Rocky Road Chocolate Cookies With Marshmallows and Almonds

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 24 cookies
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 10–12 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes

Quick Ingredients

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows, divided
• 1 cup chopped roasted almonds, divided
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips, divided
• Optional: flaky sea salt for topping

Do This

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Chill mini marshmallows in the freezer while you make the dough.
• 2. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• 3. Beat butter with brown and white sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
• 4. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low just until a soft dough forms.
• 5. Fold in about 1 cup marshmallows, 3/4 cup almonds, and 1 cup chocolate chunks. Chill dough 15–20 minutes if you want thicker cookies.
• 6. Scoop 2-tablespoon balls onto trays. Press in some of the reserved almonds and chocolate. Bake 8 minutes, then quickly press a few extra marshmallows on top and bake 2–4 minutes more.
• 7. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes (they will be soft), then move to a rack. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• All the classic rocky road flavors (chocolate, marshmallow, and nuts) packed into a soft, chewy cookie.
• Mixes up in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients you probably already have.
• Plush, brownie-like centers with melty chocolate chunks and toasty almonds in every bite.
• Perfect for bake sales, cookie swaps, or freezing ahead for easy treats.

Grocery List

• Produce: None
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, large eggs
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, fine salt, mini marshmallows, roasted almonds, semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips, flaky sea salt (optional)

Full Ingredients

Chocolate Cookie Dough

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt (or table salt)

Rocky Road Mix-Ins

• 1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows, divided (about 70 g)
• 1 cup (140 g) roasted almonds, coarsely chopped and divided (unsalted or lightly salted)
• 1 1/2 cups (270 g) semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips, divided

Optional Finishing Touch

• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on warm cookies

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep your oven and pans

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.

For neater, puffier marshmallows in the finished cookies, place the mini marshmallows in the freezer while you prepare the dough. This helps them hold their shape instead of melting completely.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined and no cocoa lumps remain. Set this bowl aside. Mixing the dry ingredients separately ensures the leaveners and cocoa are evenly distributed in the dough.

Step 3: Cream the butter and sugars

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until the mixture looks lighter in color and slightly fluffy. Proper creaming helps create that soft, slightly chewy cookie texture.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract until smooth. The mixture should look creamy and glossy.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to form the dough

Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until the flour is mostly incorporated and a soft dough forms. Stop and scrape down the bowl once if needed. Avoid overmixing at this stage; once the flour goes in, too much mixing can make the cookies tough instead of tender.

Step 5: Fold in the rocky road mix-ins

Remove the mini marshmallows from the freezer. Using a spatula, gently fold into the dough:

• About 1 cup of the mini marshmallows (reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for topping)
• About 3/4 cup of the chopped almonds (reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for topping)
• 1 cup of the chocolate chunks (reserve the remaining 1/2 cup for topping)

Fold just until the add-ins are evenly distributed. The dough will be fairly thick and studded with marshmallows, nuts, and chocolate.

For thicker, puffier cookies that spread less, cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes. This step is optional but recommended, especially if your kitchen is warm.

Step 6: Scoop and shape the cookies

Use a medium cookie scoop or a tablespoon to portion the dough into balls of about 2 tablespoons each (roughly 35–40 g). Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading. You should get about 24 cookies total.

Gently press a few of the reserved chocolate chunks and almond pieces onto the tops of each dough ball. This makes the rocky road texture visible and extra tempting once baked.

Step 7: Bake, top with marshmallows, and cool

Bake one sheet at a time (or both if your oven bakes evenly) for 8 minutes. Quickly remove the tray from the oven and press a few of the remaining mini marshmallows into the tops of the partially baked cookies. Work quickly so the oven does not cool down too much.

Return the tray to the oven and bake for another 2–4 minutes, just until the edges are set and slightly firm, the centers still look a bit soft, and the marshmallows are puffed and lightly golden in spots. Total bake time is usually 10–12 minutes, depending on your oven.

Sprinkle the hot cookies lightly with flaky sea salt if using. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes; they will be very soft when first removed from the oven and will firm up as they cool. Then transfer them carefully to a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy slightly warm.

Pro Tips

• Chill the marshmallows: Freezing or chilling the mini marshmallows before using helps them puff rather than melt into the dough, giving you that classic rocky road look.
• Underbake for fudgy centers: Pull the cookies when the edges are just set and the centers still look a touch soft. They will continue to cook on the hot tray and stay soft and brownie-like inside.
• Reserve toppings for the tops: Holding back some almonds, chocolate, and marshmallows for pressing onto the dough makes the finished cookies prettier and more clearly “rocky road.”
• Use roasted almonds: Roasted almonds have deeper flavor and better crunch than raw, which stands out nicely against the soft cookie.
• Bake one tray first: If you are unsure how your oven bakes, test one tray so you can adjust timing up or down a minute for the rest of the batch.

Variations

• Peanut rocky road cookies: Swap the chopped almonds for roasted, salted peanuts. The sweet-salty combination is especially good with the marshmallows.
• Nut-free version: Omit the nuts and replace them with the same volume of extra chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, or chopped pretzels for crunch.
• Extra-dark chocolate: Use Dutch-process cocoa and replace some of the semi-sweet chocolate with dark (70 percent) chocolate chunks for a more intense chocolate cookie.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store completely cooled rocky road cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. To keep the marshmallows from sticking, you can place a sheet of parchment between layers.

For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a tray until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. They will keep well for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in a low oven for a just-baked texture.

You can also freeze the unbaked dough. Scoop into balls, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, then store in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F (175°C), adding 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time. Add the marshmallows on top during the last few minutes of baking as directed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values per cookie (1 of 24): about 270 calories, 16 g fat, 30 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber, and 18 g sugar. These numbers are estimates and will vary based on the specific brands and exact amounts you use.