Cosmic Brownie Cookies
These cosmic brownie cookies are both cute and delicious! A fudgy ultra-chocolatey cookie is topped with ganache and sprinkled with rainbow chips.
A play on the iconic boxed cosmic brownies from the grocery store, these cookies are 100X more delicious (and very easy to make!).
Fudgy Chocolate Cookie Dough
The cookies for these cosmic brownie cookies have intense chocolate flavor and a deliciously rich and fudgy texture.
This is accomplished in two ways:
- A soft and chewy ultra-chocolate cookie dough is enriched with a high ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar AND involves a hefty amount of cocoa powder to really dial in the chocolate flavor
- The cookies get a slight press right out of the oven (more on this below).
For fail proof results, here’s a reminder that investing in a kitchen scale {aff. link} and weighing your dry ingredients will elevate your baking in so many ways and ensure better outcomes. Always use the weight measures given in a specific recipe versus converting the volume measures to weights with varying online sources since that recipe has been tested with those specific weight amounts.
Why Press the Cookies After Baking?
These cookies will likely come out of the oven slightly domed. That’s a good thing, because we don’t want the cookies to spread and flatten into thin wafers. There would be no joy in that.
Pressing the cookies immediately out of the oven ensures an extra fudgy middle AND creates a surface that is easier to frost and sprinkle.
We aren’t pressing the cookies to smithereens here – just lightly flattening the domed top into an even plateau so the cookies form thick discs of chocolatey goodness.
Cosmic Brownie Frosting
The topping for these decadent chocolate cookies is a simple chocolate ganache. Ganache is just a fancy word for chocolate that is combined with hot cream and stirred until thick and glossy.
Chocolate ganache is very, very rich. And very, very good.
(Spoiler alert: it’s delicious on about a million other things, too, so if you have leftover ganache from this recipe, never fear – slather it on graham crackers or a banana or eat it by the spoonful.)
Once the cookies have cooled, spread a dollop of chocolate ganache evenly across the top, and before the ganache sets, sprinkle with rainbow candy coated chips.
Where to Get Rainbow Candy Coated Chips
Rainbow candy coated chips are the classic colorful garnish on cosmic brownies, and they are so fun and perfect for these cookies, too.
The rainbow chips can easily be found online. I get them here {aff. link}. If the ones at the link aren’t available, just search “rainbow baking chips” online or on Amazon.
If you don’t have rainbow chips on hand, here are a few ideas for what to use instead:
- Mini M&Ms
- Colorful flat sprinkles
- Chocolate jimmies or other colorful sprinkles
- Crisp chocolate pearls
Please Try These Cookies Chilled
These cosmic brownie cookies are exceptionally delicious eaten while the chocolate ganache is still silky and just a bit drippy or once the ganache and fudgy cookie center has set a bit.
But they are phenomenal stored in the refrigerator and eaten chilled. Like, just trust me on this and promise you’ll experience at least one of these cookies that way. SO GOOD.
Brian’s favorite grocery store treat in the history of ever is a cosmic brownie. He has a hidden stash in the pantry. But even he admits that these cosmic brownie cookies are world’s better than his storebought crush.
They are fun and festive for just about any occasion and decadent and delicious enough to fill a need-it-now chocolate craving! I hope you love them…they have quickly become one of my favorite cookies of all time!
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Cosmic Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, softened to room temperature (not too soft!)
- 1 ½ cups (318 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (57 g) Dutch-process or natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
Topping:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Rainbow candy coated mini chocolate chips (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (see note!). Line half sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside.
- For the cookies, in a bowl with an electric handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda until the mixture is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour and cocoa powder. Mix until evenly combined and no dry streaks remain.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon size balls and roll until smooth (see note for larger cookies). Place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 11 minutes until the cookies are lightly puffed and set around the edges but still soft in the center.
- Optional: in my ovens, the cookies are slightly domed on top after baking. Immediately out of the oven, I use a flat-bottomed glass to gently press to an even thickness. Don't smash them flat! Just press the domed top so the cookie is still thick but even across the top. This makes frosting the cookies easier (and prettier) and also gives the cookie an extra fudgy center.
- Let the cookies cool for several minutes on the baking pans and then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream until steaming and bubbles form around the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips, pressing the chocolate chips to submerge them in the cream. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes until the chocolate chips are melted and then stir or whisk until the mixture is glossy and smooth.
- Let the ganache cool for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Frost the cooled cookies with a dollop of ganache and sprinkle with rainbow candy coated chips.
- Serve immediately while the ganache is soft or let the cookies sit at room temperature for an hour or so until the ganache sets. The cookies are delicious served at room temperature and terribly delicious served chilled.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
