by Diana Rattray
Rocky road ice cream is one of my favorite flavors—I could eat it every day! Rocky road combines chocolate ice cream with miniature marshmallows, chocolate chips, and nuts. You can use toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans in the ice cream. Or leave the nuts out and add some extra chocolate chips and marshmallows. Homemade rocky road ice cream is ice cream loaded with flavor and texture!
Every spoonful of this delicious ice cream will take you back to your childhood. You can enjoy it on its own, in a sundae with toppings, or in a cone, or serve the ice cream with warm brownies, cookies, pies, and other desserts. You could even blend it with a little milk and some vanilla ice cream to make a rocky road milk shake!
Mocha ice cream is another great flavor combination of chocolate and coffee, or you might enjoy this basic chocolate ice cream or our homemade keto chocolate ice cream.
PrintRocky Road Ice Cream
Rocky road ice cream is the perfect combination of chocolate ice cream, marshmallows, and chocolate chips! This ice cream is always a hit!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill and Freeze Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 3/4 cup chopped toasted almonds or pecans*
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream with cocoa; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Remove the cream mixture from the heat and add chopped chocolate; stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add the milk and sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the mixture is hot.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the salt. Whisk in about 1 cup of the hot cream and milk mixture. Return the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until the custard reaches 175 F to 180 F or until it coats the back of a spoon.**
- Pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand until it reaches room temperature, then refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled. The custard may be made the day before and refrigerated overnight. Alternatively, for faster chilling, set the bowl inside a larger bowl of ice and water and stir frequently, then place it in the fridge until chilled.
- Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn following the manufacturer’s directions.
- Spoon the ice cream into a container, alternating with layers of marshmallows, toasted nuts, and chocolate chips. Swirl to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Cover the container and freeze until firm.
Notes
*To toast the nuts, spread them out in a dry skillet and place the skillet over medium heat. Cook while stirring and flipping until the nuts are aromatic and lightly browned. Immediately remove the toasted nuts to a plate to stop the cooking process.
**To test the ice cream mixture without a thermometer, dip a metal or wooden spoon in the custard. Draw a path down the back of the spoon with a finger. If the path stays clear, it is done.
