Holiday Rocky Road Squares

Homemade sweet treats can’t get any easier than a fudge recipe.  Holiday Rocky Road Squares combines traditional Rocky Road ingredients like chocolate, nuts, and marshmallows. Throw in some red and green M&Ms and a few sprinkles to make these festive treats! These are so delicious when served chilled right from the fridge!

If you ask me to choose one recipe that embodies everything I can remember about Christmastime and being a child, it has to be Rocky Road Fudge Squares.  I cannot begin to fathom how many of these squares I have eaten in my lifetime.  They are the ultimate holiday treat, because everything about them screams indulgence. I wanted to make them look more festive though, so instead of the traditional coconut, I used red and green M&Ms and sprinkles instead for these Holiday Rocky Road Squares!

Really, Dear Reader, there are few occasions that allow and permit such indulgence, and I think that the holidays is the most common.  The week between Christmas Day and New Year’s is full of decadence, indulgence, and luxury.  And, these are all of those things and more.

When I was planning my holiday recipes back in the summer, like always, I battled with which recipes to publish this year. I poured over my recipe books, recipe notes, and recipe memories, trying my best to narrow it down.  As I was approaching recipes that would work well closer to Christmas Day, I wanted to lean more toward no-bake recipes. We are just too busy on the days leading up to Christmas to spend hours baking and making dishes dirty. So, the next few days should have easier, less time consuming recipes like these!

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to my annual holiday-themed recipes. Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

This year I’m doing it differently. Rather than sharing multiple back to back series, I’m sharing a new holiday-themed recipe almost every day from now until Christmas Eve. For those of you who have followed my annual Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas series, don’t worry, you will still get lots of new cookie recipes this year too. I will not, however, be publishing the cookies back to back in a 24-day series. This would have been my 8th year running the series and it becomes very exhausting. Also, we have a vacation booked in what would have been the middle of the series, so this year, I’m spreading the recipes out so that I’m not sharing the same type of recipe every day.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Peanut Butter – Use regular peanut butter, not the natural peanut butters or nut butters. 
• Milk Chocolate Chips – I use chocolate chips a lot in my recipes, and I change up the type depending on how I feel.  You can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips here too if you prefer squares that are less sweet.
• Marshmallows – Every kid loves the taste and texture of a marshmallow!  They are soft and puffy with just the right amount of sweetness and vanilla flavour.  You can find them in all shapes and colours too – and vegan too!
• Peanuts – Roasted peanuts have the best flavour.  If you need chopped peanuts, but whole peanuts and chop them yourself.  You’ll get a better consistency and a fresher peanut flavour. 
• M&Ms
• Sprinkles – I’m using jimmies, but you can use other holiday-themed sprinkles too.

HOW TO MAKE HOLIDAY ROCKY ROAD SQUARES

Line an 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Sprinkle half of the sprinkles evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside. In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Add the chocolate chips. Stir until melted. Remove from heat immediately. Place the marshmallows, nuts, and one tablespoon of the sprinkles in a large mixing bowl. Pour the peanut butter and chocolate mixture over top. Quickly stir together until well mixed.

Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and spread it out to cover the entire pan. Sprinkle over the M&Ms and remaining sprinkles. Chill for 5 hours, or overnight. To slice, use a sharp knife, and cut into 24 even squares. Store in a food-safe container in the refrigerator. Can be frozen for up to three months.

MARSHMALLOWS ARE OFTEN USED IN NO-BAKE TREATS

I used to not make many confections with marshmallows until recently. I do love them, but after just one or two, I seem to go into sugar shock. Ha! When it comes to snacks and treats, I’m all about salty snacks. I can easily forego sugary snacks. I’m one of those people who will eat one or two of something and then I don’t want to see it anymore. I bake a lot, so it’s quite common to try one or two of whatever it is and package the rest up for a friend or a neighbour. In some cases, especially if I make something with chocolate, John.e refuses to let me get rid of it. He loves chocolate!

As you know, Dear Reader, John.e is a vegetarian and marshmallows have gelatin in them. Gelatin is made with collagen from animal parts, so obviously, he isn’t going to eat anything with marshmallows in it. Sounds gross, doesn’t it!? So, I was quite happy to find vegan marshmallows, and now I can make more marshmallow treats. You can 100% use Dandies Vegan Marshmallows in this recipe. They have a peppermint-flavoured vegan marshmallow that works so well in this recipe!

LET’S TALK PEANUT BUTTER!

Before you are tempted to send me an email or a comment knocking my choice of peanut butter that is not natural and organic, hear me out! This recipe will not work with natural peanut butter. I repeat: this recipe will not work with natural peanut butter. There, I said it. Now, if you go ahead and make this recipe using natural peanut butter and it comes out a big, wet mess, you cannot blame me.

John.e uses only natural peanut butter, but I do not. I do not like it at all. Yes, it’s healthier and better for me, but I’d rather not eat it at all if I have to choose the natural stuff. I grew up on Kraft or Jiffy peanut butter and it’s the only peanut butter I ever use.

For these Holiday Rocky Road Squares, you have the choice of smooth peanut butter or crunchy. But, you do not have a choice between all-natural and the sugar-laden, mass-produced stuff. The squares will not set up firmly when chilled. Mostly, it certainly will not taste right. If you are completely against using non-natural peanut butter, as harsh as it may sound, this recipe is most certainly not for you.

STORING AND FREEZING

These squares will last in the freezer for three months. Be sure you have a good container with a tight seal. Whenever I’m freezing no-bake confections, I always double up on the seal action. Before I place the lid on, I always drape a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Then I push the lid on. I just feel that the lid fits more tightly. Any little thing I can do to keep the frost out, I’m going to do it! I like to use containers like this.

Like I always say, if you freeze any baked or no-baked goods, remove only the amount you want when you decide to thaw them. Fetch the container from the freezer and remove only what you need. Put the lid back on and get the container back in the freezer.

To properly thaw baked goods, place them on a plate or a wire cooling rack. Don’t pile them. Spread them out and give them some space. Let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. They will taste fresh and perfect every single time!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!