Homemade Little Debbie Fudge Brownies

My husband is obsessed with these brownies. Yes, he that only ever loves the Ghirardelli brownies from the box or my copycat version. When I told him I was making my cosmic brownies only with walnuts, he shouted for joy. Ok, maybe not shouted, but he was pretty darn excited! These brownies are just like the Little Debbie ones that are covered in a fudgy ganache and topped with chopped walnuts. They’re dense, rich and extra chocolatey- just the way we like them.

Homemade Little Debbie Fudge Brownies

A few months ago when I posted my recipe for Little Debbie cosmic brownies, I had no idea what a hit they’d be. I was really pleased with how they turned out and everyone we shared them with loved them! My husband was a huge fan of their texture, taste and fudgy topping. I’ve made them a few times since, slightly adjusting the ingredients here and there and even topping them with toasted pecans. Ultimately I decided I needed to make a version with walnuts, because I’m kind of obsessed with putting them in/on everything. How about you, which type of nut do you prefer when it comes to brownies? Stephen grew up in Florida so his family tends to bake with Georgia pecans, but I grew up in Northern California so I’m all about walnuts. Anyway… I stuck with toasted walnuts, they were the clear winner for me and would obviously make these taste more like the ones you buy at the store.

Homemade Little Debbie Fudge Brownies

To start, line a 9×13 baking dish with foil and lightly spray with baking spray such as Pam. Foil makes removing the brownies 100x easier and prevents any sticking or mess that might occur. Don’t skip this step! Next, beat the melted butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt (the cornstarch will help keep these brownies chewy and dense which is exactly what we’re going for). With mixing speed on low, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk. Mix just until combined. The batter will be relatively thick but that’s ok.

Homemade Little Debbie Fudge Brownies

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula spread it into an even layer. Place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or just until the brownies look set. Do not over-bake them or you will have dry brownies! Remove them from oven and allow to cool in the pan.

Homemade Little Debbie Fudge Brownies

Meanwhile to prepare the ganache, in a 2 c. glass measuring cup, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave on half powder (mine is usually power 10, so I did 5) for one minute, stir, then repeat. Stir chocolate until all of the chips are melted and it becomes smooth. I like to beat the mixture by hand for about a minute, then pour it over the brownies. You can either spread it with an offset spatula to smooth it out or shake the pan on the counter in a back and forth, side to side manner until it becomes smooth. I prefer the later mainly because I don’t want to dirty another utensil. Top the brownies with chopped walnuts (I toast mine but you can use raw too), cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 3o minutes. Cut, serve and devour! Enjoy and happy baking!

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Homemade Little Debbie Fudge Brownies

Homemade Little Debbie Fudge Brownies Recipe

These homemade Little Debbie fudge brownies are thick, dense and topped with a decadent ganache and toasted walnuts. They're heavenly!
4.91 from 11 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Brownies & Bars, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Refrigerate: 30 minutes
Servings: 24 brownies
Calories: 235kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup (1 ½ sticks) butter - melted
  • 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup toasted walnuts - chopped

Fudge Ganache

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil and lightly spray with baking spray such as Pam, set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat melted butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, mixing until incorporated.
  • In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. With mixing speed on low, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk. Mix just until combined.
  • Remove bowl from stand and pour batter into prepared pan. The batter will be thick, so using a rubber spatula, spread into an even layer. Place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes (I live in high altitude so my bars tend to bake quicker). The brownies will be done, so do not over-bake or you will have dry brownies! Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan.
  • Meanwhile to prepare the ganache, in a 2 c. glass measuring cup, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave on half powder (mine is usually power 10, so I did 5) for one minute, stir, then repeat. Stir chocolate until all of the chips are melted and it becomes smooth. Beat for 1 minute and then pour over the top of the brownies. Spread evenly and sprinkle chopped walnuts. Cover and place in the refrigerator to allow the topping to set for at least 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

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About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

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Comments:

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve been using this recipe a lot with a few substitutions since the heavy cream is hard to find in my area, and the cocoa I get is not that good so I use just a little, but they’re still delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.