Homemade Cosmic Brownies

Homemade Cosmic Brownies have a fudgy brownie layer topped with a smooth chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles. They are quick and easy to make, and are the perfect easy brownie recipe!

Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for homemade cosmic brownies with you! I love making homemade brownies, and once I got a great fudgy brownie recipe nailed, I started to play around with variations of it.

I love having one great back pocket recipe that is super versatile and this brownie recipe is certainly it. You can take the one recipe and make cheesecake brownies, brookies, brownie pie, and now these perfect homemade cosmic brownies!

What are Cosmic Brownies?

I didn't grow up eating cosmic brownies as a kid in New Zealand, but heard about them when I moved to the US. The original Cosmic Brownie is made by a brand called Little Debbie's, who make classic packaged treats. We tried them when we lived in New York and once we moved back to New Zealand I decided I should have a go at making a copycat cosmic brownie!

The original cosmic brownie is a chewy, fudgy brownie, topped with a thin layer of chocolate icing, and rainbow sprinkles. I took my favourite brownie recipe, and baked it in a 9"x13" pan rather than a 9" square, giving a much thinner brownie.

Once the brownie is baked, you add a simple chocolate icing, which comes out nice and smooth as it melts from the heat of the brownie. The whole thing is finished off with rainbow sprinkles, then goes in the fridge to chill until you are ready to serve. Super easy, and super delicious.

How to make Cosmic Brownies

Homemade Cosmic Brownies are super easy to make, and I love that the whole process can be done in one go, rather than having to wait for the brownie to cool before adding the icing.

• Make the brownie layer. This is a super easy brownie recipe, baked in a 9"x13" pan until just done. You don't want to over bake them so that they stay nice and fudgy.
• Make the Icing layer. While the brownie is baking, assemble your icing ingredients. You want to start mixing the icing together once the brownie is out of the oven so that the icing can go on while the brownie is hot. Some recipes use a chocolate ganache made from chocolate and heavy cream, but I went with a super easy icing instead!
• Add the icing. Transfer the icing to the hot brownie, and smooth out. The heat from the brownie will melt the icing, making it nice and smooth and flat.
• Add sprinkles. Add your sprinkles of choice to the top of the brownie.
• Refrigerate. This part is important - it is important both for letting the icing set but also allowing the brownie to chill down to be that perfect fudgy, chewy texture and rich chocolate flavor.
• Slice and enjoy! Remove the brownie from the pan and cut into pieces using a super sharp knife.

For all my tips and tricks on perfect fudgy brownies, check out my super easy brownie recipe

How to Cut Brownies Cleanly

Here are a few top tips to make sure you get a perfect cut on your brownie:

• Make sure the brownies are properly chilled. I usually do overnight, but a few hours minimum is best to make sure that both the brownie and the chocolate frosting are set.
• Use a super sharp knife. This is important for getting a clean cut on anything.
• Cut in one motion - I use a knife with a large blade and push down evenly rather than levering the knife down.
• Wipe the blade between cuts. I don't use a warmed blade, but if needed I do rinse it and dry well between cuts.

Cosmic Brownie Sprinkles

The original Little Debbie's Cosmic Brownie has rainbow candies on the top that are basically candy coated chocolate chips.

I looked all over for these to find somewhere that ships them to New Zealand, and ended up getting them from a place in Australia. You could also use these rainbow bit chips from Sweetapolita, or you may be able to find them at craft stores. You could also use mini M&M, or the sprinkles of your choice!

How to avoid crinkly icing on your cosmic brownies

This is a strange thing to write a paragraph about, but I know a lot of you love attention to detail as much as I do. When I was testing this cosmic brownie recipe, I was having problems with the icing cracking as it cooled, or as I pulled the brownies out of the pan. There were a few reasons for this, and this is how I fixed them:

1. The frosting was going on when the brownies were hot from the oven, causing the middle of the brownie to sink and the icing to crack when it cooled. Leaving them to sit for about 5 minutes meant that the brownie has time to set a little before the frosting goes on.
2. The sprinkles were going on when the icing had just gone on, and so they sunk and made cracks. Leaving the icing to sit for 1-2 minutes after smoothing it on means the sprinkles sit on the surface.
3. When I was testing, as I usually do, I was greasing the pan before adding the parchment paper to help the paper not wiggle when the brownie batter is added. This meant that when the cosmic brownies were chilled, it was hard to remove the paper from the pan, causing the icing to crack. Using an ungreased pan and parchment paper helped to fix this!

Frequently Asked Questions

What tools and equipment do you use?
You can find a full list of the tools and equipment I use on my products page

How do you store Cosmic Brownies?
Store cosmic brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Can these be made gluten free?
I haven't tested it specifically but brownies generally are ok being made with a cup for cup gluten free flour replacement.

Can you freeze brownies?
I haven't tested freezing these brownies in particular, but if I was going to I would leave off the sprinkles, and place them in an airtight container in the freezer, then defrost either in the fridge or at room temperature.

For more Brownie Recipes, check out:

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