It does not matter if you go crazy for cakey or get flustered by fudgy. Grab a glass of cold milk and get ready to toast the humble yet oh-so-decadent brownie today for National Brownie Day. The United States is a nation of brownie lovers; around 4 billion brownies are consumed every year. Chocolate brownies are the nation’s most popular, with the blond brownie coming in second. 

The history of brownies starts in 1893, when a Chicago socialite asked a chef to make a dessert suitable for ladies attending one of her conventions. The chef then created the Palmer House Brownies with walnuts and an apricot glaze. The dessert eventually morphed into a brownie that more closely resembles the ones that we have today when several housewives in Maine created their “Bangor Brownies.” 

The question that used to stump Americans was whether they prefer cakey or fudgy brownies. However, nowadays the trend is deciding between either vegan or non-vegan brownies. Brownies are traditionally made with eggs and sometimes milk. But with vegan brownies, these are substituted for things like banana, flaxseed, or applesauce. 

Vegan or not, it is clear that Americans love their brownies. Celebrate National Brownie Day by enjoying some today!