Homemade cosmic brownies are a nostalgic, special treat! Chewy, fudgy brownies topped with delicious fudge icing and sprinkled with rainbow chip candies. This copycat brownie recipe tastes better than the original and will transport you back to your childhood lunchbox.
Ingredients for Cosmic Brownies
Cocoa brownies
- Unsalted butter: Melt with the brown sugar to make a crackly top.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar: Whip granulated sugar with the eggs to create the perfect brownie texture.
- Eggs: Large eggs, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Vegetable oil: Creates a chewy texture.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors and contrasts the sweetness in the brownies.
- Baking powder: A tiny bit of baking powder helps to create the perfect chewy texture.
- Dark unsweetened cocoa powder: Dark cocoa powder is a must in this recipe for the best chocolate flavor and dark brown color. For this recipe, I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder. which is a dutch process cocoa.
- All-purpose flour: Creates the structure for the brownies.
Chocolate fudge icing
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: You could also use milk chocolate or dark chocolate if you prefer.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
- Butter: Use salted or unsalted.
- Corn syrup: A tiny bit of corn syrup gives the chocolate fudge frosting a shiny appearance. You can omit this if you don’t have it.
Additional ingredients
- Rainbow chip candies: I purchased rainbow chip candies off Amazon. They are mini candy-coated chocolate chips. If you can’t find these rainbow chips, I would recommend using rainbow sprinkles or mini M&M candies.
Tools & Supplies for Making Cosmic Brownies
How to Make Cosmic Brownies
Cocoa brownies
Here is the basic breakdown of how to make the brownies!
- Preheat oven and prepare 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- Melt together butter and brown sugar in the microwave. Stir to combine.
- Whip granulated sugar and eggs with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add melted butter mixture to egg mixture. Add vanilla extract and vegetable oil.
- Add in the dry ingredients (salt, baking powder, dark cocoa powder, and all-purpose flour). Mix until combined.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Cool the brownies in the pan to room temperature before frosting.
Make the chocolate fudge icing while the brownies are cooling.
Chocolate fudge icing
- In a small mixing bowl, add chocolate chips and butter.
- In a separate bowl, heat heavy cream in the microwave for 45-60 seconds until bubbling.
- Pour heavy cream over chocolate chips and butter. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate.
- Stir the chocolate and cream mixture until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is smooth.
- Add in corn syrup and stir until smooth and shiny.
- Pour the warm chocolate fudge icing over the cooled brownies and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Immediately sprinkle on the rainbow chip candies. Cool to room temperature and then transfer to the fridge to chill for one hour before cutting with a sharp knife.
Cosmic Brownies Recipe Tips
Preparing the baking pan
Prepare the 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper sheets. Cut the parchment paper to the width of the bottom of the pan. Cross two pieces of parchment so they line the bottom of the pan and extend up the sides. Once the brownies and iced and cooled, simply lift up on the parchment paper to remove the brownies easily from the pan.
Whip the eggs and granulated sugar for a few minutes
One key step to making the best cosmic brownies is to whip the eggs and granulated sugar for a few minutes with an electric hand mixer. Whipping the eggs and sugar together whips air into the mixture which creates the perfect chewy brownie texture. The egg mixture is ready when it has increased in volume and turned a pale yellow color.
Tempering the egg mixture
Slowly drizzle the hot melted butter and brown sugar mixture into the whipped eggs while mixing with an electric mixer. This process is known as “tempering”, which gradually increases the temperature of the egg mixture. Tempering prevents the eggs from scrambling.
Dark cocoa powder
Dark cocoa powder is a must in this recipe! As we are not using additional melted chocolate in the brownie batter, we need a rich, dark cocoa powder to bring the intense chocolate flavor and dark brown color. My favorite brand to use is the Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder.
Rainbow chip candies
I purchased rainbow chip candies from Amazon! They are a bit pricey, but they do go a long way. If you are looking for a replacement for rainbow chips, I would recommend using a sprinkling of rainbow-colored sprinkles or mini M&M candies. The add the same surprise crunch and a pop of color.
Storage
Store the cosmic brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days (if these treats last that long!) I recommend serving at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
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Cosmic Brownies
Equipment
- 8×8 baking pan
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Chocolate Brownies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ⅔ cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Chocolate Fudge Icing
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips use milk or dark if preferred
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp butter salted or unsalted
- 2 tsp light corn syrup
Additional Ingredients
- ⅓ cup rainbow chip candies or use rainbow sprinkles or mini M&M candies
Instructions
Chocolate Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine unsalted butter and brown sugar. Heat in the microwave for 90 seconds until the butter is fully melted. Whisk the butter and brown sugar together until combined and smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs and granulated sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for a few minutes until light and pale in color.
- Slowly add the melted butter mixture into the egg mixture while mixing on medium speed with the hand mixer to temper the eggs. Once all the butter mixture is added, add in vanilla extract and vegetable oil and mix until combined.
- Add in salt, baking powder, and dark cocoa powder and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add in all-purpose flour and mix on low speed until the flour is fully incorporated into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan.
- Bake the brownies for approximately 25-28 minutes until the center of the brownies is set. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies. The toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not wet brownie batter. If there is wet brownie batter, bake for a few more minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool the brownies in the pan to room temperature as you make the chocolate fudge icing.
Chocolate Fudge Icing
- In a small mixing bowl, add chocolate chips and butter.
- In a separate bowl, heat heavy cream in the microwave for 45-60 seconds until bubbling. Pour heavy cream over chocolate chips and butter.
- Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream mixture until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is smooth.
- Add in corn syrup and stir until smooth and shiny.
- Pour the warm chocolate ganache frosting over the cooled brownies and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Immediately sprinkle on the rainbow chip candies.
- Cool to room temperature and then transfer to the fridge to chill for one hour before cutting into rectangles with a sharp knife.
Notes
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