These lemon blondies are one of my favorite lemon desserts! They’re made with fresh lemon juice and have the texture of a cross between a brownie and a lemon bar. The perfect dessert fit for just about any occasion and sure to brighten up any table!
What is a blondie?
A blondie is simply a brownie without chocolate. Blondies typically get their flavor from vanilla and brown sugar but these lemon blondies are extra special because they’re fresh and zingy from all the fresh lemon juice in the recipe.
Try switching this recipe up by using lime, orange or grapefruit juice and zest instead of lemon! All of these options are full of citrus flavor and would work great in this recipe!
Why I love these easy lemon blondies:
There’s really nothing to not like about this delicious treat! They’re nice for times when you are burnt out on cookies but still want something sweet and they couldn’t be easier to make! Simply mix, bake, glaze and serve!
Ingredients you’ll need for fresh lemon blondies:
For the base:
- Butter: salted and unsalted are both fine! Just add a little salt to the mix if you’re using unsalted
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Lemon juice: I highly recommend using fresh lemons for this recipe so that you can get the zest as well!
- Lemon zest
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
For the glaze:
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
How to make the best lemon blondies:
- Prepare: Be sure to preheat your oven and grease your baking pan before starting!
- Mix: Start with the wet ingredients, then sprinkle in the dry ingredients. Fold them together to form a thick batter.
- Bake: Transfer the batter into your baking pan and spread into an even layer.
- Glaze: Let the bars cool, then pour the glaze on top and let it set until slicing into squares for a clean look.
This one bowl recipe is a great one to make ahead of time too! Feel free to bake and assemble these bars up to 5 days before serving, just be sure to tightly cover them in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge until serving.
FAQ:
There are no leavening agents in this recipe because this keeps them more thick and fudgy (resembling a brownie) rather than light and fluffy (like a cake).
Yes! Most recipes that are baked in a 8×8 or 9×9 pan can be doubled and made in a 9×13 pan to serve more people. Just be sure you adjust the bake time as necessary.
For a glaze that’s too thick, add more lemon juice. For a glaze that’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. You want the glaze to be thick enough that it’s still a nice opaque white color, but you want it to be thin enough to spread around a bit to cover the surface of the bars.
These lemon blondies will keep well stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
Lemon Blondies
Equipment
- 1 microplane for zesting lemon
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice about 1/2 a lemon
- zest of 1 lemon 1 tbsp set aside for the glaze
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice about 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your baking pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, zest (reserve 1 tbsp for the glaze) and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Fold in the flour to form a thick batter.
- Transfer the batter to your baking pan and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes.
- While the bars cool, make the glaze by combining powdered sugar with lemon juice and the reserved lemon zest.
- Spread the glaze on top of the cooled blondies, then let the glaze set. Slice and enjoy!
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