brownie

A brownie is a small, dense dessert bar made from chocolate and a batter of flour, sugar, butter or oil, and eggs. Brownies are typically baked until set and cut into squares or rectangles. They range from fudgy to cakey in texture, depending on the proportion of fat, sugar, and leavening, and are often flavored with chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, and sometimes coffee.

Common ingredients include unsweetened or semisweet chocolate, cocoa powder, flour, sugar, eggs, and butter or oil. Some recipes use melted chocolate to enhance fudginess; others rely on cocoa and butter. Nuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows are popular add-ins. The batter is spread in a shallow pan and baked until the top forms a thin crust. Variations include fudgy brownies (more fat and less flour), cakey brownies (more flour and leavening), and chewy brownies (higher sugar and egg content).

Brownies are a staple of American baking and appear in many forms in home kitchens, schools, bake sales, and cafés. They can be served plain or dusted with powdered sugar, frosted, or topped with ice cream. Commercial brownie mixes provide convenience and come in flavors beyond chocolate, such as peanut butter or caramel.

Origins are uncertain; late 19th- to early 20th-century American cookbooks contain similar chocolate bar recipes. The name likely derives from the color and chewy texture, rather than any mythic small creature. Today brownies are widely produced and adapted internationally, with numerous regional and dietary variants, including gluten-free and vegan versions.