An ice cream parlor worthy rocky road ice cream recipe that you can make at home! Creamy, loaded with marshmallows and pecans, it's the real deal! This post contains an affiliate link.
You might also like our key lime pie ice cream or our chocolate covered toasted coconut ice cream---they are to die for!
Watch our step by step video!
Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream
Our rocky road ice cream is Mac's famous recipe. It's famous because everyone in the family loves it and gives him high praise when he makes it, haha. We started out with a CREAMY chocolate ice cream base, then loaded it with mini marshmallows and pecans. It is absolute perfection and so easy to make if you have an ice cream maker!
Don't have an ice cream maker? Try one of our no-churn recipes like ice cream with gumballs, peanut butter buckeye ice cream, or easy cake batter ice cream.
Where did the name Rocky Road come from?
There are a couple of different thoughts on this. One was that after the stock market crashed, Dreyer and Edy gave the flavor its current name "to give folks something to smile about in the midst of the Great Depression." Source. Another thought was that Dryer based it off of a friend's variation who blended a rocky road style candy bar into ice cream. His friend used almonds, he used walnuts----and we used pecans 🙂
Rocky Road Ice Cream Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup chopped nuts, divided
- 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows, divided
Favorite Ice Cream Maker
We received an older version of this ice cream maker as a wedding gift 19 years ago and it still works like a charm. It’s one of those things we wouldn’t have purchased as newlyweds, but were so glad to have. It’s been so fun making our own ice cream throughout the years. I highly recommend investing in one—you’ll love it!
How To Make Rocky Road Ice Cream
Step 1: Heat milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a sauce pan. Stir until sugar and cocoa have dissolved and turned into a smooth slurry. No need to boil, just heat until smooth.
Step 2: Remove mixture from heat. Pour into a container and refrigerate until cool.
Step 3: Pour chocolate mixture into ice cream maker. Add heavy whipping cream and vanilla.
Step 4: Process according to manufacturer's instructions. I run my machine for 20 minutes, until it is the consistency of soft serve.
Step 5: Mix in ½ cup chopped nuts (our favorite are pecans) and 1 cup mini marshmallows.
Step 6: Transfer ice cream to a loaf pan or freezer container. Top with remaining nuts and marshmallows.
Step 7: Freeze ice cream for 3 hours.
Rocky Road Ice Cream Printable Recipe
Rocky Road Ice Cream
Equipment
- ice cream maker
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
- Heat milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a sauce pan. Stir until sugar and cocoa have dissolved and turned into a smooth slurry. No need to boil, just heat until smooth.
- Remove mixture from heat. Pour into a container and refrigerate until cool.
- Pour chocolate mixture into ice cream maker. Add heavy whipping cream and vanilla.
- Process according to manufacturer’s instructions. I run my machine for 20 minutes, until it is the consistency of soft serve.
- Mix in ½ cup chopped nuts (our favorite are pecans) and 1 cup mini marshmallows.
- Transfer ice cream to a loaf pan or freezer container. Top with remaining nuts and marshmallows.
- Freeze ice cream for 3 hours.
Brandy says
Hi everyone! Brandy here, and this rocky road ice cream is legit! So creamy and chocolatey, and the added crunch from the nuts is perfect.