Cosmic Brownie Recipe

Name: Cosmic Brownie Recipe (Tastes Like the Real Thing!)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 47 min
Ingredients: 12 Tablespoons butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces ((170g)); ¾ cup natural cocoa powder ((75g)); 1 cup granulated sugar ((200g)); ½ cup brown sugar ((100g)); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ((5ml)); 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk lightly beaten; 1 ¼ cup all-purpose four ((145g)); 1 teaspoon cornstarch; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 cup semisweet chips ((175g)); ½ cup milk chocolate chips ((88g)); ⅓ cup heavy cream ((79ml)); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ((5ml)); ⅛ teaspoon salt; ¼ cup candy coated chips

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My homemade, completely from-scratch Cosmic Brownie Recipe tastes like the real thing, minus all the preservatives. These are quick and easy to make with no mixer and just 30 minutes of prep work!

Brownies made from a homemade cosmic brownie recipe.

Copycat Cosmic Brownie Recipe

Cosmic brownies were the lunchbox treasure of so many childhoods, and while they will always hold a special place in our hearts, they don’t exactly measure up to an adult palate. My cosmic brownie recipe eliminates that processed, chemical taste while preserving the beloved chocolatey flavor and fudgy, chewy texture we all love.

When developing this recipe, I used a few pointers from my homemade brownies and brownie cookies to create a flavorful, but not-too-rich base. It pairs so nicely with the chocolate frosting, which is a fudgier chocolate ganache that takes minutes to make. They’re topped off with colorful candy chips (of course!) and are much, much better than the real thing!

Why you’ll love them:

Super nostalgic, but tastes even better than you remember!
Quick to make–less than an hour.
Easy to prepare without a mixer.
Carefeully designed to have an incredibly fudgy and chewy texture.

What You Need

Overhead view of ingredients including chocolate chips, colorful candies, cocoa powder, heavy cream, and more.

My cosmic brownie recipe takes a few basic ingredients and turns them into a magical (and colorful!) childhood treat! Here are the most important ones:

Cocoa powder. Use natural cocoa powder for the most authentic flavor.
Egg + egg yolk. An extra egg yolk makes this cosmic brownie recipe super tender and chewy, just like the real thing!
Chocolate chips. A blend of milk chocolate and semisweet chips keeps the frosting from being too sweet. I melt mine on the stove, but you can also melt chocolate chips in the microwave.
Vanilla extract. While my preference is always for real vanilla extract, using imitation vanilla extract will give you a flavor that’s more similar to the Cosmic brownies you’d buy in a box!
Candy coated chips. These essential in any cosmic brownie recipe! I found the mine in my local grocery store in the cake decorating aisle, but if you can’t find them, you can also buy them on Amazon.

SAM’S TIP: Your frosting will need to harden completely before you cut into your brownies. You can wait for this to happen naturally, or you can pop your brownies in the fridge to speed up the process.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Cosmic Brownies

Fudgy chocolate frosting being spread onto a pan of brownies.

Bloom the cocoa and butter – Melt the butter and stir in the cocoa powder. Adding the cocoa to warm butter helps the cocoa to bloom, giving you a rich chocolate flavor.
Stir in the wet ingredients – Add the sugars and stir well, then add the eggs one at a time before stirring in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients – Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the wet ingredients.
Bake and let cool – Spread the batter into a lined pan and bake at 350F for 16-18 minutes.
Make the frosting – Melt the chocolate and cream together until smooth, then stir in the vanilla and salt.
Add the frosting – Let the frosting cool for 5-10 minutes (it needs to thicken a bit) before pouring over the cooled brownies.
Cool and enjoy! Top with candy chips before the frosting has set and let the chocolate solidify before cutting.

SAM’S TIP: While you can always grease and flour your pan, I prefer to use parchment paper for the easiest removal (and clean-up!). This works especially well if you leave some excess paper over the edges of your pan to work as a sling.

Fudgy chocolate brownie topped with colorful candies missing one bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can cosmic brownies be frozen?

Yes! Just make sure to wrap them well and freeze in an airtight container or ziploc bag. They’ll keep this way for up to 3 months.

Do cosmic brownies needs to be refrigerated?

These brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also keep them in the fridge in an airtight container.

Where can I find the candy chips?

I found mine in the cake decorating aisle of my grocery store, so take a look there first. If you can’t find them there, you can buy them on Amazon (I’ll link to them in the “Equipment” section of the recipe below!). Colorful sprinkles will also work in a pinch!

Squares of chocolate frosted brownies made from a cosmic brownie recipe.

Honestly, I never really enjoyed cosmic brownies as a kid–we were more of a fudge round kind of family. But this homemade version has my adult heart smitten ❤️

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook