12 Brownie Fun Facts for National Brownie Day

Whether you’re a chocolate fiend or just an average dessert-appreciator, on National Brownie Day (December 8th) you should be observing with a brownie in hand. And in honor of the celebration, besides eating more brownies than we should admit, we decided to dig up some of the most noteworthy and obscure brownie info that exists. So if you’ve ever found yourself wondering where a brownie came from, or you’re trying to up your trivia game, the following list is for you. 

Here’s a compilation of must-know brownie info.  

1.  Adding “ie” to the end of a word has been said to give a word a “cuter” feel. Being that brownies are, well…brown, and clearly adorable, the name “brownie” was born. BTW, do you know what’s cuter than a brownie? A mini-brownie, of course!
2.  Blondies are a variation of brownies that do not contain chocolate (although we’ve been known to place quite a few chunks in ours) 
3.  Although the origin of brownies is not known, some theories suggest they were created after a chef made a mistake. He accidentally added chocolate to a cake mix, thus creating brownies. Not the worst mistake he could have made!
4. The first officially documented brownies were made in Chicago for a ladies' fair luncheon in the late 1800s. The event chefs were asked to invent a new dessert that could be included in the boxed lunches at the events. These brownies were decorated with an apricot glaze and a layer of walnuts. 
5.  The largest brownie ever made weighed in at 3000 pounds and was served at the Hudson Valley Chocolate Festival in 2001. It included 850 pounds of sugar, 750 pounds of chocolate chips, 500 pounds of butter, 500 pounds of flour, and 3,500 eggs. You can just cut that recipe by 1,000 next time you’re baking.
6. Although not matching up to the Hudson Valley brownie in weight, the Guinness World Records has deemed the largest brownie to be 335.1 pounds, made of 210 packs of Betty Crocker brownie mix and its various required ingredients.
7.     Greyston Bakery is on a mission to create meaningful jobs for those facing barriers to employment through the sale of brownies. The saying goes, “We don’t hire people to bake brownies, we bake brownies to hire people.” You can support our mission by buying any of our eight flavors: Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Double Chocolate Chip Blondie, Vegan Birthday Cake, Snickerdoodle Blondie, Vegan Cinnamon Roll, Vegan Fudge Brownie, Espresso Roast, or our seasonal Dark Chocolate Peppermint.
8.   Brownies typically have five standard ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and chocolate. But not all brownies are made equal! At Greyston Bakery we've perfected the vegan chocolate brownie with only plant based ingredients.
9. If you want a brownie that is closer to fudge, you can use fewer leavening agents, like baking soda or flour. And try to minimize whisking, since excessive whisking creates more air bubbles.
10. Brownies actually have two of their own holidays, knocking every other holiday out of the park. National Brownie Day is on December 8th, and Have a Brownie Day is on February 10th. But you should definitely have a brownie on both days. And the other 363.
11. Brownie points is a term used to describe the imaginary award earned by doing something good or sucking up to someone else. Want to earn some brownie points with us? Check out our new seasonal flavor - Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownie, or our new Espresso Roast Brownie, it’s a win-win, really.
12. The Most Expensive Chocolate Brownie, the Brownie Extraordinaire, can be found in the Crystal Menu of Brulee in Atlantic City, NJ. It costs $1,000. Besides the brownie itself, the dessert is paired with a $750 St. Louis crystal atomizer filled with a shot of rare port wine.

Greyston Bakery brownies are guaranteed to excite your taste buds any day of the year, but they have an extra kick on National Brownie Day. If all these brownie facts are making you hungry, pick a few of your favorites to order from our online shop for the cherry on top of national brownie day!