Lake Travis Mud is a type of rocky road candy recipe from an old friend back in Austin. She gave it to me years ago with a note saying it makes excellent teacher gifts. And it does! I’ve been making this now for years for gift giving and for cravings — usually the latter. Since i make it so often I usually halve it and use an 8 inch square pan. Sometimes I even quarter and use a loaf pan.
The Easiest Rocky Road Candy Recipe
Lake Travis Mud is probably the most easy candy to make on Cookie Madness. All you need are 5 ingredients — chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, marshmallows and peanuts. The candy does not require a candy thermometer, and you can melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler.
The brand of chocolate chips you use will slightly change the flavor and texture of the candy. So that the candy won’t be too sweet, you’ll want to use dark chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips that melt smoothly. I like Guittard.
And finally, if you would rather make Lake Travis Mud without peanut butter you can make Condensed Milk Rocky Road Candy. There’s also a version made with colored marshmallows called Cathedral Window Candies.
Recipe
Lake Travis Mud aka Rocky Road Peanut Candy
Ingredients
- 12 oz Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips
- 12 oz butterscotch chips
- 1 cup peanut butter chunky or cream okay
- 12- oz jar dry roasted peanuts unsalted or lightly salted
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- In a large double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chips.
- Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth, then stir in the peanuts.
- Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then add marshmallows.
- Spread mixture in pan and refrigerate for at least two hours. Lift from pan, set on a cutting board and cut into desired size squares/bars.
- The mud should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
Anna
Debbie, I’m not sure how the almond butter would work, but I know you can substitute almonds for the dry roasted peanuts. What you could is make a really small batch using the almond butter. Instead of using a 13×9 inch pan, use a 9×5 inch loaf pan and make 1/3 of the recipe. That way if the almond butter doesn’t work, you will not have wasted too many ingredients..
Debbie
i have made this and loved but peanuts bother my stomache afterwards. Do you think subbing almonds for the dry roasted peanuts would work ( I could half them) and maybe almond butter for the peanut butter??
miamimaggie
I’m finally getting around to wanting to make sweets again, even though I feel like I gave myself diabetes with all the sugar of Christmas. I’m craving rocky road flavors so I’m making both this Lake Travis Mud and the Eagle Brand Rocky Road Candy tomorrow. Might add some raisins to make it “healthy,” ha ha. I’m curious to see how the recipes compare. Anna, I just moved to San Antonio from Miami and so I feel like we’re neighbors now!! Been reading your blog for years and I love it, thanks for all the recipes and reviews!
Shelly
I made this last week. Very, very good and so simple! I am going to try to sub. the butter scotch chips with peanut butter chips. May be a bit over whelming with peanut, but thats always a good thing here! It is also very pretty when you put it with other cookies to give your neighbors and friends. Thanks Anna,
Happy holidays to all,
Shelly
Michelle
Hi Anna. Thanks so much for all your recipes. I use your website a lot. I went to the store to get the 58% chocolate pieces and didn’t find anything that was exactly that. I know it can be whatever I choose, but I’m wondering if you suggest going darker rather than milder for this recipe. I appreciate your help.
Lee
I have to bring something for a family Christmas and i think this is going to be it looks so darn good , wish i had some now, i dont understand metric so glad they are not all in that, i am from the old school we never had it
Robbie Jurek
Oh, THANK YOU! This has been a favorite with family and friends since I clipped it from the Statesman in 1993. But now I couldn’t find my recipe, and need it for our church 50th anniversary cookbook! Thanks to you and Google, I have it again!
tia @ buttercreambarbie
i’m TOTALLY going to make this, but I only have colored marshmallows. 🙂
Kathie
Lake Shirley Mud just went into the refrigerator. Thanks for another great recipe!
Anna
Raz, I’m glad you appreciate the metric posts. I often wonder if anyone really uses them and don’t always take the time to post them. About cutting the candy, you just lift the candy from the pan and cut it however you want. I will go ahead and make that more clear in the directions.
Michelle, you shouldn’t have a problem getting a smooth top with this recipe. Make sure you don’t get the chocolate mixture too hot and try to use regular chocolate as opposed to chocolate chips/morsels. The Ghirardelli pre-chopped chocolate works well too.
Anna
Ha! Jan, I think it’s important that we all re-name the candy after a local lake….any lake will do. If you live near a swamp, even better.
Jancd
I could not get this recipe out of my mind, so I made it today. I could have eaten it right out of the pan!! I may try is again with twice the chocolate and leave out the butterscotch chips. I’ve renamed mine Lake Houson Mud!! Thanks, Anna. Happy Valentines Day.
Michelle
Hi Ann. I look at your website everyday and make lots and lots of your recipes. Thank you!
I have 2 questions – How do you get the top so smooth? Every time I make fudge, it looks like a mess on top. Also, did you use salted or unsalted peanuts?
Raz Rubin
okay, wait a minute, i think i missed something – when is the part where you cut it? are you even supposed to?
help the non-american folk!
and by the way, when you post the metric measurements in recipes it helps a lot – using my cellphone converter app in the kitchen – not so smart… ever dropped you phone into a pot of boiling water? or your kitchenaid?
oops, i say! 🙂
gloria
These look delicious!!! They do keep in the refrigerator and I froze mine once and they were fine out of the freezer (they did get a little “dew” on them that I dabbed off.)
I make something similar and get rave reviews-I don’t add the additional nuts though, I mix semi and dark choco, and I use the multicolored mini mallows. It is addicting!!!!
I’ve been eating too much chocolate so I’m on a restricted diet now….hard to look at food blogs, but I’m coming back slowly!!!
Barbara
Yummy candy just in time for Valentine’s Day!
I live in Florida so I always keep my candy in the fridge….
Sara
Ahhh! My makes this every year during Christmas and everyone raves about it. I’ve never seen anyone else have this recipe. It’s delish!
carolyn
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks!!
Steph
I love these simple recipes!
Amy D
Yay! So happy you liked it… it’s got that sweet/salty combo that I really like. Love the photo too!
dawn
lol you and your mud experiments!
Karen
That looks sooo good. Might have to try a half batch this weekend.
C L
This looks and sounds delicious, and the recipe sounds simple (my favorite type of recipe.) I must remember to buy butterscotch chips and mini marshmallows next time I’m in town. 🙂 This sounds too good not to try! Thank you, Anna, for passing this on! 🙂