January 19th, 2012 
Zander 
Posted in 
Does the above wrapper look familiar? At my old job, we had a vending machine that sold these brownies for $0.25! The company I worked for subsidized the cost of the snacks, one of the perks of the job. During one late night at work, I bought 8 of ‘em!
For some reason, I had a craving for these last week. Now, I’ve only ever seen these sold in vending machines, and I haven’t worked in an office in over 5 years. So started my search.
Here’s what I’ve found so far: Plantation Brownies were manufactured by President Baking, which was acquired by Keebler. Then Kellogg’s later bought out Keebler, and supposedly killed the Plantation Brownie.
Now, rumor has it that Mrs Freshley’s has come out with a Chocolate Fudge Brownie that’s supposed to be very similar to the old Plantation Brownie.
I haven’t been able to find anyone that sells them though, so now I’m on the hunt for that. (In the meantime, I tried Tastycake’s overpriced fudge brownie – Close, but no cigar)
If anyone has any info on this, please let me know. 
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Rich Lavene (52)
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Anthony (6)
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Try your local Hostess/Wonder Bread store/outlet. The Hostess Fudge Brownie is suspiciously like Plantation’s. It’s even packaged in the same red & white box with a dozen prepackaged brownies. They’re just as rich and chewy as the Plantation ones I remember from the 80s.
Awesome, thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely be checking that out!
Interesting. Well, not sure where to start, but I am on of the original family members that owned nad operated Plantation. Plantation was the greatest company! We sold it in 1986 to a holding company. Thye sold to President Baking out of Taiwan. The holding company bought many US baking companies including Famous Amos, Bishop, etc. President buried the company, then sold it to Keebler. They destroyed it, and the rest is history. keep in mind that Keebler was bought by Kellogg. I miss the company each and every day. My father is still alive, but his brother passed away 2 years ago this coming June. Mrs. Freshley’s has been around for years. It is owned by Flowers Baking. Flowers attempted to purchase us in the late 1970′s. My father was not interested. They bought a very small operation in Crossville, TN called Vann’s. They actually had a very good brownie. The one they make today is not very good. Unfortunately there are no good brownies on the market today. As for the Hostess brownie… I designed that red, brown and white tray many years ago to be used by Plantation and other private labels that we made – a generic tray. We use to make brownies for Hostess and Dolly Madison – now they are one and the same. Their brownie is not very good. Oh, we also made the large 3 oz. 2 x 4 brownie for Tastykake. They are coming out with a brownie soon, but it is not very good. A lot of history to share with you, but I do not want to bore you. Thank you very much for your support and missing our product line. i do too…
Sincerely,
Steve K.
Wow Steve, that is an amazing story! Thanks for the history lesson, and here’s hoping that someone can once again make a brownie as good as the old Plantation ones!
I was shocked to see that people were actually looking for Plantation Brownies. I got bored one night and just googled Plantation Fudge Brownies and comments came up. Well, if I ever hear of a brownies that is of decent quality I will let you know. I can only tell you that I miss it each and every day. working with my father and uncle was one of the greatest highlights of my life. You probably never thought an actual family member from Plantation would have ever read your posting. Again thank you for your support. I told my father and he was very touched. All my best,
Steve K.
Steve K.,
Don’t despair. The brownies from Beverly Hills Brownie Company are fantastic. Have a look at beverlyhillsbrownie.com
Mark G.
Mark,
Send me a batch of brownies and I’ll post my impressions of them!
Dear Steve,
I have longed for the old Plantation Peanut butter brownies for years! I have to have them before I die! LOL My grandparents bought them for me when I was a child, as did my parents, and I bought them as a teenager. As an adult of 50, (don’t tell anyone…lol)I think of them very often! I have tried to mimmick them, but to no avail. PLEASE HELP!!!
Thank You! (for all the goodies in my lifetime)
Sincerely,
Tara Savilla
Gordy0761@aol.com
Tara:
I’m 49 soon to be 50! Funny that you loved the peanut butter brownies because though they were a great seller and loved by thousands, I never liked them – don’t tell my dad. But the truth is I do not like peanut butter in any form. I have the recipe, I wish I could share it, sorry. But keep dreaming about them. Did you ever try the Creme-filled brownies? The Olde New England brownie? Thank you so much for your support. I will pass your comment on to my father.
God Bless You. Sincerely,
Steve
I am looking for the Plantation Peanut Butter Brownie in the Dallas and Ft Worth, TX area. Anyone know where I can find them?
Curt: Thank you for inquiring about Plantation Peanut Butter Brownies. Unfortunately they are no longer manufactured. I am one of the family members of Plantation. We sold the company in 1986. It was a great company! Since 1986 the company was sold several times along with other baking companies. It was last owned by Keebler/Kellogg. They did a great job of ruining it. So I am sorry to say it is gone. I wish it was still around and we owned it. I will elt my dad know you remember and care.
Thanks for all of your support.
Steve K.
Plantation Brownies were sold at the student store in my middle school. I spent a great deal of my paper route money buying one or two a day (preferred the ones with cream – blue packages, I think) and sometimes at the local convenience store (I’m 39yrs old).
Anthony:
Thank you so much for contacting me about your love for the Plantation Cremed Filled Brownies! Yes, they were in a Blue package! Great memory! And yes, they were delicious! I will share your Email with my dad. He always appreciates hearing from the public. All the best. Happy, safe and healthy holidays to you and your loved ones.
Sincerely,
Steve K.
Central vending of dc lists them. I used to get them from a machine in northern mn. When I moved to fl they had new England brownies which looked identical but weren’t quite as good.
http://www.centralvendingservices.com/vending_products_docs/product_selections/snack_machine_selections.html
they may ship some or tell you how to order some.
Good luck
tim
I’m curious if these are as good as well…
http://www.drsoda.com/kechfubrp.html
I’ve been meaning to try those, as they appear to be the closest things to the original as I could find.
I used to eat plantation brownies every weekend I would go duck hunting as a kid. We’d stop at the local gas station and I would get two for breakfast saturday and sunday morning at around 430. Once I started college 6 years ago I realized I hadn’t seen them in a long time and have been craving them every since. I try brownie after brownie and none can even come close to comparing. Even the hostess brownies, which were pretty good in their own way, and I also can’t find anymore, could never come close to stacking up to the mighty taste of plantation! I guess I will have to try a Mrs. Freshly…. I am glad someone else shares my pain in this matter, because I have become very upset and frustrated about not being able to find my favorite treat as a kid. It really is sad.
Those plantation Brownies were the best brownies I’ve ever TASTED! I looked all over for those things, but never found ‘em. Really sad that this product was discontinued, they are really missed by this gentleman!
I also miss the plantation brownie and googled it hoping to find a place I could get some. I miss them! Interesting history behind the brownie. I wonder why it is so difficult to come up with another very good commercially sold brownie? So what made the plantation brownie so good?
Also, any idea if Hostess makes a brownie still? I’ve never seen them.
WOW! So nice to see that people are still writing and missing Plantation brownies! Everyone should keep in mind that they were discontinued because Keebler and Kellogg did not know how to maintain the product line. They did not give it the TLC that we as family owners of Plantation did. Someone asked about Hostess Brownies. Well the story goes… we manufactured the original fudge brownie for Hostess many years ago. As we did for Dolly Madison (now they are both one company). They were delicious back then. Today they make their own , and use the same tray I designed for them. The brownies is not very good – try it! The Olde New england brownie that was also mentioned was delicious! One of the best sellers of all time! It is very hard to commercially bake a quality brownie. The cost is high and the equipment is expensive – very! I wish we never sold the company! Everyone, thank you for remembering Plantation. The stories are many and if you are ever interested just write and I will post them. As I mentioned in an earlier posting, my uncle passed away two years ago. My dad is still alive. He, and I know my uncle would appreciate from the bottom of their hearts all the nice things you have written about Plantation.
Thanks,
Steve K.
(Son)
I loved the Plantation brownie. I used to eat them all the time. I haven’s had one in probably more than 7 yrs. It doesn’t matter where I shop, I always look for it. I miss eating them. I wish they would come back.
Thanks Tara. My name is Steve and it was my father that started Plantation. It was my life. I miss it each and every day. Thank you for thinking about our product. I will pass it on to my dad. As I mentioned in an earlier posting, my uncle passed away two years ago. It was he and my dad that started the company.
All the best,
Steve K.
I was just eating a Little Debbie Brownie thinking about how much I missed Plantation Brownies. I first found them in a vending machine in middle school in the 80s. I would eat one of those every time I got the chance back then. As I got older, and especially when I traveled I would look for those in gas stations. I too miss them and decided to Google them to see if they are still around anywhere. Sad to know that they are not.
Chad
Sorry Chad! Glad you remember Plantation Brownie. I was looking over the recipe the other day and it hit home how that great formula was no longer being used. What a shame and loss. It was an all natural brownie with no preservatives. I had dinner with my father tonight and as always I reiterated to him how much I missed our family business. The Little Debbie brownie is fair at best in my opinion. Very chewy because they use a lot of corn syrup. Their object is to be cheap – less then Hostess. I taste every brownie that I come across on the market – and I cannot find one that I like. Soooo, keep it in your memory. That you were fortunate to have had Plantation Brownie in your life time.
God Bless you!
Steve K. (Original Plantation family member)
When I think of the hustle and bustle of my early college years, I think of a Plantaion brownie! I returned to Mt San Antonio College hopes of finishing this time! To my disappointment, Plantation brownies are no where to be found at the Mountie Stop
RIP Plantation brownies! Anyone have a good homemade copy!? Can we petition to resurrect the company..!?
I would do anything to rebuild or start a new “Plantation Baking Company!” I am the only one with the original formulation/recipe. But to start a company today would cost an awful lot of money. Just continue to remember the great brownie that we all loved and enjoyed so much. When i use to travel for our company – i was in charge of vending and candy jobbers, the positive comments from all the people I met all over the country was wonderful. It was people like you that made our days! Thank you for your thoughts and love for our brownies.
Sincerely,
Steve K.
I have been searching for these chewy brownies for over a decade. Tonight, I was reminiscing about these vending machine brownies that I used to purchase almost every day when I was in junior high. I did a search and found this site – and this wrapper is exactly the brownie I was looking for!!! I was hoping I could purchase them online but to my chagrin (and many others), I guess I will only continue to remember these delicious brownies.
Sarah, name is Steve. If you read the earlier postings you saw that my family was Plantation Baking. My dad and uncle started it. I grew up in it an worked there after college for 11 years. It was the greatest company. I miss it so much. Thank you so much for thinking about the delicious brownies. I will read your posting to my dad when I see him later this week. My uncle passed away just over two years ago. Together they were a great team.
All my best to you…
Steve K.
steve – thank you for your comment. it made me tear up a little thinking about you reading the comments to your dad! cherish every moment! the quest for a like-brownie continues…take care!
Hi Steve I am another plantation brownie lover, I grew up in the country part of NY and when I moved when I was 15 to Pa I would go visit family in NY and my sister and I would always grab a case of them to take back to pa and now we can’t get them but that doesn’t meen we stop searching, tonight I just ran across a site where it might now be called a plantation devils food and boy does it look good.
Thanks for being a fan! Not sure what that product is. But I can assure you it is not Plantation. But enjoy anyway!
Steve
I have kept one Plantation Brownie in my freezer, over multiple moves, since 2002. I swear to god. I bought it in high school because I thought it sounded awfully racist. I never even ate it. I still have it to this day. If my girlfriend throws it out I don’t know what I’ll do. But I swear to god, I still have it. I wonder if I could sell it on eBay
Racist! What the heck do you mean?
I’m guessing it has something to do with the name? “Plantation” brownies?
Well, I have several in my freezer! I also have the original recipe(s). Let me know if you sell them on Ebay. if you have been reading the earlier posting you would see that I am part of the original Plantation Baking Company owners. Thank you so much for thinking about our brownies. I miss them as well. I share all the posting with my father, the founder (along with his brother).
All the best.
Steve
As for racist, that hurts… If you and anyone who looks up “Plantation” as a definition, actually has nothing to do with slavery or racism. Our family has never been racist. In fact, MANY of our employees were minorities of many different backgrounds and religions. All were treated incredibly well; and many were in managerial ranks. We had one African American gentleman who my father basically raised and took off the streets of Chicago. He worked for my dad for over 40 years! Oh, and his wife and sister worked for us as well. Plantation was a wonderful company to all of its employees.
Steve
Plantation Family
It wasn’t meant to offend, just the blunt honesty of how I took it at the time as a 14 year old back then…basically the age you are most immature… Obviously a decade later it doesn’t come off that way at all now that I’ve grown up.
However if not for that, I wouldn’t still have one to this day. As a few years went by it became almost special to me that it was still there in my freezer, and it became the joke with all of my friends that I would freak out if anybody ate it on me. I kind of consider it a good luck charm? In the way I keep 1976 quarters in the dash of my car and refuse to spend them.
Steve, I will add my comments to the mix. I ran a vending company in the 1980s, and I always ordered plenty of Plantation brownies. They were, and still are, the best brownies I have ever eaten (and I’ve eaten a LOT of brownies, man). I came pretty close to “eating the profits” with that product! I can’t imagine that some baking company couldn’t be persuaded to buy your recipe and continue the tradition–surely!
Please pass along my best to your father–what a great product.
All best,
Cole
PS. I believe that the name is only racist to people who are looking for a fight.
Wow! You remember the good old days! Which vending company? Where? I don’t think we would be willing to sell the recipe. I will pass on your well wishes to my dad. I and I know he will appreciate that. All the best to you. Steve
I have been on a hunt for Plantation brownies for over a year!! Sorry to hear that they are no longer available
Thanks Nicole. I miss them too! More then you can imagine. I grew up in the business and it was my dream to have and run for myself and my two boys. I will let my dad know that you were on the hunt for Plantation brownies, he will appreciate that very much! All the best to you. Sincerely,
Steve
I used to love carefully eating the brownie portion, leaving thr icing for last. I am so sorry they are gone forever. How cool that Steve K. Found this thread & gave us the ( sad) news about our favorite brownie!
Great Call Mengo! The fudge icing was delicious! I once received a letter (1985) from a prison inmate in Florida. He would buy two brownies and one pack of our cookies from the prison commissary and make what he called a “Smash Sandwich.” So you see everyone had their interesting way of eating our product. Oh, and he wanted a job when he was released to work on packaging and marketing his idea! Thany you for think about Plantation, my dad will appreciate it very much. All my best. Sincerely,
Steve
My husband were just talking about the Plantation brownies this evening. He was commenting on how he lived on them in High school. I agree, best brownies! Thanks for the info!
Ummm…This is the most unbelievable story! I LOVE THE INTERNET….sometimes! I’m so glad I got to read these stories!
Steve, I think it’s time you went back into business!
Rich
This is the first that I’ve heard/seen of Plantation Brownies. I never ate vending machine food when I was in the corporate world.
Hope this is not a stale item (and hope the brownies you find aren’t stale either). Looks like Mrs. Freshley’s Fudge Brownies may be at Dollar Tree stores (that may be a regional store, but they may ship). Here is the source:
http://voices.yahoo.com/a-review-mrs-freshleys-fudge-brownies-chocolate-5852568.html
You could also make your own “Plantation Brownies;” here is a book with a recipe for this treat:
http://www.amazon.com/shadow-hill-book-of-squares-bars-and-brownie
Good luck!
Steve,
I have to say that it is great you actually read these posts and respond to them. I work for my father who owns a distribution business and we used to sell Plantation Brownies along with Olde New England Brownies. I have to say we sold a lot of Peanut Butter Plantation Brownies, which also happened to be my favorite. We won’t talk about how many never got sold because I ate them first. Anyway, after the brownie line was destroyed by Keebler, we haven’t sold brownies. Just the other day we acquired a new vending account and he was wondering if we could get him Plantation Brownies to sell in his machines, which is how I found this thread. I am very sad that I will have to tell him I can’t get them (and that I will never eat another one!). I just thought that I would add my two cents into the mix.
Steve, thank you and your family for having once made a terrific brownie!