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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: These homemade Cosmic Brownies have a much better chocolate flavor than the store-bought ones! No weird artificial flavors here.
Texture: Ultra-rich, fudgy, and chewy. So good.
Ease: Very easy!! Enjoy a batch of these in just over an hour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: An easy DIY version of your favorite nostalgic childhood treat.
These Homemade Cosmic Brownies will evoke all those childhood memories of snacking on those little plastic-wrapped store-bought brownies – but these babies are SO much better!
Real, decadent, and satisfying chocolate, without all the crazy artificial ingredients.
When I was a kid in elementary school, I’d ALWAYS request a Little Debbie brownie as my special treat in my lunch box.
Best brownies ever!
These are the FUDGIEST brownies I’ve ever made! And so easy to make!
Before Cosmic Brownies, there were only the Little Debbie brownies with the nuts. I would always pick off all the nuts.
I knew I had to make my own version from scratch.
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. I hope you love them as much as I do!
What are Cosmic Brownies?
Cosmic Brownies, created by snack company Little Debbie, basically summarize a childhood in the 1990s in each bite. They are chewy with a rich, fudgy frosting that’s dotted with rainbow crunch sprinkles. They come individually wrapped and are super sweet and quite artificial tasting.
In creating my copycat version, I opted for a fudgy chocolate ganache topping that delivers a much better burst of chocolate flavor.
Check out the side-by-side below:
Ingredient Notes for Success
Cornstarch + Corn Syrup = Secret Ingredients
- 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, but note that your brownies just won’t quite have that same Cosmic texture. Don’t skip the cornstarch – learn why cornstarch is important in brownie recipes here.
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.
How to Avoid Dry, Crumbly Cosmic Brownies
The key is to measure your dry ingredients properly. It’s super easy to accidentally add too much flour and cocoa powder – unless you use a digital kitchen scale to ensure 100% accuracy.
If you don’t have a scale, use the spoon and level method for both the flour and cocoa powder to ensure accuracy, and avoid dry, hard, cakey, or crumbly brownies. You can learn more about how to measure ingredients properly here.
How to Cut Brownies Perfectly
Use a large sharp knife and run it under hot water, wiping it off completely between slices.
Storage & Make ahead
Frosted, sliced brownies can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature or for 1 week in the fridge. They are best served chilled, for maximum fudginess.
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Ingredients
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 fine sea salt
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups (255 grams) semisweet chocolate chips (use high quality here!)
Rainbow Candy-Coated Chocolate Chips , or mini M&M’s, sprinkles, or other candy, for topping
Instructions
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, 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.
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 Candy-Coated Chocolate 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.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
I used to use Wilton Rainbow Crunch for topping Cosmic Brownies (as seen in the pictures here), but those are increasingly difficult to find. Sometimes they’re on Amazon, or even at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. This Baker’s Choice version is available on Amazon, but feel free to use rainbow sprinkles, mini M&Ms, or whatever you like to top these brownies.
Yes, just not your brownies may not be as chewy. You can use golden syrup or invert syrup, instead.
Yes, simply double all ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch metal baking pan, adding 2-3 minutes extra baking time.
More Brownie Recipes:
- Best Chewy Brownies – my most popular recipe!
- Nutella Brownies
- Raspberry Brownie Recipe
- Toffee Brownies
- Malted Brownies
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Loved this recipe. Easy and fun to make! Love how the colors of the sprinkles shine brighter on top of the dark, yummy and shinny layer of chocolate ganache. Hugs from the Dominican Republic!!
Great chocolate flavor and the texture is spot on!
Great recipe, but the frosting amounts seem to be off. I ended up using twice the cream amount for half the chocolate
I’m really considering halving the frosting recipe if I make them. Everyone is saying it’s so sweet, and I’m not a huge frosting fan.
so delicious! My roommates and I are going to eat the entire tray in 2 days, I have no doubts.
These are dangerously delicious! Definitely a recipe to keep!
Super fudge and nostalgic
These were fun to make and brought back some nostalgia! Super easy and quick – and tasty (especially if you like a chewy brownie)!
I used chocolate chips instead of the rainbow chips but they still came out pretty well for a first time. Would recommend.
These are pretty fudgy! I’m so glad I made them.
These are a more sophisticated version of a childhood favorite! It makes a nice, dark brownie with a lovely ganache topping.
These are heavenly! I used sprinkles for the top and they look perfect! The ganache was so gooey and delicious, especially eaten when the brownies were still warm! The best brownies I’ve ever made!
My whole family and I loved these!!! Will definitely be making again.