When indulging in dessert, it can be hard to decide between a rich, chocolatey treat, a warm, caramel-sweetness, or a satisfying nutty crunch. We’ve got a solution to the dessert indecision blues! These blonde brownies topped with gobs of fudgy Rocky Road make all of your dessert dreams come true in every bite.

There’s a time and place for enjoying timeless, traditional desserts like classic brownies — they’re never going to go out of style. But, when I’m in the mood to treat myself to something sweet, I really want to treat myself with something sumptuous, indulgent, or even extravagant.

That’s why I remixed my regular brownies into buttery, chewy blonde brownies. I couldn’t stop there, though! I decided to go the extra mile and throw on a gooey, heavenly Rocky Road topping for a dessert that truly does the most. 

Moist, chewy, crunchy textures in every bite, plus a sublime combination of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and nutty flavors make these blonde brownies with Rocky Road topping everything you could want and more. Plus, they’re pretty simple to put together!

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• Brown Sugar – The ingredient that separates a brownie from a blondie. Brownie recipes call for white sugar, but the caramel-like flavor of brown sugar makes blonde brownies extra chewy and dense.
• Butter – Necessary for the buttery-sweet characteristic of this dessert. It’s important to use melted butter to achieve a soft, gooey texture.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds extra sweetness and warmth to the blondies and gives them that distinctly caramel aroma.
• Walnuts – Chopped walnuts tie all the flavors together and add another layer of texture.. Pecans, hazelnuts, or peanuts would also do the trick.

• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – Use semi-sweet for the perfect balance of bitter and sweet chocolate flavor that doesn’t take away from the rest of the Rocky Road components.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – The secret to holding that delicious topping together! It also provides a saturated milky sweetness to this sweet treat.
• Miniature Marshmallows – These add a complementary squish alongside each crunchy bite.

HOW TO MAKE BLONDE BROWNIES WITH ROCKY ROAD TOPPING

1. Get Prepped. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a 9”x9” baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil – enough to hang over the sides.
2. Mix The Batter. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Then, add your cracked egg and combine. Gradually add your dry mixture to your wet mixture and, once mixed, fold in walnuts.
3. Bake. Pour batter evenly into baking pan with a rubber spatula, wetting it as needed to spread the thick mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, then let cool while you work on your Rocky Road topping.
4. Melt Chocolate. Heat chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in an uncovered microwave-safe bowl on high power for one minute. Stir and heat in additional 10 second intervals as needed until the mixture is completely melted.
5. Combine Ingredients. Once melted, stir in the vanilla extract before folding in the marshmallows and nuts.
6. Top it Off. Spread this mixture evenly over the cooled blonde brownies and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat!
7. Slice & Serve. Grab the foil or parchment hanging over the sides of the pan and lift straight up to remove the bars from the pan. Run a sharp knife under hot water, then dry and use to create perfectly sliced squares.

What Are Blonde Brownies?

Blonde brownies — often called “blondies” — are similarly square, scrumptious, and sweet treats. They are dense and chewy like brownies but lack the rich and fudgy chocolate flavors that brownies are defined by. 

Instead, blondies have a sugary, butterscotch flavor from brown sugar and (sometimes) browned butter. When you add chocolate chips to the batter, it’s like the perfect mix of a brownie and a chocolate chip cookie!

What Is In Rocky Road?

The term “Rocky Road” might mean something different to people around the world, but it typically refers to a specific combination of flavors. Whether it’s a candy bar or an ice cream flavor, Rocky Road usually includes chocolate, nuts, and marshmallows. 

The contrasting textures of crunchy nuts and squishy marshmallows, plus the delicious addition of rich chocolate and salt, make Rocky Road a beloved flavor for everyone.

What’s the Difference Between Blondies and Brownies?

The obvious difference between the two is that brownies are made with chocolate as a main ingredient in the batter while blondies are not. Blondie recipes typically include brown sugar instead of white sugar, which makes them distinctly chewy with caramel and molasses flavors. One of my all-time favs.

This post, originally published on Kevin is Cooking July 27, 2018, has been updated with new content, photos and/or video in November 17, 2022.