The History Of The Brownie Begins In 19th Century Chicago

In 2022, the world's largest brownie was baked by Betty Crocker MENA in Saudi Arabia, a whopping 335-pound brownie that landed in the Guinness Book of World Records. While it was the biggest on record to ever come out of the oven, it certainly isn't the first. The sweet dessert has been around for over a hundred years and was invented for an event that debuted many other new food brands and creations, like Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, the classic caramel popcorn snack called Cracker Jacks, and Juicy Fruit gum. Brownies were developed for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and their creation was commissioned by the head of the event's Board of Lady Managers: Bertha Palmer, who owned a Chicago hotel with her husband called The Palmer House.

Palmer thought a chocolaty, hand-held, cake-like treat would be a hit at the 1893 event (also known as the World's Columbian Exhibition). So, she asked the pastry chefs at the Palmer House hotel to make something that matched her vision. The very first brownie that debuted at the fair was cut into long squares, easy for individual sale and transport as fairgoers wandered the event.

Brownies are a baker's dream because they're sweet and versatile, little transportable hand cakes that deliver just the right amount of luxury. The very first ones released at the 1983 Chicago World's Fair certainly checked off all those requirements. They were made with a rich, fudge-heavy, and walnut-riddled chocolate batter, cut into squares the perfect size for an upscale lunchbox indulgence, and topped with an apricot glaze. Right out of the gate, the original dessert wasn't just a simple homemade fudge brownie with a little powdered sugar on top. It had a touch of opulence about it, both visually and in a well-balanced flavor profile that incorporated the light sweetness of apricot with the velvety richness of chocolate brownie.

The original Palmer House brownie made enough of a splash to cause a worldwide phenomenon, and the dessert has only gotten more varied (and popular) as the years have passed. Now, we put cottage cheese in brownies for an added protein boost, use them as a base for viral desserts like Dubai chocolate brownies, and infuse exciting flavors into the batter like lavender and matcha. If you take a trip to Chicago, though, you can still get the original. Just look on the menu for the apricot-glazed, fudge-laced dessert known as the Palmer House Brownie.