If you want a quick festive treat everyone will love, look no further than this adorable Christmas Rocky Road. It's truly the fastest and easiest nut and gluten free tiffin to make. And once decorated, it’s a real holiday showstopper!
I got the brilliant idea of a Holiday Rocky Road from the Christmas queen herself. Nigella Lawson Rocky road is the original but I've changed her recipe up over the years in the same way that most favorite recipes tend to evolve.
My kids always complain about nuts in baking so I removed them completely here. I also make this gluten free as it’s nice to offer a dessert you know everyone can eat over the festive season. But if you’d rather use regular graham crackers that’s obviously fine too.
One ingredient I haven't taken out is the Glace Cherries! I love the festive red pop of color they bring. Plus this recipe is a great way to use up any candied cherries you might have lurking in the back of the cupboard.
WHAT IS ROCKY ROAD?
Rocky road is a delicious no bake treat. It traditionally contains a mixture of nuts and mini marshmallows mixed into buttery melted chocolate. It's then set in the refrigerator. Once chilled, it is cut into squares to resemble the chunks of a rocky road!
It started life in the UK and was called tiffin. The folks in Australia made it their own by adding the marshmallows and changed the name to rocky road. It is now known as rocky road in most parts of the world.
WHY YOU SHOULD TRY FESTIVE ROCKY ROAD
- Kids of all ages love the nostalgia of Rocky Road!
- Children also love making it! It's a very low maintenance way of getting them involved in some festive cooking.
- It’s the easiest last minute dessert ever, yet once it’s decorated it looks so festive and magical.
- It also freezes like a dream so can be made in advance
- It makes the perfect homemade Christmas gift.
CAN YOU MAKE ROCKY ROAD FUDGE WITHOUT NUTS?
You can absolutely make Rocky Road without nuts. The pieces of graham cracker and marshmallow still look like rubble on the top of the rocky road. And I find that kids often prefer desserts without the nuts! This fun recipe is also a good one to keep up your sleeve for those times you are baking for anyone with a nut allergy.
WHAT IS GOLDEN SYRUP?
Golden Syrup is one of the UK’s best loved baking ingredients. It's a thick, smooth golden-colored syrup made from cane sugar or beet sugar. It smells slightly buttery and has a light caramel taste.
WHAT CAN I USE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR GOLDEN SYRUP?
You can use light corn syrup as a substitute for golden syrup - although it is slightly more sweet and doesn’t have a caramel flavor. But it will provide the texture you need to stop the chocolate from setting too solidly.
OTHER SUBSTITUTIONS FOR THESE CHRISTMAS TREATS
There are so many things you can add into a rocky road mixture so get creative!
If you don’t like cherries or raisins it’s fine to leave them out. You could other dried fruit like chewy cranberries instead.
I sometimes add some orange zest for a citrus tang.
You could add in other favorite ingredients like amaretti biscuits (cookies), or different nuts if you like them. Pistachio nuts give a festive green color and macadamia nuts have a nice rich texture.
If you want to add more treats for the kids red m&m pieces are great. If you're going all out you could add some edible glitter to the top too. Another idea is to add mini candy canes - my kids go wild for these.
TOP TIP LIST FOR MAKING THE BEST ROCKY ROAD
Make sure you use a very sharp knife to cut it into pieces - this is what gives the definition in the slices (AKA the pieces of road).
Similarly if you like semi sweet chocolate (dark chocolate) but find it too heavy for rocky road, its fine to do a chocolate mix of 50% semi sweet and 50% milk chocolate. You could also use white chocolate pieces for a white Christmas 😉
Find the full instructions in the recipe card below.
HOW LONG CAN I KEEP THIS SWEET TREAT ONCE CUT?
If stored in an airtight container in the fridge, Rocky Road will keep for up to 2 weeks. Place greaseproof paper or paper towels in between layers to stop the pieces from sticking together.
CAN I FREEZE ROCKY ROAD?
Rocky Road is freezer friendly. If stored in an airtight container it will keep for up to 1 month.
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What Do You Think?!
I'd love to know what you think about this recipe! I'd be so grateful if you scroll down to the bottom of the page and leave a star rating and comment.
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More Easy Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
Christmas Rocky Road (No Nuts)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Semisweet (Dark) Chocolate - chopped or chips
- 1 stick Butter
- ¼ cup Golden Syrup - or Light Corn Syrup
- 6 oz Gluten Free Graham Crackers or Digestive Biscuits - around 2 cups when broken up
- ½ cup Golden Raisins
- ½ cup Glace Cherries - halved
- 2 cups Mini Marshmallows
- 2 tbsp Confectioner's Sugar (Icing Sugar)
Instructions
- Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan heat the chocolate, butter and syrup together over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.
- Put the graham crackers/digestives into a freezer bag and bash them into small sized pieces.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add the cracker pieces, raisins and cherries into the chocolate mixture, stirring well to make sure everything is coated properly.
- Add the white marshmallows and gently stir in so they are coated too.
- Tip into the lined pan and smooth with a palate knife - it’s fine for it to look a bit lumpy and bumpy - its rocky road!
- Refrigerate until its completely set - at least 2 hours.
- Take out and cut into pieces with a sharp knife. I cut mine into slightly different shapes and sizes as it adds to the rocky road effect!
- Pile on to a plate and dust with confectioners sugar just before serving. The easiest way to do this is to push the sugar through a small sieve with a spoon.
- Decorate with Christmas figures.
Nutrition
This post was shared with the #cookblogshare community, which this week was hosted by Cat from Curly's Cooking
Hannah Simpson says
This is literally amazing. So incredibly easy to make, my 9yr old was able to do it!! So delicious and a foolproof recipe.
Carol Keohane says
Brilliant. Loved by children & adults alike. Easy to make & it does look good on my Christmas table. Thank you
Shona Goldenberg says
Amazing recipe Jo, so many of my friends were "wowed" with my christmas version, that they make it regularly now too! I just made an easter version xx
Jo Keohane says
Awesome shona, thank you!! I need to get on that Easter version, looks amazing!
Lesley says
I love rocky road, both for its simplicity to prepare, but more so because it is just so tasty. Great recipe for getting the kids involved and I love your styling on the photos - very festive.
Jo Keohane says
Aaaah thanks so much for your kind comment Lesley - this gets made on repeat in our house in December!!
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
Absolutely love rocky road and this looks so delicious. The cherries are a great addition.
Jo Keohane says
Thanks so much Cat - I'm a massive Rocky Road fan too, it's just so easy and everyone loves it. Winner.
Chloe Edges says
Looks fab, I'm a solid no nuts in my chocolate gal so this is a great looking recipe for me!
Jo Keohane says
I'm a bit that way too - glad to oblige! Thanks so much for the comment.