Moist, chewy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor, these brownies are a sunny dessert you are going to love!
These bars get their texture from melted white chocolate and butter, which creates a rich, moist crumb that resembles a brownie. An easy lemon icing is the perfect finishing touch to these sweet, tart, and flavorful bars.
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What sets this recipe apart
Unique: Not quite a blondie, but not quite a lemon bar. This is a blondie-brownie-lemon bar hybrid!
White chocolate: Most lemon brownies are all about the lemon flavor, but this version also includes white chocolate. Melted white chocolate is in the base of the batter, adding a creamy sweetness all throughout. White chocolate chips are also stirred in before baking.
Make ahead: These bars stay soft, chewy, and flavorful for days. Store them at room temp for up to 3 days, or refrigerated up to 5 days.
Visual recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Make the brownie batter
This easy batter is flavored with melted white chocolate, butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Bake
Bake in an 8×8 pan for 25-30 minutes.
Lemon icing
Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice for the lemon icing. Top the cooled bars with icing.
My recipe testing tips and notes
One large, two medium, or three small lemons will be needed for this recipe.
Remove the zest from the lemon before juicing it.
When removing the zest, use a Microplane-style grater/zester. Only remove the yellow part, not the white pith.
The icing will take an hour or so to firm up, so plan accordingly.
Choose good quality white chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli or Guittard.
Cornstarch and an extra egg yolk help to impart a soft and chewy texture.
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Recipe
White Chocolate Lemon Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies:
- ½ cup (113g) salted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- ⅔ cup (116g) white chocolate chips, divided
- ¼ cup (55g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons lemon zest , about one large lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups (158g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled or weighed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon icing:
- 1¼ cups (150g) powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- lemon zest, for garnish
Instructions
Brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 metal baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it (I use nonstick baking spray). Set aside.
- Place the butter in a large microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave until the butter is melted. Immediately add ⅓ cup (58g) of white chocolate chips. Stir gently, to ensure the chips are covered in butter, then set aside for 5 minutes. The heat from the melted butter will melt the chips.
- After 5 minutes, whisk the melted butter and chocolate chips, you should have a smooth mixture. Add both sugars, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Tap the excess batter off the whisk and into the bowl and remove the whisk.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until combined. Stir in the remaining ⅓ cup (58g) white chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Moisten your fingertips with water and press the batter into an an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center has a few moist crumbs but no raw batter.
- Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon icing:
- Whisk powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add more lemon juice as needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency. Pour the icing over the cooled bars and spread into an even layer. Grate lemon zest over the top, if desired. The icing will firm up over time. I usually wait a couple hours for it to thicken before cutting and serving.
Notes
Serving and storage
Serve chilled or room temperature. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. These bars stay soft, chewy, and flavorful for days.Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
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