Kitchen and Other Stories

  • Breakfast Recipes
  • Main Course Recipes
  • Soup Recipes
  • Healthy Salad Recipes
  • Side Dishes & Snacks
  • Dessert & Drink Recipes
  • Kitchen Skills & Hacks
  • Foraging & Sustainable Living
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Breakfast Recipes
  • Main Course Recipes
  • Side Dishes & Snacks
  • Dessert & Drink Recipes
  • Healthy Salad Recipes
  • Soup Recipes
  • Foraging & Sustainable Living
  • Kitchen Skills & Hacks
×
Home » Dessert & Drink Recipes

Easy Rocky Road Recipe

Published: Oct 19, 2022 by Chef Tripti · This post may contain affiliate links

↓ Jump to Recipe
Pin the Recipe
↓ Jump to Video

Rocky road is a classic no-bake cake. Usually made with digestive biscuits, chocolate, marshmallows, nuts and raisins; in this recipe, I have Indianised the traditional rocky road. Rocky road goes desi! This rocky road recipe uses gondh, an edible gum, and nankhatai, an Indian-style shortbread biscuit. I have used almonds, pistachio nuts, and rose petals to flavour this rocky road recipe. No baking is required - it sets in the fridge. What's more, this rocky road is vegan.

Slices of rocky road on a wooden chopping board and in a small metal box.

The rocky road has a fascinating history. Although American companies credit themselves with inventing the dessert, the earliest mention of it is from Australia in the 19th century. Confectionery spoiled on its long trip to Australia was mixed with nuts and chocolate to create a dessert. It was called a "rocky road" because of the long journey to Australia's gold fields. I guess this is an early example of reducing food waste!

In Britain, it can also be referred to as chocolate tiffin.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top tips
  • FAQ
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Food safety

Ingredients

Ingredients for rocky road in small glass dishes.
  • Dark chocolate
  • Golden syrup
  • Nankhatai biscuit
  • Gondh
  • Pistachio nuts
  • Almonds
  • Rose petals (optional)
  • Vegan block butter
  • Crystallised ginger
  • Coconut oil

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Gondh edible gum in a frying pay before frying.

Gondh edible gum.

Gondh edible gum on a plate after frying. Golden brown colour.

Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the gondh in small quantities and fry until it puffs up. Once puffed, remove from the oil and allow to cool. Repeat until all the gondh has been fried. Don't fry them all at once, or else they will remain chewy inside. Set aside

Vegan block butter cubes and golden syrup in a glass bowl ready to mix.

Melt the vegan block butter and golden syrup over low, gentle heat.

A glass bowl containing melted vegan butter and golden syrup with dark chocolate chunks added.

Again over a low, gentle heat, add the chocolate. Melt and mix to incorporate.

Adding pistachio nuts, almond and crystallised ginger to rocky road mix in a glass bowl.

Add the chopped almonds, pistachio nuts and crystallised ginger and mix.

Adding fried gondh to rocky road mix in a glass bowl.

Then add the fried gondh and mix.

Adding broken nankhatai biscuit pieces into rocky road mix in a glass bowl.

Finally, add the nankhatai biscuit and mix.

A baking tray lined with parchment paper containing rocky road mixture ready for refrigeration.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking tray and spread it out evenly.

Rocky road mixture spread evenly in a baking tray and sprinkled with chopped almonds, pistachio and dried rose petals.

Sprinkle with some chopped pistachio nuts and dried rose petals. Omit the dried rose petals if you can't easily obtain them.

Close up of three slices of rocky road piled on top of each other.

Refrigerate for six hours to set. Cut into squares when set. I cut mine into 18 squares of around 50 - 60g each.

Substitutions

If you don't want to make the nankhatai biscuits or don't have access to it, you can replace them with either digestive biscuits or any biscuit of your choice.

You can replace the Gondh, or edible gum, with vegan marshmallows.

Variations

The basis of this rocky road recipe is vegan butter, chocolate and a biscuit. The rest is up to you; you can use maple syrup instead of golden syrup and use your choice of nuts and flavours.

Equipment

As always, it is best to use digital scales to measure the ingredients as its the most accurate way, especially if you are baking.

You will need a baking tray to set the rocky road. I used a ten-inch by seven-inch baking tray.

Storage

You can make this recipe a week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can freeze this rocky road. Make sure you cut it into smaller portions and freeze it in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. Just defrost in the fridge overnight, and do not refreeze once you have defrosted it. It can be kept frozen for up to three months.

Top tips

Make sure you have a tray ready lined with parchment paper before you start melting your butter.

Melt the butter, golden syrup and chocolate over a bain marie or very low heat. Stir the chocolate while melting, or else it may burn from the bottom. A bain marie is a method of heating gently in a hot water bath. In the case of this recipe, you would heat some water in a saucepan and then place a glass bowl in the water. The butter, golden syrup and chocolate would melt in the glass bowl.

FAQ

What is Gondh?

Gondh is an edible, natural gum from gum-producing plants in the Middle East and parts of India. It is often used in Indian baking as an emulsifier, stabiliser, or to add texture to a recipe. You will find gondh to purchase in shops selling Indian foods if you live in the UK, like me, or another non-Indian / middle eastern country.

What is Nankhatai?

Nankhatai means bread (naan) biscuit (khatai). It is an Indian biscuit similar in texture to shortbread - soft and crumbly. Traditionally it is made with ghee, giving it a shortbread texture; however, coconut oil can be used as a non-dairy alternative to achieve the same texture, as I have done in this recipe.

📖 Recipe

Close up of three slices of rocky road stacked on top of each other.

Easy Rocky Road Recipe

Chef Tripti
A vegan, Indian-inspired version of the classic chocolate cake.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Setting Time - Refrigerator 6 hours hrs
Total Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Australian
Servings 18 squares
Calories 187 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Baking tray 10 inches by 7 inches

Ingredients
 
 

  • 300 g Dark chocolate
  • 60 g Golden syrup
  • 10 Nankhatia biscuits See my nankhatai biscuit recipe
  • 10 g Gondh Edible gum
  • 70 g Pistachio nuts
  • 50 g Almonds
  • 1 Handful Rose petals
  • 125 g Vegan butter (block, not spreadable)
  • 40 g Crystallised ginger
  • 50 g Coconut oil For frying Gondh

Instructions
 

  • Line your baking tray with parchment paper, including the sides.
  • Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the gondh in small quantities and fry until it puffs up. Once puffed, remove from the oil and allow to cool. Repeat until all the gondh has been fried. Don't fry them all at once, or else they will remain chewy inside. Set aside
  • Roughly chop the pistachio and almonds. Break the nankhatai and chocolate into smaller pieces
  • Melt the butter and golden syrup in a pan over low, gentle heat.
  • Add the chocolate pieces and stir until it melts (still over low heat).
  • Once the chocolate has melted, add the chopped nuts and crystallised ginger and mix well.
  • Add the gondh and mix.
  • Add the nankhatai and mix.
  • Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking tray. Spread evenly in the tray.
  • Sprinkle over some chopped pistachios and scatter over the rose petals. Press everything down gently.
  • Place in the refrigerator for six hours to set.

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 18g (6%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 5mgPotassium: 1182mg (34%)Fiber: 6g (25%)Sugar: 10g (11%)Vitamin A: 23IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 24mg (2%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Keyword dessert, sweet
Tried this recipe?Please leave a review & rating
Mention @kitchenandotherstories or tag #kitchenandotherstories!

Food safety

In a professional kitchen, food hygiene and safety are top priorities, and from the beginning of my training, I practised good habits and routines. Here are some fundamental practices to adopt in the kitchen at home.

  • Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
  • Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
  • If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
  • Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
  • Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
  • Store food correctly.

For more details regarding food hygiene and safety in the home, visit the UK Government's Food Standards Agency webpage.

More Dessert and Drink Recipes

  • A slice of elderflower and strawberry cake on a small plate.
    Easy No-Bake Elderflower and Strawberry Cake.
  • Close up of a mango shrikhand mini tart garnished with pistachio and an almond flake.
    Mango Shrikhand Tart (Flavoured Yoghurt) Recipe
  • Close of three nankhatai biscuits in a small round ceramic dish.
    Nankhatai Biscuit Recipe
  • A vegan mango flavoured crepe cake on a plate.
    Crepe Cake (Vegan) Mango Flavour Recipe

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Blog author behind lavender plant
Chef Tripti

Hi! Tripti here. I am a Michelin-trained chef with over 20 years of experience in the industry. My mission is to help you cook fresh, nutritious food with simple recipes that deliver creativity and taste—food with heart and soul.

More about me →

Wild Edible Plant Recipes For Home Cooking

Discover the flavours of nature with these easy yet delicious and nutritious recipes, using edible wild plants like Wild Garlic, Nettle, and Elderflower.

  • Hand holding a whicker basket containing foraged dandelion, ground ivy, garlic mustard and nettle.
    Food For Free: Eat The Weeds!
  • 11 Wild Garlic and Other Foraged Wild Greens Recipes
  • Shallow dish containing saag aloo and a flat bread.
    Easy One-Pot Saag Aloo With Nettle Leaves
  • A plate containing Patte Ki Chaat made with nettle leaves.
    How To Use Nettle Leaves - Make Patte Ki Chaat
  • Close up of a shallow black dish containing sliced pickled walnuts.
    How To Make Pickled Green Walnuts
  • Four Elderflower and strawberry ice lollies stacked on a small dish sat upon a log.
    Easy Homemade Elderflower And Strawberry Ice lolly
  • A bottle of elderflower cordial on a wooden platter surrounded by elderflower leaves.
    Elderflower Cordial. Homemade Cordial In A Few Simple Steps
  • A shallow dish containing lilac nice cream, and two cones with nice cream sat in a stoneware cup next to the dish.
    A Taste of Springtime: Lilac Flower Nice Cream
  • A Pitcher with cleavers infusing in water, and a glass of cleaver infused detox water
    Spring Foraging: Detox With Cleaver Infused Water
  • a small yellow dish containing pickled plums. A jar containing pickled pickled plums in olive oil sits next to it.
    How To Cure And Pickle Green Plums Like Olives.
  • A glass of sparkling flowering currant cordial.
    Easy Homemade Flowering Currant Cordial Recipe

Footer

↑ back to top

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Terms of use
  • Cookie Policy

Connect

  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Contact

  • Contact / Work With Me

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Copyright © 2025 Kitchen And Other Stories

Foodie Pro theme from Feast Design Co. Built on Genesis Framework. Powered by Wordpress

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required