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Why is it Called a Brownie?

The name “brownie” comes from, and we’re sure you already know this, the brown color of the iconic sweet! A result of the copious amounts of cocoa powder added to the brownie recipe, chocolate brownies are recognized all over the world.

A classic American finger food, brownies have been around for a very long time and today, we’re exploring their history! If you’d like to learn more about this staple sweet stick around as we’re doing a true deep dive. If, however, you’re here only for a sweet of your own, head to the bottom of this page! There, you’ll find brownie restaurants near you.

Who Invented the Brownie?

We can thank Chicago socialite and philanthropist Bertha Palmer for the invention of the brownie.

Back in 1893 Bertha was the head of the Board of Lady Managers at the World’s Columbian Exposition. Held in Chicago, the expo celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival to the new world.

To honor the occasion, many people showcased original displays, promoting novel items that would later on become staples of the modern world. It was at this expo that, alongside the ferris wheel and Juicy Fruit chewing gum, the brownie was introduced!

Aside from being head of the board at the expo, Bertha was also part of Palmer House confectionery. She instructed the pastry chefs to come up with an easy to carry desser that could be transported in lunch boxes.

The chefs came up with some amazing ideas, one of which was the brownie. However, back then it wasn’t called that. In fact, it still didn’t have a name. A few years later though, the brownie recipe started appearing in American cookbooks and got its now world famous name.

Fun Facts

• There are two holidays dedicated to this iconic sweet
• The name of this dessert is also the name of a Scottish mythical creature
• Walnuts are the most popular addition
• The first-ever mention of this dessert in a cookbook was in 1904

Is a Brownie Just a Cake?

Nope! Although it may seem like it, a brownie isn’t actually a cake. Given that the dessert is a finger food, that disqualifies it from being categorized as a cake. However, it does have similarities to cakes in spite of this technicality.

To make a brownie, your chef will use all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs. It’s very important to use unsalted butter and unsweetened cocoa powder as the taste may be off otherwise. The recipe also often features vanilla extract as well as chocolate chips for that extra chocolate flavor!

If you’ve ever made boxed brownies, you already know the process of making them. However, we’d still like to go over the way restaurants make them to give you a better idea of what you’re getting when ordering.

To start the homemade brownie process, your chef will mix all the dry ingredients first. Once that is done, everything wet gets added to the mix. Any additions, like chocolate chips or berries, come at this stage. After this, the batter gets poured into a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

The brownies are then baked in a preheated oven. Once done, your chef will usually leave them to rest for a while and adjust to room temperature. Afterwards, the sweet can receive a coat of chocolate ganache or be left as they are to display their crackly tops.

Are Brownies Healthy?

Although not the healthiest dessert around, brownies are actually a great sweet and should be enjoyed whenever you’d like!

A classic, regular-sized portion can have anywhere from 150 to 250 calories. This number varies depending on the ingredients used when making the sweet and any additions.

A 240-calorie brownie has 12.9g of fat, 29.8g of carbs, and 2.7g of protein.

If you’re looking for a healthier version, ask for a dark chocolate. This way you’ll be getting less calories and more nutrients. You can also stick to ones made with sugar and butter substitutes to cut down that calorie count.

Brownie Restaurants Near Me

Now that we’ve gone over everything about this delicious sweet, we can give you some restaurant recommendations! Keep in mind that our list only includes a few cities. However, you can find more specific recommendations on our website!

For the best brownies in Baltimore, visit The Hopkins Spot!

Finally, for everyone in New York we’d like to highlight Anas Cafes.