October 16, 2026

Dairy Free Rocky Road Ice Cream

Last Updated on October 16, 2026 by Annie

Rich with chocolate flavor and studded with chewy marshmallows and crunchy almonds, this dairy-free rocky road ice cream satisfies all your chocolate cravings. Made with just 7 ingredients and no ice cream maker, this no-churn chocolate treat takes 10 minutes or less to prepare before freezing.

No churn rocky road ice cream in a white bowl on a cream counter with marshmallows and almonds.

I have been a long time advocate for making your own dairy free ice cream. The store-bought options are good, but from a price perspective you truly can’t beat the cost of making it on your own.

Not to mention, making your own dairy-free ice cream has never been easier with this no-churn base. Simply whip, stir, and freeze and you’ll have about 8 cups of homemade rocky road ice cream ready to enjoy after freezing.

Packed with a rich chocolate flavor, soft chewy marshmallows, and crunchy bites of almonds, this homemade rocky road has it all.

Why You Will Love this Dairy Free Rocky Road Ice Cream

If you are a choco-holic like me, the rich chocolate base will be more than enough reason to make this recipe again and again. Some of the other reasons we love making this simple dairy-free ice cream include:

Made without an ice cream maker. Simply whip with a mixer or a hand mixer to make the base of the ice cream.
Packed with chocolate flavor. Mixing the cocoa powder with the sweetened condensed oat milk for a sweet and rich chocolate flavor.
Whips up in less than 10 minutes. You can easily get this in the freezer in 10 minutes making it a perfect recipe to make first thing in the morning and then have creamy rocky road ice cream when it is firm enough to scoop.

A close up of dairy free rocky road ice cream topped with marshmallows and chopped almonds.

Dairy-Free Changes to Rocky Road Ice Cream

There are two important ingredients that keep this recipe deliciously dairy free.

Dairy-free heavy whipping cream. For my no-churn ice cream recipes, Country Crock Plant Cream is my preferred option. In my testing, it whipped to nearly twice the volume of some other alternatives, helping create a lighter, airier ice cream. You can read more in my Country Crock Plant Cream review.
Vegan sweetened condensed milk. I use sweetened condensed oat milk, but sweetened condensed coconut milk is another option. Both provide the sweetness and thick consistency needed for this no-churn base.

A note on the texture. If you are looking for a traditional ice cream texture, this recipe might surprise you. I find that this rocky road comes across like a frozen chocolate mousse studded with marshmallows and almonds. It is light and airy with a rich chocolate flavor, not as heavy and creamy as a traditional ice cream.

An ice cream scoop, scooping out a scoop of dairy free rocky road ice cream.

How to Make Dairy Free Rocky Road Ice Cream

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dairy Free Heavy Whipping Cream– When it comes to making the most ice cream I highly recommend using the Country Crock Plant Cream heavy whipping cream alternative.
Sweetened condensed oat milk– I usually order a pack of these on Amazon to have on hand for no churn ice creams or magic cookie bars.
Cocoa powder- Unsweetened cocoa powder is best since you are using sweetened condensed oat milk to make the ice cream sweet.
Vanilla– Helps enhance the chocolate flavor.
Flaky sea salt- Balances out the sweetness while also enhancing the chocolate flavor.
Marshmallow– I prefer mini marshmallows for this recipe.
Chopped almonds– You can either use almond slices all crumbled up or chop whole almonds to your desired size.

Ingredients for dairy free rocky road ice cream on a cream counter.

Step-by-Step Directions for Dairy Free Rocky Road

In a small mixing bowl, stir together sweetened condensed oat milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt.
With a stand mixer or hand mixer fitted with whisk attachments, beat the heavy whipping cream on high for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

A small glass bowl with a whisk to the right and the ingredients for the sweetened condensed oat milk and cocoa powder mixture.

Chocolate sweetened condensed oat milk mixed with a whisk in a small glass bowl.

Pour the chocolate sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream and mix another minute until the chocolate is evenly mixed through.
Fold in the mini marshmallow and chopped almonds to evenly distribute.

A silver mixing bowl with whipped dairy free heavy whipping cream.

A silver mixing bowl with chocolate ice cream mixed together.

Pour into a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 8 hours, overnight if possible.
Scoop and serve when fully frozen.

Kitchen Tools for No Churn Ice Cream

As someone who has made close to 10 varieties of no churn ice cream, these are the kitchen tools I reach for time and again.

Stand Mixer– Fitted with the whisk attachment, the stand mixer helps you whip up no churn ice cream, hands free.
Hand Mixer– Alternatively you can also make this recipe with a simple hand mixer.
Large Freezer Safe Container– Great for storing your no-churn rocky road ice cream.

A silver and wooden handled ice cream scoop in a pan of dairy free rocky road ice cream.

What to serve with Rocky Road Ice Cream

I am and will always be a sucker for a scoop of ice cream. This particular ice cream is excellent on its own since it has two different toppings already mixed throughout.

If you are looking for some other ways you might want to dish out this rich chocolate ice cream I would highly recommend:

A la mode. Loft a scoop of this dairy free rocky road on a warm chocolate brownie.
Ice cream sandwich. A scoop of this ice cream fits perfectly between two coconut oil chocolate chip cookies.
Use in an ice cream pie. Replace the mint chocolate ice cream in my ice cream pie recipe with this rocky road ice cream.

A white bowl of rocky road ice cream on a cream counter with a spoon in the left side of the bowl.

Storing Dairy Free Rocky Road Ice Cream

The best place to keep your no churn rocky road ice cream would be the freezer. It will keep fresh and creamy in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

This batch of ice cream yields close to 8 cups of volume so you want to make sure you have a container that will hold at least 8 cups. Alternatively you can divide the ice cream into a few smaller storage containers.

FAQs About Dairy Free Rocky Road Ice Cream

Can you make this recipe vegan?

Yes! To make this rocky road ice cream vegan, use vegan sweetened condensed milk, dairy-free whipping cream, and vegan marshmallows, such as Dandies. Check the labels on all your ingredients to make sure they meet your dietary needs.

Why mix the cocoa powder with sweetened condensed milk?

Mixing the cocoa powder with the sweetened condensed milk before adding it to the whipped cream helps distribute the cocoa evenly, creating a smoother, more consistent chocolate base.

Do you have to use Country Crock Plant Cream?

Country Crock Plant Cream is my preferred option for this recipe because it whips to a generous volume and helps create a light, airy texture. If you can’t find it, Califia Farms is another option to try. In my testing, it produced less whipped volume, and the finished ice cream was firmer and harder to scoop. Let it sit at room temperature briefly before scooping to make serving easier.

No Churn Ice Cream Recipes to Make Next

Looking for more simple, no churn ice cream recipes to whip up? Here are a few that we keep on repeat.

Drumstick Ice Cream

Mint Chocolate Chip

Cookies and Cream

If you tried this dairy free rocky road ice cream recipe please let me know in the comments below!

You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!

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