The Xocolate Bar - Rocky Road (bar) - July 23, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Xocolate Bar
Rocky Road (bar) 
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week.

Today's Rocky Road (bar) was from The Xocolate Bar (Berkeley, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: relatively bold but smooth dark chocolate; sweet candied pecans; and soft bites of small, sweet marshmallows. All infused with subtle vanilla. 

This bar was an aggregation of smooth, crunchy, and soft textures. It was part dark chocolate and part confection with the candied nuts and marshmallows.  

I liked that the (fair trade 70%) dark chocolate helped moderate the sweetness.

Maker's tasting notes: "...crunchy, chewy, salty and sweet...a classic reimagined"

Ingredients: "fair trade dark chocolate* (cacao,* sugar,* sunflower lecithin), pecans, sugar, tapioca syrup, carageenan (sic), soy protein, canola oil, natural vanilla flavor, salt." (* Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Nuts.

 

Marshall's Munchies - Rocky Road Chunks - Sept. 10, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Marshall's Munchies
Rocky Road Chunks
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) /6 oz. (171 g.) in total container of 6 pieces
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 serving
Cost: $5.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: The Willows Market, Menlo Park, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Nut Butter Theme Week.

Today's container of Marshall's Munchies Rocky Road Chunks were obtained from a local small market. The Willows Market (Menlo Park, CA) carries an impressive array of foods, spirits, deli items and a few chocolate items of their own.

The basic pairing of nuts and nut butters with chocolate is tried and true. Rocky road confections embrace this marriage while adding marshmallows. And today's chocolatey and nutty treats were also sweetened with butterscotch and toffee.*

We reached for a few extra nuts and some nut butter to balance the sweetness.

*Ingredients: Dark chocolate, peanuts, marshmallows, butterscotch morsels, toffee, nuts

Kiss Me - Helado con un trago de ron - Mar. 14, 2016

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Kiss Me
Chocolate helado (con almendras y malvaviscos) con un trago de ron
Very Good
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown (estimate about 300 calories for amount I had)
Cost: $4.00 (estimate) for 1 serving of ice cream + rum
Purchased from: Kiss Me, Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Hola (hello). Astute readers may have noticed that this ice cream was the second "Chocolate of the Day."

We were strolling around a new town, intending to eat a real dinner, but ran into this great ice cream store, which delayed dinner, and created an opportunity for a Nicaraguan (second) chocolate of the day.

This evening's chocolate ice cream with almond and marshmallow pieces was from Kiss Me (Matagalpa, Nicaragua). The ice cream was scooped into a large brandy snifter (glass) and served with a generous shot of Nicaraguan Flor de Cana rum on the side. Both were served on a small, hardwood, cutting board, rustic style.

This evening's treat also marked the beginning of an accelerated series of chocolates from Nicaragua over the next few days.

When traveling through a new country, it's good to be flexible and open to surprises like this pink and white corner store in downtown Matagalpa. They had some great flavors.

Try a scoop of Kiss Me's passion fruit (Maracuya) yogurt on top of a scoop of the shop's caramel ice cream if you have chocolate fatigue.

Note: Thanks very much to Olga who very kindly provided the photos for this post!

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Moonstruck Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Rocky Road Santa - Dec. 24, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Moonstruck Chocolate Co.
Dark Chocolate Rocky Road Santa Claus
Good ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.75 g.) / 3.35 oz. (95 g.) in total package
Calories: 375 calories (estimate) in 2.5 oz. (70.75 g.) portion
Cost: N/A - gift (thank you Toni!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift



Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Lemon Theme Week. (My theme weeks often overlap, especially when/if there is a promising seasonal or flavor triad like today.)

A red night shirt I used to have many years ago read: "Dear Santa, I want it all." Well, when it comes to chocolate, and many other things, I certainly have an abundant life indeed and feel very grateful this year to be able to celebrate this holiday season with friends and family.

The fresh-tasting, Dark Chocolate Rocky Road Santa Claus from Moonstruck Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR) was a perfect centerpiece for the lemon and hazelnut cookie plate to be left out near the fireplace for the Big Man to arrive this evening. It was loaded with little marshmallows and bits of pecan, as could be seen from the back view (pictured at right).

Happy Christmas Eve to all who celebrate. Hope you're all snug and warm.

Her Coconess - Bittersweet Nibby Rocky Road - January 31, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Her Coconess Confections
Bittersweet Nibby Rocky Road
Good +
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48.1 g.) in 1 package, piece
Calories: 240 calories (estimate) for 1 package
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Serendipity, San Carlos, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Nibs Theme Week.

Cacao nibs added pleasant crunchy texture to an old favorite (rocky road) in this simply packaged Bittersweet Nibby Rocky Road from Her Coconess Confections (Belmont, CA).

With a great company name like Her Coconess I felt I should perform a small curtsy before trying a bite of this dark chocolate confection -- made with marshmallows, almonds and the aforementioned nibs. But, the last bite of this square seemed to have disappeared into my mouth before I got the chance.

ChocolateBet: April 20, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Manischewitz
Rocky Road Macaroons
Good+
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.)/ 10 oz. (284 g.) total container
Calories: 220 calories in 4 small macaroons
Cost: $ info not available
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week. This means....more macaroons! These little coconut cookies seem to be available in many more flavors recently.

Today's sugar sweet, lactose free, Rocky Road Macaroons from Manischewitz (Newark, NJ) were made from (unsulphured) coconut, chocolate chips, cashews, and dutched cocoa, with tiny bits of what looked to be marshmallow bits.

ChocolateBet: December 15, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 oz.
Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream and Fudge
Chocolate Walnut Fudge
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 grams)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.95 for total box of fudge
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream and Fudge, Palo Alto, CA

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Rocky Road Theme Week. I started with some Rick's Rather Rich Chocolate Walnut Fudge -- packed in its own box, with small white plastic knife included. And thought I might build my own rocky road dish, with the fudge as a starting point. Chocolate. Walnuts. All I needed was a marshmallow.

I tried topping the fudge with a strawberry-filled (Hello Kitty) strawberry-filled marshmallow. This didn't work, although it might have, had the strawberry flavor been a bit more authentic. (I forgot I still had a few alpine strawberries in my yard.)

I'd read that rocky road desserts in other parts of the world incorporate chocolate, nuts and marshmallows -- and also cherries, or strawberry sauce. That information (correct or not) was enough to send me off into a creative frenzy of experimenting with variations on this theme.

My conclusion: Rick's Rather Rich Chocolate Walnut Fudge was good all by itself, but it can also be part of a larger dessert tray, or other combination.

I went about messing with left-over rocky road ice cream with strawberry jello and sweetened cherries and whipped cream. It seemed to cry out for a dash of cinnamon on top, and indeed it was better that way. The trick with these mad scientist experiments -- don't take it too far. So, I quit while I was ahead, and ate the whole mess.

ChocolateBet: December 14, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Walgreen Co.
Rocky Road ice cream
Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup, 118 mL (66 g.) / 1 Pint total container
Calories: 150
Cost: $1.69
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Rocky Road Theme Week, and the price was right for this pint of Walgreens Rocky Road Premium ice cream with mini marshmallows and almonds (similar to Dreyer's Rocky Road recipe I'm guessing). The cost of today's Rocky Road sundae was only about 42 cents -- a good value for rocky economic times, and much less than I have been spending lately on other entries. This reminds me of childhood days when we would ride bicycles to corner grocery stores for ice cream that cost ten cents a scoop. Gone are those days, but the chocolate memories live on. 

ChocolateBet: December 13, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 cup serving
Clover-Stornetta Farms, Inc.
Rocky Road ice cream
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1/2 cup (67 g.) (estimate)/ 48 oz. (1.42 L)
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 cup
Cost: $5.99 total container
Purchased from: Piazzas Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Rocky Road Theme Week. The sun is out today, making ice cream a more desirable chocolate choice once again, given that it is fall/winter season.

Clover-Stornetta Farms (Petaluma, CA) is located in the open spaces north of San Francisco, where there are still some stands of trees, and large fields for dairy cows to roam and munch on green grass. I've always enjoyed driving through this area of rolling hills, pasturelands and farms. Maybe those fond memories make the ice cream taste better too.

ChocolateBet: December 12, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 slice/piece
See's Candies
Rocky Road
Good +
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 450 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.80 for 1 large slice
Purchased from: See's Candies, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Rocky Road Theme Week.

Before there was Rocky Road ice cream -- aptly named after the Stock Market crash and Great Depression of 1929 -- there was Rocky Road-like desserts. See's Candies (based in South San Francisco, CA) sells hearty slices of Rocky Road candy, loaded with large marshmallows, walnuts, and milk chocolate of course. While still quite sweet, it was a bit fresher and lighter tasting than fudge.

ChocolateBet: December 11, 2011

Chocolate of the Day: 

1 Small Cup
Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Rocky Road ice cream
Very Good
Weight: 2/3 cup (estimate)
Calories: 350 calories (guess)
Cost: $3.85 for Small Cup
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream, Palo Alto, CA

It was Day #3 of Chocolate and Rocky Road Theme Week today.

I elected to pursue a theme week packed with cold ice cream entries during a week with somewhat frosty weather. But, evening temperatures rarely dip below 40 degrees (F) for too long where I live. And, I was looking forward to sampling the Rocky Road ice cream at the local ice cream shop -- Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream (Palo Alto, CA).

I sat down at Rick's to enjoy a Small cup of their Rocky Road (made with toasted almonds instead of walnuts), and I wasn't disappointed. Play it again Sam.

ChocolateBet: December 10, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/3 cup
Dreyer's
Rocky Road
Weight: 1/3 cup (44 g.) / 1.5 Quarts (1.41 Liters)
Calories: 80 calories (estim.)
Cost: $3.99 (sale)
Purchased from: CVS Pharmacy, in Mountain View, CA

To continue from yesterday's post, there were two companies who created Rocky Road ice cream about the same time during the Great Depression in the U.S. (1929 - post-Stock Market crash). Both companies (Fentons Creamery, and Dreyer's/Edy's*) were/are based in Oakland, CA -- across the Bay from San Francisco. Then, as now, chocolate and good food and drink help boost spirits during rocky financial times.

Dreyer's Rocky Road recipe includes chocolate ice cream, miniature marshmallows and toasted almonds. (Fenton's uses walnuts.) Dreyer's also offers soft lower fat/lower calorie versions of their ice cream -- such as today's Slow Churned Light Rocky Road ice cream -- with approximately "1/2 the fat, and 1/3 the calories as regular ice cream." I like chocolate and nut flavors, and thought the toasted almonds that I did taste worked very nicely.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Rocky Road Theme Week.

*Note: Dreyer's is now owned by Nestle.

ChocolateBet: December 9, 2011

Chocolate of the Day: 

1/2 cup serving
Fentons Creamery
Rocky Road ice cream
Good ++
Weight: 1/2 cup / 1 Pint container
Calories: 220 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.50 for 1 pint
Purchased from: Fentons, in Oakland, CA

In 1929, after the stock market had crashed and the U.S. was experiencing the Great Depression, times were hard. According to legend, two ice cream makers in in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area) wanted to soothe people's spirits and give them something to smile about. Thus, Rocky Road ice cream was born.

Fentons Creamery (Oakland, CA) claims it was the first to create this chocolate ice cream flavor with marshmallows and walnuts (as well as two other flavors: toasted almond and Swiss milk chocolate).

If you visit Fentons Creamery in Oakland, be prepared. Their ice cream sundaes are large and delicious.

I had trouble scooping out my serving today from the hand-packed pint container I took home. This was serious, dense chocolate ice cream, chock full of cut walnut and marshmallow pieces, as promised.

Today was the first day of Rocky Road Theme Week. Tomorrow I will feature the cross-town company (Dreyer's), that also claims it originated Rocky Road ice cream.

ChocolateBet: January 27, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
Bi-Rite Creamery and Bakeshop
Rocky Road (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 1.7 oz. (47.5 g.)/3.4 oz. (95 g.) in total bar
Calories: 247 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar (3 for $15.00)
Purchased from: Bi-Rite Market, in San Francisco, CA

This fresh-tasting bar was loaded with large pieces of "housemade marsmallows and salted almonds." It was like eating a dark chocolate version of S'mores. The chocolate bar base was made from a blend of dark and milk chocolate. (This bar was made for Bi-Rite by Charles Chocolates, in Emeryville, CA.)

ChocolateBet: February 1, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

2 servings (1 cup)
Breyers (Unilever)
Rocky Road ice cream
Very Good
Wt.: 1 cup (134 g.)/1.5 quarts (1.42 L)
Calories: 300 calories for 1 cup
Cost: $? (someone else bought)
Purchased from: Draeger's, in Los Altos, CA

There is something about good chocolate ice cream that always hits the spot for me.

ChocolateBet: November 17, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

~ 1.5 oz.
Lula's chocolates
Dark Aloha Rocky Road
Very Good
Weight: ~ 1.5 oz./ 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package
Calories: ~ 210 calories in ~1.5 oz. piece
Cost: $6.95 for total package
Purchased from: The Cliff House Gift Shop, in San Francisco, CA

Lula Lund's Chocolates, LLC (based in Monterey, CA) made these generous single serving packages of dark rocky road chocolate - chock full of house-made, fresh marshmallows (yes, this did make a difference), and roasted macadamia nuts. This latter ingredient added some "Aloha" to this confection. 

ChocolateBet: September 2, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Snickers (Mars)
Rockin' Nut Road bar
Very Good - nice variation on regular Snickers; I generally like rocky-road-like combinations.
Weight: 1.83 oz. (51.9 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $? (need to find receipt)
Purchased from: ? (need to find receipt)

I'm fond of Snickers (Mars) bars, as candy bars go; and I've enjoyed all the variations on the popular bar that parent company Mars has turned out so far (usually available for a limited time). Today's Snickers Rockin' Nut Road Limited Edition bar was no exception.

The bar contained: "Almonds, caramel and marshmallow-flavored nougat, wrapped in dark chocolate."

ChocolateBet: February 3, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving (3 pieces)
(The) Cocoa Deli (a Kinnerton Confectionary brand)
Rocky Road Clusters
Good - Very Good
Weight: 40 grams in 1 serving (total container is 8.5 oz. (240 g.)
Calories: 180 in one (3-pc) serving
$6.99 for 1 whole container
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Today's blend of Belgian milk chocolate, marshmallows, raisins and caramelized hazelnut bits from Cocoa Deli (London, UK), was definitely rocky road inspired. And I love tasting different variations on this theme.

My favorite rocky road chocolates have big chunks of nuts. I love the contrast between the sweet, soft marshmallows and crunchy nuts that balance out the sweetness.

So I found myself imagining a version of these rocky road clusters with dark chocolate, and more nuts. But then, my preference is for dark chocolate and nuts in almost any confection. 

ChocolateBet: November 7, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Hebert's Fully Loaded
Rocky Road (bar)
Very Good
2.75 oz. (78 grams) total
Calories: 100 for 1/4 bar
$ 1.50 (sale)
Purchased from Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

This "Fully Loaded" Hebert's Rocky Road milk chocolate bar was chock full of traditional rocky road confection ingredients: milk chocolate, walnuts, dark chocolate and marshmallow pieces.

This bar was manufactured by Hebert Confections, LLC, in Shewsbury, MA.

ChocolateBet: September 24, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1-2 bites
Annabelle's
Rocky Road (Dark Chocolate Coated Marshmallow Mint with Cashews)
Good-Very Good
Weight: ~ 1.2 oz. (51 grams)Calories: ~ 60? (out of 240 total for whole bar)
Cost: $0.99
Purchased from: Nuts for Candy, Burlingame, CA

There are currently three flavors of Rocky Road bars (image shown above from Annabelle website). Today's chocolate was Annabelle's Rocky Road (Dark Chocolate Coated Marshmallow Mint with Cashews). Annabelle Candy Co. is local to the San Francisco Bay area - based in Hayward, CA.

I had only a bite or two, as cashews and I sometimes don't see eye to eye. (I'm convinced it may be because cashews are related to the poison oak family; I'm sensitive to poison oak and had some whopping good cases of it when I was much younger.)

It was Good - Very Good. Nice green mint marshmallow filling and the dark chocolate is a definite plus. I definitely would have shared this, if someone else had been around. The price for this bar = 99 cents. One bar is 240 calories; the bite that I had was about 60 calories.