This was the first time I had a Cosmic Brownie in the lunch table, in the elementary school. She gave me a bit of the piece she had in her lunch almost every day from a classmate who had them. At that first bite, I was hooked.
I've gotten a bit older, my tastes have changed, but my fixation with my nostalgia remains. Recreating the treats I loved as a kid makes me so, so happy — and little changes to accommodate my "grown up" palette here and there.
With that in mind, I present these: a version that was an upgraded, homemade Cosmic Brownie. This is a rich, deeply fudgy, moist brownie topped with silky, decadent ganache that says joy in the same bright, rich, colorful sprinkles as the original.
This recipe has a couple of moving parts, but I promise they're easier to assemble than it sounds and will delight anyone who gets to enjoy one of these. Additionally, these also store well in the refrigerator, which makes them a wonderful make ahead dessert for a get together.
What are Cosmic Brownies?
Cosmic Brownies by Little Debbie are based on cosmic bowling. Glow bowling (or cosmic bowling as I used to know it, growing up) is glow lighting in the dark bowling done in outer space theme. Consider a dark bowling alley, think bright, neon colors, black lights not to mention lots of lasers. They even mimic the iconic look of the colourful sprinkles atop a dark chocolate brownie fudgy.
Homemade for the Win
To prepare for this recipe I bought a box of these Cosmic Brownies for research's sake. I already knew I wanted these to be undeniably fudgy with a moist crumb so before I revisited the store-bought version I poured over all of my best chocolate cake recipes to create my own. When I re tasted the store bought, I realized that the original is crumbly but sorta doughy. I also never know how unchocolatey they are. I knew I could do better.
And although they're easy to grab a pack from the store, it's 100% worth it to make these from scratch, saving money and fear. These brownies are absolutely C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E for sure because a combination of melted bittersweet chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder is used. Additionally, the brownies bake up beautiful fudgy and the crumb is moist, yet soft.
Instead of the almost flavorless glaze topping the brownies, these are topped with a quick ganache that not only looks pretty, but enhances the chocolatey factor.
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:
- The brownie and the ganache and chocolate is finely chopped in order to melt easily and completely.
- It's also whisking the sugars, eggs, and vanilla, to help create a lighter, smoother brownie and you also end up with paper thin crinkled crumbly shined top that bakers covet.
- You should expect the brownies to puff around the 25 minute mark with a toothpick still coming out wet, then settle down a few minutes. Often times the brownies are ready after they settle. What you want is for a toothpick to come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- As the brownies cool, they will deflate slightly in the center so the brownies will have some dips and valleys, which is fine — flip the brownies over for the even bottom facing up to spread the ganache.
Easy Variations
Even without the ganache topping and sprinkles, these are delicious, fudgy brownies at their core ripe to whatever you're craving. Consider these:
- Skip the toppings and serve the brownies warm, with vanilla ice cream.
- Toast some mixed nuts and fold them into the batter, or spritz some mixed nuts with some spritzes, and replace the sprinkles with some toasted nuts.
- If you like things sweet, swap all the bittersweet chocolate for semi sweet, or if you like a balance between the two, between them.
- You can't find candy coated chocolate chip sprinkles? If you don't want to use sprinkles, try mini M&Ms or whatever one of your favorite sprinkles might be.
Tips for Brownies That Look Perfect
There's no need to use crazy tools or cut perfect looking brownies this doesn't have to be difficult at all. All you really need is a little bit of patience and a good knife. However, when up to make clean slices, you do not need to cool completely. Also, if you are cutting brownies that are topped with ganache, like these, make sure the ganache is (literally!) set before cutting.
I think the one thing that truly gets you the cleanest cuts is not how your knife is made but how it is used. Generally it's not always possible, but when you are able to use a knife with a length that is even greater than the length of the brownies used, then you can make a full cut once done without having to stop and then start. A hot and dry knife will always leave you with a cleaner slice. Between each cut I run my knife under hot water, and wipe dry with a clean towel.
How to Store
Allowing the brownies to cool to room temperature and then storing them in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge, will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Additionally, they store very well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week, and can be eaten cold or at room temperature.
Nostalgic Dessert Recipes
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Pop Tarts
- Copycat Choco Tacos
- Homemade Oreo Ice Cream Cake
- Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches
