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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Bars & Brownies / Cosmic Brownies

    Cosmic Brownies

    February 10, 2017 Updated February 11, 2020 BySam 9 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    An easy, made-from-scratch Cosmic Brownie recipe!  These chewy, chocolate-frosted and colorfully sprinkled treats are much better than store-bought and made without all of the preservatives.  These fun family treats are a breeze to make!

    Cosmic brownies with colorful sprinkles on marble board

    So, more brownies today.  You’re not tired of them yet, are you?

    I never really had Cosmic Brownies as a kid (we were a Fudge Round kinda family) and didn’t actually taste one until I was much older. They weren’t bad, but I knew that if we could eliminate some of the processed taste, they could be so much better.

    Stack of cosmic brownies with bite out of it -- showing chocolatey interior

    Copycat Cosmic Brownies

    I found the candy coated chips for the topping in my local grocery store (they were actually the inspiration for these copycat Cosmic Brownies); you should be able to find them in the cake decorating aisle where the other sprinkles are stored, but you can also buy them on Amazon (affiliate).

    I found those chips and starting developing these Cosmic Brownies right around the same time that I made approximately 653 batches of brownies developing my favorite homemade brownie recipe.

    This recipe is a little different, though.

    Cosmic brownie on marble

    I didn’t want to use either my best ever brownies or my easier from-scratch recipe, because while those brownies are amazingly ridiculously good as stand-alone, I thought they might be too much for this cosmic brownie recipe.  Too rich and chocolaty for the chewy store-bought brownie I was trying to mimic.

    Also, the other recipes had a nice crinkly top that just flaked up too much when I tried to pour/spread frosting over it.

    This recipe mimics those easy from-scratch brownies and my brownie cookies, just toned down a few notches to better align with the taste of their packaged counterparts.

    The smooth chocolate frosting is a fudgier chocolate ganache, made of a combination of both semisweet and milk chocolate chips (to keep it from being overly sweet or rich) and takes only a few minutes to melt together.

    Brownie with a bite out of it

    Enjoy!

    More Recipes To Try:

    • Rocky Road Brownies
    • Peanut Butter Fudge Bars
    • Blondies
    • Homemade Brownie Brittle
    • Nutella Brownies
    Cosmic brownies with colorful sprinkles on marble board

    Cosmic Brownies

    An easy made-from-scratch Cosmic Brownie recipe! Better than store-bought and without all of the preservatives, these fun family treats are a breeze to make!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 17 minutes
    Total Time: 47 minutes
    Servings: 24 servings
    Calories: 219kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    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

    Frosting

    • 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

    Recommended Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Medium-sized saucepan
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Prepare a 13x9 pan by lightly greasing and flouring, or line with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350F.
    • Place butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl, and microwave until completely melted.
    • Stir in cocoa powder.
    • Add sugars, and stir well.
    • Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
    • Stir in vanilla extract.  Set aside.
    • In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch (cornflour for UK), and salt.
    • Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until completely combined.
    • Evenly spread into prepared pan and bake on 350F (177C) and bake for 16-18 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

    Frosting

    • Combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir well until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
    • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt.  Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before proceeding.
    • Evenly pour frosting over brownies, using a spatula to spread evenly.
    • Immediately sprinkle candy chips over top.  Allow frosting to harden (about 1 hour) before cutting and eating (this can be sped up if you place the brownies in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes).

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1brownie | Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything through these links I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Please view the disclosure policy for more information.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karoliina

      July 25, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      5 stars
      These are the most amazing brownies I’ve ever tasted!! I will be making them weekly. The frosting/ganache on top is delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as shown.

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 25, 2021 at 9:26 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Karoliina! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Paige Larson

      March 27, 2021 at 1:41 am

      Is there another option for the candy coating topping? The link you have for Amazon isn’t there anymore. It was out of stock earlier because I had it on my watch list and I cannot find them anywhere in my area. I cannot wait to try this recipe!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 28, 2021 at 10:15 pm

        O no! I’m so sorry! If you search for candy chips on Amazon you should be able to find them. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Corrin

      May 15, 2019 at 11:54 am

      Hi Sam! I really love this recipe! 😉 But whenever I do it, (I’ve done it three times now!) I have to leave the brownies in the oven for twenty three minutes instead of just eight teen. Is it because my oven is just old, or am I doing something else wrong?

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 15, 2019 at 10:13 pm

        Hi Corrin! Your oven may not be quite at the temperature it says it is. Mine does this to me ALL the time, very frustrating! Do you have a thermometer in your oven to see if it is accurate? Other than that I don’t think you are doing anything wrong. As long as they are still delicious, that is what really matters, right? 🙂

        Reply
        • Corrin

          May 16, 2019 at 8:10 am

          Yeah, as long as it tastes good that’s what really matters to me! 🙂 But my oven has a little light that turns off when the oven is at the temperature that you set it for. It may be lying, who knows! 😉

      • Samantha

        September 03, 2021 at 4:27 pm

        all it is, is that everybody’s oven is different 😁

        Reply
    4. Diane

      February 23, 2017 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      These were so good!
      I used regular sprinkels for the top.

      Reply

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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