Peanut free Rocky road candy is a blend of cereal and marshmallows covered with chocolate and sunflower butter. It's a treat that is easy to make and so good that you'll wish you'd made a double batch! Plus it's free of the most common food allergies including nuts and dairy!
When I was growing up, rocky road candy was one of the holidays treats my mom would make. It was a combination of peanut butter Captain Crunch, peanuts, and marshmallows covered in milk chocolate.
It's SO GOOD...but not very allergy friendly!
With a few substitutes, we've made a version of rocky road candy that is free of the most common allergens but still really good!
Ingredients
This is really a very versatile treat to make. The main thing is to have a combination of crunchy ingredients (like cereal), marshmallows, and safe chocolate to coat it all in!
Following are the ingredients we use:
Cereal
I like to use a couple of different types of cereal for a varied texture. We typically use some kind of Chex (usually corn or rice) and a gluten free variety of crispy rice cereal (AKA Rice Krispies).
You can use any type of cereal that works for you!
Marshmallows
Most marshmallows are generally free of the top 8 allergens but some might have advisory statements (may contain traces of...). Just be sure to check the labels carefully to make sure they are safe for you.
I like to use mini marshmallows for this recipe.
Chocolate coating
To make the chocolate coating for this candy, I combine Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips with some sunflower butter. If you're not able to have sunflower butter or any nut/seed butter, you can use a "safe" margarine or coconut oil instead.
In this case, I recommend cutting the amount back to 2 tablespoons.
I like to use mini chocolate chips for this recipe because they melt faster but use what you have.
Extras
The original rocky road candy also contained peanuts. I didn't substitute anything for the peanuts and still think this candy is good!
With that said, if you can have sunflower or pumpkin seeds I think those would be great in this mixture. Of course, if you can have nuts, you could always add some of those, too.
If you do this, I would recommend adding ½ cup of sunflower or pumpkin seeds and reduce the amount of cereal by ½ cup.
How to make it
This is a really easy treat to whip up! The longest part of the process is waiting for the chocolate to set. Sometimes my kids don't wait!
First, combine the cereal, marshmallows, and seeds (if using) in a large bowl.
Next, put the chocolate chips and sunflower butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 45 seconds. Remove the bowl, stir, and microwave for another 30-45 seconds. Repeat until the chocolate is smooth and pourable.
Pour the chocolate over the cereal mixture. Stir to coat the cereal mixture with chocolate. Be gentle to avoid breaking the cereal up into tiny pieces.
Finally, pour the mixture out onto wax paper to set up. This takes a little while - be patient! 🙂
When the chocolate has gotten firm, you can break it up into smaller pieces and store it in an airtight container for up to a week. It never lasts that long at my house! Enjoy!
More holiday treats
📖 Recipe
Peanut Free Rocky Road Candy
Ingredients
- 1 (10) ounce bag "safe" chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life
- 4 tablespoons sunflower butter
- 2 cups "safe" mini marshmallows
- 2 cups gluten free crispy rice cereal
- 2 cups Rice Chex
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the cereals and marshmallows.
- In a separate microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup, add the sunflower butter and chocolate chips. Microwave for 45 seconds and stir. Continue to microwave in 20-second intervals and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereals and marshmallows. Gently stir until the chocolate is evenly covering the cereal. Pour mixture out onto wax paper and spread out evenly. Allow the chocolate to set for about an hour. Break up into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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Alexander says
do you think i could use wowbutter as a subsitute for sunflower butter?
Kristi says
Hi Alexander!
I haven't tried it myself but I don't know why substituting Wowbutter for the sunflower butter wouldn't work. Let me know how it turns out!