Cosmic Brownies
Bake up a batch of irresistible copycat Cosmic Brownies for a delightful treat full of childhood memories, loaded with colorful, fudgy fun!
Rich, chocolaty, and topped with colorful sprinkles, Copycat Cosmic Brownies are a fun, out-of-this-world treat to make and even better to eat! Using baking essentials like flour, sugar, cocoa powder, a few eggs, butter, and loads of chocolate make this Cosmic Brownie a universally loved goodie!
A Stellar Good Time
Do you remember back in the day when you could eat a ton of Little Debbie treats and not feel like barfing? Sigh, those were awesome days. I don’t think I had a particular favorite, but I definitely had a top-five, and cosmic brownies were on that list. There is nothing to not absolutely love about a Cosmic Brownie!
As with all things nostalgic and delicious, I have to make my own version and impart my love and memories for my kiddos to carry on. My kids might be a little overwhelmed at all of my nostalgia but that’s ok, these amazing brownies totally make up for the burden they have to carry.
These Copycat Cosmic Brownies are sooo fudgy and rich, with chocolate on chocolate and whimsical polka dots of color. They are so hard to stop eating! While I’m flashing back to the 90’s I’m also making new memories with my kids, who love these Cosmic Brownies for different but totally delicious reasons.
Other Recipes to Serve with Copycat Cosmic Brownies
- Since you’ll be diving into a brownie with sprinkles addiction after your try these Cosmic Brownies, you’ll definitely need to make my mouth-watering Birthday Brownies… even if no one has a birthday for a while.
- A big, cold, chocolaty “drink” would be amazing with these brownies! Since you can’t have too much chocolate in your life why not serve up a Copycat Wendy’s Frosty while you’re at it?
Ingredients
BROWNIES
Pantry Items: You will need flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, and light corn syrup.
Refrigerated items: Butter that has been melted, eggs and milk are all you need.
Spice Cabinet: A little salt and vanilla extract are needed.
FROSTING
Chocolate: You will need milk chocolate chips and a bar of semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate. If you would prefer to use all chocolate chips, simply replace the bar of chocolate with 4 ounces of chocolate chips.
Refrigerated Item: You will need heavy whipping cream to make this frosting nice and fudgy.
Extra: Don’t forget the rainbow chip sprinkles! It’s not the same amazing cosmic-ness without them!
How to Make Copycat Cosmic Brownies
STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8-inch x 8-inch pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. To a large mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, eggs, corn syrup, and milk, and beat until everything is smooth.
STEP TWO: Fold in the flour and salt until everything is incorporated but not overmixed. Pour the batter into your pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
STEP THREE: To make the frosting, warm the heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan until it is very warm but not boiling. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the chocolate chips and Baker’s chocolate bar (unless you’re using all chocolate chips).
STEP FOUR: Once the chocolate is smooth, pour it over the brownies and make sure it is spread evenly. Top the brownies with the rainbow sprinkles and allow the brownies to cool for 3 hours on a wire rack before cutting.
Tips for Success
- Using parchment paper along with non-stick spray in your brownie pan will ensure the brownies release without sticking to the pan. That way you can cut them into neat little squares.
- Baker’s Chocolate can be found in the grocery store’s baking aisle, right by the chocolate chips. Baker’s Chocolate contains only chocolate and small amounts of sugar in the semi-sweet but no other added ingredients. It is the perfect way to add chocolate to a recipe without unnecessary additives. Chocolate chips are a great substitute however, and still provide the rich, delicious chocolate needed for this frosting.
- Rainbow chip sprinkles are easier to find nowadays! Check out your grocery store, Michael’s, Walmart, or even Amazon for sprinkles that are just like the ones found on the original Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies.
Why are they called Cosmic Brownies?
During the 1990’s, cosmic bowling was all the rage. Cosmic bowling began at most bowling alleys later in the evening and was like your standard bowling but with black lights that made neon colors in the alley pop and much louder music- cosmic bowling is a real party! Little Debbie decided to join the trend and introduced Cosmic Brownies, a dark, chocolate treat with pops of bright colors on top, in 1999 and the rest is delicious history!
How should I store Copycat Cosmic Brownies?
These brownies will be good for three days on the counter, in an airtight container. If you want them to last a little longer, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Bring More Brownie Joy Into Your Life
- Iced Lunch Lady Brownies
- Pecan Pie Brownies
- Almond Joy Brownies
- Mint Fudge Stuffed Brownies
- Mexican Brownies
Cosmic Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips
- 4 ounce semi-sweet chocolate bar
- ½ cup rainbow chip sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan with non-stick spray and then line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, cocoa powder, butter, eggs, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
- Gently fold in the flour and salt until the brownie batter is fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by warming the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring almost to a simmer so that the cream is VERY warm. (DO NOT bring to a boil!) Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in chocolates until melted and smooth.
- Pour the frosting over the cooked brownies. Then top with rainbow chip sprinkles and cool for 3 hours on a wire rack before slicing into 12 brownies.
