These cosmic brownie cookies, a Crumbl copycat, are incredibly easy to make, and absolutely fail-proof. Made in one bowl, no chilling needed, and topped with a 2-ingredient glaze and the colorful rainbow bits found on the popular brownie by Little Debbie's.
These cosmic brownie cookies are easy to make with just 10 ingredients, with no chilling needed. You absolutely can't fail these cookies. Adding the quintessential rainbow sprinkles turn these dark fudgy brownie cookies into a cookie version of the Little Debbie's popular cosmic brownies.
Like my chocolate brownie cookies with cocoa powder, these fudgy cookies are much easier to make than cosmic brownies, and made in one bowl.
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Why You'll Love These
Easy one-bowl cookie recipe. These fudgy cosmic brownie cookies are easy to make in one bowl, and the 2 ingredient frosting can be made in a microwave.
Wholesome ingredients. These cookies are full of wholesome ingredients so they actually give you energy. Other recipes use corn syrup, but this one uses melted chocolate to support a deeply chocolate flavor and fudgy texture.
Perfect for all diets. Applesauce is used instead of eggs, making the cookies dairy free, eggless and vegan. Using a gluten free baking flour makes them gluten free cosmic brownie cookies.
Ingredients
Butter. Use unsalted, dairy free and softened.
Brown sugar. Light brown sugar or coconut sugar works best.
Cane sugar. White sugar important for texture and a shiny brownie top on your cookie.
Applesauce. Instead of an egg. It would be best to blend up a single apple, skin and all, but store-bought unsweetened applesauce works too. The pectin in apples works just as an egg does to bind.
Flour. I used all purpose, but gluten free baking flour works too.
Cornstarch. Or use arrowroot to make the cookies chewy.
Cocoa powder. Use Dutch-process cocoa to make the cookie dark, and to reduce the acid to keep the cookies from puffing up.
Flavoring & leaveners. Vanilla, baking soda, salt
For the topping
Chocolate chips, melted. Use for both the cookie dough and the frosting.
Milk. Add to melted chocolate chips to create the frosting.
Rainbow chip sprinkles. The same sprinkles used on Little Debbie's brownies are here.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete and printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
Make the Cookies
Step 1: Preheat the oven. Microwave the butter for 10 seconds to soften. Microwave 1 cup chocolate chips for 1 minute and stir until melted.
Step 2: Add butter and sugar to a bowl, and mix for 2 minutes until the mixture is creamed.
Step 3: Add the applesauce, vanilla and only 2 tablespoon of the melted chocolate, mix until creamy.
Step 4: Add dry ingredients, including baking soda, salt, flour and cocoa. Mix until all combined.
Step 5: Scoop dough into ⅛ cup-size balls, or rather use a 2 tablespoon scoop, roll and flatten into ½" tall cookie dough discs.
Step 6: Line cookies about 2-inches apart, and bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.
Step 7: Cool the cookies while you mix the frosting.
Make the Frosting
Step 1: To make the frosting, microwave ¼ cup milk for 30 seconds to heat. Add that to the melted chocolate and stir until you have a smooth frosting. Microwave another 10 seconds if needed for texture.
Step 2: Sprinkle with the rainbow sprinkles while the frosting is still wet.
Step 3: Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to help the frosting set.
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Storage
Keep the cookies covered at room temperature for 2 days.
Refrigerate the cookies in a sealed container for 4 days; they will dry after that.
Frozen. The cookies will stay fresh frozen for 3 months in a sealed container.
Recipe Tips
Don't over mix the dough or the cookies will be less fudgy.
Don't over bake or the cookies will become too dry.
Be sure your butter is soft, or microwave it for 10 seconds to soften.
To bake larger cookies, create ¼ cup balls and bake 11-12 minutes.
Sprinkle with any sprinkle type you'd like.
How to Use Cosmic Brownie Cookies
Eat these crumbl cosmic brownie copycats as a cookie, or crumble into ice cream, or use as a layer for a chocolate brownie sundae.
FAQS
My healthier cosmic brownie cookie recipe has no preservatives or weird ingredients, and each cookie has only 160 calories. Meanwhile, the Little Debbie's store-bought brownie has 300 calories and a ton of preservatives and additives.
Yes, this dough can be made ahead, shaped into cookies, stored in freezer bags for 3 months. To bake, line them on a baking sheet and let them thaw for 30 minutes before baking as normal.
The cosmic brownie name comes from the colorful pieces of candy on the cookies or brownies that makes it look like a galaxy of stars.
More Healthy Cookie Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Cosmic Brownie Cookies (Crumbl)
Equipment
- cookie baking sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch-processed or dark is best
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour or gluten free baking powder
topping:
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup milk
- rainbow chip sprinkles
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Instructions
Make the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Microwave the butter for 10 seconds to soften. Microwave 1 cup chocolate chips for 1 minute and stir until melted.
- Add butter and sugar to a bowl, and mix for 2 minutes until the mixture is creamed.½ cup unsalted butter softened, ½ cup light brown sugar, ⅓ cup cane sugar
- Add the applesauce, vanilla and only 2 tablespoon of the melted chocolate, mix until creamy.⅓ cup applesauce, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients, including baking soda, salt, flour and cocoa. Mix until all combined.½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot
- Scoop dough into ⅛ cup-size balls, or rather use a 2 tablespoon scoop, roll and flatten into ½" tall cookie dough discs.
- Line cookies about 2-inches apart, and bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.
- Cool the cookies while you mix the frosting.
Make the Frosting
- To make the frosting, microwave ¼ cup milk for 30 seconds to heat. Add that to the melted chocolate and stir until you have a smooth frosting. Microwave another 10 seconds if needed for texture.1 cup chocolate chips, ⅓ cup milk
- Sprinkle with the rainbow sprinkles while the frosting is still wet.rainbow chip sprinkles
- Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to help the frosting set.
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