Gluten-Free Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies
Dense, fudgy gluten-free brownies topped with glossy chocolate ganache and rainbow candy chips, made in one bowl and chilled for clean-cut squares. An easy make-ahead treat for parties, lunchboxes, or a chocolate craving.
Servings: 16 servings
Equipment
- 1 8x8 baking dish
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ⅔ cup Dutch cocoa powder
- ½ cup gluten-free 1:1 flour blend
- ½ tsp salt
For the Frosting
- ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chopped or chips
- ½ tbsp corn syrup
- ½ tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- candy coated chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter with the granulated and brown sugar.
- Whisk in the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla.
- Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan, leveling the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.
- After the brownies have chilled, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour the cream into a small saucepan.
- Heat the cream until it begins to simmer. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for one minute to melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth and melted.
- Frost the brownies with the frosting, and sprinkle candy coated chocolate chips. Chill for 30 minutes then serve.
Notes
- Dutch cocoa powder, not natural cocoa, gives the closest flavor match to the original. Natural cocoa tastes more acidic and less rich.
- If your gluten-free flour blend doesn't already contain xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon to the dry ingredients so the brownies hold together instead of crumbling.
- The small amount of corn syrup in both the brownie and the ganache is what keeps everything soft and glossy instead of dry and dull, even after time in the fridge.
- Cool the brownies to room temperature, then refrigerate for a full 2 hours before frosting. Frosting them warm causes the ganache to slide off instead of setting.
- Heat the cream to a gentle simmer, not a boil. Overheating causes the ganache to separate and turn grainy instead of smooth.
- Bittersweet chocolate gives the best balance against the sweet brownie base, but semisweet chips work fine as a swap if that's what you have on hand.
- Chill the frosted brownies for 30 minutes before slicing so the ganache sets and the edges cut clean.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze individual squares for up to 2 months. Serve straight from the fridge or let frozen squares thaw for about 30 minutes before eating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg