Th e se soft & chewy Chocolate Marshmallow Almond Rocky Road Cookies are packed with crunch from the nuts and sweet, gooey melted marshmallows! You are going to love these for cookie plates at Christmas, bake sales in the summer, and enjoying with your family any time of the year!
I LOVE rocky road, with all the marshmallows and nuts! So many good textures and flavors going on in the mix!
Every year I make rocky road fudge and Grandma Nash’s toffee recipe at Christmas and share it with friends and neighbors. It’s a tradition that I love and my family enjoys taking the plates of goodies around to give out.
These rocky road cookies have that classic combination of chocolate, marshmallows, and almonds in cookie form, and what’s even better is that you can go from zero to cookie in about 20 minutes!
No chilling is necessary and you still get wonderfully rich, soft chocolate cookies that are chewy and crisp around the edges. If you are looking for a cookie to take to a Christmas cookie exchange, I’m pretty certain this one would be a contender!
HOW TO MAKE ROCKY ROAD COOKIES
- Start by creaming the butter and brown sugar by beating on medium-high speed. Creaming is when butter and sugar are combined at a high speed until the mixture becomes light in color and fluffy in texture. An electric hand mixer totally works for this cookie dough, but I find a stand mixer to be easier.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix again. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so the batter mixes evenly, and mix until everything is well combined.
- Slowly mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Take your time so you don’t end up with a cloud of flour and cocoa powder that dusts all of your kitchen surfaces!
- Now the fun part! Stir in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and marshmallows just until they are evenly spread throughout the cookie dough. You don’t want to over mix your cookie dough or you could end up with a dry and crumbly cookie.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out evenly-sized balls of dough. You can drop them right onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, or roll them lightly between your hands for perfectly round, uniform cookies. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can eyeball it, but I definitely recommend investing in one if you love to bake cookies. They are really affordable (around $10-$15) and come in super handy.
- Bake your Rocky Road Cookies, just until the cookies are mostly set up, but still a little doughy in the middle. Then, and this is a total vanity step to make the cookies look pretty, stick a few marshmallows, chopped almonds, and chocolate chips into the tops of each cookie, pressing a bit so they stay put.
- Bake for 1 more minute, just so the marshmallows puff but don’t completely lose their form. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
TIPS FOR BAKING ROCKY ROAD COOKIES
- Be sure to use parchment paper or a silicone mat on your baking sheet for these cookies. Sometimes the marshmallows in the dough will melt and stick to the pan, so it’s much easier to remove the cookies when they are baked on parchment paper.
- You can use almonds, walnuts, or even pecans in rocky road cookies. I don’t think there is one right answer about whether rocky road uses one nut over the other. We like both, but I love the extra crunch of the almonds with the gooey-ness of the marshmallows.
- Don’t skip adding the marshmallows on top toward the end of baking. Not only does it make the cookies more attractive, but it really boosts the marshmallow element that is needed for rocky road and balances out the cookie.
Storing and Freezing Rocky Road Cookies
These cookies will keep on the counter in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To freeze rocky road cookies, place them in an airtight container in a single layer, then add a layer of parchment paper in between the layers. Stick them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
More Chocolate Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Best Fudgy Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Double Chocolate Nutella Sandwich Cookies
- Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies
- Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies
- Chocolate Salted Caramel Whoopie Pies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Rocky Road Cookies
Equipment
- Medium Cookie Scoop (2 tbsp)
- Parchment Paper Baking Sheets
- KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Ingredients123
- ▢ 2/3 cup salted butter softened
- ▢ 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- ▢ 2 large eggs
- ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ▢ 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1 cup chocolate chips
- ▢ 1 cup almonds coarsely chopped
- ▢ 1 cup mini marshmallows plus more for the tops of each cookie
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar together until light, about 3 minutes. 2/3 cup salted butter, 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing on medium-low speed until combined. 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Stir in chocolate chips, almonds, and marshmallows. Scoop balls of cookie dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop. 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup almonds, 1 cup mini marshmallows
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until mostly set, but still underbaked in the middle. Remove from the oven and immediately place a few extra marshmallows on top of each cookie, along with a few extra chopped almonds and chocolate chips, if desired. Return to the oven and bake for 1 minute longer, until marshmallows have puffed slightly.
- Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can use walnuts or pecans in place of the almonds.
- These cookies do not look like the photos until you take the extra step mentioned in step 6 of adding a few marshmallows to the top of each cookie just before they are done. If you do this too early, the marshmallows will melt.
- For more uniform looking cookies, gently roll the scooped dough into balls between the palms of your hands before baking on the cookie sheets.
Nutrition
This post first appeared on Yellow Bliss Road where I am a contributor.
Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies have a rich cocoa cookie base that is rolled in chopped pecans and filled with soft caramel. Drizzle with a little melted chocolate for a tasty, nutty treat that’s perfect for your next cookie exchange, holiday party or simply just because!
I’m obsessed with turtle desserts. It’s that combination of caramel, chocolate, and nutty sweet pecan crunch that gets me every time.
These decadent cookies never fail to impress and are the chocolate, caramel, pecan counterpart to the classic Jam Thumbprint Cookies . If you have also love desserts loaded with chocolate, caramel, and nuts, be sure to try my Easy Caramel Pecan Brownies , Carmelitas , or Chocolate Salted Caramel Whoopie Pies !
My mom used to make the easiest ever ice cream pie with a graham cracker crust, vanilla ice cream, then drizzles of chocolate magic shell, caramel, and chopped pecans. It’s so easy that it feels like cheating but I keep meaning to post it on here because it’s perfect for dinner parties since you make it in advance and it looks so impressive.
These chocolate thumbprint turtle cookies have the same classic turtle flavor combination of deep, chocolatey chocolate with rich, gooey caramel, and crunchy pecans in a cookie form that is always the store of a cookie plate or cookie exchange.
And they are really fun and easy to make!
What are Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies?
These chewy turtle cookies are a delicious take on a fun and traditional turtle candy . While you don’t have to shape the cookies into tiny turtles, the flavor components are all there. The caramel, nutty crunch and chocolate all help this turtle cookie recipe to shine.
How to make Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the fridge.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until it’s frothy. Prepare another shallow bowl with chopped pecans.
- Divide your dough into 20 evenly-sized pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the frothy egg whites, then into the chopped pecans, pressing the nuts to cover the cookie dough really well. Place on the prepared baking sheet and press a finger or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each ball to form an indentation.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until set. Be careful not to overbake.
- While cookies are still hot, using the measuring spoon to press the indentation again so there is a good space for the caramel to go.
- Combine the caramel and water in a microwave-safe bowl and melt them by heating in 20-30 second intervals and stirring in between about 1-2 minutes total. Pour melted caramel into the depression in each cookie.
- Melt the semisweet chocolate with shortening in another microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals, stirring between each burst of heat, just until melted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the melted chocolate to a ziploc bag and make a small snip off one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies, then let set before serving.
How Do You Store Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies?
After the cookies have completely set, you can place them inside an airtight container at room temperature for storage. You can also place them in the fridge if you’d like to enjoy them chilled as well, but be warned that the caramel will firm up significantly.
It’s pretty soft caramel, so I don’t think anyone would break a tooth on it, but it would all come off the cookie with your first bite, giving you a chewy mouthful of caramel and cookie.
If you plan on stacking them to get them to fit inside a container, you may want to use a small sheet of wax paper between the layers to prevent the cookies from sticking to each other.
Can You Freeze Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies?
Yes, you can these turtle cookies! Freezing them not only helps to keep you from eating an entire batch in one sitting but it can also prolong the shelf-life as keeping them in the freezer will keep them fresh for up to 2 months.
This is also a great tip for when you plan on making these impressive holiday cookies and want to get the cookies done in advance.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies
- Dulce De Leche Stuffed Cookies
- Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies
- Fudgy Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies
Ingredients123
Cookies
- ▢ 1/2 cup salted butter
- ▢ 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg separated
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons milk
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 cup pecans finely chopped
Caramel
- ▢ 3/4 cup Kraft Caramel Bites or 16 unwrapped caramel squares
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon water
Chocolate Drizzle
- ▢ 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chopped
- ▢ 1 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat butter and sugar until light, about 2-3 minutes. ½ cup salted butter, 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. 1 large egg, 2 Tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Chill dough for 1 hour in the fridge. 1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Whisk egg white in a bowl until frothy. Prepare another shallow bowl with chopped pecans.
- Divide dough into 20 evenly-sized pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the frothy egg whites, then in the chopped pecans, pressing the nuts in to cover the cookie dough really well. Place on prepared baking sheet and press a finger or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each ball to form an indentation. 1 cup pecans
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until set. Be careful not to overbake.
- While cookies are still hot, using the measuring spoon to press the indentation again so there is a good space for the caramel to go.
- Combine the caramel and water in microwave-safe bowl and melt by heating in 20-30 second intervals and stirring in between, about 1-2 minutes total. Pour melted caramel into the depression in each cookie. ¾ cup Kraft Caramel Bites or 16 unwrapped caramel squares, ½ teaspoon water
- Melt semisweet chocolate with shortening in another microwave-safe bowl in 20 second intervals, stirring between each burst of heat, just until melted, about 1-2 minutes. ½ cup semisweet chocolate, 1 teaspoon shortening
- Transfer the melted chocolate to a ziplock bag and make a small snip off one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies, then let set before serving.
Notes
- Once the chocolate drizzle has set, you can freeze these cookies for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe ziploc bag. Just thaw completely on the counter before serving.
Nutrition
Rocky Road Cookies
Equipment
- Medium Cookie Scoop (2 tbsp)
- Parchment Paper Baking Sheets
- KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup salted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup almonds coarsely chopped
- 1 cup mini marshmallows plus more for the tops of each cookie
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar together until light, about 3 minutes. 2/3 cup salted butter, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing on medium-low speed until combined. 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Stir in chocolate chips, almonds, and marshmallows. Scoop balls of cookie dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop. 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup almonds, 1 cup mini marshmallows
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until mostly set, but still underbaked in the middle. Remove from the oven and immediately place a few extra marshmallows on top of each cookie, along with a few extra chopped almonds and chocolate chips, if desired. Return to the oven and bake for 1 minute longer, until marshmallows have puffed slightly.
- Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can use walnuts or pecans in place of the almonds.
- These cookies do not look like the photos until you take the extra step mentioned in step 6 of adding a few marshmallows to the top of each cookie just before they are done. If you do this too early, the marshmallows will melt.
- For more uniform looking cookies, gently roll the scooped dough into balls between the palms of your hands before baking on the cookie sheets.
Nutrition
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