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!
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
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
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
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!
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
Cosmic Brownie Recipe (Tastes Like the Real Thing!)
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
- 2 Tablespoons candy coated chips
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Prepare a 13×9 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
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.
Related Recipes
Recipe originally published February of 2017. Has been updated for clarity and to include helpful tips and a how-to video.
Belinda
I made these for my sister who loves the store-bought Cosmic brownies. She commented, “They’re not as chemically tasting as the store-bought ones”. I take that as her seal of approval! Homebaked is always better and these were delicious and easy to prepare.
Sam
I’ll definitely take that as a compliment! Thanks so much for trying my recipe, Belinda, I appreciate it! 🙂
Sheela Nigam
Hi Sam,
I like make a dessert for myself and my family (my brother’s friend comes over on Saturday and also enjoys the dessert the next day). This was so easy to make, and tasted so good!!! Thank youfor sharing yet another wonderful and easy to make recipie. I can’t wait to try another one of great recipies (I’ve already used a few) really soon.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed these so much, Sheela! 🙂
Karyn
These were perfect! I made these even though I couldn’t find the candy pieces to top them. I used crushed, toasted walnuts on top. I am ordering the candy pieces for the next time. These were the most perfectly fudgy brownies I have ever made and I have made many brownies!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Karyn! 🙂
Jeana
Sam should the eggs be from the fridge or room temperature?? I’m making these tonight
Sam
Hi Jeana! It’s generally best if everything is room temperature, but it won’t make that much of a difference here. 🙂
Tara Fields
Could you change the ratio of milk chocolate to semi- sweet in the frosting? Mine all turned out great but felt there was a hint of bitterness in the frosting. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely! Enjoy, Tara 😊
Jen G.
Made these for my book club and they were delicious! They are very chocolatety so you do not need a big piece. Honestly, they tasted better the next day once the ganache really had time to set. Thanks for another great recipe.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Jen! 🙂
Michelle
Can I double (actually I need to triple) this recipe? Or should I just make 2 (or 3😂) batches?
Sam
Hi Michelle! You can do it all at one time. Enjoy! Is that 2 batches for you and 1 to share with others? 😉 🤣
Redonna beal
These are great. Rich chocolate. No more bought ones for us. Easy to make.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Redonna! Thank you for trying my recipe 😀
Karoliina
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.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Karoliina! 🙂
Paige Larson
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!!
Sam
O no! I’m so sorry! If you search for candy chips on Amazon you should be able to find them. 🙂
Corrin
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?
Sam
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? 🙂
Corrin
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
all it is, is that everybody’s oven is different 😁
Diane
These were so good!
I used regular sprinkels for the top.