Enjoy this mouth-watering, homemade cosmic brownies recipe, topped with a creamy ultra-rich chocolate ganache and crunchy rainbow chip sprinkles for a surprise crunch.
These chewy brownies bring back all of my favorite childhood memories (so nostalgic) and are always a huge hit with my family! Skip heading to the grocery store and make these copycat cosmic brownies at home!
For more brownie recipes, try my Cookie Dough Brownies and Oreo Brownies!
Ok, remember those cosmic brownies from Little Debbie's?! I used to eat them all of the time as a kid! My mom would pack them in my lunch box as a special treat. I always remember being so excited when I saw them in my lunchbox.
Well, fast forward some 20 years later and I have a food blog. I made these brownies, from scratch, in my own kitchen and they are the REAL DEAL. My cosmic brownies recipe yields a dense and chewy brownie that's VERY fudgy and perfectly chocolatey. Then you add that chocolate icing on top, it's pure joy.
They taste just like the chewy little debbie cosmic brownies. Who doesn't love a good copycat recipe?
These brownies are perfect with a glass of milk or even a big scoop of ice cream (a la mode). This homemade childhood favorite will have you completely forgetting about the store bought stuff! Happy baking!
They're the brownies that are reminiscent of my childhood. lol Cosmic brownies are super fudgy brownies with a chocolatey icing with crunchy rainbow sprinkles. They're named after the cosmic bowling trend, it's a style of bowling where basically you're bowling in a disco.
I've never been to cosmic bowling but it sounds awesome. The overhead lights are off and there are spotlights and neon lights etc. Sounds groovy. Anywho, the brownies are named after this style of bowling! Pretty cool right?
For the dense brownie base, you'll need:
Eggs and Egg Yolk - the whole eggs are so that extra egg yolk is what helps give these brownies their chewy texture.
White Sugar and Brown Sugar - granulated sugar for sweetness and brown sugar for moisture and most importantly - flavor!
Vegetable Oil - oil helps make these give these fudgy treats their fudgy texture and keep them gooey and moist!
Salted butter - I prefer salted butter because it has a bit more flavor and the salt is great with the chocolate - but if you'd like to use unsalted butter you absolutely can!
Vanilla Extract - because vanilla balances out the strong chocolate flavor with a smooth richness.
Sour Cream - my secret ingredient in brownies is sour cream (don't tell anyone). If you want dense brownies, you need fats and sour cream bring it! Thank me later!
Dry ingredients - all purpose flour, cocoa powder, and kosher salt - these ingredients are the what give the brownie structure and chocolatey flavor!
For the delicious fudge icing, you'll need only three ingredients! Dark Chocolate chips, Semi-Sweet chocolate chips, and heavy cream. I like to add a mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate to balance out the sweetness and give the thick chocolate frosting that rich chocolate taste.
Dont forget the sprinkles! I used these rainbow crunch sprinkles! They're essentially candy coated chocolate chips - need I say more?!
Gluten Free Option: I recommend using 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour in the exact ratios provided in the recipe card.
Vegan/Dairy Free/Eggless Option: sub out eggs for applesauce (or your favorite egg substitute). Add ¾ cup of applesauce as opposed to 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk. Also, sub out butter and sour cream for vegan butter and sour cream for the brownies. For the ganache, you can use coconut cream as opposed to heavy cream in the same amounts. Note: results will not be exactly the same but they will still taste stellar.
Are you ready to make the most amazing brownies? These simple recipe instructions are no fuss and make the best homemade cosmic brownies you'll ever have. Let's do it!
To get the perfect brownie cut, you'll want to follow these tips:
These brownies are best stored in an airtight container for three days at room temperature. To keep the brownies for longer, put them in the refrigerator for a week.
... but because they are one of our favorite desserts - they’ve never lasted longer than a day or two at my house! I recommend keeping them in the fridge as the ganache will soften at room temperature.
You can! I recommend wrapping the brownies completely in plastic or freezer wrap. Then put them in a freezer bag - I like these.
You can store frozen brownies for up to two months in the freezer! When you're ready to eat, let the brownies defrost on the counter to room temperature and enjoy!
You can check the brownies by sticking a toothpick into the center of the brownies. If the toothpick comes out clean, your brownies are done. If the toothpick has a couple of crumbs on it, it's ok! So long as there isn't wet batter, the brownies will continue to cook until they're fulled cooled.
They made their debut in September 1999. It was Little Debbie's ode to the Cosmic Bowling Trend.
Yes! Use your favorite 1-to-1 gluten free flour in place of all purpose flour in the exact amounts provided in the recipe card.
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Let's stay connected on social media and continue to cook together! Also, if you decide to make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below! Tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can see your creations! I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!
A-MAZ-ING!! I don’t usually like brownies, but with that ganache frosting, I had to try these. So so so good!
Thank you so much, these are my favorite brownies!
These were unbelievably good! So fancy and gooey. So glad that I made this!
Thank you so so much!!
Okay THIS is THE brownie recipe of all recipes! Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much!!
I made this recipe a few weeks ago and then I made them again today - they're just so delicious. They are better than the Little Debbies brownies. Eating this took me back to my childhood but it's even better because they're homemade and taste amazing.
I am officially never buying the store version again. These are perfect and so easy to create in my own kitchen! Thank you!
These brownies brought me right back to the elementary school lunchroom, except they're WAY better! Thick and fudgy and chewy and everything you want in a brownie. Loved them.
This took me on a trip back to my childhood! I loved remaking these thick, fudgy brownies. They were the ultimate treat!
When i tell you these were the BEST browniesi have ever made, believe me!!!! Unforgettable fudginess and beautifully indulgeand tasty too!
Cosmic indeed! The name is so fitting because these brownies had everyone coming back for more. I had to make a second batch because they disappeared so quickly.
Absolutely loved following along on IG for all the brownie recipes. Happy to say I tried almost all of them and the cosmic brownies were definitely a family favorite. Absolutely chewy and gooey and downright moist. Will absolutely make this again!
I love to hear this, thank you so much!