These Rocky Road Cookies are made with chocolate pudding cookie dough and loaded with chocolate chips, almonds, and marshmallows and have a soft and gooey brownie-like center!
Even if you don’t love rocky road ice cream, you don’t want to pass up these Rocky Road Pudding Cookies! I’m proof that you can dislike the original ice cream version but LOVE this cookie variation!
I just don’t like chocolate ice cream, but a soft chocolate cookie that has chocolate chips with crunchy almonds and gooey marshmallows? Sign me up!
These cookies are even pushed to a gourmet level since they’re rolled in crushed almonds, mini chocolate chips, and marshmallow bits before baking! Every finished cookie looks as if it just came out of the case at a bakery!
Soft Gourmet Style Rocky Road Cookies
Taste: These rocky road cookies have all the flavor of the original scoop of ice cream just in the form of a soft, chewy cookie that has a gooey brownie-like center! You still get the rich taste of chocolate, almonds, and sticky marshmallows!
Texture: With flour measured correctly and the addition of instant pudding, the result is chewy, soft cookies with a gooey fudge-like center! The studded almonds throughout the cookies give them a slight, satisfying crunch to balance the texture out!
Ingredients For Rocky Road Pudding Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour
- Dutch Cocoa Powder
- Instant Chocolate Fudge Pudding Mix
- Malted Milk Powder
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Salted Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Large Egg
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Heavy Cream
- Almond Slivers
- Mini Marshmallows
- Chocolate Chips
- Marshmallows Bits
Ingredient Notes
One of the standout ingredients in this fudgy rocky road cookie recipe is the instant chocolate fudge pudding mix. This makes the cookies to be deliciously soft and fudge-like while building on the mouthwatering chocolate flavor of the cocoa powder that’s simply irresistible.
The second ingredient that may stick out is malted milk powder. Though the amount this recipe calls for is small, it produces a depth of flavor throughout the overall cookie that makes this recipe shine and actually taste like ice cream!
The last important (and sometimes hard-to-find) ingredient is Marshmallow Bits. These are tiny dehydrated marshmallows. You can usually find them at the grocery store near the hot cocoa and tea, but they can also be purchased online (affiliate link).
What Is Dutch Processed Cocoa?
Dutch-processed cocoa goes through a process where the cocoa beans are washed with an alkaline solution to neutralize their acidity. The neutralized cocoa beans then make for a cocoa powder that has a more intense chocolaty flavor.
This then encourages the individual chocolate chips to stand out, as well as creating cookies with an intensely deep chocolate flavor! I prefer Ghirardelli brand which can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
Rocky Road Cookies Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the flour, Dutch cocoa powder, instant chocolate fudge pudding mix, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set this aside.
Step 2: Add the salted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a mixing bowl and cream for 2 minutes. Creaming for this long is important to the texture of the cookie.
Step 3: Beat in an egg and pure vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
Step 4: Alternate adding the dry ingredients with heavy cream in 3 additions. Beginning with the flour mixture and ending with the heavy cream.
The cookie dough should now be thick yet soft and greasy but not sticky.
Step 5: Fold in the chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and almond slivers. I prefer to use mini marshmallows in the mix and marshmallow bits for the topping, but you can use bits in the mix instead of mini marshmallows. However, I do not recommend using mini marshmallows for the topping.
Feel free to toast your almonds for an even deeper flavor before adding them to the cookie dough. You can also use chopped almonds instead of slivers.
Step 6: Crush up the remaining almond slivers and combine them with mini chocolate chips and marshmallow bits in a small bowl.
Step 7: Portion out the dough and press the top of each dough ball into the almond, marshmallow bits, and chocolate chip mixture. Afterward, place them on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Step 8: Bake until the edges of the cookies are just set, and the tops look more matte than glossy. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Serving Fudgy Rocky Road Cookies
These cookies are best enjoyed warm since the chocolate chips will be melted along with pockets of gooey sticky marshmallows. Serve with a tall glass of cold milk as everyone falls in love with their new favorite cookie!
Storage Instructions
Store these chewy cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months by placing them in a Ziploc bag and squeezing the excess air out.
Rocky Road Cookie Substitutions And Variations
- Malted Milk Powder – If needed, this can be swapped out for powdered milk or coffee creamer.
- Butter – Unsalted butter can be used in place of salted butter. To do so, just add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
- Nuts – The almond slivers in this rocky road dessert can be swapped out for nuts such as cashews, peanuts, or walnuts if desired.
- Chocolate – Instead of chocolate chips, you can chop up a chocolate bar to create cookies with chocolate chunks instead of chips.
- Pudding Mix – The chocolate fudge pudding mix can be replaced with regular instant chocolate pudding instead.
Rocky Road Cookies FAQS
Rocky Road is chocolate ice cream that’s loaded with chopped almonds and marshmallows.
To accomplish that freshly baked warm and gooey cookie, simply reheat the cookie in the microwave for 15 seconds. Then enjoy it with an ice-cold glass of milk!
Yes, this Rocky Road Pudding Cookie dough can be frozen; however, this answer does vary from cookie recipe to cookie recipe.
To freeze this cookie dough, pre-portion the dough out and flash freeze it on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Afterward, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls into a labeled gallon-sized freezer bag and squeeze the excess air out.
Store the bag of frozen cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The addition of instant pudding mix makes these cookies deliciously chewy and helps them to remain softer for longer.
Dry, crumbly cookies are often the result of either being over-baked or too much flour accidentally being added to the dough.
Learn how to accurately measure flour to avoid adding too much flour into recipes.
More Fantastic Cookie Recipes
- Cowboy Cookies – Chewy oatmeal-based cookies loaded with pecans, coconut, caramel, chocolate chips, and cornflakes!
- S’mores Cookies – Your favorite summertime treat made into a deliciously gooey cookie!
- Cookie Dough Cookies – The ultimate Crumbl Copycat Recipe!
- Double Tree Cookies – Big, thick, and chewy cookies filled with chocolate chips and walnuts!
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More Gourmet Cookie Recipes
This post was originally published in July 2015 and was updated in May 2023 with fresh photos and a retested recipe.
Rocky Road Cookies
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 210g
- ½ cup Dutch cocoa powder 50g
- 1 (3.4oz.) box instant chocolate fudge pudding mix 110g, unprepared
- 2 tablespoons malted milk powder 20g, see notes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda 4g
- ½ cup salted butter 110g
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed, 150g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 55g
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 ounces heavy cream
- ¾ cup almond slivers 67g + ¼ cup for topping
- ½ cup mini marshmallows 32g, packed
- ½ cups chocolate chips 87g, see notes
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips for topping
- ½ cup marshmallow bits
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup Dutch cocoa powder, 1 (3.4oz.) box instant chocolate fudge pudding mix, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon baking soda. Set aside.1¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup Dutch cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, 1 (3.4oz.) box instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
- Cream together ½ cup salted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar , and ¼ cup granulated sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream for 2 minutes.¾ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup salted butter
- Add in 1 large egg and 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated.1 large egg, 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and 3 ounces heavy cream, alternating between them 3 times, beginning with flour and ending with milk. Mix for about 1 to 2 minutes The dough should be thick but soft, greasy but not sticky.3 ounces heavy cream
- Fold in ¾ cup almond slivers, ½ cup mini marshmallows, and ½ cups chocolate chips just until incorporated.
- In a small bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup of almond slivers and crush them up well. Then add in the ½ cup mini chocolate chips and ½ cup marshmallow bits.
- Use a #24 cookie scoop to measure the dough into balls about 2oz. each. Dip the tops of each ball in the almond, chocolate, and marshmallow mixture.
- Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking pan at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are just set and the dough looks more matte than glossy.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack with a spatula to cool completely. Bake the other pan of cookies. These cookies are very soft right after baking and will firm up while they cool.
Notes
- Regular instant chocolate pudding can be used in place of chocolate fudge in the dough.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Jeanie Koula says
Your rocky road pudding cookies look amazing. What is homemade vanilla extract?? Does it change the taste a whole lot if you use reg vanilla extract?
Thanks. Jeanie
Rebecca says
Hi Jeanie, the homemade vanilla extract is just vanilla beans that soak in vodka (or another alcohol) for 6-8 weeks. Store bought vanilla extract is perfectly fine!
Paula says
How many cookies do you get using the spoon measurement you gave. Would love to make these for a Life Group dinner. But might do a little small scoop to get more out of it if I need to…they look pretty rich anyway. (But oh, so yummy)I give it 5 star even if I have not had one yet…I feel sure they are good for it!
Rebecca says
Hi Paula,
It will make about 3 dozen cookies that are about 2 inches across. You could definitely make them with a tbsp of dough instead of 1.5 tbsp, anything smaller than that though and you might miss out on some of the components in the cookies. These are so good, I wanted to make them again this weekend but ended up making the Oreo Pudding Cookies I posted today instead!
Enjoy and I hope your group loves them!
Ann says
Drooling just looking at your cookies! Rocky road rules! 🙂
Rebecca says
Thanks, Ann! These cookies were so good, I had to take them into work so I didn’t eat them all myself!
Lou Lou Girls says
Yum! This looks so amazing. Pinned and tweeted. Thank you for bringing such amazing creations to our party. We hope to see you tonight at 7 pm because we LOVE to party with you! Lou Lou Girls
Melissa Vera says
I never would have thought of making rocky road cookies. Marshmallows in cookies what a genius idea.
Pam says
This makes me want a cookie and I’m not a huge sweets person! They look so good!
karissa says
Oh my these look good. I bet they would be a hit at my house
Bonnie @ Living a Fit and Full Life says
Yikes! I want these so bad right now!
Ella P says
Oh man, these cookies look too fantastic! I looooove chocolate, and i love puding, but i adore cookies.. and these 3 together they sure look like all the words that were’nt evne words in the first place. But yes yes yes i am trying this soon, i love baking!
Shelly says
As soon as I saw Rocky Road in the URL of this post I knew this was bad news!! (for my waistline at least)
I love, love love Rocky Road (have you ever had Haagen Dasz’s?), so I’m totally bookmarking this too. Thanks!
Rebecca says
Haha! I’ll have to try the HD, maybe I’ll like it!
Jaclyn says
I didn’t realize they had that container of little marshmallows!! Yum!!
Eva @ Kidminds says
We never tire of trying new recipes. This looks delicious. We need to give it a try.
Barb @ A Life in Balance says
I usually make chocolate chip cookies for the first day of school. I am so tempted to surprise my kids with these cookies
Rebecca says
Oh, I bet they would love that!
Stacey says
I have never made pudding cookies – but I LOVE Rocky Road! I just printed this recipe! I cannot wait to make them! Plus I obviously need to cheek out your other Rocky Road recipes. YEA!
Rebecca says
Pudding Cookies are amazing, they’re just so chewy, I love them and I hope you love this recipe!
Debra Hawkins says
These sound amazing! I love pudding cookies!
April @ Everyday Fitness and Nutrition says
Oh my! I love anything rocky road. I will definitely need to make these very soon!
Rebecca says
I hope you do, I need to make them again myself, like ASAP!
Michelle says
These look so yummy! I know my kids would love them, thanks for sharing!
ana says
I am not usually a fan of chocolate deserts as I find that they are too rich for me but I might make an exception for this bad boy! Mmm
Jessica Doble says
I don’t like chocolate ice cream either! BUT these look fantastic!!! I see these in my future very soon.
Rebecca says
It doesn’t taste like chocolate to me! You’re going to love these cookies though!