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lemon brownies

Easy Fudgy Lemon Brownies

5 from 32 votes
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These fudgy lemon brownies are a refreshing twist on classic brownies! They combine the tangy, bright flavor of fresh lemons with the rich, buttery texture of traditional brownies. The lemon brownie base is also topped with a simple lemon glaze to add an extra zesty finish - so so good!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 22 minutes
Total: 37 minutes
Servings: 16 pieces
Author: Cakes by MK

IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.

Ingredients
 

Lemon Brownie Base

  • 1¼ cups (150 g) all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp (14 g) cornstarch
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1¼ cups (250 g) white granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon zest - See note 1
  • ¾ cup (170 g) warm melted unsalted butter - make sure the butter is warm (not hot or cold) when adding it to the batter
  • 1 tbsp (13 g) unflavored vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs - room temperature
  • 3 tbsp (42 g) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract/essence

Lemon Glaze

  • 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners sugar
  • 1½ tbsp (22 g) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional (see note 2 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease a square 8x8 inch cake tin (I use my homemade cake release). Once greased, line with a piece of parchment paper that is long enough so there is some overhang on two opposite edges of the tin. This will make it easier to pull the brownies out once done.
  • Sift together flour, cornstarch and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined and set aside for now.
  • In a large mixing bowl add in white sugar and fresh lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar has a light yellow tinge to it (about 30 seconds).
  • Add in warm melted butter, unflavored vegetable oil, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla. Using a whisk, mix until combined and smooth, but avoid overmixing (you don't want to incorporate too many air bubbles into the batter).
  • Add in the dry ingredients from earlier and using a spatula, gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan (the batter should be thin). Give the tin a little shake to evenly distribute the batter and then drop it lightly on the counter twice. Bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean (you want to have a very small amount of uncooked batter or moist crumbs on the toothpick - this will ensure the brownies don't overbake).
  • Allow to completely cool in the cake tin (1-2 hours).
  • Once cooled, run a thin knife (or spatula) around the edges of the pan that have no parchment paper and then carefully use the excess parchment paper hanging over the edges to carefully lift the brownie out of the cake pan.
  • Prepare the lemon glaze by combining the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Mix with a spoon until combined and smooth. You want the glaze to be thick, but spreadable (see note 3).
  • Spread the glaze evenly over the top of the brownie. Allow it to set for 30 mins to an hour (you should be able to touch the top without any of the frosting sticking to your finger) and then slice and serve!

Video

Notes

Note 1. When zesting the lemons, you want to make sure you're using a fine grater, and only grate the top yellow part of the lemon. Don't grate it right to the white part of the lemon as the white part is bitter so we don't want it in our brownies 🙂
Note 2. If using a convection oven with a fan, bake at 160C/320F
Note 3. If your glaze is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick you can add more lemon juice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.

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