Active Time:

30 mins

Cool Time:

2 hrs

Total Time:

3 hrs 10 mins

Servings:

9 servings

Yield:

9 brownies

Gooey and chocolatey are the name of the game with these brownies, which are topped with marshmallows, chocolate, and nuts for the last few minutes of baking. If you don’t have mini marshmallows on hand, use regular-sized marshmallows — keep them whole or tear them into small pieces for more irregular shapes and browning. And if you want to take these over the top, add a few smoked almonds to the mix for a s’mores-like toasted flavor.

Rocky road brownies — Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Joshua Hoggle / Food Styling by Marianne Williams

Frequently asked questions

What flavors go into Rocky Road?

While the origins of Rocky Road are disputed (several brands claim to have created it), this flavor combination always includes chocolate, nuts, and marshmallows.

How do I slice brownies without them turning into a mess?

Brownies, especially gooey, fudgy brownies like these, are difficult to slice without creating a mess. To make it easier, dip your knife into very hot water, then dry the knife well and cut. Repeat between every one or two cuts.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

The size of your baking pan is especially important for this recipe. The marshmallows will puff and rise a lot more than you might expect, so you need to make sure that your pan is deep and wide enough to contain the marshmallows as they puff up and melt. To avoid a marshmallow explosion all over your oven, grab a ruler if necessary and measure your pan before you start baking. Some eight-inch square pans are actually closer to seven and a half inches across, and are a little less than two inches deep, making them too small for this recipe. We tested this recipe in an eight-inch baking pan that was exactly two inches deep, and while the marshmallows rose about three-quarters of an inch above the edges of the pan, they didn’t overflow (they collapse a bit as the brownies cool).

Make ahead

You can bake the brownie base up to two days in advance of adding the marshmallows. Keep the brownies covered, in the pan, at room temperature, then top them with the marshmallows, chocolate, and almonds and broil them. The brownies will be easy to slice while remaining gooey. Store cooked and cut brownies covered at room temperature for up to two days.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
2/3 cup (2 1/8 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (3 1/2 ounces) coarsely chopped roasted, salted almonds, divided
2 cups (3 1/2 ounces) miniature marshmallows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square metal baking pan (at least 2 inches deep) with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving at least 1 inch of paper overhanging on 2 opposing sides to remove brownies from pan. Spray parchment paper with cooking spray; set aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low. Once melted, whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in 1 cup of the chocolate chips until melted. Whisk in cocoa powder, coffee, vanilla, and salt. Let mixture cool for 5 minutes. Working quickly to avoid cooking eggs, crack one egg into chocolate mixture and whisk vigorously until incorporated. Repeat with remaining eggs. Fold in flour, 1/3 cup of the chopped almonds, and 1/4 cup of the remaining chocolate chips until just combined.
Pour brownie mixture into prepared baking pan, and spread into an even layer. Bake until slightly risen and top appears somewhat shiny, 32 to 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, roughly chop remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Remove brownies from oven and top with marshmallows, chopped chocolate chips, and remaining 1/3 cup almonds. Return to oven; continue baking until marshmallows have started to puff and turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn oven to broil, and broil until marshmallows are deeply browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Rotate your brownies after 1 minute more even browning. Remove from oven; place pan with brownies on a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.
Run a sharp knife around edges of brownies to release any marshmallows stuck to sides of pan. Remove brownies from pan with overhanging parchment handles; place on a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.