Rocky Road Bars Recipe

Cut rocky road bars on a marble surface.

Rocky Road Bars are excellent for sharing at a gathering. Your friends and family will love the flavor and texture of these dessert bars inspired by the classic Rocky Road ice cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 45

Servings to 20 bars

Calories 370kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

9x9 inch pan
Double boiler
Parchment paper

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (50g)
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Ganache Filling:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate bars chopped (226g)
½ cup heavy cream (120mL)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed and room temperature

For the Topping:

½ teaspoon flaky sea salt optional
1½ cups mini marshmallows (70g)
½ cup chopped roasted, salted almonds (80g)
2 ounces melted dark chocolate optional (56g)

Instructions

For the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg yolk, then mix until combined. Add the flour mixture in two batches, mixing low speed to combine completely between each addition.
Place the mixture in the prepared pan and press into an even layer.
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until the top looks dry and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan.

For the Ganache:

Once the crust is cool, in a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream until very steamy and just about to boil. (You can also heat it in the microwave for about 1 minute until very hot.)
Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl with a similarly sized plate or plastic wrap. Set aside for 5 minutes, allowing the chocolate to melt from the heat of the cream.
Whisk the chocolate and cream together until fully combined, smooth, and glossy. If there are a few pieces of chocolate left unmelted, you can microwave the ganache at 50% power for about 10 seconds and whisk again.
Stir in the butter until melted. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth into an even layer.

To Finish:

Sprinkle the sea salt all over the warm ganache, then distribute the marshmallows and chopped almonds in a single layer evenly over the top. Press gently so that they sink into the ganache slightly.
Drizzle with melted chocolate, if you like.
Let the ganache harden at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, or refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to firm up the bars. The bars are best stored at room temperature for optimal texture.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients. Set the cookie crust refrigerator ingredients out in advance. If you forget to set out the butter (which can take a long time to come to room temperature), see my post for how to soften butter quickly.
Weigh the flour. To ensure you use the correct amount of flour, weigh it. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into a measuring cup, and level off the top with a knife. Using too much flour can cause the cookie crust to be dry and crumbly.
To melt the chocolate for drizzling on top, place chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips in a small bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue melting at 50% power in 15-second intervals, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. Drizzle over the top of the rocky road bars with a small spoon.

Nutrition