These thick and chewy Lemon Brownies are topped with a sweet lemon glaze that crackles when you slice them. Made with melted butter and no mixer required, you’ll have them in the oven in just 10 minutes. They taste like sunshine and disappear just as fast!
Are these lemon blondies or lemon brownies? 🍋
You will see these called lemon blondies and lemon brownies all over the internet, and the truth is they live somewhere in between. A true blondie needs brown sugar, and these use granulated, so technically they are not blondies. I call them brownies because the texture is dense, chewy, and fudgy like a classic chocolate brownie recipe, just lemon flavored instead.
So many recipes lean on white chocolate to carry the flavor, but I left it out and packed in 2 tablespoons of zest plus juice in both the batter and glaze so you taste actual lemon in every bite. My whole family is obsessed with these and I truly cannot keep my kids out of them. I would find them sneaking bites straight out of the pan until there was nothing left!
— ♥︎ Jess —
How To Make Lemon Brownies
Visit the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full directions.
1
MAKE THE BATTER
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined.
2
BAKE THEM
The batter is thick, so press it into an even layer in your pan. Then bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
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3
ADD THE GLAZE
Pour it over the warm brownies and spread it to the edges. Let it FULLY set before slicing, otherwise it will be a little runny like mine was!
Jessica’s Tips
- Use melted butter, not softened. This is the whole trick to a chewy, dense bar. Melt it and let it cool for about 10 minutes before mixing so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
- Zest before you juice. It’s so much easier to zest a whole, firm lemon than a squeezed one. Zest all your lemons with a microplane first, then juice them.
- Use a glass pan. I always bake these in glass. It heats gently and evenly, so the edges stay soft instead of drying out before the middle finishes.
- Don’t over bake. Pull them when a toothpick has a few moist crumbs, not when it’s bone dry. Over baking is the number one reason lemon brownies turn out dry!
- Fresh lemon juice only. The bottled stuff tastes flat and a little metallic. You need real lemons here for that bright flavor, especially in the glaze!
Frequently Asked Questions
Lemon bars have a shortbread crust with a soft custard filling on top. Lemon brownies have no crust. They’re one batter that bakes into a thick, chewy bar, with a texture that’s similar to a brownie. Then they are topped with a thin lemon glaze.
It just needs more powdered sugar or a little less juice. Add powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until it’s thick but still pourable. It will set and firm up as it sits on the brownies.
Almost always, it’s creamed or whipped butter adding too much air. Use fully melted butter and stir gently, just until the flour disappears. Over mixing also makes them puff up and turn cakey.
Over baking is the usual culprit. These keep cooking a little after they leave the oven, so pull them at that just-clean toothpick stage. Measuring flour by weight also helps you avoid packing in too much.
Yes! To make ahead for a party, bake and glaze them a day before, then keep them covered at room temperature.
Lemon Brownies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups (2 1/2 sticks or 288 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 ¼ cups (453 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest, about 1 large lemon worth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 2 cups (270 grams) powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9X13-inch baking pan (or line it with parchment paper). Set aside. I recommend using a glass baking dish for even baking. This helps the brownies stay moist and chewy.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or a whisk), combine the butter and sugar. Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Transfer dough into the prepared baking pan and press into an even layer.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over bake! Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before adding glaze.
- For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add a little more lemon juice if needed to thin out the glaze until your desired consistency. Then pour glaze over the brownies, spreading evenly to coat. Let cool completely before slicing, then slice into 16 squares.
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Notes
Nutrition
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More Easy Summer Desserts To Try
- Banana Split Dump Cake – All the flavors of a banana split in a warm buttery cake.
- Blackberry Pie Bars – Crumbly shortbread crust with a jammy berry filling.
- Lemon Cheesecake – Rich cheesecake with lemon curd on top.
- Berry Cobbler – A classic cobbler with a crunchy oat topping.
- Lemon Blueberry Buckle – Great for desserts or breakfast!
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