Lemon Brownies
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Dear Lemon Brownies. Hello. I love you. I’m going to be making you forever and ever! Sincerely, a lemon lover.
If you’re a lemon lover like me, you also need to make my Lemon Cheesecake Bars, Lemon Curd Cookies, or these Lemon Poppyseed Scones.
My lemon brownies are “fudgy” thanks to the white chocolate but they still have a little bit of a delicate, cake-like texture.
They are perfectly moist, soft, packed with lots of bright lemon flavor and a hint of vanilla to add depth.
I like to top them with a simple lemon glaze made from just powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. The glaze adds another burst of citrusy goodness in each bite that truly makes this dessert irresistible.
What are lemon brownies?
- They are similar to lemon blondies, but my lemon brownies have white chocolate in them to give them that fudgy texture like a real brownie. The are much different than lemon bars; those have a shortbread crust and a lemon filling.
Why this recipe works
- Rubbing the sugar and lemon zest between your fingertips to create a lemon sugar releases the natural oils and infuses more lemon flavor into the lemon brownies.
- No mixer required!
- The glaze on top seeps down and soaks into the brownies making them even more moist, tender and totally delish.
Ingredients
For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- Butter: go for an unsalted butter.
- White chocolate bar: Use high-quality white chocolate for the best flavor and texture (not white chocolate chips). I used Ghirardelli.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is the primary sweetener in lemon brownies.
- Lemon zest & juice: Use a microplane or fine grater to zest the lemons, being careful to avoid the bitter white pith beneath the yellow zest.
- Eggs: Eggs act as a binder and provide moisture to the brownies and they extra yolk helps make them perfectly chewy. Use large eggs at room temperature for best results.
- Lemon and Vanilla extract: I love adding in both extracts for best flavor.
- Dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder and powdered sugar for the glaze.
Step by Step Directions
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions.
- Melt the white chocolate and butter together.
- Rub sugar and zest together.
- Whisk in the eggs and both extracts.
- Stir in the chocolate butter mixture.
- Add dry ingredients. Then lemon juice.
- Bake, cool, then glaze.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Over mix: Once you start adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix only until just combined. Over mixing can lead to tough brownies.
- Don’t Over bake: Over baking can result in dry brownies. Bake just until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. They will continue to cook slightly as they cool in the pan.
- Use a light colored pan: a darker color metal pan absorbs more heat and may result in a darker and thicker crust. Use a light colored aluminum pan for a lighter more tender crust. I haven’t tested this recipe in a glass pan, but you will need to add more baking time if using a glass pan.
Storage
- Room temperature: once cooled, store in an air tight container or baggie for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: store for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: 2-3 months.
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Lemon Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, unsalted
- 1, 4 oz. white chocolate bar (I used Ghirardelli )
- 3/4 heaping cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp. lemon zest (I used 2 large lemons)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tsp. lemon extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. baking powder
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 inch light colored aluminized steel baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the butter and white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.1/2 cup butter, unsalted, 1, 4 oz. white chocolate bar
- Microwave for 1 minute (cover with a paper towel to prevent splatter), then stir. Continue heating in ~15-30-second increments, stirring between, until the mixture is melted and smooth but not scorched. Remove from the microwave allow to cool slightly.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Rub the sugar and lemon zest between your fingertips to create a lemon sugar. This helps release the natural oils and infuses more lemon flavor into the brownies.3/4 heaping cup granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. lemon zest (I used 2 large lemons)
- Add the eggs and extracts and whisk for about 1 minute.2 large eggs, room temperature, 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 1 tsp. lemon extract, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pour in the white chocolate/butter mixture and fold until combined.
- Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold a few times.1 cup + 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. baking powder
- Add the lemon juice last.2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)
- Fold until incorporated, do not over mix. (You can fold in some white chocolate chips in this step too, if desired).
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for ~25-30 minutes. The edges will look golden brown, (the tops won't be browned), and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean, a few moist crumbs are OK. As always, be careful not to over bake. Allow to cool completely.
- Whisk/stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. It should be thick, but pourable. Spread over the cooled lemon brownies with an offset spatula.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)
- Garnish with lemon zest on top (optional) and allow to set up for ~15-30 minutes before slicing and enjoying…if you can wait! 🤣 Store at room temperature for 2-3 days, or I really enjoy these brownies cold, too!
Video
Notes
- Refrigerator: store for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: 2-3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
FAQ
Can I bake these lemon brownies in a 9×13 if I double the recipe?
Yes, that should work. I haven’t tested it yet personally.
Can I use white chocolate chips, instead of the bar?
I would recommend high quality white chocolate chips for best results and use ~3/4 – 1 cup white chocolate chips to get the same result.
These lemon brownies are our new favorites! It’s brownie texture meets a traditional lemon bar tart/sweetness is a perfect combination. They are a breeze to make and definitely do nit skip the glaze!
So happy you enjoyed them! thank you! 🙂
These are so good I had to leave a review telling the world how good they are. I didn’t even use lemon extract (didn’t have any) and I can’t stop eating them. Send help.
It was a hit. I do not cook or bake. Had some new neighbors over and found out what they ate and that part was easy(salmon,peas, potatoe).
I love lemon and your recipe came out perfectly. Soooo tasty
I sent them home w the rest of the lemon zests, otherwise, they would have been eaten by end of day! Merci, Fredda
Does the glaze harden? Wondering if I can individually wrap them.
I doesn’t harden very much. I would be careful if you wrapped them, or maybe try refrigerating them prior to wrapping 🙂
I made these for my knitting group as well as for my work and I was shocked at how quickly they disappeared. This was a great recipe to follow and SO original! No one had ever heard of lemon brownies but everyone raved about the texture and how good they were. I love your baking recipes, and this one was another winner!
I am so glad they were a hit Sarah! Thank you for the really kind review, I appreciate it!
I loved this recipe, I did some twists:
Since I did not have white chocolate I folded at the end 120 gr of chocolate chips and also I made it a bundt cake and I added 120 ml of warm cream milk. It was delicious. Thank you for sharing it!!!
wow that sounds great! thank you so much!
These were outrageous! Brought them to a girl cousin’s get together and they were a huge hit. My only mistake was not saving any for our family before packing them all up! Guess I need to make another batch 😀
Oh my word! These are delicious and so simple! I made them 2x in one week! My family devoured them. The only ingredient I don’t normally have on hand is a white chocolate bar. But you best believe I’m going to make them a staple in my house from now on. What a great recipe!
I made these for a party and everyone loved them! The recipe was perfect and the end result was fabulous. These have a wonderful lemon taste and a great texture. I would not change a thing.
haha i love it!! thank you soo much 🙂
These are my new favorite! The White chocolate is what took these over the top. Everyone LOVED them.
incredible! thank you sooo so much!