Lemon Brownies are little morsels of lemon goodness. They are dense and chewy with a big hit of lemon flavor. My daughter and I have been dying to make these every since they have been popping up all over the internet. Lemon Brownies? Lemon and Chocolate? As you can see these little lemon bombs have no chocolate or cocoa powder in them. They are made with rich melted butter, fresh, room temperature eggs, a lot of lemon zest and lemon juice and a hint of vegetable oil to give them that chewy consistency.

These are perfect for a BBQ, a wedding or baby shower, or any kind of gathering when you need a fantastic dessert. I love the bite size pieces. They are packed with flavor and you only need a little to satisfy your sweet tooth.

How To make Lemon Brownies

1. Zest two lemons. Zesting Lemons is one of my favorite things to do! It is so satisfying to skim the skin off a ripe lemon. Using a microplane is an easy way to do this. This is one tool in my kitchen I use almost every day whether it is a lemon, a lime or an orange. It also grates parmesan and chocolate beautifully. If you do not have one, I would highly recommend buying one here.

2. Place the lemon zest in a bowl with the sugar. Using your fingers mix the lemon zest into the sugar. Continue to do this until all the zest is covered in sugar. The sugar helps release the oils in the lemon zest. It will carry the lemon flavor so much farther in any dish you make.

All you need is a little bite!

3. Melt the butter. I have several ways to melt butter, but the one I love the most is to leave it in the paper wrapping and place it in a glass measuring cup. Put this in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. The paper keeps the butter from popping on top of the microwave. Sometimes, the butter does not melt all the way, I like to turn the 1/2 cup paper container over. Now the solid butter is melting the rest of the way in the melted butter in the bottom of the measuring cup.

4. Prepare the 8 x 8 pan. Lay the 8 x 8 pan on a large piece of parchment paper. Cut the corners away and place the parchment paper in the pan. I like to crease the paper so it sits in each crease in the pan. Once I place the parchment in the pan, I like to fold over the excess on the sides. This creates a handle that I can use to pull the brownies out of the pan after they cook.

5. Pour the melted butter over the lemon infused sugar. Using a wire whisk mix the butter and sugar together for several minutes until the sugar begins to dissolve in the butter.

Really mix the lemon zest well into the sugar with your fingers.

6. Add the eggs one at a time and beat with the wire whisk. The eggs need to be beaten into the sugar and butter to create a glossy base to the batter.

7. Add in the vegetable oil and lemon juice. Mix well so the batter continues to carry the glossy consistency.

8. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt to the batter. The batter gets thick at this point. Try to use a spoon and mix by hand. It keeps the batter from getting over worked. The batter will be thick. I used a spatula to make sure everything was well mixed.

9. Spread the dough into the parchment lined 8 x 8 pan.

10. Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes. You want the edges to be brown and the top to have a few brown spots. You can always stick a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out clean. I prefer not to do this because I do not like the whole it leaves in the top of my brownies.

Cool the brownies completely before spreading on the glaze.

11. Make the Glaze. This glaze is easy to make, but the consistency is what you are looking for. Mix the powdered sugar with the lemon juice and then add one to two tablespoons of melted butter. Mix well. You want this to be thick to sit on the top of the brownies. You don’t want it to be too thin so it runs off the edges of the brownies. The butter gives the glaze some body and will keep it thick as it begins to firm up.

Let the glaze set up before slicing! Wipe the blade off each time.

12. Let the brownies cool for 1 – 2 hours before spreading on the glaze. I let the glaze sit on the brownies for a half an hour before I cut them into 1″ squares. Lift the brownies out of the pan and place on a cutting board. I used a large chef’s knife to cut a row into the brownies. Using a large glass filled with very hot water, I cleaned the knife after each cut by sticking it on the water and then wiping it off.

You can of course cut any size of brownies that you want, but they are packed with flavor and I like just a bite. It is the perfect size when have other treats on your menu.