When I was in elementary school anytime I’d bring a sack lunch it was basically the same exact thing every time. I always ate a peanut butter sandwich, I didn’t even like jelly necessarily. There’d usually be some other element in my lunch bag but I’d ALWAYS request my mom add in a Little Debbie brownie.
Before Cosmic Brownies came into existence, it was just the Little Debbie brownies with the nuts on top. I would always pick off all the nuts. In my child mind, nuts shouldn’t be part of any dessert. Gross.
So you could imagine my excitement when I spotted Cosmic Brownies on the shelf at the store. Candy > Nuts any day! I freakin’ loved those Cosmic Brownies.
I knew I had to make my own version from scratch. I got started making the most fudgy, chewy brownies I could, using everything I learned from my Ultimate Brownie Guide.
I even managed to find the exact candies Little Debbie tops the brownies with, they’re Wilton Rainbow Chip Crunch and I found them at Michael’s and I’ve seen them at Joanne’s, but they’re also available by a different brand on Amazon.
I think I managed to create something that will evoke all those childhood memories of snacking on those little plastic-wrapped store-bought brownies. But these babies are SO much better! Real and satisfying chocolate taste with no crazy artificial ingredients.
What are cosmic brownies?
They’re an invention of Little Debbie that basically summarize a childhood in the 1990s in each bite. Cosmic brownies are ultra chewy with a rich fudgy frosting that’s dotted with rainbow colored candies. They come individually wrapped and are super sweet and quite artificial tasting, so making them from scratch tastes SO much better.
How to Make FUDGY Brownies
These little brownies are ultra rich and fudgy, almost like candy. I got as close to the texture of the store-bought kind as I possibly could.
Butter vs. Oil in Brownies: Which is Better?
I recently experimented with Butter vs. Oil in brownies to see how the type of fat used affects the final result. The brownies made with butter were fudgier and softer than the oil brownies. There were also shocking differences in the crusts of the two brownie batches! You’ll find these Cosmic Brownies call for all butter to provide the best flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Check out my Butter vs. Oil in Baking article for a full breakdown on each of these fats and how they affect tenderness, flavor, and texture in baked goods (and not just brownies).
Do I have to use cornstarch + corn syrup?
There is a small amount of both cornstarch and corn syrup in this recipe to help make the brownies super chewy and fudgy. Feel free to omit the corn syrup or use golden syrup if you prefer! Your brownies just won’t quite have that same Cosmic texture.
Extra egg yolk = fudgy & chewy!
You’ll notice in most of my brownie recipes I add an extra egg yolk. This adds fat and protein which translates to rich, fudgy, and chewy brownies.
Crumbly brownies? Make sure to measure properly!
To get moist, fudgy, and chewy brownies you want to be extra careful to measure your dry ingredients properly. Namely the flour and cocoa powder. I like to use a digital kitchen scale to ensure 100% accuracy. If you don’t have a scale, then use the spoon and level method for both the flour and cocoa powder to ensure you don’t add too much and create dry & crumbly brownies. You can learn more about how to measure properly here.
How to store brownies
These brownies, with the frosting, can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature and for 1 week in the fridge. Brownies are best sliced and served chilled for neat squares.
More Brownie Recipes
For the brownies:
-
10
tablespoons
(142 grams) unsalted butter
-
1
cup
(200 grams) granulated sugar
-
1/3
cup
(67 grams) packed light brown sugar
-
3/4
cup
plus 2 tablespoons (88 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
-
1/2
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
2
large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
-
1
tablespoon
corn syrup
-
2/3
cup
(85 grams) all-purpose flour
-
1
tablespoon
cornstarch
-
1/4
teaspoon
salt
For the frosting:
-
1 1/2
cups
(255 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
-
1/2
cup
heavy cream
-
Wilton Rainbow Chip Crunch or mini M&M’s, sprinkles, or other candy
To make the brownies:
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch metal baking pan with parchment or foil and spray with cooking spray.
-
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter for about 90 seconds on high power. Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder. If still very hot, let cool slightly before adding in the vanilla, eggs and egg yolk, and corn syrup. Stir until very well combined. Add in the flour, cornstarch, and salt and stir until just combined. Batter will be thick. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
To make the frosting:
-
Place the cream in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Add in the chocolate chips. Let stand for 3 minutes before stirring until smooth. Pour over the cooled brownies and smooth evenly. Sprinkle with the Rainbow Crunch Chips. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until the frosting is set, before cutting.
-
Brownies can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature and for 1 week in the fridge. Brownies are best served chilled.
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and recently updated with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
April Baking Challenge
This recipe was the selection for the April 2020 baking challenge! See all the entries submitted below. Check out the current monthly challenge here.
We made these for our book club. It would have been 5 stars if the frosting was different. I think there was too much, as it is very rich. If I made this again I would halve the frosting/ganache recipe, or even just not have frosting at all. Even then it’s so rich maybe a half and half mix of milk and semi sweet chocolate chips might be necessary, the frosting is definitely the weakest link. Brownies are excellent, just tread lightly with the frosting.
These are sooo gooooodddd. We will be making these again. So easy to make and so much better than the original cosmic brownie.
Wow, what a compliment! So glad you enjoyed them, Christine!
Can the corn syrup be subbed for anything else?
Hi Athena! Please check out the pink tip box above the recipe for more details 🙂
Does anyone know the breakdown of the total grams of sugar per brownie ?
I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong but these came out wayyyyy too bitter. The brownie itself was bitter and the ganache was bitter as well. I followed the directions to a t using a scale. I’m not sure why everyone’s reviews are so great bc I just don’t get it. I’m making them again to see if I messed up somewhere
Hi Morgan! Sorry to hear your brownies were bitter! They definitely should not be. I’m so glad you used a scale to measure your ingredients, did you substitute any ingredients? Or is it possible some of the sugar may have accidentally been left out or measurements been mixed up? I really hope you give this recipe another try, please let me know if you do!
I just made the brownies (not frosting) this weekend and everyone loved them and complimented them a lot! The batter was extremely thick and a bit hard to spread so I was nervous but they turned out soooo fudgey and chewy and chocolatey. Seriously delicious- I’m saving this as my favorite recipe for brownies 🙂
Thanks so much for your feedback, Madison! I just updated the recipe to note that the batter will be thick 🙂 So happy you loved this recipe!
Why is there no baking powder in this recipe?
Hi Mark! With our brownie recipes, we usually prefer a very small amount or no chemical leavener. The reason (especially for this recipe) is because we prefer brownies to be very rich and on the denser side, not even remotely cakey. We wanted to perfect the texture of these brownies so they’re as close to a replica of the Little Debbie’s as possible. I hope that helps!
Is the batter supposed to be super thick? It was hard to mix after adding the dry ingredients.
Hi Stephanie! Yes, the batter is pretty thick. How did your brownies turn out?
Question: my oven is very uneven in its cooking. At 25 minutes, is a toothpick supposed to come out wet or dry? I used regular metal 8×8 pan.
Thanks!
Hi Julie! There should be some crumbs stuck to the toothpick, though brownies can be a little tricky at times knowing when they’re completely done. Luckily, slightly underdone brownies are just a bit more fudgy 🙂 Let us know how it goes!
I made these for my Granddaughter’s 21st family dinner dessert. The consensus was unanimously that the frosting was way too sweet. The brownie part tasted just like Cosmic Brownies!
So if I make them Again I’ll try using half the amount of frosting and possibly Milk Chocolate chips to make it less sweet.
Thanks for your feedback, Christi!
This recipe is so incredibly dangerous.
I doubled the recipe and what a mistake. No one could stop eating them, I did add some pecans in the batter, and it gave an incredibly good crunch.
This are by far one of the best brownie recipe ever.
Ooo love the addition of pecans! So happy to hear how much everyone loved this recipe! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
The most rich and delicious brownies you can find! And they are also perfect for back-to-school treats for lunch boxes. These brownies will more than satisfy any chocolate lover. Delish!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jolyn! Thanks for the comment 🙂
These were delicious brownies, but tasted nothing like Cosmic Brownies. They had a gooey, rich texture and taste that was great but I could definitely see where I’d make these again for more of an adult dinner party than to replicate a favorite kids item.
This is one of my favourite brownie recipes. I decided to try a “healthier” version by using coconut cream instead of heavy cream. It turned out great!
This looks like a delicious recipe! But I was wondering do I need to use corn syrup? And if I don’t need to do I need to change any other measurements?
Please check out the pink tip box above the recipe, I talk about that 🙂
So I just poured the icing onto my brownies and just realized i forgot the vanilla will this mess up the whole taste of my brownies ?
I’m sure you’ve tried your brownies by now, what did you think? It’s a small amount of vanilla, so they’ll still taste chocolaty and delicious, but vanilla is a not only a great flavor addition but a great enhancer of other flavors as well. I’m sure next time you won’t forget 🙂
Dear Tessa,
I found this recipe thanks to google, because I had some left-over ganache from a bigger project, that I didn’t want to waste.
Wow. These are probably the fudgiest fuss-free brownies I’ve ever baked. No melting chocolate, no mixer necessary, plain and simple baking with killer results! This may very well become my go-to recipe when I need my chocolate fix. Can’t wait to find out, what other delights I find on your blog!
Thank you and lots of love from Germany,
Jazz
I’m so happy to hear that, Jazz, you just made my day! These are a fave for sure! 🙂
Will dark corn syrup work with this recipe? Or is light corn syrup the only way to go ?
Free free to omit the corn syrup or use golden syrup if you prefer 🙂 I haven’t tried dark corn syrup, so I can’t say for sure but I would imagine the taste would be different due to the addition of molasses in dark corn syrup.
As a lifelong Little Debbie fan, I can honestly say these are 100x better! Perfectly fudgy and so easy to make!
Woohoo! So awesome to hear this 🙂
Hello, so excited to try this cosmic brownie recipe. My question is. Can this recipe be doubled for a 13×9 baking pan. It is glass. Which is better in your opinion. Glass or metal? I only have 1, 8 inch square pan. I will need to invest in more smaller pans. I love baking big. That way I can share with family and friends. Thanks for posting this recipe. My grandson has a sweet tooth like me
Hi LuAnn, yes, doubling this recipe would be perfect for a 9×13 pan. I think I responded to you earlier, but your comment was connected to someone else’s review so you must not have seen my response 🙂 I always recommend using a light-colored metal pan, like this one. Glass and ceramic pans take longer to bake and your brownies may not set properly in the center before the edges become overcooked and dry. Let me know how your brownies turn out — this would be a super fun recipe to make with your grandson! Good luck!
Do you also double the baking time if using a 9X13 pan?
Nope! Depending on the pan you use, you may have to add a few extra minutes to the original baking time, but otherwise, the timing stays the same 🙂
Hi there Tessa. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. It’s been a while since I asked my question about the size of a baking pan and got your response. I ended up making these brownies with my grandson. He absolutely loves them. He just turned 9 in October. So I’m slowly introducing him to cooking and baking as I had done with my son( his daddy) and my daughter when they reached the age of 10. His mom doesn’t really cook. Mostly because she was never taught at home. In my opinion. Kids need to be taught the basics in life. Such as cooking, baking, sewing, chores. As well as general studies in school. Life skills. I’m ole school and try to pass on everything I learned when I was young. That I learned from my mom and grandma. Today’s kids are just plain self entitled lazy. No one wants to work. But yet they all want a paycheck/ money. Thanks again for sharing this recipe. I read a comment where a lady said the frosting was to sweet and was only going to use half of it the next time she made these brownies. I plan on doing the same. Both the brownies and frosting are amazingly delicious. I’m a Baker by trade. My specialty is Cheesecakes.
So glad you and your grandson had fun making these together! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Hello. You know the ole saying. Better late than never lol. I Finally got around to making these amazing brownies with my grandson today. They are super delicious and I made sure to share with my son, daughter and granddaughter. Unanimous vote Yes. But I will tell you. I used Hershey’s cocoa recipe to make the frosting. I cut back on the sugar here and there. They really are amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with everyone. I too follow your recipes and everyone of them is better than the last. Thanks again.
Can you freeze these brownies?
Absolutely! I’d cut them up ahead of time and make sure they’re in a sealed container!
is it still good without the m&m’s?
Absolutely!
I can’t wait to try your recipe. They look amazing. I spent some time reading the comments. Can this recipe be doubled for a 13x 9 pan? I did see where someone asked about using a glass pan and adding 15 minutes to the cooking time. Would it be better to use an aluminum foil pan from the grocery store. Over Using a glass pan. Thanks
Yes, this recipe could be doubled for a 9×13 pan 🙂 I always recommend using a light-colored metal pan, like this one. Glass and ceramic pans take longer to bake and your brownies may not set properly in the center before the edges become overcooked and dry. Let me know how your brownies turn out! Good luck!
I made these recently, on my daughter’s request, they did NOT disappoint! The recipe was easy to follow and did not have any issues. I think I had to bake an extra 5 minutes but other than that, everything else worked out perfectly. Thank you for all the recipes you share. My family has very much enjoyed them all! Keep up the the good work.
I followed the recipe exactly, measuring by weight. They were AMAZING! This is my new go-to brownie recipe. I always think I love cosmic brownies. I want to, but every time I try them they’re just not as good as when I was a kid. These brownies are exactly what my mouth thinks a cosmic brownie SHOULD be!
This makes me so happy! So glad you enjoyed.
These brownies were definitely fishy and delicious but way darker and much less sweet than cosmic brownies. Definitely not a copycat but still delicious!
My 10 yr old chose this recipe for his birthday cake on April 6th. It was superb!! Delicious, indulgent, fudgey brownies. I used weight rather than cups and they turned out perfectly.
I’m honored! I hope your son loved these brownies!!
Hi Tessa, should the center be wet at 25 minutes or dry with a few crumbs on the toothpick..mine came out wet…
Is it normal for the center to be wet at 25 minutes or should the toothpick come out mostly dry with a few crumbs?
Hi Sophia, what kind of pan did you bake your brownies in? If you used a glass pan, it may take at least 5-15 minutes longer to finish baking all the way through. You can also check the temperature of your oven using an oven thermometer to see if it’s accurate.
These brownies are amazing! They are so fudgy and delicious and are the go to for my family when we have a chocolate craving. My husband even requested these for his birthday this year. They’re easy to make. They taste even better (is that possible??) after being refrigerated overnight.
Tessa, if I need to make these in advance, can I make the brownies, freeze them and the ice and sprinkle just before they are served? I’m assuming the frosted brownies won’t freeze as well or taste as fresh once thawed?
Thank you,
Jillian
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There are so many ads on this recipe you can barely get it read. It won’t print or copy. I don’t have a way to make it and keep it open. Very disappointed.
What is the Carbs for this? It looks really yummy but i have a younger 7 year old sister with diabetes. I can tell it will be a lot of carbs, but i still just want to make sure its not to much!! Thanks!
Corn syrup is essential thing to made brownies????
If there isn’t to find out corn syrup how can i made it??? are there any substitutes????
I know you’re not supposed to mess with ingredients an quantities when it comes to baking but I need to scale up this recipe so I can make a 13″x18″ pan of them. Since a 13″x18″ pan is very close to being 4 times the size of an 8″x8″ pan is it as simple as multiplying the amount of each ingredient by 4 or is scaling up the recipe more complex than that?
Thanks!!
Can I use a golden syrup in replacement of corn syrup?
You can, but your brownies won’t have quite that same Cosmic texture. Let us know what you think of this recipe if you give it a try!
So much better then store bought! I will be making my brownies this way for now on!
Made a half batch in my loaf pan, and it came out perfectly! It had the same texture and taste of a cosmic brownie for sure!
I have a question for you and I am strapping in ready for backlash because this is quite the potentially inflammatory overall idea, if you get to the end. My question is, what happens if at the very end you mix the brownie and frosting recipe (folding them together probably? You definitely know better than me the best way to do that.) I’m trying to make super fudgy brownies that can be sliced into tiny pieces, made using weed butter. I’ve successfully made edibles of all sorts but I want perfect brownies this time and your recipe is the one I have chosen as the perfect brownie recipe. I stand by your philosophy of following baking recipes to a T, which is why I’m very curious about your opinion of mixing the frosting with the brownie batter. My hunch is it’ll result in a thicker, fudgier brownie. Should I reconsider? Thank you,
A Very Appreciative Fan
These tasted just like real cosmic brownies! My whole family loved them!
This is a perfect chocolate chip cookie; It is thick and full of chocolate. The sea salt takes it to the next level.
What if I add express powder to cosmic brownies, would that increase the chocolate flavor what are your thoughts Thanks
Oh my goodness. These cookies are soooo good. My family love them. My husband was at work eating one of the cookies and one of his co-workers ask him where did he get that cookie, it looks good. So I made another batch for his co-workers. They are now my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Incredible recipe!! love brownies
This recipe is perfect! I love brownies and baking them more.
Great recipe. Followed directions and added salt crystals as suggested. “Some one the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had,” said my husband. Will be making a batch for my grandkids next.
Perfect brownies, for any occasion. Love it!