This vegan rocky road ice cream starts with a rich chocolate base and is studded with mini marshmallows, crunchy almonds, and chocolate chips. It tastes just like the rocky road you grew up eating (maybe better!), but it’s 100% plant-based!
A couple weeks ago I shared a recipe for vegan butter pecan ice cream, because it was the most requested vegan ice cream flavor on my Facebook page. So you got your favorite! But today I'm sharing a recipe for my favorite — it's time for some vegan rocky road!
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Man, I have missed rocky road! Do they even make a vegan rocky road you can buy in stores? I haven't found one, and that's probably the biggest reason I got an ice cream maker. It was worth it!
We're starting with a rich, chocolate cashew base. My experience with store-bought vegan ice creams taught me that cashew cream is generally my favorite base for vegan ice cream — it's thick and creamy and comes closer to dairy than pretty much anything else I've found. We're also using plant-based marshmallows (no gelatin!), chocolate chips (no dairy!), and crunchy roasted almonds.
Every bite is like a blissful mouthful of sweet, sweet nostalgia!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Water. I know! Water in ice cream? It works, though! You'll be blending it with raw cashews to make the creamy base for your vegan rocky road.
- Cornstarch.
- Raw cashews. They need to be raw (not roasted) in order to give you the right texture and flavor.
- Sugar. Use organic granulated sugar, since conventional sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Cocoa powder.
- Corn syrup. This is an important ingredient, not only for sweetening your vegan ice cream, but also because it prevents it from freezing too firmly.
- Vanilla extract.
- Salt.
- Rum. This is optional, but it's another ingredient that helps make your ice cream scoopable. Feel free to omit it or replace it with another type of liquor.
- Vegan mini marshmallows. I used Dandies. Trader Joe's also makes them.
- Roasted and salted almonds.
- Mini vegan chocolate chips.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Make the cornstarch slurry. Combine cornstarch and cold water in a saucepan, and heat the mixture to a simmer while whisking. It'll thicken up quickly — take the pot off the heat once it does, then let it cool.
Step 2: Blend the base. Add the cooled slurry to a blender along with the rest of your water, cashews, sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and rum if you're using it. Blend the mixture until smooth.
Tip: This recipe works best if you're using a high-powered blending device like a Vitamix or Blendtec. If not, you'll need to blend it for a while to get the mixture smooth, which is important for preventing ice crystals. Be patient!
Step 3: Churn. Check to see if blending the mixture warmed it up. Let it cool if so. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of your ice cream maker and churn until partially frozen. Aim for a soft-serve consistency.
Step 4: Add stir-ins. Stir in your mini marshmallows, chopped almonds, and mini chocolate chips. Transfer the ice cream to storage containers and freeze until set.
Step 5: Serve. You'll need to let your ice cream sit out for around 10 or 15 minutes before scooping, as homemade vegan ice cream gets pretty firm in the freezer. Then just scoop away and dig in!
Tip: Want to turn your dessert into a real chocolate extravaganza? Top your vegan rocky road with my homemade vegan hot fudge sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! As long as your mini marshmallows are gluten-free (most brands are).
Absolutely! And it'll still be delicious without the stir-ins.
Homemade vegan ice cream freezes firmer than store-bought ice cream due to the lack of additives. Including rum helps mitigate this, but it might still be a touch firm. Let it sit out for a bit or warm it up in short bursts (just a few seconds) in the microwave.
Your ice cream will be best if enjoyed within two weeks. It'll still be fresh after this, but may have accumulated more ice crystals than you'd like.
More Vegan Frozen Treats
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Rocky Road Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups water, divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup organic granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons rum optional (helps keep the ice cream scoopable)
- 1 ¼ cups vegan mini marshmallows
- â…” cup roasted and salted almonds, roughly chopped
- â…” cup vegan mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whisk one cup of the water (chilled, Note 1) together with the cornstarch in a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Heat the mixture up, whisking frequently, until it comes to a simmer and thickens. Immediately remove the pot from heat and let it cool.
- Place the remaining 2 cups of water into a high-powered blender and add the cornstarch mixture, cashews, sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and rum (if using). Blend until completely smooth. Run the machine a bit longer than you think you need to.
- If blending has warmed up the mixture, allow it to cool before churning. Once cool, place the mixture into the bowl of a 2-quart or larger ice cream maker and churn until creamy and partially frozen, but not solid, about 25 minutes.
- Stir the mini marshmallows, almonds, and chocolate chips into the ice cream by hand, then transfer it to storage containers. Freeze until fully set, about 4 hours.
- Let the ice cream sit out for about 15 minutes before scooping, or briefly warm it in the microwave (Note 2). Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Chilling the water helps the cornstarch to dissolve, so don't skip it. You can put it over ice for a few minutes if needed.
- Homemade vegan ice cream sets firmer than store-bought, so plan ahead.
- This recipe makes 2 scant quarts of ice cream.
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