Gingerbread Rocky Road
Get into the festive spirit with this scrumptious Gingerbread Rocky Road. Created with gingerbread men cookies, dried cranberries, almonds, coconut, and marshmallows. Coated in creamy melted milk chocolate, this Christmas rocky road is a must have treat this season.
This Christmas rocky road recipe will bring you the festive spirit this holiday season. You can either make your very own homemade gingerbread men such as my Gingerbread Cookies or pick up a packet from the supermarket to use.
This recipe includes classic Christmas rocky road ingredients with vibrant dried cranberries, almonds, and shredded coconut. The marshmallows add a soft texture that pairs well against the crunchy gingerbread cookies.
Whip up a batch of this gingerbread rocky road in the weeks leading up to Christmas for a fun festive treat. If you fancy a white chocolate version, try this White Christmas Rocky Road.
🍫 Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Gingerbread men cookies added in big chunks offer crunch and flavor that’s reminiscent of Christmas.
- Dried cranberries and almonds are fun and delicious ingredients to add to a festive rocky road.
- Creamy melted milk chocolate binds all of the ingredients together making this a nice alternative to dark chocolate.
📋 Ingredient Notes
Milk chocolate block: 600 grams is needed for this recipe which is 3 x 200 gram blocks of plain milk chocolate. I recommend Cadbury baking chocolate or Lindt milk chocolate.
Shredded coconut: This adds texture but if you don’t have shredded, you can replace it with desiccated coconut.
Almonds: Plain natural almonds are fine to use but you can also use dry roasted for extra flavor if desired. Roughly chop them before adding but leaving some larger chunks/whole almonds for added crunch and texture is desirable.
Gingerbread Men Cookies: I used homemade gingerbreads by making my Gingerbread Cookie Recipe beforehand. If you choose to do the same and use my cookie recipe, it makes a lot more than 200 grams, which is needed for this rocky road recipe. You can use the required amount for this recipe and enjoy the leftover cookies which you can also decorate with royal icing.
Marshmallows: Use regular size marshmallows and cut/slice them in half using scissors or a knife. You can also use small/mini marshmallows if you cannot get the larger ones. You won’t have to half the small/mini marshmallows.
🥣 Step By Step Instructions
1) Break up gingerbread cookies into medium-large pieces, refer to process images in post for a visual.
2) Melt chocolate in a double boiler on the stove over simmering water until completely melted and smooth.
3) Add cranberries, coconut, and chopped almonds. Mix until well coated in the chocolate.
4) Add broken-up gingerbread cookies and halved marshmallows. Stir through until completely coated in the chocolate.
5) Pour into lined pan, spreading out evenly. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 2-3 hours or until completely set.
6) Remove from fridge and lift rocky road out from the pan and place on a chopping board. Let it sit for 10 minutes for the chocolate to soften slightly, making it easier to slice.
7) Take a sharp knife and cut into long slices then into squares. Serve and enjoy!
💭 Tips & Substitutions
- Break chocolate block into squares so it melts faster by using the indent lines of the block to break it apart or roughly chop it if you cannot break it into squares.
- Substitute dried cranberries for glacé cherries, raisins, or sultanas.
- Substitute shredded coconut for desiccated coconut but shredded coconut is highly recommended for texture.
- Make homemade gingerbread men cookies with this recipe or use store-bought cookies, just make sure to use 200 grams worth.
- Break gingerbread cookies into medium/large pieces, refer to process images in post for a visual.
- Use scissors to cut the marshmallows in half and let them fall straight into the bowl to make this process faster.
- Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 week – 10 days. Before enjoying a slice from the fridge, allow it to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes so it’s not too hard to bite into.
- Freeze long slices or squares in an airtight container with layers of either cling film or parchment paper between the slices/squares to prevent them from sticking. Freeze for up to 1 month. Freeze the entire block of the rocky road that’s already set after being in the refrigerator by removing it from the pan and wrapping it tightly in a double layer of cling film, leaving it on the parchment paper. Place in an airtight container in the freezer and freeze for up to 1 month.
- Defrost slices/squares or entire block by placing the container with the rocky road still inside in the fridge overnight to thaw. Then place on the kitchen counter for a few hours until softened enough to slice and eat.
💬 FAQ’s
I prefer to melt chocolate in a double boiler on the stovetop as it’s a gentle method by which you can control the temperature and it’s less likely to burn. Be sure to prevent the base of the heat-proof bowl from touching the water directly as it can burn the chocolate. It is meant to melt from the steam which is indirect heat.
Yes, you can melt chocolate in the microwave. Melt chocolate in a heat-proof/microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring after each burst in the microwave. Once it’s half-melted, reduce the increment time to 10-15 seconds and stir until it’s nearly all melted. Prevent the chocolate from burning by leaving a couple of smaller chunks of chocolate that haven’t completely melted and stir to allow the residual heat in the bowl to melt them.
Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 week – 10 days. Before enjoying a slice from the fridge, allow it to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes so it’s not too hard to bite into.
Yes, you can. Freeze long slices or squares in an airtight container with layers of either cling film or parchment paper between the slices/squares to prevent them from sticking. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Freeze the entire block of the rocky road that’s already set after being in the refrigerator by removing it from the pan and wrapping it tightly in a double layer of cling film, leaving it on the parchment paper. Place in an airtight container in the freezer and freeze for up to 1 month.
Defrost slices/squares or entire block by placing the container with the rocky road still inside in the fridge overnight to thaw. Then place on the kitchen counter for a few hours until softened enough to slice and eat.
Use gingerbread cookies for this rocky road. Do not use a gingerbread loaf/bread/cake. Try making your own using this homemade Gingerbread Cookie recipe. They’re also known as gingerbread snaps. If you want to fasten up the process, purchase a packet of gingerbread cookies from the supermarket, just be sure it is 200 grams, as that is how much is needed for this recipe.
🥄 Related Recipes
Gingerbread Rocky Road Recipe
Ingredients
- 200g gingerbread men cookies, broken into pieces use this homemade recipe or use store-bought
- 600g plain milk chocolate block, broken into squares
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup natural almonds, roughly chopped
- 2 heaping cups regular/large marshmallows, chopped in half
Instructions
- Line a 10-inch x 6-inch (27cm x 17cm) rectangle/slice baking pan with parchment paper, set aside.
- Break up gingerbread cookies into medium-large pieces, refer to process images in post for a visual.
- Prepare a double boiler by placing a heat-proof mixing bowl over a small sized pot half filled up with water. Place over a low-medium heat on the stove top and bring water to a simmer.
- Add broken-up milk chocolate to the bowl.
- Gently melt over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Ensure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat.
- Add cranberries, coconut, and chopped almonds. Mix until well coated in the chocolate.
- Add broken-up gingerbread men cookies and halved marshmallows. Stir through until completely coated in the chocolate.
- Pour into lined pan, spreading out evenly.
- Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 2-3 hours or until completely set.
- Remove from fridge and lift rocky road out from the pan and place on a chopping board. Let it sit for 10 minutes for the chocolate to soften slightly, making it easier to slice.
- Take a sharp knife and cut into long slices then into squares.
- Serve and enjoy!