This Cosmic Brownie Cookies recipe takes everyone's favorite Little Debbie’s treat and turns them into fudgy rounds of deliciousness. Rather than spending a boatload on a Crumbl cosmic brownie cookie, make this delectably easy copycat recipe instead!
I've loved Cosmic Brownies since I was a kid. I've loved cookies for just as long. After seeing that Crumbl had the brilliant idea to put those two loves together, I knew I had to come up with a version I could make at home. The result? Ridiculously fudgy cosmic brownie cookies that cost a fraction of what you’d pay at the cookie shop.
Cosmic Brownie Cookie Recipe
This copycat cosmic brownie Crumbl cookie recipe was inspired by my white chocolate brownie cookie recipe. While the old brownie cookies were delicious, I knew that I could translate them into the flavor of Cosmic Brownies and fulfill my Little Debbie brownie-cookie dream. Not to brag, but my plan worked flawlessly.
Why You Will Love this Recipe
This Cosmic brownie cookie recipe yields a batch of addictively soft & chewy cookies with a fudgy frosting top that will send your tastebuds to the moon! Aside from being out-of-this-world tasty, these chocolatey treats are also:
- Quick & Easy. A batch takes only 30 minutes to create.
- Super Versatile. Add nuts, swap in different flavors, or make them gluten-free. Baking at home means you’re in complete control!
- Made With 11 Simple Ingredients. If you bake often, chances are you already have most of what you need on hand!!
Ingredients & Substitutions
These Crumbl-style brownie cookies use only a few simple ingredients that are so much more than the sum of their parts. The major players are below, but you'll find the complete ingredient list along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Salted butter- If you don’t have salted butter, use unsalted butter and add ½ teaspoon of salt instead. You can also use your favorite plant-based butter if you prefer.
- Brown sugar & white granulated sugar - If you have to choose just one, use light or dark brown sugar for milder sweetness and a slight caramel flavor.
- Large eggs - Let them come to room temperature before starting to make the dough so you don’t cause the butter to seize up from the cold.
- Vanilla extract - Feel free to use an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder, or use half as much ground vanilla bean.
- Cocoa powder - Dutch process cocoa powder will give the cookies a richer chocolate flavor. Don't worry, regular cocoa powder, black cocoa powder, or raw cacao powder will work too.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips - You can also use semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars that have been broken into bits.
- Heavy cream - Feel free to swap in coconut cream (the hard stuff from a can of coconut milk) for a dairy-free version.
- Mini-M&M’s - The crown topping of these delicious cookie-brownie hybrids is normally brightly colored sprinkle candies, but I decided to up the chocolate ante. (Note that you can order them in personalized colors for large events!) Feel free to swap in the colorful nonpareils of your choice.
Optional Variations
As much as we love our knock-off version of the cosmic brownie Crumbl cookie, there’s always room for you to express yourself creatively. Here are just a few ideas to get your creative wheels turning:
- Add-Ins - Add some mini or regular chips to your cookie dough for added flavor including peanut butter chips, caramel chips, butterscotch chips, mint chocolate chips, or candy coated chocolate chips.
- Go Nuts - Add almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, or peanuts for an extra crunchy texture and delightful sweetness.
- Ice Cream - These richchocolate cookies can be served on their own or surrounding a scoop or two of your favorite ice cream for the best ice cream sandwiches. Remember to refreeze them after assembly for a minimum of 2 hours before serving!
- Different Decorations - If you don't have M&M’s or mini M&M's to decorate the top of your cookies feel free to substitute them with other mini or chopped candies or chopped nuts instead.
- Add Warmth - Add a teaspoon of both ground cinnamon and nutmeg for cozy fall feels.
- Make it Mocha - Add a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder to the batter will enjoy a wonderful mocha flavor.
- Add Fruit - Add ½ cup of chopped dried fruit like cranberries, oranges, cherries, berries, mango, or pineapple.
- Choose your Extract - Instead of vanilla extract, use almond, coconut, banana, orange, or peppermint extract to make subtle flavor adjustments.
- No Chocolate (Vanilla) Cookie - Skip the cocoa powder and add the same amount of extra flour.
How To Make Cosmic Brownie Cookies Like Crumbl
This is an easy recipe that anyone can make. You'll be done in just a few simple steps! The overview is below, but you can find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.Step 1: Combine the wet cookie ingredients.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Step 3: Bake cookies in batches of 6 for 11 minutes at 350. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4: Make ganache. Melt chocolate and heavy cream in the microwave.
Step 5: Decorate & Serve. Dip the top of each cookie in the melted chocolate and top with M&Ms. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: Store leftover cosmic brookies in an air-tight container lined with parchment paper for up to a week.
Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight container lined with parchment paper for up to 2 weeks.
Freezer: Store in an air-tight, freezer-safe container in single layers separated by parchment paper for up to 3 months.
Defrost: Leave the cookies at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.Make Ahead: You can make these cookies up to 3 days in advance.
Storage
Room Temperature: Store in an air-tight container lined with parchment paper for up to a week.
Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight container lined with parchment paper for up to 2 weeks.
Freezer: Store in an air-tight, freezer-safe container in single layers separated by parchment paper for up to 3 months.
Defrost: Leave the cookies at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
Make Ahead: You can make these cookies up to 3 days in advance.
Serving Suggestions
These individually portioned pieces of spacy magic are perfect for birthday parties, picnics, BBQs, and potlucks, or anywhere else chocolate fanatics may reside. Bonus points if you serve them dressed like Mrs. Frizzle at your next Halloween party.
Expert Tips
- Use high-quality ingredients (think: butter and not margarine, Ghiradelli's chocolate instead of cheaper store brands) to guarantee the best, most Crumbl-like results.
- Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy to ensure cookies have a soft texture.
- Don't overmix the ingredients once you add the dry and wet ingredients together as this causes the overdevelopment of gluten, which results in dense cookie-brownies.
- Always preheat your oven so your cookies cook properly.
- Take care of your chocolate. When melting the chocolate chips and cream together, do it at 30-second intervals so the mixture doesn't become too hot or burn in the microwave, stirring after each interval until smooth.
- Let ‘em chill. Make sure your brookies have cooled down for at least 10 minutes before serving or they could fall apart.
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs to achieve a softer brownie-cookie texture. I usually leave them on my counter for at least 30 minutes before I need them.
- Use an oven thermometer. Different ovens cook at different temps than they may indicate.
- If your cookies spread too much during baking, chill your remaining dough for at least 30 minutes before baking the remaining cookies.
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Top Tip
Make sure cookies are completely cooled to room temperature before frosting and decorating them or your chocolate ganache will slide right off.
FAQ
Each cookie will end up being about 2 inches in diameter, so make sure you're only making 6 per sheet. This allows for even baking and will help ensure that all of the cookies are cooked through properly before serving.
Yes! Leave them on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before attempting to transfer them onto a cooling rack. This helps prevent them from breaking apart due to being too hot and fragile after baking.
Once cooled, carefully lift each cookie up off of its cookie sheet and place it onto a cooling rack until completely cooled down before enjoying! It's also helpful to line your cooling racks with parchment paper so that they don't stick afterwards.
Certainly! Substitute other types of chocolate if desired. Dark chocolate, white chocolate chips, caramel, butterscotch, peanut butter, or chocolate mint chips would all be delicious options. Add a teaspoon of coconut or vegetable oil to smooth the chocolate if needed.
You can also experiment with adding different kinds of candy (toffee or caramel) or nuts (shredded coconut or chopped pecans) in addition to or instead of M&M’s. It's your galaxy, so design it how you wish. 😍
More Cookie Recipes
Do you like cookies? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
Cosmic Brownie Cookies
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Cosmic Brownie Cookies (Crumbl Copycat)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup mini-M&M’s
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until homogenous.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the creamed butter mixture. Mix again until the eggs are fully incorporated with the creamed butter.
- Slowly add the cocoa powder, baking powder, and flour on a low-medium speed until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the wet ingredients. Scrape along the bottom of your mixing bowl with a spatula to ensure no pockets of flour or cocoa powder remain.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cookies 6 at a time for 11 minutes. The cookies should be about 2 inches in diameter.
- Melt the chocolate and heavy cream in the microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet and placing on parchment covered rack to finish cooling.
- Once totally cool, dip the top of each cookie into the chocolate mixture and top with a few M&M’s.
- Repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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