Rocky Road Bark | Vegan Chocolate Treat

Stack of rocky road bark

One of our favorite holiday traditions is “raiding the fridge while no-one is looking! Hey – don’t give us that look – we know you do it too! Anyway, our motivation is the big pile of Rocky Road bark hiding in there. Of course, a lot of Rocky Road recipes use milk chocolate. So we’ve adapted our favorite recipe into a vegan chocolate treat.

Interesting Origins

Rocky road – as a type of candy, not ice cream – was invented in Australia in 1853. Back then, businessmen would import sweets from Europe. However, the candy didn’t always arrive in good condition. Yet, instead of losing money, these clever folks came up with a solution! They mixed all the bad candy with cheap chocolate to disguise it. Then the mixture was set into a sheet, cut into squares, and called “Rocky Road”! Yay capitalism!

However, this is definitely NOT the case anymore. In fact, creating the best Rocky Road is a source of pride and fierce competition! Of course, we couldn’t be outdone on this! So we grabbed our favorite vegan chocolate and marshmallows, selected some scrumptious ingredients and got mixing.

Rocky Road & Roll

When you’re planning, you can think of a Rocky Road recipe in terms of food groups!

I haven’t seen the USDA food pyramid in a while, but I think that’s pretty close …

Anyway, you can play around within these groups to your heart’s content. Do you want vegan chocolate? No problem! Plant-based marshmallows? Easy! For sweetness, we added candied strawberries. Alternatively, our other favorites include candied ginger, Turkish delight, and glacĆ© cherries. In terms of nuts, just add your favorites. The only limit is your imagination! Rocky Road is a recipe that really shines with some personalization.

Four bowls of ingredients to make rocky road bark

How to Treat your Chocolate

Now, before your road can be rocky, you’ve gotta get smoooooth. Smooth chocolate, that is. Melting the vegan chocolate is the only thing even close to tricky in this recipe. To begin with, get a good amount of water boiling in a small pot. Then, place your chocolate into a heatproof bowl or boiler insert. Next, drop your chocolate in and stir gently as it melts. This method makes sure the chocolate doesn’t burn.

bowl of melting chocolate

Now you’re ready to fold in those fluffy marshmallows. In terms of marshmallows, we like Dandies. These are completely plant-based and taste exactly like regular ones! While you’re at it, mix in the rest of your ingredients! Don’t be scared to load up on mix-ins. However, be careful not to add so many that your Rocky Road doesn’t stick together.

Bowl of melted chocolate with mini marshmallows being stirred in

You’re almost there. All you need to do is pour the mixture into a pan. Then, spread everything flat. In Australia, we make our Rocky Road quite thick – almost like a slice. However, if you prefer thinner bark, just spread the mix over a wider pan! Finally, just let it chill! Put the Rocky Road in the freezer for at least half an hour.

Rocky road in the baking pan ready for the freezer

Once you’re sure it’s hard enough to cut, divide it into squares with a knife and … try not to eat the whole thing! Or at least, try not to eat it quicker than it took to make! You can always raid the fridge later, after all.

Once the Rocky Road has set, you’re in for a real treat. Now all you need is willpower! If you try this recipe, please let us know what you thought with a rating and a comment. Every bit of feedback helps make the blog even better.

If you’re looking for more bite-sized sweet treats, we recommend our Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Bites, Shortbread Cookies, and fudgy Black Bean Brownies.

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Stack of rocky road bark

Rocky Road Bark | Vegan Chocolate Treat


  • Author: Rachel Steenland
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 18 squares 1x

Description

A delicious Rocky Road Bark recipe. Try this tasty vegan mix of chocolate, marshmallows, candied strawberries and nuts. Can you stop at just one piece?


Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces / 340 grams (2 1/4 cups) vegan chocolate piecesĀ 
  • 1 cup vegan mini marshmallows*
  • 1 cup unsalted nuts, toasted and roughly choppedĀ (we used a combination of almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts and walnuts)
  • 3/4 cup candied strawberries, roughly chopped** (or candied fruit of choice)

Instructions

  1. Melt vegan chocolate using one of the following methods:
    • Double boiler: fill a pot halfway with water and put the boiler insert or a snugly fitting heatproof bowl on top. Place chocolate into the boiler insert/heatproof bowl and bring water to the boil. Stir regularly as the chocolate starts to melt.
    • Microwave: place vegan chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Melt using medium heat, stopping every 30 seconds to stir the chocolate. Repeat until chocolate is melted.
  2. Add mini marshmallows, toasted/chopped nuts, and candied strawberries into the bowl of melted vegan chocolate. Stir well and make sure the mix-ins are well coated.
  3. Pour rocky road mixture into a 9″ x 13″ / 23 cm x 33 cm pan lined with parchment paper (alternatively, use a silicon pan) and smooth over the surface. If you prefer thin bark, use a larger tray. Place the tray of rocky road bark into the freezer for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove from the freezer and cut rocky road bark into 18 squares.

Store in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container and consume within a week.

Notes

  • *If you’re using regular size marshmallows, roughly chop them before adding them to the melted chocolate.
  • **Candied ginger is also really tasty in this recipe. You could also use dried fruit such as raisins and cherries.
  • Nutritional information is to be used as a guide only as calories and nutrition vary between products and brands worldwide.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes (freezer)

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 square
  • Calories: 198
  • Sugar: 15.4 g
  • Sodium: 7.6 mg
  • Fat: 10.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23.3 g
  • Fiber: 1.9 g
  • Protein: 2.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 1.1 mg

Keywords: rocky road, vegan chocolate

This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll make a small commission if you purchase using these links. The price you pay as a consumer does not change.

Rachel Steenland

Rachel Steenland

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