Lemon Brownies

Moist, lemony, and topped with a delicious glaze, these easy lemon brownies are a sweet and tart dessert that looks as pretty as it is yummy. 

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You’ll love these light and fresh lemon brownies topped with a perfectly sweet glaze, especially if you are a fan of lemony desserts. This from-scratch recipe uses real lemon juice and lemon zest for an authentic taste with all the tartness lemon lovers crave.

Lemon Brownies Ingredients

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Lemon brownies are one of those rare treats that deliver on both the tartness of citrus and the indulgence of a dessert.

You might imagine brownies to be chocolate, but these sunshine-infused squares offer a tangy twist on a classic baked good. They are soft, moist, and every bite is packed with lemon flavor.

You’ll need:

For The Brownies:

• ½ cup of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon, about 2 teaspoons
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder

For The Glaze:

• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 teaspoon of lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or more water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon zest, optional garnish

Substitutions And Additions

POWDERED SUGAR: A light dusting of extra powdered sugar over the glaze is a perfect way to add a bit of presentation flair and add a little extra sweetness to these brownies.

GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR: If you’re staying away from gluten, you can easily substitute the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour in this easy recipe.

LEMON EXTRACT: If you don’t have any, you can make a lighter-tasting brownie by substituting vanilla extract, or leaving it out altogether. You can also add extra lemon zest instead in this easy lemon brownies recipe.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Mix ½ cup of white chocolate chips into your brownie batter for extra sweetness.

How To Make This Lemon Brownies Recipe

These lemony bars come together in two parts. First, the delicious brownie base is mixed up and baked. Once they come out of the oven, you will top them with the tangy glaze before slicing and serving.

STEP ONE: To begin your lemon brownie prep, preheat your oven to 350°F, then line a 9×9-inch square glass baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.

STEP TWO: Mix together the oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to combine them thoroughly.

STEP THREE: Beat in the lemon extract, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Then add one egg at a time and then the egg yolk, making sure you are mixing well between each one.

STEP FOUR: Stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the wet ingredients.

STEP FIVE: Beat together for about 1 to 2 minutes until fluffy and well combined.

STEP SIX: Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the brownies to cool for 30 minutes before preparing the glaze.

STEP SEVEN: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, water, lemon extract, and lemon juice until a smooth, paste-like glaze forms.

STEP EIGHT: Spread the sweet lemon glaze over top of the brownies. Allow brownies to cool completely, and the glaze will set so that it’s dry to the touch. Then sprinkle with lemon zest to garnish.

STEP NINE: Cut cooled brownies into pieces and serve.

How To Serve These Lemon Blondies

Enjoy a fresh lemon brownie the next time you are craving the texture of a fudgy brownie but with the refreshing taste of real lemon flavor. Add an iced tea or pineapple lemonade to wash the brownie down.

A scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled in caramel sauce will create an indulgent, creamy contrast that’s sure to send your tastebuds straight to heaven.

Commonly called brookies, you can also try this combination of chocolate brownies and cookies. We also love our chocolate peanut butter brownies.

MORE BROWNIES RECIPES

Dessert Bars

Nutella Brownies

Dessert Bars

Coconut Brownies

Storing This Lemon Brownie Recipe

Keep a batch of these bars on hand for when you are looking for an indulgent and refreshing treat.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store these delicious lemon brownies in an airtight container, either in the fridge or on the counter, for 3 to 4 days.

IN THE FREEZER: Allow the lemon brownies to cool, and do not glaze them. Fully wrap the bars in plastic wrap. Place them in freezer bags, and store them for up to 3 months. Defrost and glaze before serving.

These quick lemon brownies make light and tasty squares that are very simple to bake. For lovers of lemon-flavored sweets, these super soft and moist treats are bursting with fresh lemon flavor for a perfectly refreshing dessert.

More Recipes You’ll Love

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Lemon Brownies

5 from 6 votes

Moist, lemony, and topped with a delicious glaze, these easy lemon brownies are a sweet and tart dessert that looks as pretty as it is yummy. 

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 9

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Ingredients

  

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Brownies

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 lemon zest, about 2 teaspoons
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or more water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon zest, optional garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch square glass baking dish with parchment paper and set it aside.
• Mix together the oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to combine.
• Beat in lemon extract, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add one egg at a time and then the egg yolk, mixing well between each one.
• Stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder and add to the wet mixture.
• Beat together 1 to 2 minutes until fluffy and well combined.
• Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 30 minutes before preparing the glaze.
• Whisk together the powdered sugar, water, lemon extract, and lemon juice until a smooth paste-like glaze forms.
• Spread glaze over the brownies. Allow brownies to cool completely and the glaze will set so that it’s dry to the touch. Garnish with lemon zest.
• Cut into pieces and serve.

Video

Notes

• The oil and the egg yolk help to produce an even thicker brownie. The extra egg yolk also gives the brownie a bit more saturated yellow color. You could always add food coloring for an even more vibrant-looking yellow brownie.
• Add more or less lemon juice/extract/zest as you desire to adjust the depth of lemon flavor in the brownies and the glaze.
• When mixing the glaze, add the liquid ingredients gradually to control the consistency of the glaze. Too much water/liquid will make a very runny and less opaque glaze. I like the white contrast to the brownie color, so I like the glaze to be more opaque and thick. The glaze is very sweet. Just a light glaze or even a drizzle would be great, too.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

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