Little Lemonies {Yummy Lemon Brownies}
These little squares of lemony goodness are soft, chewy and the perfect lemon treat for anyone who appreciates a delicious lemon brownie!
I know, I know, technically I could get in a lot of trouble (you know, from the food blogger police) calling these non-brownie treats brownies. But every once in a while I like to throw caution to the wind and let that be today.
These little lemony brownie bites are so utterly amazing, it won’t really matter what they are called once you fall in love.
The texture is everything soft and cakey and chewy and a little dense. The real lemon flavor comes through in the tart and sweet glaze and compliments that subtle lemon brownie layer in very magical ways.
It really is like a bite of sweet, fresh, lemony heaven.
Easy and quick to whip up, you can serve them at room temperature. But if you decide to chill them first, be prepared to hand them out to neighbors, friends and strangers immediately or else all self-control may be lost.
They are so good chilled, I want to weep. Consider yourself warned.
I was a little caught off guard at how these lovely but simple lemon treats won me over but win me over they did. As in, after tasting 12, I hurriedly cut them into tiny squares, stuffed them in mini muffin tins and sent them straight in to Brian’s office.
And then I missed their presence so deeply, I went and made another batch. They are impossible to resist.
Little Lemonies
Ingredients
Lemon Batter:
- 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 1 large lemon
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze:
- ¾ cup (86 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8X8-inch aluminum baking pan with parchment so that it hangs over two of the edges (to lift out the bars later – alternately, you can just grease the pan really well and slice them in the pan) and lightly coat the pan and parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl or in a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the butter, eggs and egg yolk, lemon juice and vanilla.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs (the top of the bars should spring back lightly when gently pressed). Don’t over bake or they might be dry.
- For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth and combined.
- After the bars have cooled completely in the pan, drizzle the glaze over the top (since the glaze layer is thin, it helps to pour it all across the bars instead of in one puddle before spreading) and use an offset spatula or knife to spread evenly over the bars.
- Place the bars in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to let the glaze set before lifting them from the pan (using the parchment overhang) and cutting into small squares. These taste best chilled, in my opinion, but can be served at room temperature also.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Bakerella (cut down the butter, added weight measurements, used an extra egg yolk for super moistness, cut the glaze in half, etc)
214 Comments on “Little Lemonies {Yummy Lemon Brownies}”
hi Mel I have no idea if you’ll see this question but to freeze these would you wrap them individually or can you freeze them an easier way? Thanks
Hi Denae – these freeze best unglazed – after defrosting, you can glaze. Given that, I’d freeze the entire pan (cover it well and freeze the lemonies in the pan).
I am an avid baker and these are beyond delicious! Sometimes I feel like lemon loafs are more of a breakfast thing and lemon bars are just too intense… these brownie things are amazing. The glaze is tart, the “brownie” is firm and chewy. YUM!!! Made for my one year olds birthday party and got lots of compliments. Will be making again and again… and again.
These were one of the cookies we devoured during “Cookie Week” at our house. I mainly made these because I had all the ingredients. They were simple to make and very delicious. I agree that they are better when chilled.
Hi Mel, Is it definitely 142 grams of flour/1 cup for this particular recipe? I follow KAF’s guide of 120g /cup of AP flour, so I want to make sure 142 is what is needed here. Thanks in advance!
Yes, it’s 142 grams per cup of flour – I test all my recipes using that amount.
Absolutely perfect! Light, lemony, sweet, approachable. Made them for a birthday party and I know they will be a hit. Thank you!
Do you think it would be possible to turn these into a sheet pan recipe?! TIA!!
Probably! I haven’t tried it, so I’m not exactly sure of the quantities. Maybe a triple or quadruple batch for a sheet pan?
These look and sound like lemon heaven!! I stumbled across you while I was searching for something “lemon-y” to send to my grandma. These sound like perfection!.. My grandma taught me to bake my first cookie :0) She is now 92, and no longer bakes. I would love to send her some sweet lemon love (as it is her favorite flavor). Do you think these will ship well? Would the glaze set up firm – or would it liquify if I wrap them in plastic?… They need to survive a 2 or 3 day ship time. I am so glad to have found you and can’t wait to try your recipes!! Thank you for any advice you have!
Such a sweet idea! Unfortunately, I don’t think the glaze would hold up very well to shipping. It stays pretty soft!
You should win the Nobel Dessert Prize for these, Mel. They are the best lemon goodie I’ve had in a long time. Adding to their awesomeness is the ease of preparation. I *love* a good old lemon bar, the curd + short crust, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes they are just so-so. These are bonkers. I’m sharing the recipe far and near. Thank you, Mel!
I’m so happy you love them, Dana!! They really are incredible.
Make these for church gatherings and they are always a hit. Thanks Mel for all of your amazing recipes.
We love these! Doubled it and put it in a 9 by 13 pan! Yummy!!!
Making these for my daughter’s wedding! I tripled the recipe and it fits perfectly in a rimmed cookie sheet (1/2 sheet pan). Hope that’s useful to someone!
Thanks, Angie! That’s super helpful!
I have made these a countless amount of times now and they turn out amazing everytime!!!! I used Bob Red Mill 1:1 GF flour and it works perfectly. Added chopped strawberries this time and is such a good summer treat. Thank you for this recipe!
We LOVED these! Doubled the recipe for my co-workers at the firestation, and they didn’t last long.
I made two changes that may not have been absolutely necessary, but they were delicious.
1. Used gluten free flour blend.
2. Used 1/2 cup sour cream, in addition.
I’m having a love affair with sour cream, these days. The flavor was amazing!!!!!
OMG! I’ve made these so many times now, I’ve actually lost count. I love this recipe so much. These are perfect for small tea parties, a snack for short trips ( wouldn’t last long on a long trip I imagine lol) gatherings or even picnics. They really don’t last long, as I’ve witnessed, I normally have to make 2 or 3 batches if we have family an friends over for events, sense they are consumed so quickly.
Looks perfect, but are you sure about the sugar and flour? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?
These are one of my very favorite desserts! I would like to make these for a tea and thought if I baked them in mini muffin tins they might be less messy to handle. Do you think that would work? Any idea about baking time? Thank you!!
Sure, that might work – are you going to use mini muffin liners? I’d check them after about 7-9 minutes.
You say these can be served at room temp, how long is their shelf life? I’d love to ship these to my family because they LOVE lemon. Do you think they’d stay fresh if packaged securely?
You could definitely try – although they aren’t a baked good I would necessarily consider for shipping. The texture and frosting might make it so they don’t ship super well.
Made these for Easter 2021, following the recipe exactly. These are absolutely delicious, and leave a pleasant aftertaste, too! I sent the remainder home with my son (who raved about them), but my husband wants me to make more ASAP. Thanks for this recipe. Yum!
Can you double this recipe and put it in a 9×13 pan?
Yes
I made these last night. They are wonderful and yes best served cold. Only issue I had was I needed to bake these for 22 minutes as opposed to the 18-20 minute directions. It could likely be my oven.
These are the best ever! I cut them into tiny squares and oh them into mini muffin papers. When I give them away, people think they’re amazing!!!!!
Made these for Super Bowl get together and they were a huge hit! Everyone asked who made them and one even commented that they were his favorite thing to eat out of all the food we had. Super yummy. Highly recommend.
These were so crazy delicious! Definitely a different texture than any other homemade lemon dessert I’ve made but my family thought they tasted exactly like the little lemon cupcakes that Costco sells. I made them exactly as directed except doubled them and used a 9×13 pan. They were gobbled up in a day and now I’m wishing I had hidden more for me 🙂
Hi there! Do you think it will work in air fryer? I have 5×5 inch pan, how much should I reduce for the measurement? I can’t wait to try it out!! Thank you!!
I’m sorry I haven’t tried that – you’ll have to experiment. Good luck!
These were everything I didn’t know I was missing from lemon desserts. I love lemon but have never loved lemon bars or lemon pie, but I would make them because I was searching for something, I didn’t know what. THIS, this recipe is what I was searching for- chewy, cakey lemony heaven. They didn’t make it to the fridge or even get their glaze Maybe next time…
Haven’t made this yet as find the ingredient weights incorrect a cup is equivalent to 8 ozs not 5, so wondered about the rest….
It’s not incorrect – the weight measure refers to how much flour will weigh. An 8-ounce cup holds 8 FLUID ounces, but the WEIGHT of an ingredient will vary depending on what it is. A cup of flour weighs 5 ounces.
I was a bit worried when making these… After adding the lemon juice to the eggs and butter, it looked like the lemon juice did something to the eggs and butter… kinda curdled looking. But stuck with it and baked them for 18 minutes. After they cooled, I tried to spread the glaze as much as I could, but it didn’t seem like enough glaze to cover the whole top. Spread it thinly and let them chill before cutting. Small taste test and… YUM!! Squishy like a brownie texture, tart and sweet lemon flavor came through strong. Maybe cause my zest measurements were a little more generous than the recipe. Another keeper… But maybe up the glaze a tad bit so it isn’t so hard to spread around.
Tyler, did you use an 8” or a 9” pan to bake them in? A 9” would result in the Glaze not covering as well. I bet they were still delicious.
These are absolutely delicious!
How about adding some fresh blueberries to the batter?
Definitely worth a try!
I found them underwhelming, BUT that’s probably because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to try these or make lemon bars. Turns out I really wanted lemon bars and these aren’t lemon bars. I found the glaze a little over powering. My husband loves them.
These are so delicious! Made them for the family who gobbled them up! I Substituted lemon extract for vanilla and they were perfectly lemony and sweet. Wonderfully dense and delicious.
These are dangerously addictive. Somehow their tiny size makes it easier to eat, like, 10 at a time. My 5 year-old and I made these as part of a holiday gift for her beloved kindergarten teacher, who adores all things lemon. She will absolutely love them and my daughter feels so accomplished after helping me bake and arrange them in their little muffin liners. Thank you for such a refreshing and delicious recipe!
Hi Mel, I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe! Ever since I discovered your blog it has been my go-to summer dessert to share. I wanted to share with you and adjustment that has made them (in my humble opinion) even better! Instead of a lemon glaze I always make them with a lemon cream cheese frosting:
4 oz cream cheese
½ stick of butter (4 tablespoons or ¼ cup)
3/4 cup (2.75 ounces/75 grams) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (from one lemon)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from one lemon)
They are incredible this way! I hope you try it out sometime – you won’t be disappointed!
Thank you for sharing, Rebecca! Sounds amazing!
These were adequate. The only thing that tasted like lemon was the icing, not the bars. But since the icing was super lemony it worked. Just wasn’t amazing.
Would you recommend that I triple this to fit an 11x17x1 pan?
Yes, probably triple or quadruple.
Made these for cub scouts and everyone loved them! Great recipe!
Has anyone tried doubling this and using a 9 x 13 inch pan? Thanks!
Yes, it works great!
Delicious!, so simple to make, BIG a on flavor!
HUGE hit for Easter!!!
I was gifted some lemons from a friend’s lemon tree right about the time I saw this recipe. I only had a 9 inch pan so mine turned out a little thinner but still so so good. Other than the fact that I hate zesting and usually give up before I have the required amount, I persevered because I had this one giant lemon. They turned out so good. The glaze amount is perfect in my opinion.
Hi, Mel. I make these lovely little squares for my church quite frequently. I made them for today substituting the lemon for orange and everybody loved, loved loved them!!
Thanks for a great website. I’ve made so many of your recipes and they’ve all been winners!
Oh yum! I want to try it with orange!
Ooooh… orange! Yum!! thanks for the idea. I’ll definitely be trying that!
I’ve just received a bag of very large Meyer Lemons with my food order. I can’t wait to make these tomorrow. Thank you for the recipe. It looks amazing.
Just perfect as written. Easy but delicious, even people who don’t like desserts love these.
Do these freeze well?
Yes!
Do you glaze before freezing or after?
I glaze before freezing.
Thank you!
I made these….they are Ooòooh so good. I couldn’t stop eating them. I had to pack some up and send to family and took some to work to keep from eating them all.
I had to stop myself at one…because the first time I ate three and my stomach was reeling from the citric acid. And my tongue was feeling it too. LOL
I can’t see any response to the questions about making these ahead? Maybe the night before? Would that work well?
Yes, these do well being made 1-2 days in advance (and chilled).
I meant 5 stars not 4 1/2
These were really awesome, great lemon flavor, I ate nearly the whole batch myself lol, thanks a lot for the recipe, will definitely make again
Oh I forgot to mention that mine also took a bit longer to bake than the given time, by 20 mins it was still gooey in the center so popped it in for an add 5 mins, turned out perfect
Made these for Fathers Day and they were a hit! Delicious!! Thank you!
Mmmmm….I really, really, so deeply and truly love these. I spread the love to all my lemon-loving friends.
Made these for dessert tonight. Everyone loved them – kids and adults. So easy to make and so yummy. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Baked these yesterday to bring in to work for my birthday today. I didn’t have a chance to do a trial bake before giving them to my coworkers to try, so I was a bit anxious (I have a reputation to uphold!). Needn’t have worried, they were amazing and all the ppl at work absolutely loved them! Will definitely make these again (and again, and again, and again…). Lemony heaven! Thank you for a great recipe!
these did not turn out well I could only taste lemon in the glaze
Wow!! I made these last night, and they truly are amazing! And as you suggested, they are even better when chilled (though only a few were around long enough to chill properly!) Can’t wait to make them when my mom is around… She is a lover of all things lemon, especially when a real tart good lemon flavor shines through! I tried cutting them in tiny bite-size pieces, then ate the equivalent of three regular size brownies. lol!
One problem/question… I cooked them in a heavy stoneware pan, and they took a lot longer to cook than your recommendation. The middle was even slightly doughy ( but did not deter any family members from gobbling them up, of course). I bet you actually have a post somewhere that discusses the different types of pans and how results vary? Just thought I’d share. Next time I will try glass or metal.
How many bite size pieces did you get from an 8×8 pan (cutting with size pictured in the recipe)?
Probably about 36-40.
Love these! My husband said now that tastes good 🙂
Holy Hannah – these were a hit. I make it a point to NOT make something for the first time when I’m taking it to an event. But, since pretty much ALL of the recipes I’ve tried from your site have been awesome, I went for it. I got so many comments about these and the Lemon Crinkles that I also made and brought. I made sure to tell them about your site. 🙂 I did not alter this recipe one bit and it was absolutely perfect.
Thanks, Stephanie! 🙂
Thank you for adding weights to your recipes! I hate measuring cops!
Quick note that the gram weights of flour v. sugar are a bit off here – less cup volume for sugar, but greater weight? I stopped at a bit less sugar. They smell fab out of the ovecn though, can’t wait to try them.
Does this recipe double well in a 9×13 pan?
Yes, it should double fine for that size of pan.
Really good! It just tastes a little bitter…I wonder if 1 TBSP of zest was a typo and you meant 1tsp…
I use the full tablespoon, but it can be on the verge of bitter if any of the white rind of the lemon gets grated.
An these be frozen?
Yep.
I love lemon so this was a recipe I had to try after the perfected lemon bars. They are absolutely delicious and so dangerous. They’re cut into tiny bites and therefore so easy to have just one more bite. Before you know it, you’ve eaten half the pan (at least that’s what happened to me). Yikes.! One of the best lemon deserts ever! If you like lemon, you will love these. Thank you for another amazing recipe Mel!
Delicious! I made these with lime juice and lime zest because lemons are not as easy to find where I live. Baked it in a 9×9 baking pan because I didn’t have an 8×8, they were done at exactly 18 minutes.
The only change was that I added an extra tbs of lime juice and a full tsp of lime zest to the glaze because it was too thick and not drippy with the original measurents…may have something to do with the powdered sugar I have available here.
Really easy to make and sooo good. Thank you Mel your recipes are the best!
Made these at Christmastime. They were amazing! They were such a big hit that I had to hide a few so I could have some later.
I don’t have a regular pan and just have a clear dish pan, I left them in for over 30 minutes since the middle was not cooked completely. But I am worried if I should have left it in longer?
Can i substitute sugar with brown sugar? Would it make huge changes to the texture and taste?
It will definitely affect texture and flavor, but it’s worth a try! The bars will probably be darker in color and chewier?
Super yummy, if you like lemon! I ate way too many!
I made these yesterday (I doubled the recipe as my tray is bigger) and they turned out great. I was cooking lunch at the same time, so we only tasted them chilly 🙂 I also roasted some coconut flakes in the pan, spread a little over the icing. Yummy.
I had to add another tablespoon of water to the icing as it was too thick and also too sour.
I had a bit of left batter, so I made 6 muffins on the side, without icing, but with quince jam. I really like that the final baked batter is not that sour and can be used as a base for other recipes as well.
These are just as your recipe reads. Yummier when chilled. I’ll be making these for a Gallery Art Walk this Friday. Thank you! Another winner for sure!
I’ve been making this super yummy lemon brownies for years now. It has become a family favorite for sure. Thank you for the recipe!
they are not brown there fore not brownies.
I am not sure how I missed these 2 years ago but I am so upset that I did! In the past 2 weeks I have made 4 batches and I think they may be my new 2nd favorite dessert ( #1 will forever and always be Chocolate Chess Pit). Thank you Mel!!!
I dont know what went wrong but i made these but come out as cakey. I followed the instructions and i dont know why it is cakey. What will i do?
Just got done making the Lemonies with my husband, they are now in the oven. The batter is everywhere else too. He tried to take the beaters out of the mixer without unplugging it first. I did not get there in time and wound up lemony myself! He is now cleaning the kitchen. lol Fun times! The batter was delicious, I’m sure the Lemonies will be too.
Haha, sorry to laugh at your expense, but that was funny. Thanks for sharing!
These are SO GREAT! And fast/easy — even better!
I had to add some extra lemon juice to the glaze; initially it was just a pasty lump and had to be thinned out. Turned out beautifully though!
It was also thrilling to have a recipe that uses a solo yolk — good way to use up yolks for other recipes that only use egg whites.
I only have unsalted butter. Should I add salt to the dry ingredients? How much? Thanks for all of your recipes–you are my go-to website when looking for ideas of what to make!
I’d probably add another 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Mel, these lemony treats are in a class of their own. They are soooo good! I’ve even doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×13 (increased bake time to 30 minutes). They are a winner every time. I appreciate you and all your recipes. I have made many things off your website but don’t respond or thank you nearly enough.
Have made these several times! My new favorite. They freeze great!!
Do you cut them up individually before freezing or freeze the whole batch and then slice once thawed?
I usually cut them and then freeze.
I volunteered to make three desserts for a missionary leadership conference. The first two choices were easy…Texas Sheet Cake and Carrot Cake. What to do for the third one? Go to Melskitchencafe, of course! Yours is the only recipe blog that I would go to to look for a recipe that I planned to use without having tried it once on just my family. These lemon brownies were a huge hit! You haven’t failed me yet! Thanks!
That sounds like quite the lineup of desserts! Yum!
I finally got round to trying this recipe this afternoon – incredible! So tasty, and incredibly moreish. Thank you. 🙂
If they’re not brown, then they can’t be brownies. These would be considered blondies. Sorry, i saw an opportunity and i took it.
So????
I’m also wondering if anyone has had luck freezing these for making them ahead of a party? I’ve made these twice now and my family of seven devours a double recipe. They are beyond amazing!
Can these be frozen?
or how long would they last on counter or in fridge? Needing to make a bunch for a party and would like to make ahead.
THANKS
Has anyone had success with 1) lemon juice 2) freezing them?
THANKS
Mel,
Have you ever made these in your mini muffin pan. Like your coconut oil fudge brownie bites?
I haven’t but I kind of love that idea!
I just made these in a mini muffin pan. 350 for 12 minutes and they came out perfectly! 🙂
I LOVE the mini muffin pan idea!
I love lemons and brownies so when I saw this recipe wow and knew I had to make it.
So today I did, excited like crazy but then I was a little saddened as it didn’t turn out how I expected it. It came out more of a cake than a brownie, so I might have done something wrong. Can you please tell me why that is as I’ve just put in the next batch hoping it’ll turn out looking like yours.
Any chance you overfloured the batter? These are better once they are baked and chilled – that will help the texture.
Hi! I don’t have an 8 x 8 aluminum pan-just a glass one. What cooking temperature/time would you recommend?
Hi! I don’t have an 8 x 8 aluminum pan, just a glass one. What cooking temperature/time would you recommend?
The same. No need to change anything.
These are some good oh my gosh. I juat made then and thought I would share some substitutions I made to make these healthier. I used 1/2 cup oat flour and half unbleached AP flour, used 1/2 cup raw demerara sugar and slightly less than 1/4 cup white sugar. And I still find it a bit too sweet especially with the icing! So you can reduce the sugar if you want to. I added coconut flakes in the batter as well as sprinkled them on top before baking. I only had half a lemon on hand btw, but still managed to squeeze out 3 tbsp lemon juice. I only managed to use aboutique 2 tsp Lemon zest before reserving it for the icing. For the icing I made a plain one, using milk since I had no more lemon juice left and stirred the remaining zest and some coconut flakes into it. After baking the top layer of coconut I sprinkled turned slightly toasted. As a final touch, I toasted more coconut flakes in the oven then sprinkled them over the glaze. It is DIVINE. A great recipe, thank you 🙂
just ate two squares as I speak.
I don’t usually bake things that need to be refrigerated, but, these REALLY are better chilled. The one at room temp was kinda cakey (not in a good way) After chilling the texture was definitely more brownie-ish and it keeps the glaze crunchy. Love them 🙂
I also used browned butter in mine (I’m on a kick). I think it gives lemon desserts a depth they are sometimes missing.
Have you or anyone tried this with lime juice vs lemon? I have a half bottle of pure key lime juice in fridge from making pie last week! I am always looking for recipes that use the juice it seems! Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with lime juice, sorry!
Trying this for the first time I’m mixing the batter and it already smell gorgeous can’t wait to try them when they are cooked
I only have a dark metal pan. Should I decrease the baking temperature?
Hmmm, yes, I think that would be a good idea.
I made these today for a big Fourth of July potluck and they were a huge hit! I’m passing the recipe out to a lot of people and definitely making these again. My husband and I like them even better than lemon bars. Thank you for another awesome recipe. With your recipes I’m never afraid to try new recipes on company. It’s great!
Made these last night! So yummy!
These are the BOMB!! Made them tonight for Father’s Day and seriously I’m in LOVE! Thank you!
Just made these with my Hubby and they’re baking. They smell AMAZING!!!!
LOVED these! So moist and flavor-filled…perfect for a baby shower I just threw. Definitely will be a go-to for me!
I made these for my homeroom moms as a thank you for their help this year. These are honestly one of the best things I have ever baked, and I am an avid baker! You are the best, Mel.
YUM! I made these for my graduation party and they are sooo good! Someone else said they taste like the crust part of a lemon bar, and that’s the perfect description. They have the perfect lemon flavor. I will definitely make these again!
Yes! That’s exactly what I though. Like a lemon bar in cake from. Yum-O
This recipe is another winner! Thanks so much!
These are amazing! Soooooooo good!
I’ve already made these twice! It’s such a nice surprise when my finished product looks exactly like the recipe photo!:) Cutting these into small squares is a necessary step…much too delicious to stop nibbling after one or two.
This tastes like a lemon bar without the layer of lemon goo. Which, the cake part is my favorite so thumbs up. I actually got enough juice with 1 large lemon for the brownie part. I had to use a tiny bit of lemon juice concentrate for the glaze, but it worked well. 🙂
These are super delicious! My entire family loved them and will definitely make them again. Thanks!!
I made these and they were very delicious – the texture was great and they were pretty lemony. I served them for a luncheon dessert straight from the fridge. To be honest, I was a little disappointed in the glaze — I only added 1/2 cup of icing sugar to the 1 tbsp. juice because it was fairly thick and spreadable but I didn’t think 3/4 cup would be spreadable; and I could taste more sugar than lemon. I actually went back and double-checked that it was only 1 tbsp. of lemon juice. Next time I would probably up the lemon, but clearly I’m the only person with this “problem” so maybe it was just me. Thank you for sharing! I like the raspberry idea.
So I froze the leftovers and when I ate one, they were super delicious. Thus my wonder about the glaze might have been because I just ate them too soon after baking.
This is the issue I had. I added 3/4 cup powdered sugar for the glaze and couldn’t even stir it, it was so thick I added more juice until it seemed glazey, probably 1-2 more tbps.
Fabulous! Added an extra T lemon juice to the bars and the glaze, because I love lemon. Look yummy in a chocolate paper. Thank you from a devoted citrus lover.
I made these a few days ago and they turned out great. They were very delicous and quick to make too. I really liked the texture of the these squares. These are a nice alternative to chocolate brownies.
I just knew I should have grabbed some lemons at the store!!! These look amazing!!! Can’t wait to try them. Yum!
Two complaints, Mel: this recipe only makes an 8×8 pan, and there’s a .5% chance I’m ever going to make it to the ‘chill for 1-2 hours’ part. 😉 SO DELICIOUS!
Mel,
The lemon brownies were a hit at the Bridal Shower and they looked beautiful in the mini muffin wrappers with the raspberry on top 🙂 Loved them chilled too. So yummy!! Thanks again! I wanted to post a picture here but I couldn’t seem to get an option to paste. Is that correct that I can’t post a photo ? Thanks !
So happy the lemon bites worked out, Linda. Thanks for reporting back! I don’t think you can paste a photo, darn it. It would have to be a link that directed us to view the photo somewhere else (like on Facebook or Flickr).
I just made these today and they were amazing! We tasted them slightly warm without the glaze and then also chilled with glaze. Both were amazing – I ate a quarter of the pan!!! I love the idea of putting them in mini muffin wrappers and will definitely do that when I bring these to a gathering. Thank you for this great recipe!
Hi, I assume the butter used is salted??
Yes.
Wow! These were great. Lemon is my favorite flavor and every year my wife makes me something ‘lemony’ for my birthday. Next year I’m lobbying for these again, along with your lemon-chicken-broccoli-penne skillet dish.
Hope you are enjoying Boise. Great town. Great Farmer’s Market
I made these yesterday and they were delicious! I had to try them chilled and at room temp to taste the difference. 🙂 I like them both ways but room temp would be my preference – less dense. Thanks, Mel!
Can these be made in a glass pan? I don’t have an aluminum pan, but I need these!
I haven’t tried them in a glass pan – it should work fine, just decrease the baking temperature by 25 degrees.
I also used a glass pan, 350 for 18 minutes and it worked great.
I made in a glass dish, lined with foil and they worked perfectly. I baked at 350 for 23 minutes.
Mel! I made the sweet potato taco foil packets for our dinner tonight as well as for two other families and topped it off with these lemon brownies! Delicious!! Thanks for two delicious recipes this week!!
These look so good I’m dying to try! Maybe I will have to on Sunday.
OMG these!
I made a lemon “brownie” from some recipe I found on line a couple of years ago. I thought it was a brilliant idea. Everyone loved it. I wanted to love it, but only just liked it. The texture and flavor weren’t what I thought they should be. When I saw this post and your pics..I couldn’t wait to check it out. Your recipe is completely different than the one I tried so I can’t wait to make these. They look perfect!
I made this last night and cut them into small triangles before drizzling with the lemon glaze. They were perfect and so yummy! I had the last one this morning with a cup of hot tea. It was like a delicious mini scone. Definitely will be making these again soon. Thanks for another great recipe.
I love lemon things at this time of year! These look fantastic!
Ooh, these look like delicious little slices of heaven! Love lemon desserts 🙂
Life inside the Locket
You know about me and chocolate, so it’s no surprise that Lemon Brownies are my favorite. I haven’t tried them chilled though and now I can’t get that out of my head!
Made these last night. We had the sister missionaries for dinner. Everyone loved them! All gone. I need to make another batch! Thanks Mel!
I LOVE LEMON, but I LOVE LIME, also! Do you think Lime could be used as well?
Haven’t tried it – good luck experimenting if you do!
We tried lime last night–it was amazing! We had a hard time deciding which ones we liked better, the lemon or the lime.
We also added rosemary to the lemon ones and it was pretty much incredible.
How did you add the rosemary?
Sorry, On e more question. I’m having 30 guests at the Bridal Shower and would like to make these in a 9×13 size pan. Do you think it will work to x 1/2 the recipe or would I need to double it? I don’t want thin brownies .
Thanks!
Yes, I would double for a 9X13-inch pan.
holy moly!!!!!
Made these last night and brought them to work this AM. EVERYONE is asking for the recipe!! SUPER delish!!! I cut them even a bit smaller into 36 squares. Such the perfect bite of sweet-tart. Thank you so much for posting!!!!!
Mel they look great my hubby loves lemon its lemon on everything, so I think sat will make them wonder if I can skip the icing, just sprinkle bit icing sugar yummy all I got to say.
LEMON, LEMON, LEMON, LEMON!!! Must go to the supermarket and buy LEMONS!!! If I can’t get lemons (expensive in Japan), then maybe I’ll try yuzu….delicious either way. Thanks for another keeper. (Haven’t even made them yet….but pretty sure it goes in the keeper pile)
P.S. I’m curious why you like these better chilled rather then room temperature ? Are they chewier? Thanks!
I love the idea of a fresh raspberry on top – so pretty! The chilling thing is just preference. They are certainly delicious at room temperature but I popped them in the fridge to let the glaze set a bit and couldn’t believe how tasty they were chilled. They are slightly more dense and delicious.
Mel,
You were absolutely inspired to post this today !! I am hosting a Bridal Shower brunch this Saturday, May 16, and I was thinking of making mini lemon curd tarts but I wasn’t “feeling it” since I’m making mini quiche and I thought I don’t want the same look even though one is savory and one is sweet, the crust is so similar. These lemon brownies were EXACTLY what I needed !!!!! I may top each square with a fresh raspberry ( that I was going to use on the tarts) but they look gorgeous just as they are!!!but I am so thankful for you and your blog!!! This post made my day !!!! You made my day Mel !!!!Thank you !!!!!❤️
I cannot wait to try these!! They’ll be a perfect sweet treat for our next pool party. Do you think they’d freeze well?
Hmmm, good question. The “brownie” part would – I’m just not sure about the glaze but I definitely think it’s worth a try.
I’m on vacation but the very day I get home will be the day I bake these! Lemon is my favorite flavor and I’ve made your no bake lemon cheesecake more times than I can count. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
This confused me as brownies are chocolate.
But I do love lemon……think I”ll rename them
when I put this in my recipes.
Yep, sorry about that – there is 3 tablespoons lemon juice in the batter. I just added it to the ingredients list (it was already in the directions). Three tablespoons juice and one tablespoon zest go in the batter, another one tablespoon juice and 1/2 teaspoon zest go into the glaze.
Oh my goodness!! I went to a baby shower ten years ago and there were these sweet little orange tarts soooo similar to this. I have searched and searched for a recipe that could bring about anything like them and this is the closest ever! (I moved soon after the shower and didn’t keep in close contact with the few people I knew there!) If you were to make these with oranges instead, would you recommend any other changes?
Hmmm, sounds yummy with oranges, Lisa! Not sure if you’d need to adapt anything else but it’s certainly worth a try to experiment.
I needed 1 lemon the other day but since I was at Costco and didn’t want to stop at another store I bought a huge bag. While eating breakfast I was staring at the bag wondering what to do with all those lemons. Now I know! Thanks!
You had me at lemon! I cannot resists lemon. Yum yum yum!
Oooh, Mel, these look amazing. I think they’ll have to go right onto my “Must Make Gluten Free” Pinterest board and see what my readers think!
I love that board! Especially seeing what your readers want gluten-free. Knowing you, you could whip out a gluten-free version of these babies in no time.
I love anything lemon, and I think these lemon “brownies” look amazing! I can just imagine how refreshing a chilled bite would be on a warm summer day. I am SO making these!
Oh, yea. Forgot — You rebel! The food blogger police are going to have a difficult day trying to control the traumatic effect on the food blogging world trying to contain the influence of these non-brownies.
Your words, humor and pictures would convince me to absolutely love liver and brain. These look and sound delicious. Good thing you are running miles every week. To keep up with all of this yummy temptation, I think I might need to start a running routine, not for marathons, but so I can make and indulge in every one of Mels’ dessert recipes. 🙂
Haha! You are funny, Sheila. That would be the day if I posted a liver recipe. 🙂
You can call them whatever you want….I am going to call them delicious! Lemon is one of may favorites in any dessert!
*so I’m certain…
Oh my. I am a huge fan of lemon desserts, to I’m certain I would love these! I don’t care if you call them brownies. 🙂
These look awesome!
Is there suppose to be lemon juice in the batter? I am not seeing that on the list.
Can’t wait to try them.
looks like the zest from a whole lemon is in the batter? The oils from the zest should flavor the entire batter.
forget my post. I just read the intro. There are 3 Tbs of juice missing from the recipe 😉 Sorry. .my bad -(
Just fixed it…sorry about that!
Someone please confirm that 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon zest go into the cake and an additional 1 tablespoon juice and 1/2 teaspoon zest go into the glaze. Thanks