Brownies & Bars

Lemon Blondies

4.65 from 17 votes
This Lemon Blondies recipe makes little bars that fall somewhere between a cake and a cookie, packed with lemon flavor.
Lemon Blondies all laid out on a surface

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Hi Bold Bakers!

NOTE FROM GEMMA: Welcome back Vedika! She’s here again with a truly inventive recipe for us — Lemon Blondies. Make sure to check out her Salted Caramel Fudge, Dirty Chai Brownies, and Cinnamon Roll Muffins too!

We were struggling to name this recipe. They’re not quite cookie bars, nor are they cake bars. They melt in your mouth, they’re chewy, a little fudgy, and packed with flavor. They’re served in little squares. But these have no chocolate, which means that the name ‘lemon brownies’ is slightly misleading. Blondies? Perhaps. Lemonies? Also perhaps. They’re sort of their own thing.

So I took to Instagram, asking my followers whether to call these ‘lemon brownies,’ ‘lemon blondies,’ or ‘lemonies.’ 12% for the first, 55% for the second, and 33% for the third. Whatever you choose to title this recipe, it is delicious. So good, that each time I make these, they are demolished, lasting no more than a day. 

Lemon Blondies stacked on each other

The base is infused with brown butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. It’s sort of like a cake, but denser, like a brownie. They become even more dense and chewy if you store these in the fridge. 

A layer of lemony glaze adds an elegant, sweet, and tart finish that takes these to the next level and makes them addictively good. 

Lemon Blondies Ingredients

This recipe requires the basics:  flour, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, and vanilla extract. These also contain both, lemon zest and lemon juice. I also toss in a touch of baking powder to add a little aeration. Here are a couple of key things to keep in mind. 

Brown butter. I always use brown butter in cookies because it adds an extra depth and flavor that you don’t want to miss. Browning the butter in these lemon brownies took them to the next level as well.

Lemon Blondies ingredients next to a bowl mixed

Granulated sugar. Regular granulated sugar suffices for this recipe and helps the lemon flavor shine through, something that the molasses from the brown sugar may get in the way of.

Lemon zest and lemon juice: Why do we add lemon juice? Well, brown the butter which means that the butter loses some of the water. We need to re-add that so that the blondies retain their moisture. And what better way than with lemon juice, which adds an extra lemony flavor? The lemon zest is necessary and gives these blondies a whole of lemon scent and flavor, without which they wouldn’t be what they are.

The glaze is super simple: vanilla, confectioners’ sugar, and more lemon juice.

How To Make Lemon Blondies

The process of making these lemon blondies is akin to the creaming method used to make cookies. We start with butter, then we add the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and finally the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt). The difference is in the tweaks and additions – the brown butter, and all the lemon flavors. Finally, the glaze brings this recipe to life. Don’t skip it, it really elevates these. 

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Make Gemma’s Blondies & Lemon Bars

Lemon Blondies

4.65 from 17 votes
Lemon Blondies all laid out on a surface
Author: Vedika Luthra
Servings: 16 squares
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Lemon Blondies all laid out on a surface
Author: Vedika Luthra
Servings: 16 squares

Ingredients

Blondie Batter

  • 9 tablespoons (4 ½ oz/130 g) butter
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 2 large eggs , at room temperature
  • ¾ cup (6 oz/170 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Lemon Glaze

Instructions

To Make the Blondie Batter

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Butter and line a 9x9 inch square pan.
  • In a small saucepan over low heat, add the butter and allow it to come to a simmer. Continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes or until it turns a light amber color and begins to smell nutty. Swirl the pan to allow even browning.
  • Transfer the browned butter to a heat-proof bowl and whisk in the lemon zest. Then let the butter cool completely, about 5 minutes.
  • Once the butter has cooled whisk in the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla.
  • In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread using a spatula all the way to the edges.
  • Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside.

To Make the Lemon Glaze

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla, until smooth. It should be thick, but still runny.

To Glaze the Blondies

  • While the lemon blondies are still slightly warm pour the glaze on top and spread evenly using a spatula.
  • Let the blondies cool completely then place into the refrigerator and chill until the glaze has set and the brownies are firm, about 15 minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
4.65 from 17 votes (16 ratings without comment)
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Suzanne Quatrone
Suzanne Quatrone
1 month ago

Do you think I could add blueberries to these lemon bars?

Doris Marshall
Doris Marshall
3 months ago

Might you have a gluten free recipe of this?

Ylenia
Ylenia
4 months ago

Simply wow! Needed something to bring to some friends and it was so improvised that I had almost nothing to use at home.
Found this recipe but had only oranges. Why not? Tried it and.. Wow.. I love it. Will try without sugar and glaze to give to my 8 months old baby. Thank you so much Gemma! I’m from Italy but I’m giving a try to your recipes since I made your chocolate chips cookies and fell in love. Will try more!

Last edited 4 months ago by Ylenia
Tanya
Tanya
2 years ago

Hi there! These look delicious. I just have a quick question about oven temperature – I’m based in the UK and have a fan-assisted oven. Should I reduce the Celsius temperature by twenty degrees, or do your recipes already take fan-assisted ovens into account for the temperatures?

Thank you! 🙂

About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, best-selling cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking and the Bold Baking Network. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 1000+ videos on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 authority for everything baking.

 

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