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These lemon brownies are sweet and tangy with a soft, moist texture topped with a delicious lemon glaze. It’s a refreshing lemon dessert bursting with fresh lemon flavor in every bite!

If you love these lemon blondies, you’ll also love these citrus desserts including this lemon meringue pie recipe, lemon bars and this lemon sugar cookies recipe!

Stack of lemon brownies.
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Favorite Lemon Dessert

These lemon brownies may be one of my favorite desserts ever! I love fudgy chocolate caramel brownies or rich brown butter blondies, but there’s something about a lemon brownie that’s light and fresh.

They are moist and buttery, like a soft sugar cookies recipe, with just a hint of light lemon taste. The powdered sugar glaze on top is tart and sweet and makes a perfect compliment to the brownies without being overpowering.

Lemon Brownie Recipe Ingredients

These easy lemon brownies are simple to make with flavors that are light and sweet with a gooey texture. Perfect for lemon lovers!

Lemons and lemon zest around it.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Salted butter: Butter adds richness and a savory taste to brownies.
  • Sugar: Sweetness is needed to balance the lemon flavors.
  • Lemon: Both lemon zest and fresh lemon juice will be used in these brownies for that fresh lemon flavor.
  • Eggs: This will help combine the lemon brownie batter and give it the color and flavoring.
  • All-purpose flour: Thickens the batter and gives it a nice thickness when baking.
  • Baking powder: Helps raise the brownies and thickens them while baking in the oven.

Substitutions and Variations

Mix it up with these lemon brownie variations!

  • Other citrus. Try orange zest with orange juice or lemon zest with lime juice.
  • White chocolate. If you missing the chocolate normally in brownies, add some white chocolate chips.
  • Extract. Add up to a teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract or coconut extract for a little flavor.
  • Topping. Try a cream cheese glaze or even just a dusting of powdered sugar. Add a drizzle of white chocolate or top with coconut like these lemon coconut bars.
  • Gluten-free. A few followers have had success substituting gluten-free flour cup-for-cup for all-purpose flour to make gluten-free.

How to Make Lemon Brownies

Lemon brownies are easy to make! Simply, mix ingredients together, bake, then make a glaze to frost the brownies.

Showing how to make lemon brownies in a collage.
  1. Mix. Beat together the butter, sugar, and zest with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. One at a time, mix in the eggs. Then add in the lemon juice. Mix in the flour and baking powder until just combined.
  2. Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8″ baking pan with parchment or foil and spray with nonstick spray. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth it out evenly.
  3. Combine. Whisk together the ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour on top of the brownies and spread evenly to coat.
  4. Bake. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Lemon Glaze

The glaze is sweet with a tart lemon flavor and takes these brownies over the top! Add a little more (or less) juice or zest depending on how much citrus flavor you’d like.

  • Powdered sugar: This is a sweet and powdery texture sugar that helps build up frostings and glazes.
  • Fresh lemon juice: Squeeze the sliced lemon right into the glaze.
  • Zest from half a lemon: The zest will add a tart but sweet texture to the glaze. This is an added touch to the top of the homemade lemon brownies.

5 star review

“Oh my goodness, these were delicious! As per your suggestion, I nearly doubled the lemon zest and juice in both the batter and glaze and they were perfection. Thank you for another fantastic recipe.”

-Shannon
Lemon brownies stacked together on a white plate.

Tips for the Best Lemon Brownies

Follow these easy tips and modifications to make the best lemon brownies.

  • Prepare. Line your pan with parchment or foil for easy cleanup.
  • Fresh lemon. If you’re a big lemon lover like me, you can add more zest and juice to the batter and glaze. Learn how to zest a lemon the easy way.
  • Double it! Feel free to double the recipe and bake in a 9×13″ pan.
  • Cool brownies. Make sure the brownies have cooled completely before slicing them.

Recipe FAQs

Are these brownies, blondies or lemon bars?

Here are the difference between the three and how these came to be lemon brownies. For these to be true blondies, they would need brown sugar!

Lemon bars are made with a shortbread crust and a filling that consists of mainly of eggs, sugar and lemon juice. While usually brownies are fudgy from chocolate and butter, they can be different flavors, just like these with lemon or my strawberry brownies!

What is the secret of a good brownie?

Choosing good quality ingredients and having all ingredients fresh and up to date will help brownies raise properly when baking and combine together without crumbling. Also, sifting your dry ingredients helps lift and give an airy powder.

How to store homemade lemon brownies?

Simply cover the room temperature lemon brownies pan in an airtight container or using plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for four to five days depending on how long they still stay moist and chewy.

Can you freeze lemon brownies?

Yes! You can easily freeze if desired. Just wrap it in plastic wrap and then again with foil. To thaw, set out at room temperature.

Lemon brownies on a white plate.

Do you love brownie recipes? Try cosmic brownies, marshmallow brownies, or cheesecake brownies next time you are baking!

More Lemon Desserts

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stack of lemon brownies

Lemon Brownie Recipe

4.97 from 312 votes
↑ Click stars to rate now!
Author: Jamielyn Nye
These lemon brownies are sweet and tangy with a soft, moist texture topped with a delicious lemon glaze. It's a refreshing lemon dessert bursting with fresh lemon flavor in every bite!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 16

Video

Ingredients 

For the brownies:

  • ½ cup salted butter , softened (1 stick)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 lemon , zested
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon  baking powder

For the glaze:

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • zest of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8×8" pan by spraying with cooking spray or lining with parchment paper, and set aside.
  • In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then add the lemon juice. Add the flour and baking powder, and mix until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
  • For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest, then pour over the brownies, spreading evenly to coat.
  • Let cool completely before slicing. Then slice into 16 squares.

Notes

Note: If using unsalted butter, make sure to add a pinch of 1/4 teaspoon salt to the batter.
Storage: Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 28mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

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