Homemade Cosmic Brownies

Fudgy, chocolatey, and adorable, these cosmic brownies are ten times better than store-bought.

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Stack of Homemade Cosmic Brownies and more on the counter around it
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
In This Recipe
What Are They?
Tips & Tricks
Easy Variations
Slicing
How to Store
Jump to recipe
Why Make This
A simple ganache and colorful sprinkles create that nostalgic Cosmic Brownie look.
The recipe guides you through achieving a fudgy, moist crumb with a shiny, crinkly top.
These brownies keep well for days, making them a great make-ahead dessert.
The first time I had a Cosmic Brownie was at the lunch table in elementary school. A classmate had one in her lunch almost every day and she gave me a piece to try. I was hooked after that first bite.

As I’ve gotten older, my taste has evolved but my yearning for nostalgia is steadfast. I find such joy in recreating the treats I loved as a kid, making small tweaks here and there to fit my “grown-up” palette.

With that in mind, I present these: an upgraded, homemade version of a Cosmic Brownie. A rich, deeply fudgy, moist brownie is topped with a silky, decadent ganache and topped with the same colorful, bright sprinkles to channel the joy of the original.

While this recipe has a couple of moving parts, I promise they’re easier to make than meets the eye and will delight anyone who’s lucky enough to eat one. Plus, they store well in the refrigerator, making them a wonderful make-ahead dessert for get-togethers.

What are Cosmic Brownies?
Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies are inspired by cosmic bowling. Cosmic bowling (or glow bowling as I knew it growing up) is outer space-themed, glow-in-the-dark bowling. Think black lights, lasers, and lots of bright, neon colors against a dark bowling alley. The colorful sprinkles set against the dark chocolate color of the fudgy brownie mimics this iconic look.

Homemade Cosmic Brownies spread all over a counter
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Homemade for the Win
In preparing to develop this recipe, I bought a box of Cosmic Brownies for research. Before revisiting the store-bought version, I already knew I wanted these to be undeniably fudgy with a moist crumb. Upon re-tasting the store-bought version, I realized how crumbly yet sort of doughy the original is. I also never realized how un-chocolate-y they are. I knew I could do better.

Even though they’re convenient to grab a pack from the store, it’s 100% worth it to make these from scratch. Using a combination of Dutch-process cocoa powder and melted bittersweet chocolate ensures these brownies are undeniably chocolatey. Moreover, the brownies come out beautifully fudgy with a moist, soft crumb.

Rather than topping the brownies with a thin layer of almost flavorless glaze, these are crowned with a quick ganache that looks beautiful and adds to the chocolatey goodness.

Tips and Tricks
These brownies are super straightforward to make and come together easily, but here are some of my best tips to ensure they come out perfect every time:

Finely chopping the chocolate for the brownies and the ganache ensures it melts quickly and completely.
Whisking the sugars, eggs, and vanilla together helps to create a lighter, smoother brownie and also yields the coveted paper-thin, crinkly, shiny top that bakers love.
The brownies will likely puff around the 25-minute mark with a toothpick still coming out wet, then settle in the next couple minutes. Once the brownies settle, they are typically ready. You want a toothpick to come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
The brownies will deflate slightly in the center as they cool, creating some dips and valleys, so feel free to flip the brownies over so that the even bottom is facing up before spreading the ganache.
A stack of two homemade Cosmic Brownies on a plate with the top missing a bite
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Easy Variations
At their core, even without the ganache topping and crunchy sprinkles, these are delicious fudgy brownies, ripe for adapting to whatever you’re craving. Consider these:

Skip the toppings altogether and serve the brownies warm with vanilla ice cream.
Fold nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, into the batter and swap the sprinkles for more toasted nuts.
Swap all of the bittersweet chocolate for semi-sweet if you like things on the sweet side or consider a combination of the two to fit your palette.
Can’t find the candy-coated chocolate chip sprinkles? Try mini M&Ms or swap in another of your favorite sprinkles.