If you love the nostalgic taste of Cosmic Brownies as much as I do, you’re going to absolutely love these no-bake, vegan, high-protein Cosmic Brownies!
The photo above is a Cosmic Brownie side-by-side with my high-protein no-bake version and while not identical, the results ended up quite similar.
Regular Cosmic Brownies are undeniably delicious, but with around 280 calories per brownie and very little nutritional value, they’re not exactly the healthiest snack to turn to as adults. Well, these high-protein vegan Cosmic Brownies are going to completely change that.
Each of these no-bake brownies contains just 100 calories and packs in 6 grams of protein! Plus, they hit all the nostalgic notes that your tastebuds are after.
In just 10 minutes of prep time and an hour of chilling in the fridge, you’ll have a batch of 12 delicious brownies ready to go. They’re perfect for meal prep, a quick snack, or a healthier dessert option.
For my vegan friends out there, this recipe is a game-changer. It’s not often you find high-protein vegan treats that actually taste good, but these brownies deliver on both fronts. I don’t make a ton of vegan recipes because I find vegan protein powder to be a very strong flavor, but I promise you, these brownies deliver.
How to Make No-Bake Cosmic Brownies
With just a few simple ingredients, you can have a full batch of these protein-packed brownies ready in no time. Here’s what you’ll need (amounts are in the recipe card below):
- Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Canned Pumpkin
- Cocoa Powder
- Sugar-Free Sweetener
- Chocolate Chips
- Chocolate Frosting of Your Choice
- Rainbow Sprinkles
All you need to do is melt the chocolate with syrup and peanut butter, mix in the pumpkin and cocoa powder, then gradually add the protein powder. Vegan protein powder is very absorbant, so adding it last allows the dough to come together really well.
Then, all that is left to do is add the dough to some parchment paper and use your hands to flatten it down into a rectangle.
Spread your frosting on top, add sprinkles, and you’re good to go! The hardest part of this recipe is waiting- you’ll need to let these firm up for about an hour in the fridge to allow the frosting to solidify and the brownie flavor to fully develop.
Once it’s ready to go, you’ll slice it up and see it was worth the wait.
Since this is such a simple recipe, the ingredients you use are very important and can make all the difference. I use PEScience vegan protein powder, which works great in this recipe. The vegan protein powder is crucial here – I tried this recipe with dairy-based protein powder, and it really does not work at all.
While I’m sure you can make it work with the right adjustments, swapping out vegan protein powder (which is super absorbant) for a whey protein powder leads to a sticky mess. If you want a non-vegan option, I recommend sticking with my chocolate no-bake protein cookies.
I also use canned pumpkin in this recipe, which might sound odd, but trust me on this one. It adds moisture and keeps these soft without affecting the flavor. You won’t even know it’s there, but without it, these brownies will be very dense.
You might be tempted to try to save calories by swapping out the creamy peanut butter for powdered peanut butter, but don’t do it! The peanut butter in this recipe gives us the fats we need to create the perfect brownie texture. If you have a peanut allergy, almond butter will work as a substitute.
No Cosmic Brownie is complete without that signature frosting and colorful sprinkles. We’re keeping things simple (and delicious) by using store-bought sugar-free chocolate frosting mixed with a bit more protein powder. This little hack adds extra protein while maintaining that classic Cosmic Brownie look and taste.
The original Cosmic Brownies have those iconic rainbow chip sprinkles that are pretty hard to find. I searched high and low but couldn’t justify buying a large quantity just for this recipe. So, we’re using regular rainbow sprinkles here.
They might not be exactly the same, but they still capture the vibe we are after. Once you top these with sprinkles, you’ll have the full Cosmic Brownie experience.
More Protein-Packed Brownie Recipes
Brownies are my favorite dessert on the planet, so it should come as no surprise that I have a bunch of high-protein brownie recipes here on my blog.
If you need a vegan option, these Cosmic Brownies are what you should stick with. Otherwise, you’ve got some great options to choose from:
Ingredients
Brownie Ingredients
Frosting Ingredients:
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, syrup, and peanut butter. Microwave for about one minute, stirring occasionally until fully melted and smooth.
- Add the canned pumpkin and cocoa powder and fully mix everything together until smooth.
- Lastly, add the protein powder. Vegan powder absorbs a ton of liquid, so it’s important to add it last. Add the protein powder a little bit at a time while mixing to help it all come together easily.
- Add the chocolate dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and then use your hands to flatten and form it into a rectangle.
- Mix your frosting ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth.
- Using a butter knife, spread the frosting over the top of the brownie dough, then top with sprinkles.
- Refrigerate for one hour (or overnight, as these get better as they sit) to allow the frosting to solidify a bit and for the flavors to develop.
- Slice into 12 small brownies, then enjoy!
Notes
- Keep any leftovers stored in the fridge and enjoy them throughout the week. To be honest, I enjoyed the leftover brownies in the following days even more.
- I tried this recipe with dairy-based protein powder, but it does not work nearly as well and the result is very sticky. If you want a non-vegan version, I suggest following my no-bake chocolate protein cookie recipe instead.
- Do not swap the peanut butter for powdered panut butter as you will not end up with the same soft texture. Another nut butter like almond butter will work, though.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 12
Serving Size 1 Brownie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 100Total Fat 5gCarbohydrates 11gProtein 6g
