Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream

Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream is made with my Homemade Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, Cosmic Brownie chunks and colorful cosmic-colored chocolate candy pieces. It’s a rich and playful dessert that everyone will love! 

Little Debbie’s treats are so nostalgic! I remember my friends sharing some of the brownie treats with me when I was little. These brownies are so fudgy and delicious, but are SO much better homemade! You can make Cosmic Brownies at home with my delicious recipe! Or make them in cookie form with my Cosmic Brownie Cookies recipe. 

Why This Recipe Works

• Rich chocolate ice cream. The chocolate ice cream base for this little debbie cosmic brownies ice cream recipe uses dutch process cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate. Using both creates a more intense chocolate flavor. Using dutch process cocoa powder instead of unsweetened means we have a deeper chocolate flavor form the cocoa powder.
• Made with cosmic brownie pieces. This cosmic brownie ice cream has chunks of Little Debbie brownie pieces mixed in. I also include the candy coated chocolate chips for the full little Debbie ice cream effect!

Ingredient Notes

• Dutch Process Cocoa Powder: Dutch process cocoa powder has a richer chocolate flavor, so you need to use it instead of unsweetened cocoa powder or you won’t have as prominent of a chocolate flavor. 
• Whole Milk: You should use whole milk because of the higher fat content (this is ice cream, and it’s all about the cream and fat!) 
• Heavy Cream: This is the cream base for the ice cream. 
• Bittersweet Chocolate: Use baking chocolate for best results. 
• Egg Yolks: This chocolate ice cream base is a custard. This means that egg yolks are used in the mixture, making things extra creamy and delicious! The eggs are cooked with the chocolate ice cream mixture over the stove, so you don’t need to worry about any raw egg. 
• Cosmic Brownies: You can use store bought cosmic brownies or use my homemade Cosmic Brownies.
• Candy-Coated Chocolate Chip Pieces: These mini rainbow chips are perfect add-ins for this cosmic brownie ice cream because they are the same cosmic-colored candy pieces added to the top of cosmic brownies! 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the chocolate ice cream mixture. To a saucepan, add 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa powder. Whisk thoroughly until no cocoa powder clumps remaining. 
2. Add the heavy cream and milk. While whisking, slowly stream in 1 cup whole milk and 2 cups heavy cream. Take the pan to the stove and turn to medium low heat. Bring to a simmer while stirring constantly. Cook just until bubbles begin to form on the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. 
3. Combine with egg yolks. Place 4 eggs yolks in a small bowl and lightly beat them. Take 1/2 cup of the hot chocolate liquid and slowly pour it into the eggs, gradually stirring to combine. 
4. Add egg yolk mixture to remaining chocolate mixture. Take the egg yolks mixture and slowly pour it back into the saucepan with the remaining chocolate mixture, stirring constantly while pouring. 

5. Add the chopped chocolate. Add 8 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate into the mixture and stir to combine. 
6. Heat the mixture. Place the saucepan over low heat and heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, without coming to a boil! This should take about 5-7 minutes. The mixture will reach 170ºF on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat and add 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix to combine. 
7. Strain and chill. Pour the chocolate mixture through a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Place the large bowl over an ice bath, stirring often until the mixture reaches room temperature. 

8. Cover and chill. Cover the mixture and store in the fridge for 4-24 hours. 
9. Churn the chocolate ice cream. Remove the chilled chocolate ice cream mixture from the fridge and pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. 
10. Add the mix-ins. Once the mixture is done churning, use a wooden spoon to add the chopped Little Debbie cosmic brownies and cosmic-colored candy pieces. Serve immediately if you want a soft serve texture, or store in a freezer safe container and freeze for 1-2 hours for a firmer texture. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Properly freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker for the correct amount of time (see your ice cream maker’s manufacturing instructions). 

Be sure to follow the directions precisely when it comes to heating and cooling the dark chocolate ice cream mixture. The key to getting a smooth texture and a proper custard ice cream is to slowly heat and slowly cool the mixture. 

You want to make sure the chocolate/egg mixture chills for at least 4 hours before churning it. If you short-change this time, the mixture won’t be properly chilled enough, and the ice cream won’t fully freeze while in the ice cream maker. 

It helps to freeze the bowl you’ll be mixing the mix-ins and the ice cream together in, or else the ice cream will more easily and quickly melt as you’re stirring them together. 

Top the mixture with extra brownie chunks and candy pieces for a pretty look!

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

This is a make ahead recipe! You need to properly freeze your ice cream maker bowl (I usually freeze it for about 3 days to ensure it’s fully frozen).

The process of making cosmic brownie ice cream also includes several chilling and freezing steps, which can take multiple hours (or multiple days depending on how long you want to chill things). 

Store the ice cream in a freezer safe, airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Recipe FAQs

More Ice Cream Recipes

• Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
• Butterscotch Ice Cream
• Fried Ice Cream
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
• No Churn Oreo Ice Cream