Lemon Blondies are rich and moist, with a bright citrus tang from fresh lemon juice and a simple lemon glaze. I will share all my tips on how to make this quick-mix, easy recipe that will have your family and friends asking for more, please!
Full of bright lemon flavour, these lemon blondies have a lovely fudgy texture and are an absolute must for lemon dessert lovers.
As far as the brownies vs blondies debate (and at the risk of the comments section hahaha), from what I understand...brownies are made with a base of chocolate, whereas blondies aren't - so instead of calling these lemon brownies, I have gone with lemon blondies.
Table of Contents
Why I think you will love these lemon blondies
- Quick, simple, melt-and-mix recipe.
- That unique sweet/tart balance that comes from lemon desserts.
What you need to make this recipe
*Please see the recipe card below for a full ingredient list with exact quantities and detailed instructions
- fresh lemon zest
- caster sugar
- salted butter
- fresh lemon juice
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- plain flour - all-purpose flour
- cooking salt
- icing sugar - powdered/confectioners' sugar
*Please see the recipe card below for a full ingredient list with exact quantities and detailed instructions
Substitutions for lemon blondies
- fresh lemon juice - substitute with bottled lemon juice
- salted butter - use unsalted butter with an extra pinch of salt
How to make lemon blondies
- Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with a flexible spatula.
- Add melted butter, lemon juice and vanilla.
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- Whisk in eggs.
- Fold in flour and salt.
- Pour into a greased and lined pan and bake.
- Combine extra lemon juice and icing sugar to make the sweet lemon glaze.
My top tips for the best result
- Grate the lemon zest directly over the bowl containing the caster sugar (so the oils that are released go into the bowl too), and don't forget to scrape the sides of the bowl. When you grate the skin of citrus fruits, you may be surprised at how much oil is released and how far those fine droplets of oil spread.
- For the zest - only grate the thin, outer yellow part of the lemon skin - not the white pith beneath or your zest will become bitter.
- Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar with a flexible spatula (you can rub it in with your fingers if you'd rather) enhances the lemon taste by utilising the abrasive nature of the sugar crystals to break down the zest slightly, releasing more of the natural oils into the mixture.
- For me, the best blondie is a slightly underbaked one that has been left to set. This will give you rich and fudgy lemon blondies.
Storage
Store any leftovers of these lemon blondies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Serve straight from the fridge for a dense, chewy texture or allow to come to room temperature for a softer blondie.
This recipe is suitable for freezing.
Other lemon dessert recipes you may enjoy
Lemon Cookie Bars - the fuss-free cousin of lemon bars, these are full of fresh lemon flavour and make great lunch-box fillers, or after-school treats.
Lemon Tiramisu - replace the coffee in your traditional tiramisu with the juice of fresh lemons and lemon curd for a fun twist on a classic.
Lemon Blueberry Cookies - soft and thick cafe-style cookies with dried blueberries, white chocolate chips and rich brown sugar.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest grated (see my notes)
- 190 g caster sugar
- 160 g salted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 220 g plain flour all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon cooking salt
Glaze
- 150 g icing sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice as needed
Watch me make this recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160℃
- Grease and line a 20cm (8") square baking tin with baking/parchment paper and set aside.
- Into a large bowl, add the caster sugar, then grate over the lemon zest and rub the lemon zest into the caster sugar with a flexible spatula (see my notes).1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest190 g caster sugar
- Add melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla extract and stir to combine.160 g salted butter1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Whisk in eggs.2 eggs
- Fold in flour and salt, mixing until just combined.220 g plain flour¼ teaspoon cooking salt
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 22 - 25 minutes until the edges are starting to brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it.
To make the glaze
- In a small bowl, combine icing sugar and lemon juice (as needed) until you reach the desired consistency.150 g icing sugar1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Once the blondies are cooled to room temperature, spread over the glaze.
- Allow blondies to rest until firm, then slice.
Notes
- You will need the juice and zest from 1 large lemon.
- Grate the lemon zest directly over the bowl containing the caster sugar to make the most of the lemon oil that sprays out as you zest it (don't forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl for the same reason).
- Only grate the thin, outer yellow part of the skin - not the white pith beneath it or your lemon zest will become bitter.
- Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar enhances the lemon taste by utilising the abrasive nature of the sugar crystals to break down the zest slightly, releasing more lemon flavour.
- Slightly underbaked blondies that have been left to "set" will help you to get a rich and fudgy result.
Want to save this recipe?
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
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