Galaxy Brownie Cookies with Chocolate Fudge Topping
These Galaxy Brownie Cookies are perfect for Star Wars fans, outer space enthusiasts, chocolate lovers and pretty much any kid because of the bright candy-coated chocolate pieces on top. Inspired by the nostalgic Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies and the Crumbl Galaxy Brownie Cookie, yet made even better with quality ingredients, these cookies will be your new year-round go-to.
This recipe is essentially a triple chocolate cookie because you get that rich chocolate flavor from three sources when you consider the chocolate brownie cookie dough, the chocolate fudge topping and the candy-coated chocolate pieces on top. Select only pink and red candies to make these fudgy cookies a perfect Valentine’s Day treat!
In lieu of the chocolate frosting found on those 90s cosmic brownies, these chewy brownie cookies are topped with a chocolate fudge glaze. This glaze might be the best thing about these cookies because it’s easy to make, adds to the fudgy texture and so it’s good, you’ll want to eat it with a spoon! I’m already brainstorming more recipes that go with this topping so I have an excuse to make it more often!
Ingredients to Make Galaxy Brownie Cookies
- KAMUT® White Flour or other All-Purpose White Flour
- Cocoa Powder
- Fine Salt
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Unsalted Butter
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Milk Chocolate Chips
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Olive Oil -or- Avocado Oil
- Candy-Coated Chocolate Pieces -or- Colorful Sprinkles
Tools to Make Galaxy Brownie Cookies
- 2 Cookie Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Whisk or Dough Hook
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Stand Mixer fitted with Paddle Attachment or Hand Mixer and Large Bowl
- Wooden Spoon or Sturdy Spatula
- Large, 2 oz (¼ Cup) Cookie Scoop
- Drinking glass with flat bottom
- Saucepan
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Silicone Spatula
- Fine Mesh Strainer or Sieve
- Medium, ¾ oz (1 ½ Tablespoon) Cookie Scoop
- Offset Spatula
All About Ingredients for Galaxy Brownie Cookies
Flour
I rely on KAMUT® White Flour for this recipe and the majority of my baked goods because of its exceptional flavor and nutritional benefits. Since flour serves as the foundation for most baking projects, your flour selection has a tremendous influence on the final result. However, every recipe I develop using KAMUT® White Flour is also adapted for all-purpose flour. So choose the flour that fits your budget and taste preferences. Discover more about KAMUT® Brand Wheat here and learn why it’s become my go-to choice here.
Cocoa Powder
I opted for dutch-process cocoa powder in this recipe, though I’ve successfully tested it with dark cacao powder and even a blend of both, so feel free to use whatever cocoa powder you prefer since I’ve incorporated both baking soda and baking powder into the formula. I apply this same approach to most of my chocolate-based cookie recipes, including my Double Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cookies, Hot Chocolate Cookies, and Dubai Chocolate Cookies.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder
This dual leavening system is exactly why any type of cocoa powder works beautifully in these cookies. Various cocoa powders interact differently with specific leavening agents, so this combination serves as an ideal solution.
Butter
I incorporated cold butter into this recipe, which is my standard practice for most cookie recipes since it lets me bake spontaneously without advance planning and often eliminates (or significantly reduces) the need for dough chilling. With this recipe, you can bypass the chill time entirely when using cold butter, but only attempt this if your mixer is powerful enough—typically a bowl-lift stand mixer. Most tilt-head mixers struggle with cold butter mixing.
I also stick with unsalted butter for this and most of my baking recipes, though if salted butter is all you have available, go ahead and use it while leaving out the additional salt.
White & Brown Sugar
I use organic sugar in all of my baking recipes but use the sugar that works best for you and is available in your local grocery store. I also use light brown sugar in every recipe that calls for brown sugar unless otherwise stated.
Eggs
I’ve observed a significant impact on the overall quality of my baked goods depending on the eggs so I suggest selecting the highest quality eggs available within your price range and at your local grocery store or farmer’s market. This recipe calls for two large eggs, and they work perfectly straight from the refrigerator, no need to warm to room temperature.
Vanilla Extract
The vanilla extract is subtle but enhances the richness of the chocolate and adds more depth of flavor to these cookies.
Powdered Sugar
Just like with white and brown sugar, I opt for organic powdered sugar. Regular powdered sugar often includes cornstarch and corn crops are notorious for being GMO unless otherwise labeled. Perhaps that doesn’t bother you but I attempt to stay away from GMO’s as much as possible while I’m at home.
Milk
I used whole milk for this recipe. If you do not have whole milk, you could use half heavy cream and half water instead.I have not tested this recipe with non-dairy milk.
Milk Chocolate & Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
I think the mix of milk and semi-sweet chocolate is perfect for this recipe. I’ve tried making this fudge topping with only semi-sweet chocolate and it was too rich for this recipe while only milk chocolate would make these cosmic brownie cookies too sweet. I used chocolate chips but you could also use a mix of chopped milk and semi-sweet chocolate.
Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
Oil helps the chocolate stay smooth as it melts and helps the fudge glaze stay soft and shiny when it sets. I used olive oil and the recipe calls for such a small amount that I do not think you can taste it at all. If you are worried that you will taste the olive, you can also use avocado oil which has a more mild taste.
Candy-Coated Chocolate Pieces or Rainbow Sprinkles
To truly mimic cosmic brownies in cookie form, I used candy-coated chocolate pieces and I found these that do not include any artificial dyes (not sponsored nor an affiliate link). I acknowledge these are hard to find and they are a bit hard and crunchy when the cookies are fresh so colorful sprinkles would be an easy substitute!
How to Make Galaxy Brownie Cookies
- Prepare two baking sheets. Line each baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. If you’re working with cold butter, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350℉. If you’re using room temperature butter, hold off on preheating until you chill dough.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients including flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and both sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer until well creamed. Incorporate the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing just until everything is combined.
- Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing only until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
- Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, portion up to 8 (slightly heaping) scoops of dough onto each prepared cookie sheet, spacing them evenly apart.
- Refrigerate the scooped cookie dough on the baking sheets for 40 minutes while preheating your oven to 350℉. If you worked with cold butter, skip this step.
- While cookies bake, prepare the chocolate fudge glaze topping. See step 10 below.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the cookies are fully set. At the halfway point of baking time, switch the position of your trays by moving the top tray to the lower rack and rotating both baking sheets so that the front edge is now facing the back of the oven.
- Transfer each cookie sheet to a wire rack and use the bottom of a drinking glass to immediately smash down each cookie so it is flat across the top. Let cookies cool completely on the tray. This will make it easier to work with the topping and ensure chewy brownie cookies long after they’re cool.
- To make the Chocolate Fudge Glaze Topping. Sift powdered sugar to remove lumps and set aside.
- Melt chocolate, oil and milk in a glass mixing bowl over a saucepan filled with a few inches of water but not enough to touch the glass bowl. Stir every few minutes as the chocolate melts.
- When this mixture is smooth, remove from heat and add the powdered sugar. If there are still any lumps, you can place the bowl back on the saucepan for a few minutes and stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth. If you heated up the bowl, remove from heat again.
- Stir in salt and vanilla extract.
- Let this mixture cool until it thickens but is still spreadable. You can speed this up by placing the bowl in the fridge for up to 15 minutes.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, place one scoop of chocolate fudge glaze on each cookie then immediately top with candy-coated chocolate pieces or rainbow sprinkles. If you glaze all of the cookies first, the glaze will start to set and the pieces or sprinkles will not stick to the cookies. If the glaze is starting to set, you can gently press on the candy-coated chocolate pieces or sprinkles to keep them in-place.
- Let glaze set and enjoy. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Galaxy Brownie Cookies with Chocolate Fudge Topping
Ingredients
- 2 cups (290g) KAMUT® White Flour (or 2 ½ cups of all purpose flour)
- ½ cup (45g) cocoa powder (any baking cocoa powder – Dutch process, natural, dark)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cold or softened *(see note)
- ½ cup (110g) sugar
- ¾ cup (165g) brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup (160g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (125g) milk chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (125g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup candy-coated chocolate pieces (or sprinkles)
Instructions
Brownie Cookies:
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. If you're working with cold butter, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350℉. If you're using room temperature butter, hold off on preheating until you chill dough. *(see note)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients including flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream together butter and both sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer until combined. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing just until everything is combined.
- Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing only until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
- Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, place up to 8 (slightly heaping) scoops of dough onto each prepared cookie sheet, evenly spaced apart.
- Refrigerate the scooped cookie dough on the baking sheets for 40 minutes while preheating your oven to 350℉. If you worked with cold butter, skip this step. *(see note)
- While cookies bake, prepare the chocolate fudge glaze topping. See below.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the cookies are fully set. At the halfway point of baking time, swap and rotate trays.
- Transfer each cookie sheet to a wire rack and use the bottom of a drinking glass to immediately smash down each cookie so it is flat across the top. Let cookies cool completely on the tray. This will make it easier to work with the topping and ensure chewy brownie cookies long after they’re cool.
Chocolate Fudge Topping
- To make the Chocolate Fudge Topping, sift powdered sugar to remove lumps and set aside.
- Melt chocolate, oil and milk in a glass mixing bowl over a saucepan filled with a few inches of water but not enough to touch the glass bowl. Stir every few minutes as the chocolate melts.
- When this mixture is smooth, remove from heat and add the powdered sugar. If there are still any lumps, you can place the bowl back on the saucepan for a few minutes and stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth then remove from heat again.
- Stir in salt and vanilla extract.
- Let this mixture cool until it thickens but is still spreadable. You can speed this up by placing the bowl in the fridge for up to 15 minutes.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, place one scoop of chocolate fudge glaze on each cookie then immediately top with candy-coated chocolate pieces or rainbow sprinkles before glazing the next cookie. If the glaze is starting to set, you can gently press on the candy-coated chocolate pieces or sprinkles to keep them in-place.
- Let glaze set and enjoy. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
*Only use cold butter with a stand mixer equipped to handle cold butter. If using a hand mixer, opt for softened butter.
*For room-temperature butter, preheat oven while dough is chilling.
*Skip doubt chill time and move on to baking if you used cold butter.
