These Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies are thick, rich, and chewy chocolate cookies loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and crunchy cashews. This copycat recipe perfectly recreates the beloved bakery’s famous Rocky Road cookie — a must-try for cookie lovers!
A Bit of Background
If you’ve followed Modern Honey, you know my first shared recipe back in 2015 was the Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie — a recipe I perfected after months of testing. My love for Levain’s cookies began during a Food Network show trip to New York City, where everyone raved about their legendary cookies. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to recreating these iconic treats at home.
Recently, Levain introduced a new Rocky Road Cookie, and after testing it, I knew I had to develop a homemade version. This recipe has quickly become a family favorite, even earning rave reviews from my son-in-law and husband!
Why These Rocky Road Cookies Are So Good
- Rich, thick, and chewy texture, just like the original
- Loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and cashews (Levain’s signature twist over traditional almonds)
- Balanced sweetness with a hint of salty crunch from the cashews
- Baked at a high temperature to keep shape and get crispy edges with a gooey center
Ingredients
- Cold butter, cubed
- Brown sugar & granulated sugar
- Eggs & vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Cake flour and all-purpose flour (cake flour creates a tender crumb)
- Cornstarch, baking soda, salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Mini marshmallows
- Cashews, roughly chopped (or almonds as a substitute)
Tips for Perfect Cookies
- Use cold butter and mix it with sugar for 4 minutes to get a creamy texture that helps the cookie hold its shape.
- Don’t skip the cake flour for a softer, tender cookie texture.
- Mini marshmallows tend to melt on the edges, so after baking, press the edges gently towards the center with a small spatula to shape the cookie as it cools.
- Roll the dough into large 5-6 oz balls and bake at a high heat (410°F) for crispy edges and a gooey center.
- For a gourmet look, press extra chocolate chips and marshmallows on top before baking.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 410°F.
- Cream cold butter with sugars for 4 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add eggs and vanilla; mix for 1 minute.
- Fold in cocoa, flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix in chocolate chips, marshmallows, and cashews.
- Shape dough into large balls, place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Add extra chocolate and marshmallows on top, gently pressing them in.
- Bake for 9–11 minutes. After removing, press edges towards the center with a spatula to shape.
- Let cookies rest for 15 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to cool completely.
Notes
- Cake flour is key for tender cookies; if unavailable, use all-purpose flour instead.
- These cookies keep well but are best enjoyed fresh for that perfect chewy texture.
Popular Levain Bakery Copycat Cookies
- Chocolate Chip
- Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip
- Oatmeal Raisin
With this recipe, you can enjoy the famous Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies right in your own kitchen—rich, gooey, and irresistible every time!
Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup cake flour*
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 3/4 cup cashews, roughly chopped (or almonds)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 410°F (210°C).
- In a large bowl, cream cold butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar for at least 4 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix for another minute.
- Sift together cocoa powder, cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually fold into the wet ingredients.
- Gently fold in chocolate chips, marshmallows, and cashews.
- Roll dough into large balls (5–6 oz each) and place on a parchment-lined light-colored baking sheet.
- For a gourmet look, press extra chocolate chips and marshmallows onto the tops of the dough balls.
- Bake for 9–11 minutes. After baking, use a small spatula to gently press the edges toward the center to shape the cookies as they cool.
- Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
*If you don’t have cake flour, substitute with all-purpose flour.