8-inch by 8-inch pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper so the sides are covered.
Make Rocky Road Fudge
- Put the chocolate chips into a pyrex measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute, stir until smooth and microwave again for 15 seconds, stir again until smooth.2 cups chocolate chips
- Add the seed butter and coconut milk to the mixture and stir until smooth. If need be, microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between to achieve a creamy texture.¾ cup nut butter, ½ cup full fat coconut milk
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature or near it. I let mine sit in the bowl on the counter for 1 hour, stirring once or twice within that hour. Cooling the chocolate mixture before adding marshmallows is necessary or else the marshmallows will melt.
- Fold in the cereal and marshmallows when you feel it is cool enough. And anything else.¾ cup puff cereal, 3 cups mini marshmallows, 2 tablespoon seeds or crushed nuts
- Spread the mixture in the pan and tap to level it off.
- Chill the pan in the freezer for one hour or the refrigerator for 3 hours or until it hardens.
- Lift the fudge out of the pan and cut.
Storing Rocky Road Fudge
- Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a week or longer in the freezer, eating as you want.
Casey says
Hi! I really like the idea of this recipe and could see it being a staple in my house! I do have a question though.. I followed the recipe exactly, but my chocolate seized up when I added my 1/2 cup of can of coconut milk. It was room temp and shaken. I don’t have experience with coconut milk and wanted to ask if maybe the brand (water content?) could make a difference? I used simple truth organic. I do plan to try again in the future with the brand of coconut milk you linked via Amazon. Thanks for providing such awesome recipes!
Dee Dine says
Sure Casey, I use Whole Food's brand 365 coconut milk, full fat and organic. But I have also used Thai Kitchen and Native Forest. I have heard that the water content does vary even between some brand's cans although I haven't had that issue with 365 brand.
Melted chocolate can seize up though even if you do everything right, so my trick if that happens is to warm it either by putting it back in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and then stir again. Or to add a teaspoon more of hot coconut milk and stir again. You can even warm in a water bath although that's more work. Hope that helps!