The nostalgic treat you remember from your childhood.. only better! These Copycat Cosmic Brownies are a must-bake!
Copycat Cosmic Brownies
It’s no secret that brownies are one of my favorite things to bake – and apparently they’re one of my favorite things to blog about – hence all the brownie recipes on the site! But if there’s one thing I strictly remember from my middle school lunchboxes, it would be these beauties. The cosmic brownie. Little Debbie truly perfected them back in the day, and they’re not something to mess around with because they have such a huge fan-base.
Buuut, y’all know I love to take store-bought favorites and make them even better at home. So, now we’ve arrived at these homemade, fudgy, delicious Copycat Cosmic Brownies. They’re perfect for every occasion, but especially one that involves delicious food.
What’s different about these?
One of my favorite recipes on my site is these Fudgy Chocolate Brownies. They are hands down the best, most decadent brownies I’ve ever had and they’re certainly a crowd-pleaser. That recipe aims to have super gooey insides with crisp, crackly edges. For this Cosmic Brownie recipe, we want the centers to be super fudgy and thick so they can support the weight of the chocolate ganache and sprinkles.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my classic brownie recipe, but something about the addition of chocolate ganache and those classic, nostalgic sprinkles just puts a smile on my face. It transports me right back to the lunch table in middle school, and I just really love that.
Equipment you may need…
- 10-inch square pan: I used a 10-inch pan so I could get the exact look of a classic cosmic brownie. You can definitely use a 9-inch pan if that’s all you have – I know 10-inch is not the most common size!
- Sheet pans: just a universal pan that every baker needs.
- Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.
- Wooden spoon: I only use wooden spoons and rubber spatulas when I’m baking, and I love these!
- Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
Ingredients for Copycat Cosmic Brownies
- Bittersweet chocolate
- Unsalted butter
- Large eggs
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Kosher salt
- Pure vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch-process cocoa powder
- Heavy cream
- Corn syrup
- Chocolate chips
This was such a fun recipe for me to work on, and I hope you all love it as much as I do! It will forever have me coming back for more… happily.
Feel free to always reach out to me via email (sarah@sarahsdayoff.com), through my Instagram DMs (@sarahsday0ff), or by leaving a comment on one of these posts. I’m happy to answer any questions I can!
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 5:8-
Copycat Cosmic Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 1/2 (4-oz) (170g) bars bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
- 10 Tbsp (140g) unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup (224g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (118g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 (100g) cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
For the Ganache Topping
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup
Instructions
For the Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch square pan* with cooking spray, line with parchment paper, and grease again.
- Add the chocolate pieces and butter to a small saucepan. Melt slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it's completely smooth and you don't see any lumps of chocolate.
- Meanwhile, add the eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can use a hand mixer for this as well). Beat on medium-high speed for exactly 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl of the stand mixer. Set the speed to low and gently stream in the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is completely combined.
- Beat in the salt and vanilla. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and scrape down the sides and the bottom once more.
- Using a rubber spatula or spoon, gently fold in the flour and cocoa powder until the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Tap the pan against the counter a couple of times. Wait 2 minutes, then tap it against the counter a few more times.
- Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan.
For the Ganache
- Heat cream in a small saucepan set over medium heat until bubbles just begin to form around the edges.
- Add chocolate chips to a small bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the corn syrup and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies, top with sprinkles, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
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