Rocky Road Ice Cream — American chocolate-marshmallow-almond ice cream
Rocky road ice cream is the canonical American chocolate ice cream variant: deep chocolate ice cream with mini marshmallows, chopped almonds and chocolate chips. The lumpy 'rocky' texture gives the name.
i. Origin & history
Rocky road was invented in Oakland, California, in 1929 by William Dreyer of Dreyer's (Edy's) ice cream. The name was reportedly chosen to reflect the rough economic times of the Great Depression.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 500 ml whole milk
- 500 ml double cream
- 200 g sugar
- 200 g dark chocolate, chopped
- 30 g cocoa
- 6 yolks
- Pinch salt
- 100 g mini marshmallows
- 100 g chocolate chips
- 100 g chopped almonds
iii. Method
- Warm milk, cream, half the sugar, chocolate and cocoa until chocolate melts.
- Whisk yolks with remaining sugar and salt; temper; cook to 82 °C.
- Strain. Chill 4 hours.
- Churn until thick. Fold in marshmallows, chips and almonds.
- Freeze 3 hours.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Australian rocky road is a fudgy slab, not ice cream. Vegan rocky road uses coconut milk. Modern rocky road adds salted caramel.
vi. Common questions
What is rocky road ice cream?
Rocky Road Ice Cream is american chocolate-marshmallow-almond ice cream, from north american cuisine. The lumpy 'rocky' texture gives the name
Where is rocky road ice cream from?
Rocky Road Ice Cream is from the north american dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does rocky road ice cream keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 2 weeks frozen.