There are certain recipes and foods that take you back to your childhood. For me, one of those foods is Cosmic Brownies. There’s something so very ’90s about them that brings back happy memories of my childhood.
Topped with a chocolate ganache, our homemade Cosmic Brownie recipe brings all the rich fudgey flavor of the lunch box classic with ingredients you know, without even needing to trade your SnackPack.
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Little Debbie is the originator of the Cosmic Brownie recipe, which took packed lunches by storm during the 90s and early 2000s.
The “cosmic” in the name comes from the colorful candy-coated pieces sprinkled over the rich chocolate frosting.
Made with simple ingredients like butter, cocoa powder, real chocolate, and cream, you won’t have to worry about finding preservatives and ingredients you can’t pronounce in our homemade version of this classic sweet treat.
For a totally nostalgic lunch, add our sloppy joes or homemade beefaroni to the menu. You’ll be glad you did!
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Cosmic Brownies recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Make Adjustments to the Recipe?
There aren’t any adjustments you can make directly to the recipe. But you can use a variety of toppings for the brownies. Sprinkles, M&Ms, crushed up peanut butter cups, or chopped nuts will all make excellent pairings for the chewy, moist brownie and ganache.
As for add-ins, you can add any of your favorite baking chips to the batter. Peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or toffee bits are some of my favorites.
How to Make Cosmic Brownies
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make Cosmic Brownies in your home kitchen.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides to make removing the brownies easy.
- Add the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to a large bowl.
- Whisk until well combined.
- Add the room temperature eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture.
- Whisk to combine.
- Add the salt, cocoa powder, and all-purpose flour to the mixture.
- Stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Use a rubber spatula to spread the batter into an even layer.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven, and place it on a wire rack until the brownies have cooled completely. This is important as the brownies need to be cooled for the ganache to set properly.
- Chop the semi-sweet chocolate into small pieces, and place them into a large bowl. Add the corn syrup to the chopped chocolate and set aside until needed.
- Add the heavy cream to a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Do not let it boil.
- Add the chopped chocolate to the heated heavy cream.
- Let it sit for about 3 minutes.
- Mix the ingredients until smooth and all of the chocolate has melted. If there are lumps, transfer the mixture to a heat-safe bowl and microwave for 15-second increments.
- Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies.
- Use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the rainbow candy-coated chocolate chips over the top.
Refrigerate for 2 hours to allow ganache to set.
Chef Tip
Chopping the chocolate into small pieces will ensure that it is melted completely and evenly.
Tell the truth, wouldn’t you like to sit down to a few of our Cosmic Brownies with an ice-cold glass of milk? Take one taste, close your eyes, and remember how much you look forward to these tasty little treats your mom kept on hand for you. Food memories are the best.
If you’re looking for more nostalgic desserts, try our Ding Dong Cake. It’s even better than the original little cakes from Hostess.
How to Store
Cosmic Brownies can be stored in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to one week in the refrigerator (as if they would ever last that long).
They can be stored frozen, double wrapped with plastic wrap, as a whole pan, or as individual slices for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, or pop the individual slices in the microwave for a quick and delicious chocolate fix.
Recipe FAQs
You can use dark chocolate to make the ganache, but I would advise against using milk chocolate as it will make the ganache overly sweet.
Absolutely. Replace the all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend. Be aware that GF flour can make them a little chewier, so the texture may be different.
Chilling the ganache for at least 2 hours, giving it time to set, before attempting to cut it will help. They are much easier to cut while they are cold. You can also warm your knife slightly under hot water (and then dry it) before cutting. This will help the blade glide through more easily.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Cosmic Brownies (Little Debbie Copycat)
Equipment
- 9×13 baking pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup unsalted butter -melted
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs -room temp
- 1 large egg yolk -room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Ganache
- 8 oz semi sweet chocolate -finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
Topping
- ¼ cup rainbow candy coated chocolate chips
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Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides to make removing the brownies easy.
- Add the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the room temperature eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Add the salt, cocoa powder, and all-purpose flour to the mixture. Stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Use a rubber spatula to spread the batter into an even layer.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and place it on a wire rack until the brownies have cooled completely. This is important as the brownies need to be cooled for the ganache to set properly.
Ganache:
- Chop the semi-sweet chocolate into small pieces, and place them into a large bowl.
- Add the corn syrup to the chopped chocolate and set aside until needed.
- Add the heavy cream to a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Do not let it boil.
- Add the chopped chocolate to the heated heavy cream and let sit for about 3 minutes.
- Mix the ingredients until smooth and all of the chocolate has melted.If there are lumps, transfer the mixture to a heat-safe bowl and microwave for 15-second increments.
- Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies. Use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the rainbow candy-coated chocolate chips over the top.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours to allow ganache to set.
- Cut into squares and serve.
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