Homemade Cosmic Brownies

by Erin

Your favorite Little Debbie brownies speckled with rainbow candy coated chocolate chips might be even better homemade!

Cosmic Brownies 2

You may find this hard to believe but all of these ingredients were in my kitchen without a trip to the grocery store. I bought the candy coated mini chocolate chips from Jo-Ann Fabrics awhile back when they were on sale (when I first bookmarked this recipe), and the heavy cream was leftover from making Butterbeer ice ceam. As for the rest, I have a stock pile of the basic baking supplies at all times. I should take a picture of the insanity that is my baking pantry one of these days. It’s a black hole of various nuts, dried fruits, chocolates, sugars, and flours. My brown sugar is running low though – commence panic mode.

Cosmic Brownies 1

These brownies were my favorite treat to get from the vending machines in middle and high school, with the huge sprinkled sugar cookies coming in second. They were so moist and dense with a fabulous fudgy coating topped with crunchy bits of wonderful. I would always hope to get one with an extra load of the candy coated chocolates. Sometimes if the next one in line were sparsely covered it would deter me from getting it (enter the giant sugar cookie). Thankfully with this recipe, not only can I recreate the brownie itself but I can put on as much topping as I want! Wee!

Cosmic Brownies 3

HOMEMADE COSMIC BROWNIES

Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted

2 Tbsp water

2  eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/3 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt + pinch, divided

1/2 cup heavy cream

7 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Rainbow candy coated chips or sprinkles, for decorating

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, then lightly grease. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the sugars, butter and water with a whisk. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Stir the dry mix into the wet stuff and stir to combine. With a rubber spatula, spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18 minutes. Set aside on a rack to cool.
  3. While the brownies are baking, prepare the ganache: Place the chocolate in a bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the cream just to a simmer. Don’t boil it, just wait till you see little bubbles starting to form around the edges. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Sprinkle with the salt and let it all sit for a minute or so. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until all of the chocolate is melted. (Whisking the heck out of it will just add air bubbles and we don’t want those.) Set that aside to cool a bit.
  4. When the brownies are mostly cool, pour the ganache over and spread it evenly over the top. Sprinkle as many or as few of the candies/sprinkles over the top as you like. I cooled mine in the fridge until the ganache was set. When you’re ready to cut them into squares, lift them out with the foil and cut into the size or shape you like.

Source: Fake Ginger, originally adapted from Elle’s New England Kitchen.

Post updated 4/25/18, picture above is the original.

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25 comments

jeannette August 4, 2011 - 11:11 pm

yum these look so fudgy and delicious!! now i am kicking myself for not getting those candy coated mini chocolate chips from williams sonoma when they were on clearance. dang. looks like i’m making a return trip hoping they are still there :)

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Stefanie July 31, 2011 - 9:34 pm

How fun looking! My nephews would love these :)

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Kjersti Helberg July 31, 2011 - 8:12 pm

I am so happy I found your blog and therefore found these brownies! :) My mom and I love these and I can’t wait to tell her we don’t have to buy them anymore! I completely agree with your love of having extra toppings and am planning on putting many little chocolate chips on mine :) Thanks!

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spiffycookie July 31, 2011 - 10:43 pm

Hooray! I am glad you found me too, especially since you can now go topping crazy!

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Elle July 26, 2011 - 12:36 pm

Oh, they look so good! Don’t you just love it when you’ve got everything on hand to make a recipe? It’s fate, I’m telling you. Happy that you enjoyed them!

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spiffycookie July 26, 2011 - 1:13 pm

Yes it’s so wonderful to not go to the grocery store.

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Kita July 26, 2011 - 9:09 am

I just tried these brownies too and holy crap were they awesome! Love your mini chocolate toppings!

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spiffycookie July 26, 2011 - 10:22 am

I am in love with this brownie too!

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Tracey July 25, 2011 - 1:20 pm

Those colorful mini chocolate chips are beyond adorable. I need to get my hands on some of those!

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spiffycookie July 25, 2011 - 2:15 pm

Joann Fabrics is where I found mine!

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Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts July 25, 2011 - 10:16 am

I used to LOVE these things! If only I had the toppings. Darn! That and I have done nothing but eat all weekend. These will have to wait, but they will get tried!

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spiffycookie July 25, 2011 - 10:22 am

I got the toppings from Joann Fabrics

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Lauren at Keep It Sweet July 24, 2011 - 8:44 pm

I have a baking cart that doesn’t even fit into my kitchn with all my supplies… and I’ve been storing chocolate in my wine fridge this summer lol. These brownies look delish!

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spiffycookie July 24, 2011 - 8:57 pm

Haha sounds like an amazing kitchen!

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Food Snots July 24, 2011 - 3:25 pm

Looks both super cute and delicious!! Yum!

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Danielle @ Runs With Spatulas July 24, 2011 - 1:10 pm

These look sooo good right now. I could totally go for one… or a dozen. The hubby loves brownies, maybe it’s time I bust some out for him.

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spiffycookie July 24, 2011 - 8:42 pm

Definitely with you on the dozen

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Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen July 24, 2011 - 9:54 am

Yay! So you went and got the candy pieces too?! ;)

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spiffycookie July 24, 2011 - 8:42 pm

Yes! They were perfect.

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kitchenarian July 23, 2011 - 12:21 pm

The only thing better than brownies is brownies with chocolate icing! These look amazing.

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Elina (Healthy and Sane) July 22, 2011 - 5:47 pm

These look way better than anything you’d get from a vending machine :)

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briarrose July 22, 2011 - 1:23 pm

Insanely good. I love the colorful toppers. My day would be perfect with one of these in front of me…..ok maybe with some chocolate ice cream on the side since it’s insanely hot out. ;)

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spiffycookie July 23, 2011 - 9:40 am

Mmm ice cream on any dessert is amazing!

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amanda @ fake ginger July 22, 2011 - 10:27 am

I used to pick the ones with the most candy pieces too! Your brownies look awesome. I need to go to Joann’s to get some of those candies!

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spiffycookie July 22, 2011 - 10:31 am

Candy pieces make everything more fun. And thanks, I thought they tasted pretty awesome as well!

Reply

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