The first-known printed use of the word brownie to describe a dessert appeared in the 1896 version of the Boston Cooking-School Cookbook by Fannie Farmer, in reference to molasses cakes baked individually in tin Molds.
However, Farmer's brownies did not contain chocolate. Brownies in this style are now known as "blondies", derived from the term "blond brownies", which appeared in the mid-1900s.
In 1899, the first-known recipe was published in Machias Cookbook. They were called "Brownie's Food". The recipe appears on page 23 in the cake section of the book. Marie Kelley from Whitewater, Wisconsin, created the recipe.