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    Home » Low Carb » Rocky Road Fudge – Keto and Sugar Free

    Published: May 14, 2019 by Carolyn

    Rocky Road Fudge – Keto and Sugar Free

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    6.3K shares
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    Keto rocky road fudge is a divine low carb sweet treat. Creamy smooth and full of marshmallows and pecans, and no one would ever guess that it’s sugar-free.

    Pieces of keto fudge in a stack

    Did someone say keto fudge? Wait, hang on. Did someone say keto rocky road fudge? Those words are music to my ears and I bet they are to yours too.

    Ever since I perfected my recipe for sugar-free marshmallows, I’ve been dying to try it in some rocky road fudge. Because who doesn’t love their fudge filled with lots of extras like sweet tender marshmallows and pecans?

    Remember back when you were a kid, passing by a fudge shop and it practically made you weak in the knees? I always seemed to stumble up on these places on vacation. Every tourist destination seems to have their fair share of fudge and candy stores. And I always wanted the most tricked out fudge, the kind that had lots of tasty inclusions. This rocky road fudge would have been high up there on my list.

    But I also shudder to think how sweet that fudge was, and how even a few small bites would have me feeling a little sick to my stomach. So it was definitely time to try to recreate it in a keto friendly way.

    I actually made this keto fudge recipe back in December, and I took it to a Christmas party. I was invited to speak at a women physicians keto cookie exchange, and I thought I ought to bring along a sweet treat or two of my own. Do I even need to say what a hit this was? I put it out on a platter and it was gone in a matter of minutes.

    Not surprisingly, my kids went wild for it too.

    A plate of rocky road fudge with some still in the pan

    How To Make Keto Fudge

    There are any number of approaches for making keto-friendly fudge. Some are easy, some are a little more complex. This rocky road fudge recipe falls into the easier category.

    Some keto fudge recipes use cream cheese as a base. This is not my favorite approach, since your fudge tastes distinctly of cream cheese. Which for me, isn’t very fudgy and doesn’t satisfy that craving for the real thing.

    I’ve made several variations of fudge using chocolate ganache, such as low carb peanut butter cup fudge and low carb andes mint fudge. Those recipes are super easy but they are definitely on the soft side and need to be kept refrigerated.

    I took a stab at the old fashioned method for fudge-making back when I made my low carb peanut butter fudge. It was more work but definitely worth the effort.

    One great way to make easy keto fudge is to start with sugar-free sweetened condensed milk. And that’s essentially what I did here, with a few minor modifications. It produces a perfect fudge consistency, without all the extra whipping and paddling that traditional fudge requires.

    Pieces of keto rocky road fudge in little candy cups

    Tips for Making Rocky Road Fudge

    For sugar-free rocky road fudge, you clearly have to put in a bit of advanced prep work. Here are my best tips for success:

    Make and Freeze the Sugar-Free Marshmallows

    These really need to be made one day ahead, so that they dry out properly. When first made, they are a bit tacky to the touch. It takes about a day, totally exposed to the air, for them to become like regular marshmallows. You then want to chop them up and freeze them so that they will mix with the chocolate, without becoming complete goo again.

    Be sure to use vanilla extract in place of the peppermint for this batch of marshmallows. Unless you want peppermint rocky road fudge…

    Use a mix of sweeteners

    This is important for both the marshmallows and the fudge itself. Just using an erythritol based sweetener like Swerve is insufficient, as it will re-crystallize too much. But using another sweetener alone will make the marshmallows and the fudge too goopy and it won’t firm up properly. Swerve provides the substance and the other sweetener provides the softness. This combo just works!

    For your other sweetener, you have a few options:

    • Bocha Sweet (this is what I prefer to use)
    • Allulose (unfortunately, this upsets my stomach a lot. It apparently doesn’t do so for everyone)
    • Xylitol (be forewarned, this is highly toxic to dogs and I don’t recommend if you have pups)

    Please please please please do not ask me if you can use Lakanto in place of the Bocha Sweet. You can’t. Even though it calls itself a “monk fruit sweetener”, it is essentially erythritol. That is the main ingredient and just like Swerve, it will recrystallize too much.

    Make the Condensed Milk

    The base of this rocky road fudge is essentially an extra sweet version of my sugar-free condensed milk recipe. It needs the extra sweetener to stand up to the unsweetened chocolate. I also added a bit more butter for a smoother, glossier fudge.

    Remember, you want it to simmer continuously. I find that I have to turn up and down the heat frequently on my gas stove, to keep those little bubbles going along the edge and to keep it from boiling.

    Use unsweetened chocolate

    This is not the same thing as sugar-free chocolate! Be sure you are purchasing 100% cacao chocolate that contains no sweeteners. Do not use Lily’s or ChocZero here. Unsweetened chocolate contains more fiber than sweetened versions and will help the fudge thicken properly.

    I also highly suggest using a good quality unsweetened chocolate like Ghirardelli, Scharffenberger, or Guittard. Baker’s chocolate is more prone to seizing and it’s hard to rescue the fudge if the chocolate seizes.

    Use with your favorite nut

    I used pecans because I love them. But I’ve seen rocky road fudge made with peanuts or cashews instead. Cashews tend to be a little high carb to be truly keto. You could also try macadamia nuts…now that would be decadent.

    Close up of keto rocky road fudge with pecans and sugar-free marshmallows

    What about plain keto fudge?

    Don’t feel like putting all the work into making the marshmallows? Prefer plain fudge? No problem! You can totally skip the add-ins here and just make good old keto chocolate fudge. Don’t worry, I won’t be offended.

    Want more delicious keto fudge recipes?

    Andes Mint Fudge

    Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

    Coconut Milk Fudge

    White Chocolate Coconut Fudge

    Sugar-Free Maple Fudge

    Close up of keto rocky road fudge with pecans and sugar-free marshmallows

    Keto Rocky Road Fudge

    Keto rocky road fudge is a divine low carb sweet treat. Creamy smooth and full of marshmallows and pecans, and no one would ever guess that it's sugar-free. 
    4.67 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: keto fudge, rocky road fudge
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Chill time: 1 day 3 hours
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 20 servings
    Calories: 155kcal

    Ingredients

    • ¾ recipe homemade sugar-free marshmallows (replace peppermint extract with vanilla extract)
    • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
    • 6 tablespoon Bocha Sweet (can use allulose or xylitol)
    • 6 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
    • ¼ cup butter
    • 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (100% cacao chocolate)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups pecan halves

    Instructions

    • Make the marshmallows according to the directions, but replace the peppermint extract with vanilla extract. These will need to be made a day ahead in order to dry out properly. Cut the marshmallows into ½ inch chunks and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours.
    • Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.
    • In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the cream and sweeteners. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Watch carefully as you want it to simmer but not continue to boil. There should be little bubbles along the edges the whole time.
    • Remove from heat and add the butter, chopped chocolate, and vanilla extract. Let sit 5 minutes, until the butter and chocolate have melted, then whisk until smooth.
    • Working quickly, stir in the frozen marshmallows and the pecans. Spread the whole mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours, before cutting into squares.

    Notes

    Please refer to the blog post for detailed recipe notes. 
    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Rocky Road Fudge
    Amount Per Serving (2 pieces)
    Calories 155 Calories from Fat 132
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 14.7g23%
    Carbohydrates 2.3g1%
    Fiber 1.1g4%
    Protein 1.6g3%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Alice says

      May 28, 2022 at 11:09 pm

      Hi Carolyn I made this today … it’s been in the fridge for 6 hours and I noticed the chocolate fudge is setting quite soft still. Is the end product supposed to be firmer/denser? I did follow your recipe exactly w/o any substitution. Please let me know. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        May 29, 2022 at 8:13 am

        It’s supposed to be firm like fudge. Can you tell me more? What brand of chocolate and sweetener?

        Reply
    2. Shany Dillow says

      December 27, 2021 at 5:53 pm

      1 star
      Not sure if I did anything wrong but I was very rubbery…it didn’t taste or feel like rocky road or even look like the picture. I followed the recipe to a t, (I did use Allulose instead of Bocha Sweet) so not sure what happened. Was really looking forward to this! Any advice? Also hubby mentioned it had no sweetness to it.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        April 04, 2022 at 3:55 pm

        So the “rubberiness” comes from the allulose, I think. I’ve had trouble with it in dense chocolate recipes as well.

        Reply
    3. Carmen Chiaradio says

      November 22, 2021 at 10:49 am

      Hi. I enjoy all your recipes and just received your Keto baking cookbook. I’m reading your Rocky Road Fudge recipe. In your notes you speak about the condensed milk. It’s not listed in the RRF recipe. Is it to be omitted?
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        November 22, 2021 at 1:52 pm

        No, it’s not being omitted. Because you need more of it, it’s built right into this recipe with the cream and sweeteners.

        Reply
    4. Heather says

      November 15, 2021 at 4:30 pm

      Do you remember the squares that look like this but were with peanut butter? They were at every church event and always on Christmas cookie platters. Sometimes with coconut on the outside. I don’t suppose you have a recipe for those? Or would consider creating one! (-;

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        November 15, 2021 at 5:51 pm

        Were they peanut butter and cornflakes? I remember making those as a kid.

        Reply
    5. Susan Yakus says

      September 25, 2021 at 9:13 pm

      5 stars
      OMG!! Finally, someone has mastered fudge. This is absolutely delicious! I had a hard time with my gas stovetop regulating the simmer. I watched the whole time, constantly raising and lowering the temp. I also had to use 95% chocolate bars from Ghiradelli, but they worked out fine. I realize the sugar is a bit higher. I am so in my happy place. I too, can have a delicious treat. You are the best!!

      Reply
    6. Kristin says

      September 04, 2021 at 1:51 pm

      It seems as though the butter is just kind of sitting on top of the fudge once I spread it in the pan. What did I do wrong?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 04, 2021 at 2:16 pm

        Your chocolate split, which means it needed less heat. If you notice it doing that before you add the marshmallows and pecans, there’s an easy fix. Just pop it in a blender.

        For now, you can scrape off the butter once it’s chilled.

        Reply
        • Kristin says

          September 04, 2021 at 3:12 pm

          Thank you!

          Reply
    7. Deb H says

      September 01, 2021 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      This fudge is outstanding!! My husband is a huge fudge fan and even in years past only got it at Christmas. He had really missed it since going full keto about 2 years ago. I made your recipe exactly as written and it turned out so well! It was a birthday surprise for hubby and he was shocked to know it wasn’t a cheat at all and completely sugar free. Thank you so much!!! Chocolatey, fudgy, and absolutely delicious. ❤️

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 02, 2021 at 4:04 pm

        Happy birthday do your husband!

        Reply
    8. Jessie Sams says

      December 28, 2020 at 9:08 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for Christmas this year and it was a complete winner! The marshmallows I made a couple days before and they were really easy as Carolyn says. I only froze mine for about 30 minutes and they were fine – no melting or gooping problems. Some my butter did not get completely beat into the fudge but pretty sure this was from me not whisking long enough. I used walnuts and they were very good! May not wait til Christmas to make this again! It was just excellent!

      Reply
    9. Stephanie R. says

      October 21, 2020 at 10:13 pm

      I’m trying this for the first time and starting with making the marshmallows. I couldn’t find grassfed gelatin at the store, so I got unflavored gelatin. Fingers crossed that it works!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        October 22, 2020 at 8:19 am

        It should!

        Reply
    10. Angela Meissner says

      October 21, 2020 at 9:49 pm

      My Mom used to make something similar to this only it had peanut butter in it too. It was so good. Unfortunately she is no longer with us. Since we are from Canada and you seem to know all the great Canadian treats, I was wondering if you know the treat I am talking about and if you have something similar?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        October 22, 2020 at 8:20 am

        I don’t know that one specifically but here’s a recipe that might help you: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-chocolate-peanut-butter-fudge/

        Reply
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