These easy Lemon Brownies are soft, chewy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor. With thick, fudgy centers and crinkly tops like classic chocolate brownies, they’re a zesty twist on a beloved favorite. Topped with a sweet lemon glaze and fresh lemon zest, these one-bowl bars are the perfect refreshing dessert for spring, summer, or anytime you’re craving citrus.
If you love bright citrus flavor and soft, fudgy textures, these Lemon Brownies are the perfect treat! Made with both fresh lemon juice and zest, these bars have the chewy texture of a chocolate brownie and the tart flavor of a lemon bar.
Topped with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze, they’re the ultimate refreshing dessert—perfect for spring, summer, or anytime you need a zesty pick-me-up. Best of all, they’re made in one bowl and incredibly easy to whip up!
If you love lemony treats as much I do try my lemon blueberry cookies, lemon blueberry cupcakes or lemon white chocolate cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bright and Zesty Flavor: The combination of lemon zest and juice creates a wonderfully vibrant taste that cuts through the sweetness, making these brownies a lemon lover’s dream.
- Perfect brownie-like texture: Just like regular brownies these lemon brownies have chewy edges and a moist, tender center.
- Easy to Make: No complicated techniques required! This recipe is straightforward with simple ingredients and comes together in one bowl !
- Versatile Treat: Ideal for dessert, snacks, or even a sweet addition to brunch.
- Unique and Refreshing: A welcome change from the traditional chocolate brownies, these lemon brownies are a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Lemons: This recipe uses both lemon juice and zest for the most lemony flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the brownies.
- Granulated White Sugar: Sweetens the brownies and enhances the lemon flavor.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds chewiness to these brownies.You can use dark brown sugar as well
- Eggs plus egg yolk: Bind the ingredients together and contribute to the chewy texture.The extra yolk helps to add fudgyness to these bars.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture. Use unsalted butter to control the salt content.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor and balances the lemon.
- Lemon Extract: For an extra punch of lemon flavor.
- Powdered sugar or Confectioner’s sugar: Creates a smooth, sweet glaze.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make this easy lemon brownie recipe.You can use a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer. You can even use a bowl with a sturdy whisk to make these.
Prep: Preheat your oven to 350∘F (175∘C). Grease and line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
Make lemon sugar: In a large mixing bowl, rub together the lemon zest, granulated sugar and light brown sugar using a fork or your hands until the sugar is fragrant and slightly tinted yellow. This helps release the natural oils from the zest and infuses the sugar with bright lemon flavor.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In the same bowl, cream together the lemon sugar and eggs, egg yolk at high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low speed add the melted butter, fresh lemon juice, vanilla and lemon extract.
Combine Wet and Dry: Gently add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Make the glaze:In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth.
Cool: Once the brownies are cooled pour the lemon glaze over the cooled brownies.Sprinkle the top pf the brownies with fresh lemon zest and lift them out using the parchment paper overhang.
Serve: Slice the brownies and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Zest First: Zest the lemons before juicing them for easier handling.
- Use a kitchen scale: For best results I recommend weighing all your ingredients.This ensures accuracy and consistency, especially in baking, where even small measurement differences can affect texture and taste
- Don’t Overbake: Remember that these bars will continue to bake as they cool so you’ll want them to be slightly under baked when you take them out of the oven so they cool to that beautiful, fudgy texture.
- Dont Overmix the batter: Overmixing will lead to tough and dry brownies. Mix the batter until just combined and no specs of dry ingredients remain.
- Let them cool fully– Glazing too soon can cause it to melt into the bars.
FAQ’s
They may have been overmixed or overbaked. For the best texture, mix the batter until just combined and watch the bake time closely. Overbaking will lead to cakey and dry brownies.
Although I wouldn’t recommend it but yes, you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch.The flavor wont be as bright and fresh.
I have never tested this recipe with any alternate flours but you can try to substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
Yes, Add some white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate bar into the batter to turn these into white chocolate lemon brownies.
Storage & Freezing
- Storage: Store leftover lemon brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: To freeze, wrap individual brownies tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Brownie Recipes You Will Love
Recipe
Fudgy Lemon Brownies
Equipment
- 8 inch square pan
- Hand mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
For the lemon glaze
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in a microwave and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, add the granulated and light brown sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar to release the lemon oils into the sugar.
- Add the eggs and egg yolk on high speed for 2-3 minutes and beat until the mixture is light and pale.
- With the mixer on low speed beat in the melted butter, lemon juice and lemon and vanilla extract.
- Using a rubber spatula gently mix in the flour and salt until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack
- For the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest in a small bowl until smooth.
- Once the brownies are cooled pour the lemon glaze over the cooled brownies. Lift them out using the parchment paper overhang. Slice and enjoy!
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