Find out who invented brownies, and what the original recipe was! Dive into fun facts about brownies, brownie variations, and types of brownies you can make at home.
As a professional recipe developer for almost 30 years I am fascinated by the history of food and recipes. Brownies are no exception because some of the top Tara Teaspoon recipes are my Ultimate Brownie Recipe, and the perfect topping: The Best Frosting for Brownies.
Who Invented Brownies
Brownies, a classic American treat, have a crazy origin story and were invented by Bertha Palmer in Chicago. From their inception as a boxed lunch treat in the late 1800's to the chocolate, fudgy dessert we know today, you'll be surprised by some fun facts and history.
Where Did Brownies Come From?
The very first Palmer House Brownie was created in 1893 at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel for the World’s Columbian Exposition at the World's Fair, and given out at the Women's Pavilion.
Bertha Palmer, wife of Potter Palmer of Chicago's fancy Palmer House hotel, asked the hotel’s pastry chefs to make a dessert that was easy to pack in boxed lunches. She wanted something more elegant than a cookie and less messy than a slice of cake.
The chefs made a rich, chocolate bar topped with chopped walnuts and a glossy apricot glaze. That original Palmer House Brownie is still served at the hotel today and you can buy them in the hotel lobby, more than 100 years later! It remains one of the most iconic examples of early American dessert innovation.
The first time a printed recipe for brownies appeared was in a cookbook by Fannie Farmer in 1896. But, there was no chocolate in it! It was basically a bar cookie.
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The First Printed Chocolate Brownie Recipe
Fannie Farmer’s 1896 cookbook featured one of the first printed brownie recipes, it didn’t include chocolate—just molasses and nuts, more like a dense spice bar.
The first chocolate brownies appeared a few years later in a 1904 cookbook from Bangor, Maine, and a 1905 recipe printed in the Boston Globe. By 1906, chocolate brownies were gaining national attention and were even featured in a Sears-Roebuck catalog.
These recipes marked the true beginning of the brownie as we know it—fudgy and chocolate-forward.
The Original Brownie Recipe
The first time a brownie recipe was published it appeared in the Fannie Farmer cookbook in 1896. It was a simple bar cookie with no chocolate.
It took a few years for everyone to agree on the ingredients. Years later, there was a newspaper ad for "chocolate brownies." And these treats, as we know them today, were born.Here is the original brownie recipe as printed in the 1896 Fannie Farmer Cookbook:
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup "Porto Rico" molasses
- 1 egg, well beaten
- ⅞ cup bread flour
- 1 cup pecan meat, cut in pieces
Types of Brownies
Brownies are known as a rich, chocolatey squares of comfort, but brownies aren’t one-size-fits-all. This dessert has evolved into multiple textures and flavors, with bakers and consumers fiercely loyal to their favorite kind.
The three main types of brownies are fudgy, cakey, and chewy, and each has its redeeming qualities.
Fudgy brownies
Fudgy brownies are dense and moist, with a soft, almost gooey center. They rely on a higher fat-to-flour ratio, which is more butter and chocolate, and less flour, to get that decadent texture.
They are rich, slightly underbaked in the best way, and deeply chocolatey. It’s the kind of brownie that clings to the knife when you slice it!
Cakey brownies
Cakey brownies, on the other hand, lean more into the structure of a traditional cake. They’re lighter and fluffier, thanks to more flour and often an extra egg for lift. You’ll usually find a crackly top and a tender crumb, and are perfect for those who want a brownie that feels just a little more polished.
Chewy brownies
Then there’s the chewy brownie, which in my opinion is the best of both worlds. It has a bit of the dense fudginess but with enough structure to bite cleanly. Chewy brownies often use brown sugar for moisture and that irresistible toffee-like chew.
My chewy and fudgy brownie recipe falls squarly in this camp and is really the ultimate brownie recipe. It's perfect to eat on it's own, and great with frosting.
There are so many modern variations for brownies: swirl brownies with cream cheese or peanut butter, brownies loaded with candy or cookies, and even the blondie, a brownie’s cocoa-free cousin made with brown sugar and vanilla instead of chocolate.
No matter your brownie personality, there’s a version out there that speaks to you, and I’ve baked just about all of them.
How to make brownies
- Look for good-quality chocolate and unsweetened cocoa. Chocolate chips often have stabilizers mixed in that could affect your recipe if you use them. Look for baking bars or high quality chocolate disks, unless the recipe specifically calls for chocolate chips.
- Don't over mix. Like any baked good, you don't want to stir the batter too much or you will get a tough treat. I like to beat my eggs well before adding them to the other ingredients, so I can avoid stirring too much once the dry ingredients get added.
- Don't over bake! This one is key. Baking until these treats are fully cooked through tends to create dry brownies. The soft, fudgy mixture will keep baking out of the oven a few minutes and then cool to a perfect dessert if you underbake them just slightly. Good recipes will give you a cue as to when to take them out of the oven.
What Makes Brownies Rise?
Eggs, butter and sugar make brownies rise and are the basis for every baked good I love. These ingredients create the air pockets and leavening to help these chocolate treats form the fudgy or cakey structure you like.
Do They Need Baking Powder?
Recipes for cakey variations call for more flour, and baking powder is used to help them rise.
If you love fudgy brownies, you don't need baking powder. In fact, with baking powder you won't get the dense, moist, rich taste you're looking for, therefore leave it out!
Katharine Hepburn Brownies
Probably the most famous celebrity brownie recipe is Katharine Hepburn's. There are a few different stories about it. One story is that she gave it to a gossip columnist in New York to publish.
Another story is that a family in her neighborhood asked her to convince their daughter not to drop out of college. They became friends and brought over brownies one day. She said they were terrible and gave them her own recipe.
A few days later she died! The daughter sent the recipe in a letter to the New York Times.
Katharine Hepburn must have had a real taste for the fudgy kind! The recipe uses only a tiny bit of flour. Lots of people love it.
Homemade vs Box Mix Brownies
These days there is a great brownie debate: homemade or from a box?
I’m a brownie purist at heart, and my go-to homemade brownie recipe is rich, fudgy, and full of deep chocolate flavor. But I won’t pretend I don’t love a good boxed brownie now and then. I especially like that boxed brownies create a chewy, nostalgic square that reminds everyone of bake sales and childhood.
Box mixes typically use cocoa powder and vegetable oil, which gives them their signature chewy texture and lighter chocolate taste.
Homemade brownies, on the other hand, rely on cocoa powder and often real chocolate, butter, and eggs for a denser, more decadent bite.
The type of fat used is key: butter adds richness and structure, while oil lends chew. Want the best of both worlds? Try swapping a bit of the butter in your homemade batter for oil to mimic that boxed mix chewiness—without sacrificing flavor.
Variations
You'll find nine brownie variations in my article on Unique Brownie Recipes! They are easy recipes to make with a brownie mix, but you can also make the flavors with homemade brownies.
You'll also find other types of brownies I make for holidays and occasions here:
- Cookie Stuffed Brownies with Oreos
- Peppermint Marshmallow Brownies
- Christmas Peppermint Brownies
- Fudgy Squash Brownies
- Peanut Butter Brownie Cake
Equipment
Depending on your brownie recipe, you'll need a good baking pan. Brownie recipes are baked in 9-by-13-inch pans, square pans, and specialty pans. Here are my favorite:
- Quarter Sheet Pan - a great 9-by-13-inch pan with low sides for brownies.
- 9-inch Baking Pan - with straight sides for the perfect shape.
- Divided Brownie Pan - bake brownies into pre-cut squares.
- Edge Brownie Pan - for those who love the crispy edges.
Recipes with Brownies
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Jesseca says
I had no idea brownies had such a wild backstory! Bertha Palmer really came through for all of us with that boxed lunch idea. And Fannie Farmer’s version with no chocolate?? I feel personally betrayed by that one
Tara T. says
Haha, agreed Jesseca on the betrayal.
Jill says
I love the story about the Audrey Hepburn brownies! So many great tips and tricks. I have been using your frosting for brownies for years and keep coming back to it!
Tara T. says
Thank you Jill! That made my day and I'm so glad it's your go-to brownie frosting recipe.
Tara