Find Brownies Near You for Curbside Pickup & Delivery

Brownies are a chocolate baked confection that has a square or rectangular shape. The texture can be cakey or fudgy. And it depends on the density of the form.

Most common ingredients include:

• Chocolate chips
• Frosting
• Nuts
• Cream cheese
• Flour
• Butter
• Eggs
• Chocolate
• Cocoa powder
• Sugar

There is also a version known as a blondie. It is made with vanilla and brown sugar instead of chocolate.

These delicious baked squares are often served with milk, ice cream, whipped cream, or fudge and powdered sugar. And they’re usually eaten by hand.

If you’re in Chicago, you can find this tasty dessert in Bartoli’s Pizzeria! They make them topped with chocolate frosting.

So, who invented chocolate brownies?

According to a popular story, it was Bertha Palmer. She was a Chicago socialite. And her husband, Potter Palmer, ran the Palmer House Hotel. In 1893, the World’s Fair Columbian Exposition event took place.

For that occasion, Bertha asked the hotel’s pastry chef to make her a special dessert. She needed a tiny cake or confection that could fit in boxed lunches. And so, the pastry chef made her a thick chocolate bar with walnuts and an apricot glaze.

Today, the hotel still offers a dessert based on that original recipe.

However, the term “brownies” was first used in 1896. This was in Fannie Farmer’s “Boston Cooking-School CookBook”. And it referred to molasses cakes in slime molds. But, these were without chocolate.

Later, in 1899, the first recipe was featured in "Machias Cookbook". And it was created by Marie Kelley from Wisconsin.

As for the modern-like version, recipes appeared in several cookbooks. These include the "Service Club CookBook" and "Home Cookery" from 1904. And "The Boston Globe" from 1905. The dessert from these recipes was cake-like and rather mild.

A recipe also appeared in Lowney's Cook Book by Maria Willet Howard. This one included an additional egg and a chocolate square which made it fudgier. And so, by 1907, the dessert was well established in a notable form.

These chocolate baked confections became popular in the U.S. and Canada throughout the first half of the 1900s. And they still are today! Moreover, according to digital research technology, the term has been increasingly published since the 1970s.

In the U.S. the dessert is very common in coffeehouses and restaurants. And there are even whole cookbooks dedicated to it.

There is a great restaurant in Barrington called “Slice Pizzeria” where you can get mouth watering brownies!

The keto version is made with almond flour. And also cocoa powder. This gives it an authentic taste. Additionally, instead of regular sugar, granulated erythritol is used. And frosting can also be added. But the end result is delicious either way!

As for the chocolate chunks, dark baking chocolate is typically used. And sugar-free chocolate chips could be included as well. All this makes for a tasty keto dessert that is still very fudgy and chewy!

The vegan version is made with chocolate chips that don’t have dairy. And also with unsweetened cocoa powder. In addition, all-purpose flour is used. As well as vanilla extract, granulated sugar, baking powder, vegan batter, and more.

The result is a mouthwatering vegan dessert that is perfectly fudgy and gooey!