No-Bake Rocky Road!
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This classic no-bake rocky road is a chocolatey traybake that we all know and love. Melting together golden syrup and butter, mixing with milk chocolate for a smooth but easy to cut texture.
Adding in mini marshmallows, chopped biscuits, and chocolates, this recipe takes 20 minutes to prep, two hours to set and makes 16 delicious pieces.
Notes from The Patisserie
Now, I know for a fact you guys love a rocky road recipes, with my Biscoff rocky road, and my Mint Aero rocky road regularly being the top of my searches. As you can tell, I also love myself a rocky road recipe.
If you are after a classic and simple rocky road, that covers all bases, this delicious milk chocolate rocky road is sweet, delightful yet still with a crunch. I have made and tested dozens of no-bake traybake now in my career, and this is definitely my go-to recipe for an easy no-bake rocky road.
This particular recipe is my favourite recipe to make when I have a party to go to, a picnic, or want something chocolatey in my fridge. Customise and adapt it to however you want (notes below)
The base mixture of a Rocky Road
So when it comes to the base mixture of a rocky road, it can go a few different ways. A lot of people, understandably, make a rocky road with just melted chocolate. It’s the basic way, and I get it, but it makes it absolutely solid and harder to cut up and eat, and I also think it means you need to use more chocolate.
I make mine a little differently as I want to change the texture and flavour slightly, and this is my favourite way to do it:
- Chocolate – for this recipe, I use milk chocolate, but a mixture of milk and dark would work well, or all dark. I would avoid white chocolate
- Syrup – golden syrup is such a key ingredient for my rocky road, and I adore it. It’s always in my cupboard as I use it so much in baking – it helps cut through the chocolate sweetness
- Butter – it’s important to use a block butter for rocky road, as a baking spread or margarine may make the mixture split
What chocolate is best to use?
As the chocolate for the base mixture is so important, it’s good to make sure you have the correct type of chocolate, not just whether it’s milk or dark.
I would personally recommend avoiding using big brands names when making the base chocolate mixture – any confectionary chocolate that is more expensive, added flavour (think dairy milk, galaxy), have lots of other additional ingredients that can cause problems (a split mixture).
I use basic supermarket own cheap chocolate, or I use cooking chocolate. Dark chocolate should always be 70% if you are going to switch to it – but generally, a milk chocolate with a cocoa solids of 25-33% is best.
The mix-in options
This recipe is so easy and amazingly customisable, you can include your favourite dried fruit, biscuits, chocolate bars, even mix up the chocolate. You can really have fun with this recipe and make it your own – perfect for any cravings you have and perfect for the whole family.
- Something squishy = marshmallows – I tend to use mini marshmallows in my rocky road as I love a mini marshmallow, but using a regular sized marshmallow does also work. The only thing is you’ll use less as the weight is different per marshmallow
- Something crunchy = biscuits – you can use any biscuit, but I love using a digestive. I love the super crunchy and ever so slightly salty flavour of a digestive
- Something extra = chocolate bars – this is where I am slightly different to most rocky roads… I add some chopped up honeycomb crunchie bars. You can switch this to a classic glacé cherry if you want, however.
Choosing other flavour options
If you want to swap up different biscuits – you can use basically any biscuit you want. A hobnob, a custard cream, an oreo, a biscoff biscuit. The crunchy texture is what you are after, but it’s also worth using your favourites – stick to 200g worth for an even quantity throughout. If you want it extra crunchy though, add up to 300g, and have less chocolate to biscuit.
If you want to jazz it up more, or adapt to include other dried fruits and nuts, you definitely can. I would say it’s best to include 100-200g of something fun or different. Any chopped nuts such as walnuts, pistachios, or even hazelnuts work wonders for extra flavour, and texture. You can also use dried fruits such as cherries, raisins, or even sultanas.
How to make the best rocky road
A delicious no-bake recipe like this is super easy to make, but there are certain steps that could help guarantee the best version. (Full method in the recipe card below)
- If using a pan to melt the butter and syrup, make sure to do this until the butter has melted and the mixture is starting to bubble slightly, but not boiling.
- Make sure the chocolate you are using is finely chopped before adding into the pan (off the heat) as over mixing the chocolate can cause it to split. A finely chopped piece of chocolate melts quicker = less mixing.
- Prep the mix-ins you are using, BEFORE you make the chocolate mixture. Leaving the butter/syrup/chocolate to sit in the pan can cause it to heat more, and then cause a split mixture.
- If you mixture does however split, you can bring it back
FAQs
I would say no – it doesn’t mix well with the golden syrup and butter.
As this is a no-bake recipe, the tin size can be changed. A smaller tin will make deeper pieces so might take a little longer to set
The mixture typically splits because it is too hot, or it has been over mixed. Chocolate melts at a low temperature so too hot will cause the fat to separate
Take the pan off the heat, and stir through 1-2tbsp of boiling water, or hot full-fat milk. Beat very well to bring it back together, before pouring into the mix-ins.
Yes! The recipe can be halved and set in a 7″ square tin.
Let it sit briefly at room temperature before slicing and use a sharp knife – you can also lightly score the cut you are going to make, before cutting downwards.
Rocky Road Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g milk chocolate
- 125 g golden syrup
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 100 g mini marshmallows
- 200 g digestive biscuits (chopped)
- 200 g honeycomb bar (chopped) (I used crunchie)
Instructions
- Line a 9" square tin with parchment paper and leave to the side.
- In a large bowl, add in the chocolate, golden syrup, unsalted butter and melt on a low heat over a double boiler, or in the microwave on short bursts until fully melted then stir until smooth!
- Once its melted and combined, add in the mini marshmallows, chopped digestive biscuits, and chopped Crunchie bars and fold together evenly.
- Pour your mixture into the tin and spread until it’s even.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set, chop up, and enjoy!
Notes
- This rocky road will last for up to one week in the fridge, or at room temperature on a cool day
- You can freeze the rocky road for 3+ months
- I used this 9″ square tin
- I used this dark chocolate
- I used this milk chocolate
Storage and Freezing
This recipe is great for a longer lasting no-bake treat. It can last for up to one week in a container such as Tupperware, or a cake box. I store mine in the fridge as I like it to stay firmer, but it can be kept at room temperature on a cooler day
This recipe can be frozen for 3+ months. I would portion the pieces first, and then freeze with layers of parchment paper in-between pieces to prevent them sticking to each other.
What other flavours of rocky road can I make?
There are countless different options of rocky road, once you can crack the basic.
- Toblerone – using a classic and iconic chocolate for that nutty nougat flavour for your rocky road
- Baileys – for a boozy hit with a crunch of biscuit, the baileys rocky road carries a delicious punch of Irish cream
- Cornflake and Malteser – for a fun delicious twist on the classic with cereal and biscuity chocolates throughout adding new texture dimensions
- Gingerbread – for a festive twist, adding the warming spices of gingerbread to every bite
Hi Jane, how long do you think the Rocky Road would last? I am planning on making some for Christmas gifts but will be seeing the recipients over a 2 week period (being optimistic that it won’t be eaten by me in that time🤣)
Thank you x
Hi Jane this is amazing! Just wondering if you could use Daim bar’s instead of crunchie?
Yes for sure!! x
Made this yesterday love the recipe turned out alright for my first attempt it’s yummy really enjoyed making
it and the family loved it
Hi,
I melted the syrup and butter, took it off heat as soon as it melted and added the chocolate and mixed and it split. Tried adding bit of milk nd whisking but was still very gloopy/ thick. I have still fridged the mix, will it turn out ok to eat?
Hiya, it will be fine to eat but it may have a slightly weird texture x
Hi jane,
Was wondering if you could do a white chocolate rocky road? As there is white choc spread at Tesco I was wondering if you could use that with a mix of white choc for the base then add in whatever? Just wondering if I could go off another recipe such as the biscoff for the quantities.
Hey! You can’t do a straight swap to white chocolate with this sort of recipe because the white chocolate doesn’t mix with the butter and the syrup xx
Hi Jane , just wondering if I could swap the crunchy for munchies ? Thanks
For sure!
Hiya. Can I exchange the crunchie for say, Maltesers? Many thanks x
Yes definitely!! x
I keep trying this recipe but every time the chocolate seizes as soon as it mixes with the melted butter and syrup. I’ve tried on the lowest hob heat on a double boiler method, I’ve tried constantly stirring, I’ve tried melting the ingredients together and melting the butter and syrup and adding finely chopped chocolate after and it still seizes. What am I doing wrong?
It could be the chocolate you are using – however, usually if you take the mix off the heat and add a bit of whole milk and mix it will bring it back to a smooth mix and work perfectly!
Thankyou for the recommendation, should the milk also be warm or can it be cold?
I’ve added it in cold, but you can also use a little boiling water too if you’d prefer to use that!
This recipe is amazing thank you! All my family said it was the best rocky road they’ve ever had but next time I think I’ll chop up the crunchie a bit chunkier! Please can you do an Apple crumble recipe? One of my all time faves.
So glad you liked it!! And that’s on my list for autumn time! x
I made this as a birthday treat for my mother-in-law today. She loves rocky road and the addition of crunchies was SO good. This was my first time making rocky road and my chocolate split – I panicked but just added a splash of milk, put it back on the hob and stirred it like mad and it miraculously came back together. thanks for the recipe, I’ll be saving this one 🙂
Can you use all dark chocolate for the recipe? Also love a few cherries in rocky road so might have to add some in too haha! 🙂 x
Yes you definitely can! I love it with all dark chocolate! And yessss do it!! x
Hi my mix keeps splitting, I am using cadbury chocolate and have tried it on lowest microwave heat and on double boiler on low heat, both times the mix feels cold to touch but has still split. Any idea why?
Hey! That’s so odd – one good way of saving the mix is to take it off the heat, and stir in some full-fat milk, or cream or similar and mix until it comes back! The splitting can be caused by a few things such as water getting in the mix, or heat! You can also try adding the syrup and butter to a pan and melting together, and then adding in the chocolate off the heat (and finely chopped) and stiring till smooth!
Please can you tell me where you get your gluten free digestive biscuits from
My personal favourites are Tesco’s own!
I use Tesco Free from range too.
How long does this keep for please