Vegan Rocky Road Brownies
Last Updated on September 16, 2022 by Annie
Fudgy vegan brownies are topped with pecans, vegan marshmallows, and chocolate chips for a truly unforgettable rocky road brownie. Serve these tasty brownies as is or top them with ice cream for an a la mode treat everyone will enjoy!
A huge thank you to Dandies Vegan Marshmallows for sharing their Vegan Marshmallows- Vanilla Flavored with My Life After Dairy. All opinions disclosed are mine alone.
What is better than a fudgy chocolate brownie? How about a vegan brownie that is topped with Dandies marshmallows, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips for an all-out vegan treat you won’t suspect is made without dairy or eggs.
These rocky road brownies are a take on the traditional rocky road ice cream which was made with a chocolate ice cream base swirled with marshmallows and almonds. I swapped the almonds for pecans since they are a bit softer to bite into and added chocolate chips (because who doesn’t want more chocolate in their brownies?!?) and the result was perfectly fudgy and packed with flavor!
These easy-to-make brownies come together with less than 10 minutes of hands-on work and are the perfect treat for all your chocolate needs!
Why We LOVE these Vegan Rocky Road Brownies
I’m not going to say we made these brownies almost 5 out of 7 days in a week during the testing process but I’m also not going to say we didn’t… There are so many flavors and so much chocolaty goodness to love about these brownies that I really don’t know where to begin!
- Fudgy vegan chocolate brownie base. Honestly, if you didn’t want to add all of the delicious toppings you could stop and the base and have one hell of a good vegan brownie.
- Rocky road flavor. You’ve got your soft yet chewy nuts, vegan marshmallows, and pockets of melty chocolate chips giving you all the flavor of rocky road in a hand-held treat.
- Minimal hands-on time. The brownie batter takes under 10 minutes to make leaving the rest of the time for baking.
How to Make Vegan Rocky Road Brownies
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flax eggs– A mixture of flax meal and water mixed and set to make a binding agent for the brownie batter.
- Plant-based butter– Melted and slightly cooled, gives. abuttery flavor without any of the dairy.
- Coffee– Optional but highlights the chocolaty flavor and makes the brownies just a little more intense. Sub for water if you do not plan to use the coffee.
- Sugar- Sweetens the vegan brownie base.
- Vanilla- For a little flavor.
- Flour- Gives structure to the brownies.
- Cocoa powder- Provides a punch of chocolaty flavor.
- Salt- Highlights the chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate chips- Because life is just better with extra pools of melty chocolate. Agreed?
- Vegan marshmallows- We used Dandies Mini marshmallows and they were an absolute dream!
- Pecans- Traditional rocky road uses almonds, but I like the softer bite pecans bring to a dessert. Feel free to swap the pecans for almonds if you are a rocky road traditionalist.
Directions for Rocky Road Brownies
- Make flax egg: In a small bowl, mix flax with water to make flax eggs. Allow to sit at least 5 minutes before using.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. I make a sling (allowing the parchment paper to come up the sides for easy removal after baking).
- Mix liquid ingredients: In a large bowl mix together melted plant-based butter, coffee (or water if you’re not using coffee), vanilla, flax eggs, and sugar. Mix until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into the large bowl and fold in until smooth.
- Fold in chocolate chips: Gently fold in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the baking dish.
- Bake for 45 minutes then remove from oven.
- Add toppings: Top with vegan marshmallows, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips. Press the toppings into the brownie so help them set during the final bake.
- Finish baking: Return the brownie pan to the oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing and serving!
Vegan and Diary-Free Changes to Rocky Road Brownies
- Plant-based butter- Swap the regular butter for plant-based butter, I used Country Crock Plant Butter.
- Cocoa powder- Be sure to check that you are using a vegan cocoa powder.
- Flax eggs- In place of traditional eggs, use flax meal mixed with water to make a binding agent.
- Chocolate chips- Swap semi-sweet chocolate chips for a vegan semi-sweet chocolate chip.
- Marshmallows- We used Dandies Vegan Marshmallows for this recipe, they have all the great flavor and texture of a marshmallow but are vegan, gluten-free, and kosher.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Here are some helpful tools you might need while making these vegan rocky road brownies.
- 8×8-inch Baking Pan– With it’s sharp corners, this baking pan makes the perfect edges for all your baked goods.
- Rubber Spatula– For folding in the flour mixture.
- Fine Mesh Strainer– I prefer to use a fine mesh strainer over a traditional sifter since it can serve more than one purpose in the kitchen.
Storage Tips and Serving Suggestions
- Store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
- Warm in the microwave for a few seconds to have a warm melty brownie.
- Top with a large scoop of vegan vanilla or chocolate ice cream to make a delicious rocky road brownie a la mode.
WHERE CAN I FIND DANDIES MARSHMALLOWS?
If you are looking to stock your pantry with some delightful vegan marshmallows here are the different ways you can order or find these marshmallows.
- Dandies– From the Dandies website you are able to find a few different ways to order Dandies Vegan Marshmallows.
- Shop Locator– If you are looking for a grocery store that carries Dandies marshmallows locally, you can use their store locator to see where any might be available nearby.
- Thrive Market– If you use Thrive Market to order groceries, you can also add bags of Dandies to your order!
- Vegan Essentials– Use Vegan Essentials to easily stock your pantry with Dandies marshmallows.
- Buy Online– Find all of the different digital retailers carrying Dandies products here.
Chocolate Desserts to Try Next
- Chocolate Eclair Dessert
- Vegan Peppermint Bark
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (Vegan)
- Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Pie
- Chocolate Chess Pie
If you tried these Vegan Rocky Road Brownies and enjoyed them feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear how it went! Or, snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!
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Vegan Rocky Road Brownies
Treat your chocolate sweet tooth with these fudge vegan rocky road brownies! Vegan brownies are topped with Dandies marshmallows, chopped pecans, and extra chocolate chips for a decadent dessert you won't believe is vegan!
Ingredients
Vegan Chocolate Brownies
- 2 Tablespoons Flax Meal
- 6 Tablespoons Water
- ½ cup Plant-based Butter melted and slightly cooled
- 2 Tablespoons Coffee optional- sub with water
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 1 cup Sugar
- ¾ cup Flour
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Dairy-Free Choolate Chips
Rocky Road Topping
- ¼ cup Chopped Pecans
- ¼ cup Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips
- ½ cup Vegan Marshmallows
Instructions
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In a small bowl, mix 2 Tablespoons ground flax with 6 Tablespoons water to make flax eggs. Allow to sit at least 5 minutes before using.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl mix together ½ cup melted plant-based butter, 2 Tablespoons coffee (or water if you're not using coffee), 1 Tablespoon vanilla, flax egg mixture, and 1 cup sugar. Mix until smooth.
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Sift ¾ cup flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt into the large bowl and fold in until smooth.
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Gently fold in ¼ cup chocolate chips and pour the batter into the baking dish.
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Bake for 45 minutes then remove from oven.
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Top with ½ cup vegan marshmallows, ¼ cup chopped pecans, and ¼ cup chocolate chips. Press them down to really get them stuck to the top.
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Return to oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing and serving!
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