As a former pastry chef, lemon bars were always a customer favorite, but I always thought they would be even better with the fudgy texture of a classic brownie…which is where this recipe comes in!
Made in one bowl with white chocolate, fresh lemon juice, and plenty of lemon zest, they have a slightly dense, fudgy texture and are topped with a sweet, not too runny lemon glaze. You don’t even need a mixer to make them!!
These are fudgy, not cakey, so if that’s what you’re craving, my soft and fluffy lemon loaf cake is your girl instead!
How to Make Them
1
Make the brown butter. This is an extra step, but it’s so worth it! The butter’s nuttiness brings richness to the brownies, balancing the brightness of the lemon.
2
Mix in the white chocolate.
3
Whisk the wet ingredients for about 1 minute before adding the butter/white chocolate mixture. This is key to achieving crinkle tops!
4
Fold in the dry ingredients. Don’t overmix, or the brownies will be more tough and dense.
While I love a dense and fudgy treat, I also love a light and fluffy one too, which is where my moist lemon cake with raspberry filling comes in…it’s the perfect lemon dessert!
5
Spread the brownie batter into an 8×8 baking pan. Then bake the brownies until the top is lightly golden brown!
6
Cover with lemon icing. Let the icing set before cutting. For clean slices, wipe it clean between cuts!
By the way, if you have extra lemons lying around, freeze the zest and juice, and then use them whenever you want to bake up my lemon poppy seed cake with cream cheese frosting or cinnamon roll-inspired lemon sweet rolls!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Fudgy Lemon Brownies with Lemon Icing
Equipment
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, *see notes for measuring*
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Line a metal 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Cook the butter in a stainless steel pan until browned. Scrape all of the brown butter into a shallow container and set it aside to cool for 10 minutes. Then mix in the white chocolate chips until melted. Set aside.3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, 1/2 cup (90 g) white chocolate chips
- Rub the lemon zest into the light brown and granulated sugar. Then whisk in the eggs, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest, 2 (100 g) large eggs, 1 (18 g) large egg yolk, 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Whisk in the brown butter and white chocolate mixture.
- Fold in the flour and salt until just combined.1 3/4 cups (230 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Evenly spread the brownie batter into the lined baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center is covered in a few moist crumbs.
- Let the pan cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, make the lemon icing.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Once completely cool, pull the parchment paper up to remove the brownies from the pan. Spread the icing over the top with an offset spatula and sprinkle with lemon zest if desired. Let it set completely before cutting. For clean slices, wipe the knife clean in between cuts!
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
