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Quick and easy Lemon Brownies that are perfectly moist and chewy! The Lemon Glaze on top is the perfect finishing touch, it will be hard to stop at one!

Lemon is a favorite flavor that makes winning favorites divine! You have to try this Chicken, Scallops and Shortbread Cookies.

Rich and zippy Lemon Brownies cut and stacked.

Lemony Lemon Brownies

These lemon brownies are AMAZING!!! Like I can’t stop thinking about them, I want to make another pan right now amazing. Even my family members that do not appreciate lemon like I do, loved these brownies. They are tart and sweet. Thick and chewy these lemon brownies can really satisfy your sweet lemon cravings.

My favorite part about these brownies is that they are so easy! Grab some lemons from the store and you probably have all of the ingredients on hand. They mix in no time at all and are ready to throw into the oven! But let’s be honest. The glaze is probably my favorite part to these brownies. It is the perfect sweet n’ tart, lemony finishing touch. I know that you guys are going to love these brownies! You have to try them today!

What you Need for Easy Lemon Brownies

All you need is a lemon or two and you are set for the best lemon brownies ever!

  • Butter: Soften the butter by bringing to room temperature or softening in the microwave. Do not melt.
  • Sugar: Adds the necessary sweet.
  • Eggs: Adds richness and acts as the binder.
  • Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice.
  • Lemon Zest: From the same lemon you juiced.
  • Flour: All purpose flour will work perfectly.
  • Salt: Adds balance to the flavors.

Lemon Glaze Ingredients 

  • Powdered Sugar: Perfect counterbalance to the lemon.
  • Lemon Juice: Fresh from the same lemon you used for the bars.
  • Lemon Zest: From the other half of the lemon.

How to Make One Bowl Lemon Brownies

These only make a 8×8 inch pan. This can cause problems when everyone eats them before you get one! Don’t take chances and make a double batch. hide the other half just for you.

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy removal.
  2. Mix: In a large mixing bowl or using a stand mixer add the butter, sugar, and lemon zest and beat until it is fluffy.
  3. Add: Add in the eggs and lemon juice, mix till combined.
  4. Beat: Add in the flour and baking powder and beat until it is combined.
  5. Bake: Pour into the 8×8 inch prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. remove and let cool.
  6. Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest from the other half of the lemon. Pour over the top of the slightly cooled lemon brownies.

Mixing the ingredients and spreading it in the pan for lemon brownies.

Why Are They Called Brownies?

If these are filled with lemons instead of chocolate, how can they be called brownies? It is because these Lemon morsels have the same texture as your favorite fudgy brownie.  They are thick and rich. Yet you find them a bit lighter than your average fudgy brownie, which is divine. The fudge like texture melts in your mouth, leaving you wanting more. When you want a dense rich dessert but not the chocolate, you can reach for these!

Tips for the Best Lemon Brownies

You might need more than 1 lemon depending on its size. Look for bright yellow lemons with thin firm skin.

  • Zesting Lemons: Wash your lemons thoroughly before zesting. If you don’t have a zester you can use the smallest holes of a cheese grater. You want to stop zesting once you hit the pith or white part as it is quite bitter.
  • Juicing Tip: Cut and quarter your lemons and then microwave them for about 30 seconds. This helps the lemons release more of its juice.
  • Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of lemons? You can but it will definitely change the flavor a bit. I always prefer fresh. When substituting lemon concentrate for real lemon juice in a recipe, use two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to replace the juice of one lemon. Substitute lemon juice concentrate for equal proportions in any recipe calling for lemon juice.
  • Glaze: If you add the glaze while the lemon brownies are slightly warm, it’ll seep in to the brownie making it that much more moist and tender. But make sure they have cooled mostly first.
  • Add more Lemon: If you are fan of lemons like me, add more zest for more zing.
  • Store: Keep these in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or in the fridge for 1 week. Note they will become more moist and dense as they sit. Day 2 is divine. Freeze these as well for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter till ready to serve.

Lemon Brownies cut into squares ready to eat.

More Brownie Recipes to try

Whether it is a truly fudgy chocolate rich brownie or these lemon brownies, they are just exquisite. Brownies are a comfort food that satisfies with the moist dense texture and flavors that explode in the mouth. When you want to reach for a brownie next time, reach for one of these AMAZING recipes. You will not be sorry!

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Glazed Lemon Brownies

4.95 from 17 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
Quick and easy lemon brownies that are perfectly moist and chewy! The Lemon Glaze on top is the perfect finishing touch! It will be hard to stop at one!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 10 Bars

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon of Lemon juice
  • zest from 1/2 of a lemon
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon Glaze:

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy removal.
  • In a large mixing bowl or using a stand mixer add the butter, sugar, and lemon zest and beat until it is fluffy.
  • Add in the eggs and lemon juice.
  • Add in the flour and baking powder and beat until it is combined.
  • Pour into the 8x8 inch prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove and let cool.
  • To make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest from the other half of the lemon. Pour over the top of the cooled lemon brownies.

Video

Notes

Updated on February 26, 2021
Originally Posted on March 22, 2015

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 154mgPotassium: 30mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 338IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
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About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

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Recipe Rating




66 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These were delicious! But the one thing that confused me is the recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon salt, yet there is never a direction to use it.

  2. 5 stars
    I looked for results using self rising flour but I did not find any so I used it. The brownie turned out to be more like a cake. It was fluffy and moist. It was very close in taste to the Starbucks lemon pound cake. We loved it and will make this desert again – the same way.

  3. 5 stars
    Soooo good! I’m already on my second batch this week! I’m normally not a huge lemon dessert lover but was randomly craving something lemony so I came across this recipe. My husband and I are now obsessed, it’s the perfect amount of sweetness and tang from the lemon, this will definitely be on regular rotation!

  4. Go Back Print

    Recipe Image

    Instruction Images

    Notes

    Nutrition Label
    –+ Bars
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    You can unselect the instruction images. This is going to be perfect for a Memorial Day picnic.

  5. I wanted to print out this recipe but no way was I printing so many pages with all the pictures each step of the way. Maybe you should rethink the way a person can print out the recipe and not waste paper.

    1. Hello! On the recipe card at the bottom of the post, there is a button that says “print recipe”. If you click on that, then it won’t print all of the pages, only the recipe card that has the ingredients and the instructions. Let me know if you have any more questions!

  6. Hiii Alyssa
    Can I use lime instead of lemon bcoz in my country lemons r difficult to find
    If I can use lime Wat is de proportion plz do rply

    1. Yes! You can use the same measurements listed for the lemon but replace them with lime instead. That sounds delicious! Let me know how they turn out!

    2. I wanted to let you know that I made these with Limes and they were good and then I made them with Key Limes which were better because the lime was stronger. I do prefer the Lemon more but I am very much a lemon person.