The best rocky road cookies recipe using natural sugar and gluten free flour! My family loves these chocolate cookies that melt-in-your-mouth with gooey marshmallows and melted chocolate!
Why These Are The Best Rocky Road Cookies
These creative gluten-free chocolate rocky road cookies transform a dessert platter into a cookie wonderland!
It is like eating the favorable favorite rocky road ice cream and cake in the form of a cookie😉. I highly suggest enjoying them this holiday season along with these other holiday cookies:
- Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Gluten-Free Cutout Sugar Cookies
- Healthier Dairy-Free Fudge
- Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
- No-Bake Chocolate Marshmallow Treats
Here's what we unlock as we discuss how to make these awesome (healthier) rocky road cookies.
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Baking Tips for Success
- These cookies have little added sugar so they will need to be pressed down to make them flat before baking.
- Chill the cookies in the refrigerator before baking. Make sure the rocky road cookies dough is covered and chilled before rolling into balls. This makes them soft in the center and more flavorful during baking.
Let’s dive into the details on how to make and store these decadent chocolate rocky road cookies!
What Ingredients You Need
- 1 stick of butter - use vegan butter for a dairy-free cookie
- coconut sugar - natural sugar and great for Diabetics as it is not processed and does not cause spikes in sugar levels. Coconut sugar has a GI between 55 and 84, which is a lower glycemic index than table sugar.
- vanilla
- gluten-free flour - Pamela brand or Bob's Red Mill 1-1 baking that is in the blue bag (not red)
- unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder - Dutch process is best to use for a richer rocky road cookie flavor
- coconut milk powder - this makes the cookies creamy without dairy and slightly chewy in texture
- baking soda
- pink salt
- water
- large egg
- dairy-free dark chocolate morsels
- mini marshmallows
- walnuts or pecans - chopped for beautiful crunch that is fabulous with melted marshmallows and chocolate
How to make Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the dough in an electric mixer.
With an electric mixer or hand mixer blend together the butter (I use vegan butter) and sugar. Then add the egg and vanilla. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix on high until combined. Add the water and scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure the butter does not stick to the bottom then continue to mix until everything is evenly combined.
Step 2: Stir in the extra rocky road ingredients.
With a spatula mix in the chocolate chip morsels (I use vegan dark chocolate morsels), nuts and marshmallows. Mix well until they are evenly distributed.
Step 3: Refrigerate the cookie dough covered.
Cover the bowl with plastic or a lid and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This settles the ingredients and solidifies the butter. It also makes the chocolate cookies more flavorful.
Step 4: Roll the rocky road cookie dough into balls.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. With a 1 inch cookie scoop, scoop out the dough until you have 12 mounds evenly placed on the sheet. Roll each into round balls then flatten them with the bottom of a glass cup, or using your hands. Add extra marshmallows and chocolate on top and press them into each cookie.
Step 5: Bake the cookies.
Bake and let the cookies cool for 2-5 minutes until they are easy to handle and be transferred to a cooling rack.
Repeat for the remaining of the dough. This makes about 36 cookies.
How To Store These Cookies
Once baked, these gluten-free chocolate rocky road cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
Are Marshmallows Dairy-Free?
Yes, marshmallows are both dairy-free and gluten-free, making these chocolate cookies safe for food allergies. If you have a nut allergy you can skip the nuts. Marshmallows are typically made of tapioca syrup, tapioca starch, sugar and flavorings - all lactose and dairy free ingredients.
Can You Freeze The Cookie Dough?
You can freeze the dough. I suggest making the dough into balls and freezing them on a sheet pan. Then transfer them into a sealed freezer back and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them thaw slightly before baking them.
You can also bake the cookies and then freeze them in a sealed freezer bag for up to 3 months. Make sure to get all the air out of the bag to avoid freezer burn.
How Long Does Rocky Road Cookie Dough Last?
If you cannot bake the chocolate cookie dough right away, the dough will last three days in the refrigerator. You can make the dough into balls and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. Or if the batter / dough is in a large container and not formed into balls first, it may need to set out on the counter to soften until it is manageable to scoop and roll into balls.
More Delicious Recipes
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Rocky Road Cookies
Equipment
- Electric Mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (1 stick) vegan, dairy-free
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup gluten-free flour
- ½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder Dutch process has richer chocolate flavor than cocoa powder
- ¼ cup coconut milk powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon pink salt
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup dairy-free dark chocolate morsels
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cup walnuts or pecans chopped
Instructions
- Beat together with an electric mixer, butter sugar and vanilla. Add in the egg and blend until creamy, scraping the sides and bottom to make sure all the ingredients are combined.
- On low speed, slowly add in the flour, cocoa powder, coconut milk powder, baking soda and salt. Mix to combine. Add the water and then turn the mix up to high for about 15 seconds until the coconut milk powder is blended in and no visible chunks show.
- Fold in the chocolate morsels, marshmallows and nuts. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This solidifies the ingredients and butter and makes the cookies more flavorful.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.
- Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, scoop the cookies onto the pan until you have 12 drops. Roll each drop of dough into a round ball. Using the back of a glass cup or with your fingers, press each ball down. Top each cookie with extra chocolate chips morsels and 1-2 marshmallows and press them into the dough.
- Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 2-5 minutes or until the cookies are able to be handled. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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