This pistachio and cranberry rocky road is sweet, nutty and crunchy, and it makes a delicious festive sweet snack. It's super fun to make and there's no baking required!
If you're looking for a quick and easy no-bake dessert with sweet and salty flavours, this cranberry and pistachio rocky road is just the thing. You can make it with just 7 ingredients and aside from the 10 minutes of prep time, the fridge does most of the work for you!
In the post below, you'll find everything you need to know to get this recipe right on the first try, including top tips, step-by-step photos and more. I hope you find it helpful, however, if you're more experienced in the kitchen, feel free to skip straight to the recipe card at the end of the post.
Ingredients
Ready to get started? Here's what you'll need for this cranberry pistachio rocky road.
- Dark chocolate: For best results, use chocolate that contains around 50-60% cocoa. This will give your rocky road just the right amount of sweetness while maintaining a silky smooth texture. If you want to use milk chocolate, the quantities of the other ingredients will be different, so I recommend using my milk chocolate rocky road recipe base.
- Butter: Butter adds richness to this dessert and helps give it that *melt in your mouth* texture. I used unsalted butter but you can use salted if you prefer.
- Golden syrup: This thick syrup helps the chocolate and butter come together and makes the rocky road easier to cut/bite into. If you can't find golden syrup, it can be replaced with an equal amount of honey, agave nectar or maple syrup.
- Digestive biscuits: A must for any good rocky road! You can substitute these with any other neutral-flavoured biscuits such as Rich Tea biscuits or shortbread. Make sure not to crush the biscuits too finely or they'll absorb more of the chocolate and make it harder to spread into the tin.
- Mini marshmallows: I used 80g of white mini marshmallows.
- Dried cranberries: You'll need 100g of dried cranberries to make this pistachio and cranberry rocky road.
- Pistachios: Pistachios not only add a delicious crunch to this rocky road but they also give a gorgeous pop of colour! I recommend using salted pistachios unless you are using salted butter, in which case you should use unsalted nuts.
Equipment
- 8x8-inch tin: This size of tin will give you nice thick slices and it'll give you up to 16 servings. You can use a slightly bigger tin such as 8x10-inch but of course, the slices will be slightly thinner. For larger tins, please use my cake pan converter to adjust the ingredient quantities too.
- Baking paper: To make it easier to remove the rocky road from the tin after it's set. Leave a little bit of the baking paper hanging over each edge of the tin for super easy removal.
- Mixing bowl: A large one, to combine all of the ingredients.
- Saucepan: To melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup together. You can also do this in the microwave in a heatproof if you prefer, but make sure to take it out and stir it every 30 seconds to prevent burning.
- Utensils: You'll need a wooden spoon for mixing and a sharp knife for cutting the rocky road into squares.
How to Make Pistachio and Cranberry Rocky Road
Step 1: Line an 8x8-inch tin with baking paper, ready for the mixture to go into later.
Step 2: Break 300g of dark chocolate into segments then add it to a saucepan along with 100g of butter and 3 tablespoons of golden syrup. Place the pan over low heat and stir gently until everything has melted.
Step 3: Add 180g of digestive biscuits to a large mixing bowl then crush them into medium-sized chunks. Then add 80g of mini marshmallows, 100g of dried cranberries and 80g of salted pistachios. Give it all a quick mix to combine.
Step 4: Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is evenly coated. Transfer this mixture to your lined tin and press it firmly into place.
Step 5: Pop your rocky road into the fridge for 3 hours to set.
Step 6: Remove it from the tin, cut it into squares and enjoy! I like to cut mine into 16 squares but feel free to make yours as big or as small as you like.
Top tips
- This recipe won't work with milk chocolate, so be sure to use dark chocolate that contains around 50-60% cocoa solids.
- If you're struggling to cut into the rocky road after it's set, try using a warm knife. Simply run your knife under boiling water and dry it thoroughly before each cut.
- Make this recipe vegan by using plant-based butter, veggie marshmallows and dairy-free dark chocolate. The rest of the ingredients are already vegan, including the digestive biscuits.
- Pop small slices into cellophane bags to make a gorgeous homemade gift.
FAQ
This will last for at least 2 weeks in the fridge, making it perfect for preparing in advance. Store it in an airtight container to keep it tasting as fresh as possible.
Yes, cranberry pistachio rocky road can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can put slices into an airtight container or you can wrap the whole slab tightly in clingfilm or tinfoil. To defrost it, just let it sit in the fridge overnight or on a plate at room temperature for an hour or two. Do not refreeze.
You sure can! You can try swapping out some of the pistachios for almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or any other nuts that you like. Just make sure to chop any larger nuts into smaller pieces.
More rocky road recipes
I hope you like my pistachio cranberry rocky road recipe. Let me know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comment below. Enjoy!
Cranberry & Pistachio Rocky Road
Ingredients
- 300 g Dark chocolate 50-60% cocoa (10.5oz)
- 100 g Unsalted butter (7 tablespoons)
- 3 Tablespoons Golden syrup
- 180 g Digestive biscuits (13 biscuits)
- 80 g Mini marshmallows (1+½ cups)
- 80 g Salted pistachios shelled weight (½ cup)
- 100 g Dried cranberries (¾ cup)
Instructions
- Line an 8x8-inch tin with baking paper.
- Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup together in a saucepan over low heat then set aside.
- Crush the digestive biscuits into medium-sized chunks then add them to a large bowl along with the mini marshmallows, pistachios and cranberries. Mix to combine.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl and mix well until everything is evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to your lined tin and press it down firmly into place.
- Refrigerate your rocky road for 3 hours then cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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