Perfect FUDGY Lemon Brownies (with VIDEO)

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Have you ever thought a brownie could exist in lemon form? They can! These Lemon Brownies have all the fudginess and deliciousness of traditional chocolate brownies with a fresh fruity flare. They are easy to prepare with simple ingredients and full of flavor. They also stay soft and fudgy for a week! If you are a die hard chocolate lover like me, then you will be surprised at how a lemon "brownie" can be so satisfying. If you love baking with white chocolate, try my fudgy White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies too!

sliced iced lemon brownies on parchment showing fudgy texture

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Fast & easy to make - these blondies come together quickly and take less than 30 minutes to bake.
Fudgy texture - my lemon blondies have the same fudgy texture as a chocolate brownie! They are chewy and moist with a shiny crust on top.
Creamy white chocolate blondies - these squares are based on white chocolate to provide sweet creamy notes to carry that bright citrus taste. Use pure white chocolate with 100% cocoa butter. White chocolate and lemon is such a delicious combination!
Bright lemon taste - lemon zest adds such bright flavor and pairs so well with the creamy notes of white chocolate.
Lemon glaze - the lemon icing on top is tangy, sour and sweet and delicious.

lemon brownies sliced on parchment paper with lemon icing

INGREDIENTS

Unsalted butter - these blondies have a soft fudgy texture and are made with butter. I prefer unsalted butter for its sweet creamy flavour.
All purpose flour - regular all purpose flour is perfect to make fudgy and chewy blondies. Use unbleached flour which will give you that nice dense texture.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to this recipe since it is the main flavour that complements the sweet dairy notes. I like this Madagascar vanilla extract.
Granulated sugar - simple fine white granulated sugar keeps these blondies fudgy. If you reduce the sugar they will not be as moist and they are less likely to have the shiny crust.

Egg - 2 whole eggs will provide majority of the structure in these blondies and one egg yolk adds rich flavor and natural yellow color.
White chocolate - pure white chocolate adds sweet milky creaminess to contrast the fresh lemon taste.
Lemon zest - a generous amount of lemon zest is the star ingredient! Be sure to use a fine microplane to grate off just the yellow part of the lemon peel since that is where all of the flavor lives. The white part, called the "pith", is bitter.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE LEMON BROWNIES

STEP 1). Melt white chocolate. In a large bowl over a pot with ½-inch of simmering water, stir together the white chocolate and butter until completely melted, smooth and glossy. You can also use the microwave with frequent stirring.
STEP 2). Beat eggs with sugar. Combine eggs with sugar in a large bowl and use a whisk to whip until pale, thick and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and salt.
STEP 3). Add melted chocolate. Mix warm white chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until evenly blended.
STEP 4). Add flour. Sift flour over the batter and fold it in gently until well incorporated and smooth.
STEP 5). Fold in white chocolate chips. Add the white chocolate chips or chunks and fold them through. Pour batter into prepared pan and use the back of the spatula to smooth out the surface.
STEP 6). Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden around the edges, slightly puffed with a shiny top and a toothpick inserted someplace between the edge and the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Use pure white chocolate. This recipe will not work well with compound chocolate which contains fats and oils other than cocoa butter and will gives these squares a greasy feeling. Pure white chocolate has cocoa butter as it's only source of solid fat.
Let the finished brownies chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before slicing to ensure you get those nice clean slices.
Sift the flour. I know this seems like a pain for a simple brownie recipe, but if you've ever seen white "balls" in your neat slices of brownie, that's a pocket of flour that didn't bake out. Brownie batter is thick and not that high in moisture so it is more difficult for flour to incorporate without having to mix a lot. Sifting helps it incorporate easier so you do not end up with lumps, and you will not need to mix excessively.
Do not over-mix after you add the flour. Just fold it in gently at this point and it shouldn't take very long. Over-mixing will lead to a bready texture.
Do not over-bake. These bake quickly thanks to the high quantity of egg and really don't need much more than 23 minutes. If you over bake them, then they are more likely to be cakey instead of dense and fudgy.

iced lemon brownies on parchment paper sliced into squares

RECIPE FAQ

How do you make lemon brownies?

It's an oxymoron isn't it? Lemon brownies? They are not brown and they are not made with chocolate (well, real chocolate). But, that's kind of what they are if we pretend brownies don't need to be defined by dark chocolate. The recipe is similar in ingredients and method to a traditional brownie recipe, except we use white chocolate and lots of lemon!

Can I make these lemon brownies without white chocolate?

White chocolate is so important for this recipe to create the fudgy texture and to make the shiny crust. Do not leave it out.

What type of chocolate should I use for lemon brownie recipe?

Make sure you use pure white chocolate. Do not use compound chocolate which contains other vegetable oils. White chocolate should contain pure cocoa butter which will give these brownies a fudgy texture. If you use compound chocolate, then they may feel greasy and they may not bake properly.

Can I use orange zest for these Lemon Blondies?

Sure! You can use an equal amount of orange zest in place of lemon zest and make Orange Blondies. They will taste great!

How to get the shiny crust on brownies?

It's about dissolved sugar. If you see my Perfect Shiny Crust Brownies recipe, I explain how the shiny top is achieved when sugar is thoroughly dissolved.

Can I add chocolate chips to this brownie recipe?

Yes you can! If you'd like to add dark chocolate chips, I would recommend ½ cup of dark chocolate chips to replace the white chocolate chips. Just fold it into the finished batter before baking.

How do I know when brownies are baked?

Lemon brownies are baked when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist sticky crumbs attached - not wet batter, and NOT clean. If the skewer is clean, then the brownies are over-baked and if the skewer has wet batter then they are still raw.

Why are my brownies dry?

The number one reason why these would turn out dry is if they are over-baked. These brownies will take a little less time than normal to bake due to the extra egg yolk and higher flour content but start checking for doneness around 20 minutes. Measure the flour accurately too because too much flour will make them dry.

How do I make clean slices on my blondies?

The trick to making clean slices for blondies is to chill them thoroughly and then use a hot dry knife. Dip the knife in hot water and then wipe it clean and dry between each slice.

How do I store lemon brownies?

These brownies keep well at room temperature for 3 days in an airtight container. You can also store them in the fridge to keep them longer and they will have an extra dense fudgy texture when cold.

Can you freeze lemon brownies?

Yes, you can freeze cheesecake brownies but the texture of the cheesecake will be a bit more dry once thawed.

If you love baking with lemon, try these recipes:

If you love brownies...

These are some more brownie recipes for you to enjoy:

If you love brownies, check out these recipes!

Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Brownie Bottom Cheesecake White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies Easy One Bowl Brownies Better Than Box Brownie Mix Recipe The BEST Small Batch Fudge Brownies Buckeye Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies BEST Fudgy Brownie Recipe with Shiny Crust The BEST Fudgy Flourless Brownie Cookies

Video

Lemon Brownies

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

Imagine fudgy brownies without the chocolate and instead bursting with bright lemon flavor and creamy milky white chocolate. These are a lemon-lover's dream!

5 from 20 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings 16 blondies

Ingredients

Blondie batter:

4 oz (113g) pure white chocolate, coarsely chopped
7 tablespoon (100g) unsalted butter
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp (175g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest from about 2 lemons
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (142g) all-purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (85g) white chocolate chips (optional)

Lemon glaze:

⅔ cup (80g) powdered icing sugar
4 teaspoon (20ml) lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. 8x8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang at each side and secure the sides down on the edge of the pan with ¾-inch binder clips.
Combine chopped white chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place it over a saucepan with barely simmering water. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Or, melt in the microwave at 50% power in short 20 second bursts with frequent stirring so that it doesn't burn.
NOTE: You might find that the mixture will not melt smoothly as there is a high quantity of butter compared to white chocolate, and this depends on the quality of the white chocolate. It may look a bit separated but it will incorporate evenly when you add it to the egg mixture. Alternatively you can melt the chocolate with half of the butter first and then add the remaining melted butter separately to the egg mixture.
Combine eggs, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl and whisk vigorously until pale and thick. Mix in vanilla. Mix in warm melted white chocolate mixture.
Sift in flour and fold it in gently. Just before all of the flour is incorporated, fold in the chocolate chips.
Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is shiny and crackly. A skewer inserted into the center should come out mostly clean with a few sticky crumbs attached. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk until smooth and glossy. It should be opaque but flowing with a drizzling consistency. You can add more or less lemon juice if you would like it thinner or thicker. Now, you can add the icing over the still warm brownies for a glazed effect or spread it on after they're cooled for a thicker icing. Let the icing set for 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

Fudgy Lemon Brownies

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

INGREDIENTS

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE LEMON BROWNIES

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

RECIPE FAQ