Rocky Road Pie

A frozen chocolate pie loaded with everything that makes rocky road irresistible: semi-sweet chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and chopped nuts folded into a creamy chocolate pudding base. No baking, no oven, just mix, pile into a graham cracker crust, and freeze.

Using half and half instead of milk to mix the pudding gives the filling a richer, denser set that holds up in the freezer without turning icy. Regular milk makes a thinner pudding that freezes into something closer to a popsicle than a pie.

The 5-minute rest after whisking the pudding is doing important work. The pudding needs to thicken before you fold in the whipped topping. Fold it in too early and the pudding is too loose to hold the chips, marshmallows, and nuts in suspension. They all sink to the bottom.

Kitchen Tips

• Let the pie sit at room temperature for a full 10 minutes before cutting. A rock-hard frozen pie will crack the crust when you try to slice it.
• Use a knife dipped in hot water for clean slices. Wipe and re-dip between each cut.
• Fold the mix-ins in gently so the whipped topping stays fluffy. Heavy stirring knocks out the air and you lose the light texture.
• Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface before freezing to prevent freezer burn and ice crystals.

Variations

• Use a chocolate cookie crust instead of graham cracker for a double-chocolate base.
• Swap the chopped nuts for crushed peanuts and add a swirl of peanut butter for a rocky road-peanut butter mashup.
• Drizzle caramel sauce over the top before freezing for a turtle-style variation.