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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.

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!

Sprinkle of Science

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 – my homemade version is on the left and the store-bought is on the right:

Ingredient Notes for Success

Butter vs. Oil in Brownies: Which is Better?

Brownies made with butter are fudgier and softer than oil brownies. 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).

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.

The Best Brownie Baking Pan

• I highly recommend using a light-colored metal baking pan. This is my favorite baking pan for brownies, blondies, cheesecake bars, cookie bars, and more.
• Avoid using dark-colored metal pans; the darker the color, the more likely you are to burn the edges or have dry edges.
• Glass or ceramic baking pans will take LONGER to bake these brownies, and the texture may become dense and gummy. Learn more in my Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans article.

How to Cut Brownies Perfectly

Use a large sharp knife and run it under hot water, wiping it off completely between slices.

How to Store

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.

Yields: 16 brownies

How To Make

Cosmic Brownies

Tessa Arias

Yields: 16 brownies

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Inactive Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Review Recipe Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Inactive Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Review Recipe Print Recipe

This copycat recipe for Cosmic Brownies is ultra-rich, fudgy, and chewy just like the kind you buy at the store but oh so much better, with no preservatives!

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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
• ▢ 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

Where to Find Rainbow Candy-Coated Chocolate Chips? 

I used to use Wilton Rainbow Crunch for topping Cosmic Brownies, but those are increasingly difficult to find. 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. 

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

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This recipe was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.