Homemade Cosmtic Recipes
Joseph Zyiuahndy
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for homemade cosmic brownies with you! I love making homemade brownies, and once I got a great fudgy brownie recipe nailed, I started to play around with variations of it.
I love having one great back pocket recipe that is super versatile and this brownie recipe is certainly it. You can take the one recipe and make cheesecake brownies, brookies, brownie pie, and now these perfect homemade cosmic brownies!
I didn't grow up eating cosmic brownies as a kid in New Zealand, but heard about them when I moved to the US. The original Cosmic Brownie is made by a brand called Little Debbie's, who make classic packaged treats. We tried them when we lived in New York and once we moved back to New Zealand I decided I should have a go at making a copycat cosmic brownie!
The original cosmic brownie is a chewy, fudgy brownie, topped with a thin layer of chocolate icing, and rainbow sprinkles. I took my favourite brownie recipe, and baked it in a 9"x13" pan rather than a 9" square, giving a much thinner brownie.
Once the brownie is baked, you add a simple chocolate icing, which comes out nice and smooth as it melts from the heat of the brownie. The whole thing is finished off with rainbow sprinkles, then goes in the fridge to chill until you are ready to serve. Super easy, and super delicious.
I looked all over for these to find somewhere that ships them to New Zealand, and ended up getting them from a place in Australia. You could also use these rainbow bit chips from Sweetapolita, or you may be able to find them at craft stores. You could also use mini M&M, or the sprinkles of your choice!
This is a strange thing to write a paragraph about, but I know a lot of you love attention to detail as much as I do. When I was testing this cosmic brownie recipe, I was having problems with the icing cracking as it cooled, or as I pulled the brownies out of the pan. There were a few reasons for this, and this is how I fixed them:
Can you freeze brownies?
I haven't tested freezing these brownies in particular, but if I was going to I would leave off the sprinkles, and place them in an airtight container in the freezer, then defrost either in the fridge or at room temperature.
These are insane!! We grew up on cosmic brownies as kids and these were so nostalgic. Made them for Thanksgiving and my family ate them over every other dessert on the table! Definitely saving this one!
I just made a gluten free small batch of these and they turned out really well, eating pretty much the same as the wheat flour version. They got rave reviews from my caeliac niece and brother in law. Great recipe!
These are so good and so easy! I have made these for multiple parties and everyone knows exactly what they are when they see them and the taste is so perfectly cosmic brownie. Delicious and nostalgic and just ever so slightly elevated from the original store bought version.
The brownies turned out great! I decorated mine with M&Ms. However, the icing was too sweet for my preference. Is there a way to cut down the sugar without losing the quantity to cover the 9x13 pan? Please let me know - otherwise awesome directions and detailed steps!
I think I will make them again as the flavor was good but it was too fudgey for me. It felt like I was biting through a hunk of set icing rather than brownie. Next time I will let the brownie cook just a little longer. I took mine out at 15.
Hi Erin! Wondering once these are firmed up, will the frosting be hard enough to packaged individually without it smearing everywhere? And if sending to a school, does the frosting soften once out of the fridge for a couple of hours? Thank you!
Made these for my future mother-in-law for Mother's Day, and she said these were the best fudgiest brownies she's ever had! I halved the recipe for an 88 pan without issue (thank you weight based measurements!).
My recipes range from quick & easy all the way to complex & impressive. I love the science and process of recipe development almost as much as baking itself. I specialize in rigorously tested recipes that are fun, reliable, and accurate.
These thick, fudgy homemade cosmic brownies are 10x better than storebought and went TikTok viral with over 13 million views! Topped with a creamy homemade chocolate ganache (made without heavy cream!) and rainbow chip sprinkles, these brownies are truly out-of-this-world delicious.
Love this copycat recipe for Cosmic Brownies & craving more? I'm working on a new series of Little Debbie recipes, but in the meantime check out my Homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies and quick Homemade Star Crunch recipe that you can make in the microwave!
Heavy Cream vs. Milk: I debated between using heavy cream or milk for this ganache but since I rarely have heavy cream in my fridge...I figured most of you don't either! So I opted for ease & simplicity and developed this recipe using milk and butter instead (the butter replaces the fat from the heavy cream!). The result is a smooth, creamy frosting that is so delicious and soft.
Chill To Firm Ganache: Because we're not making a traditional ganache with heavy cream, the frosting won't totally harden at room temperature so it's important to chill the finished brownies. After spreading the frosting on the brownies, refrigerate for 1-2 hours for the frosting to set (do this before cutting, if you're trying to get clean edges!). The ganache will start to soften at room temperature, so I recommend storing them in the refrigerator to keep it firm.
Differences In Chocolate Chip Brands: We also found that the brand of semi-sweet chocolate chip you use will impact how firm the ganache sets up in the fridge. We tested this ganache using 4 different common semi-sweet chocolate chip brands. Nestle Toll House was #1 in producing the firmest ganache, Ghiradelli #2, Hershey's #3, Costco brand #4. All are comparable taste-wise (I like the flavor of Ghiradelli the best!) but they all do firm up a bit differently.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Follow the instructions in the recipe card below to make the brownie batter, carefully reading each step (take note that you will be melting the butter and sugars together at first!).
Spray a light-colored metal 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray, then press on a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom and long sides to create a "parchment sling". This will help you lift the brownies out of the pan so that you can cut them nicely. Spread brownie batter into the prepared pan until smooth.
Note: baking these in glass or dark metal pans may cause them to overbake and become bitter. If that's the only pan you have, lining with parchment on all sides becomes more crucial. You will also likely need to bake them for less time to prevent overbaking.
Bake for 24-26 minutes and let them cool completely before adding any glaze or frosting. After the pan is no longer hot to the touch, you can also speed up the cooling process by placing the pan in the fridge. In the meantime, move to step 4 to make the chocolate ganache!
Tip: Be careful not to overbake the chocolate brownies! Check to make sure they are done by inserting a toothpick into the middle or gently shaking the pan to ensure the center is not jiggly. If the toothpick comes out clean, then they are finished baking. If you bake them too long, they won't have the irresistible fudgy texture you want.
While the brownies are cooling, prepare the easy chocolate ganache! In a medium-sized bowl, place chocolate chips and chopped butter. In a separate medium-sized bowl or large liquid measuring cup, heat milk in the microwave for 2 minutes (it's important that your measuring cup or bowl is at least 3x taller than the milk line, as it will expand when it's heating and can easily overflow). You can also heat this on the stove; remove once it begins to steam.
Use a hot pad to carefully remove milk from the microwave and pour over the chocolate chips and butter (do not stir yet!). Allow to sit on the counter for about 3 minutes, then stir until smooth and creamy. It may take a few minutes for it to come together; it often looks separated at first. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before pouring over cooled brownies.
Once brownies are cooled, give the ganache a quick stir then spread over the brownies. Immediately top with rainbow chip sprinkles (or any other sprinkles you have!). Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours to help the frosting harden (you can speed this up by putting in the freezer!).
Tip: As I said earlier in this post, this frosting is made without heavy cream so it's not going to totally harden at room temperature. This is why I recommend storing the brownies in the fridge after frosting.
If you want really clean edges & slices, you will need to refrigerate the frosted brownies for at least 2 hours for the frosting to set. Or freeze for an hour. It's best to cut these straight from the fridge or freezer, as that is when you'll get the cleanest slice.
In order for the brownies to last the longest (and keep their amazing taste & texture), I suggest you store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If you want the frosting to stay hardened, store them in the refrigerator. If stored properly, they'll stay good for 4-5 days.
They sure can! The fudgy texture & soft frosting actually makes these so good out of the freezer (they're not rock hard!). If you want to keep the frosting looking nice, freeze the brownies (unwrapped and uncovered) for 1-2 hours then transfer them to an airtight container. This will allow the frosting to freeze so that it doesn't smudge when you store them.
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