Lemon Brownies
If you love bright citrus desserts, these Lemon Brownies are a must-make. They're soft, chewy, and packed with fresh lemon flavor, then finished with a sweet lemon glaze for the perfect bakery-style treat. These easy lemon dessert bars are perfect for spring, summer gatherings, bake sales, or anytime you want something fresh and sunny.
If you enjoy easy bar desserts, you may also like Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars or Lemon Russian Tea Cakes.
Quick Look: Lemon Brownies
- 🍋 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🔥 Bake Time: 23-25 minutes
- ⏱ Total Time: about 40 minutes, plus cooling
- 🍽 Servings: 9 brownies
- ⚡ Calories: 247 calories per brownie
- 💛 Flavor Profile: bright, sweet, buttery, and lemony
- 👌 Difficulty: easy
Jump to:
Why You'll Love These Lemon Brownies
- They feel like a fun twist on classic brownies for lemon lovers
- They have a soft, chewy texture with lots of fresh lemon flavor
- The sweet lemon glaze makes them extra pretty and delicious
- They're easy to make with simple pantry ingredients
- They're perfect for spring brunches, showers, holidays, and potlucks
Key Ingredients
Some of the ingredients you will need for Lemon Brownies:
- All-purpose flour - gives the brownies structure
- Granulated sugar - sweetens the bars and helps create a tender texture
- Butter, softened - adds richness and helps create that soft, dense brownie texture
- Eggs - bind the batter and keep the brownies moist
- Fresh lemon juice - adds bright citrus flavor
- Lemon zest - gives the brownies their best fresh lemon taste
How to Make Lemon Brownies
Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease or line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Add the butter. Add the softened butter to the flour mixture. Using a hand mixer on low speed, or a sturdy spoon, mix until no large pieces of butter remain and the mixture looks evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
Combine the batter. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until smooth and fully combined. Do not overmix.
Spread into the pan. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
Bake. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center no longer looks wet. Be careful not to overbake.
Cool completely. Let the brownies cool fully in the pan before adding the glaze.
How to Make the Lemon Glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches a thick but spreadable consistency.
Spread the glaze over the completely cooled brownies. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
Expert Tips
- Use softened butter, not melted butter, for the best dense brownie texture.
- Don't overmix the batter or the brownies can turn out tougher than you want.
- For the best lemon flavor, use fresh zest and juice.
- Let the brownies cool completely before glazing so the glaze stays on top instead of melting into the bars.
- For clean slices, chill the brownies for a little while after the glaze sets.
FAQs
They should be soft, dense, and moist, but not underbaked. The center should be set before you remove them from the oven.
Fresh lemon juice is best for this recipe. It gives the brownies a brighter, fresher flavor.
A hand mixer helps combine the softened butter into the flour mixture easily, but you can also use a spoon if your butter is softened well.
Yes. These lemon brownies are a great make-ahead dessert since the glaze sets nicely and the flavor holds up well.
Storage
Store lemon brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you like a firmer texture, store them in the fridge. If you prefer them softer, let them come to room temperature before serving.
If you tried these Lemon Brownies or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments! Thanks for visiting, and come back again!
Lemon Brownies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
For the Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the softened butter to the flour mixture. Using a hand mixer on low speed, or a sturdy spoon, mix until no large pieces of butter remain and the mixture looks evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until smooth and fully combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center no longer looks wet. Do not overbake.
- Let the brownies cool completely in the pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Add more lemon juice, a little at a time, until the glaze is thick but spreadable.
- Spread the glaze over the cooled brownies. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Softened butter works best in this recipe. Do not melt it.
- Let the brownies cool completely before adding glaze.
- For clean slices, chill briefly after glazing.
I'm a bit of a lemon freak too! Can't wait to give these a try!
You did not use baking powder or baking soda? Thanks!
No, you can click on the "source" link above the recipe and see where I got it. It does not call for either one.
Looks delicious!
I just made these and they were heaven! The only thing is mine didn't come out as thick as yours in the picture 🙁
Hmmm, that's odd if you used an 8x8 pan.
I had the same problem....maybe we over mixed
I'd like this recipe for 13x19 :/
I don't have that but I would think you could do a batch and a half. Maybe?
The recipe states at #7 that you can double the it for a 13 x 9 in. pan.
Yay!! Lemon desserts are wonderful, thank you for sharing. Now following!
Hugs, Tanya 🙂
Oh my those look divine! My father in law LOVES lemon so I'll have to make these for him for Fathers Day!!!
These look so good! Quick question...how did you get the link at Naptime to start working!??! Thanks so much! XO, Aimee
I cannot wait to try these, they will be so refreshing on a hot summer day
Oh my gosh these look delicious! I'm doing a lemon project on my blog. Making 33 lemon recipes before 3.3.13 from turning 33 this year, its been fun and lemons are so yummy! Definitely going to add this to my list!
Oh yum. Oh, Yum oh, Yum OH YUM!!!!
Chrissy I am loving this recipe, I love lemon treats, I will be bookmarking this, and tweaking it with my whole wheat flour!
I love lemon! And I bought a bunch today.. sooo going to make these! Pinning them!
Ps.. I love your pictures! They rock!
I love lemon anything and I'm definitely saving this recipe! Thanks for sharing Chrissy!
I love making lemon bars. I have a ton of recipes for bars because my family loves them so much. I mostly use the Martha Stewart recipe. This recipe is similar. I'm going to give these a try. They look so delicious in the photos. Thanks for sharing. I'll let you know how they turn out. Probably make them this weekend.