These soft, fudgy Lemon Brownies will quickly become your new favorite treat with just the right amount of sweet and tart, and the perfect brownie texture.
Originally posted in August 2012. Content and photos updated February 2020 to improve reader experience
If you want to know the {food} way to my heart, it’s really quite simple. Chocolate, cheesecake and ALL THINGS LEMON. Savory, sweet, to eat or drink – if it has lemon, you can pretty much bet that I’m gonna love it. And these lemon brownies…stole my heart many years ago.
You may be wondering how a lemon dessert can be called a “brownie”, so let me explain. There is no chocolate, so in that respect it is nothing like a brownie. What makes this a brownie, is the texture. The way that it is soft, chewy, and fudgy in texture, like a chocolate brownie would be. But, it’s lemon. Gloriously lemon.
But here’s the thing…they aren’t too sweet. Or too lemony (if there is such a thing.) The brownie part is lightly lemony and just sweet enough, but it’s the glaze, my friends. The glaze is where you get a punch of tartness from the lemon zest and juice, but it’s offset enough by the sweetness that it won’t make you pucker. They’re just perfect. I don’t know how many times I should say it, but they are. Perfect.
What ingredients do you need to make Lemon Brownies?
– Flour
– Sugar
– Salt
– Butter
– Eggs
– Lemons (Juice and Zest)
– Powdered Sugar
How to make Lemon Brownies:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving enough over the edges that you can use to easily remove the final product from the pan.
2.) In a large bowl or stand mixer, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Slowly mix in the softened butter, using a hand mixer or stand mixer on low speed until just combined.
3.) In another bowl whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour the mixture into the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated.
4.) Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5.) Remove and let cool completely in the pan then glaze.
6.) Prepare the glaze by mixing the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Once the brownies are cooled, pour the glaze over the top and spread with a spatula to evenly coat. Allow it to set, then remove the brownies from the pan (using the overhanging foil), and cut into squares.
Lemon Bars vs. Lemon Brownies: What’s the difference?
How are these lemon brownies different from lemon brownies? Well, even though they use the same basic ingredients (in different measurements), lemon bars have a shortbread crust and a lemon filling, where lemon brownies are just one “layer” with a delicious glaze. The texture is completely different, but they are both amazing lemon desserts.
Love all things lemon? Then you’ll really love my Lemon Cake Roll and No-Bake Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart!
We may be in the midst of a very strange winter, but these lemon brownies remind me of summer warmth and sunshine, which makes me smile from the inside-out! Make these right away, and I’m sure you’ll agree!
How to store Lemon Brownies:
To keep the brownies from drying out, keep them stored in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3-5 days (though I doubt they’ll be around that long!)
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Lemon Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
For the lemon glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving enough over the edges that you can use to easily remove the final product from the pan.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Slowly mix in the softened butter, using a hand mixer or stand mixer on low speed until just combined.
- In another bowl whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour the mixture into the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pan then glaze.
- Prepare the glaze by mixing the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Once the brownies are cooled, pour the glaze over the top and spread with a spatula to evenly coat. Allow it to set, then remove the brownies from the pan (using the overhanging foil), and cut into squares.
Nutrition
And here’s a few more lemon desserts I love!
Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes by Once Upon a Chef
Lemon Ice Cream by An Affair from the Heart
And this, my dear, is why I know I'll love you forever 😉