Little Lemonies {Yummy Lemon Brownies}

These little squares of lemon delight have tons of fresh lemon flavor. They are soft and chewy – like a brownie in lemon form!

The punchy lemon flavor comes through in the sweet-tart glaze and compliments the subtle lemon brownie layer in such a beautiful way.

What is a Lemon Brownie?

Well, it could be argued (and trust me, it has been argued extensively online 😜) that these little lemonies, a.k.a. lemon brownies, have no business being called a brownie since they don’t include chocolate in any form.

However, I will fight to my death that these lemon treats have earned the name “brownie” due to their unique and delicious chewy texture.

That glorious texture is achieved by the following:

• using melted butter in the batter
• incorporating both eggs and egg yolk
• using less flour than a cake or baked bar recipe

Glazed and Chilled

The lemon brownies bake up in a thin layer and are topped with a bright and citrusy lemon glaze that is nothing more than fresh lemon juice + lemon zest + powdered sugar.

The glaze isn’t meant to be overpowering. It forms a perfectly thin, sweet, punchy layer on top of the lemonies.

After the glaze has been spread on top, chill the lemon brownies for several hours. I promise that they will be infinitely more delicious if you do so (and a lot easier to cut into squares).

Bite-Size Squares

A dainty dessert, these lemonies are best cut into 1-inch (or so) squares.

Cutting them this way means they can be popped onto mini muffin liners for a super cute serving presentation.

Although I highly recommend serving these lemon brownies chilled, they do just fine if they are served at a function where they need to sit out for a longer period of time. I made about 100 of these cute little treats to serve at my cousin’s wedding and they did just fine at room temperature for a couple of hours.

Little Lemonies {Lemon Brownies}

Yield: 24 small squares

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

4.64 stars (297 ratings)

Print Pin Rate Save Saved!

Ingredients

Lemon Batter:

• 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 1 large lemon
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 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

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8X8-inch baking pan with parchment so that it extends over two opposite sides to help remove the bars after baking and cooling. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder and salt.
• In a separate bowl or in a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the butter, eggs, 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 the top springs back lightly to the touch. Let the bars cool completely in the pan.
• 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 and use an offset spatula or knife to spread into a thin, even layer.
• Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to let the glaze set before lifting them from the pan (using the parchment overhang) and cutting into small squares. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

Glaze: the glaze recipe makes a very thin, light layer of sweet, lemony glaze on top of the soft, chewy lemony brownies. If you want more glaze, consider doubling the recipe (just make sure the glaze doesn’t overpower!).

Lemons: altogether, you probably need 2-3 large lemons for the recipe to get the 4 tablespoons juice and 1 tablespoon (plus 1/2 teaspoon) zest.

Serving the Bars: these bars are delicious at room temperature but try them chilled and you may never go back.

Author: Mel

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Method: Bake

Serving: 1 Square, Calories: 100kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 68mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g

Recommended Products

8-inch Baking Pan

Mixing Bowl

Liquid Measuring Cup

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)

Recipe originally published March 2015; updated February 2025 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.

Other Recipes Like This:

Lemon White Chocolate Cream Bars

Amazing Instant Pot Lemon Curd

Lemon Bar White Chocolate Brownies

Lemon Truffle Shortbread Bars