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Easy Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream Recipe

This homemade rocky road ice cream is so good and easy to make! Grab this recipe and make this sweet treat for dessert tonight!

Why is Rocky Road ice cream called Rocky Road?

The answer is unclear, but there are two popular theories. One theory suggests that the name Rocky Road came about during the Great Depression. At this time, many people were out of work and struggling to make ends meet.

To help boost morale, ice cream companies started making special flavors like Rocky Road that were packed with goodies like chocolate and marshmallows.

Another theory suggests that Rocky Road was actually created by accident! The story goes that one day at the Fenton’s Creamery in Oakland, California, a worker was mixing up a batch of chocolate ice cream and accidentally dropped some marshmallows and nuts into the mix.

Rather than start over, the workers decided to roll with it and call new flavor Rocky Road. This homemade ice cream is not made with an ice cream maker or an ice cream machine. This is a fun rocky road ice cream recipe that you can find in ice cream shops.

It’s one of the best ice cream recipes for a perfect summer treat. It’s a popular combination of chewy marshmallows, chopped pecans and semisweet chocolate chips.

It’s a great recipe for the best rocky road ice cream. The heavy whipping cream helps with the creamy chocolate ice cream base.

What is Rocky Road Ice Cream Made out of?

Rocky Road ice cream is typically made with chocolate ice cream, marshmallows, and nuts. The ice cream mixture makes one of those delicious recipes that you can serve with whipped cream.

The chocolate ice cream is usually a dark or milk chocolate flavor, but you can really use any type of chocolate you like.

As for the marshmallows, they are usually mini marshmallows because they mix into the ice cream more easily. The combination of rich chocolate ice cream with the fluffy mini-marshmallows makes this a good idea for a fun dessert.

And lastly, the nuts are usually chopped almonds, peanuts, or pecans, but again, you can really use any type of nut you like or leave them out altogether if you have a nut allergy.

How Do You Make Rocky Road Ice Cream?

Making your own Rocky Road ice cream at home is actually pretty easy! Check out the full recipe card below for all of the directions! Grabbing a bowl of our rocky road ice cream is our favorite way to enjoy our love of ice cream.

How long does it take to freeze rocky road?

Make sure you budget 6-8 hours of freezing time!

Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream Ingredients:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows

Super simple ingredients you can get from the grocery store for this wonderful recipe. The large chunks of sweet treats in our favorite ice cream make it so good! This is definitely the best of the no churn ice cream recipes.

If you are looking for some more amazing ice cream recipes be sure to check out this comprehensive list: The Best Homemade Ice Cream Recipes!

Easy No Churn Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream Recipe
Yield: One Pint

Easy No Churn Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 8 hours 6 seconds
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes 6 seconds

This homemade rocky road ice cream is so good and easy to make at home.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Do not over whisk.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together your condensed milk, vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder. 
  3. Fold in your condensed milk mixture to your heavy cream.  
  4. Add in your pecans, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. Fold in. 
  5. Pour mixture in a bread pan and freeze for 6-8 hour or overnight. 
  6. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 385Total Fat 32gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 69mgSodium 174mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 3gSugar 17gProtein 4g

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Before you go, check out these great posts!

The Best Homemade Red Velvet Ice Cream For Dessert

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