These soft lemon brownies topped with lemonade glaze are the ultimate summer dessert bar bursting with bright, lemony flavor. Easy to make with powdered lemonade!
If you love homemade treats like these easy lemon brownies and lemonade pie, check out my collection of lemon desserts for even more zesty inspiration.
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Brownies
These are perfectly soft, melt-in-your-mouth lemon brownies made easily with powdered lemonade mix. This is a variation of lemon bars that you never knew you needed! Here’s why:
- Brownies with a twist. Lemon brownies put a bright and tart, citrusy twist on your classic fudgy brownies. They fall somewhere between a blondie and a lemon square, and we are 100% here for it.
- Soft brownie texture. These lemon brownies are moist, cakey brownies with a soft, tender crumb bursting with lemonade flavor. The secret to all that flavor is powdered lemonade mix!
- Lemon glaze. Glaze these fluffy lemon brownies with a delectable icing packed with even more lemon flavor. Seriously delish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are some helpful ingredient notes before we dive into this easy brownie recipe. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below the post for a printable list of ingredients.
- Butter – Brought to room temperature.
- Lemonade Powder – I use Country Time powdered lemonade mix. Feel free to use any brand of mix that you’d like.
- Sugar – You can make this recipe with granulated sugar or light brown sugar.
- Eggs – One whole egg, plus 2 yolks. The extra yolk adds richness.
- Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour and baking powder (not baking soda, don’t mix them up!).
- Glaze – Made from powdered sugar combined with lemonade (or lemon juice) and lemon zest.
How to Make the Best Lemon Brownies With Glaze
These are the easy steps to perfect lemon brownies topped with creamy lemonade glaze. Scroll down to the recipe card for printable recipe directions.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Start by creaming together butter and sugar with lemonade powder. Then, beat in your egg and both yolks, along with the vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients. Slowly mix in the flour and baking powder until the ingredients are just combined, being careful to not overmix.
- Bake. Spread the brownie batter into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish. Pop the brownies into the oven to bake at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes. They should be just set in the center. Don’t overbake them!
- Cool and glaze. Allow the brownies to cool completely. Afterward, sift powdered into a bowl and add lemonade or lemon juice, plus lemon zest. Whisk the glaze together and then pour it over the cooled brownies. Let the glaze set (about 1 hour), then slice and serve!
Tips for Success
These are my top tips for perfect lemon brownies:
- Don’t overbake. These lemon brownies continue to set up in the pan while they cool, so be sure to take them out of the oven when they’re just set. Overbaking will lead to dry, crumbly brownies.
- Avoid over-mixing. Over-mixing brownie batter leads to dense, tough brownies. Stir the dry and wet ingredients together until they’re just combined.
- Add-ins. Stir white chocolate chips, shredded coconut, or chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) into the batter for a little extra somethin’ somethin’.
- Serve. Serve these brownies topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, homemade lemon curd, and whipped cream for a citrusy spin on a brownie sundae! Add a drizzle of strawberry syrup to take things over the top.
How to Store
- To Store. Store your lemon brownies at room temperature in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze. These brownies are the perfect candidates for freezing! You can freeze them before or after adding the glaze. Wrap the cooled brownies airtight in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 2-3 months. Defrost them at room temperature before serving.
More Lemon Dessert Recipes
Print
Lemon Brownies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 brownies 1x
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft lemon brownies are sweet, cakey, lemony dessert bars topped with lemonade glaze. Easy to make with powdered lemonade!
Ingredients
Scale
Brownies
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup dry lemonade powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, plus 2 yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup flour, plus 2 Tbsp
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 Tbsp prepared lemonade OR juice from one lemon, approx 2-3 Tbsp
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray, and set aside.
- Cream butter, sugar, and lemonade powder in a mixer for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add in egg and both yolks and vanilla. Continue mixing until incorporated.
- Turn the mixer to low and add flour and baking powder. Stir until combined.
- Spread batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 15-20 minutes until edges begin to golden and center is JUST set. Do not overbake.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Glaze
- Stir powdered sugar, lemonade or lemon juice and zest in a small bowl and pour over cooled brownies.
- Let glaze set for at least an hour before cutting into squares.
Notes
- I used Country Time Lemonade mix, but I imagine any brand will work fine!
I was so excited to try these lemonade brownies considering how much I love the tartness of lemon and the chewiness of brownies.
I made these tonight and it fell short of what I was hoping it would be. The texture and flavor were kinda off. Can’t place my finger on it.
The glaze was amazing though.
Breast Cancer awareness…use pink lemonade instead.
I baked these this morning and they didn’t rise at all and actually burned in my oven after only 13 minutes… Maybe more baking powder would help? And maaaan are they lemony! yikes…
I thought I was being clever by using Crystal Light lemonade mix in this recipe. Sorry to say, it didn’t turn out like I thought it would. It left a bitter aftertaste. So just a heads up to anyone who was thinking of doing the same thing. I have to say, aside from the C.L. issue, the brownies were way too tart for me and I’m wondering if swapping the amount of sugar with the amount of lemonade mix might do the trick. Thoughts?
Did you use the mix with sugar already in it?
Yes!
oh my fricking goodness I am in love………. oh I’m going to make these, oh my goodness! Control myself long enough to get ingredients…
thanks for the amazeballs idea!!!
thea.
(spoonfulzine.com)
There must be a mistake in the 1/2 cup lemonade mix. It was so strong, I nearly choked!. It was like eating pure mix. They had to hit the trash. Sorry.
I used 1/2 cup and it was lemony, but certainly not too strong…What brand of lemonade mix did you use?
I have to agree. I just made these last night and was excited about the possibilities because the pics looked so yummy. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize how lemony it was going to be. I used Country Time mix; maybe if you cut back on it.. i don’t know. Anyway, my kids did not like it and I could only eat the top part. The glaze was the only redeeming factor.
no entiendo que es limonada seca o mezcla seca, aquí en Bogotá no consigo eso, pero tenemos mucho limón a precio económico, se puede hacer con jugo de limón?
Totally……. amazing
I was wondering if I wanna do this without using the dry lemonade powder, what possible substitute can be used!!!
DO you want to change the flavor or are you wanting to still make them lemon? You could try some extract or lemon juice, certainly!
Why didn’t I think of this – wow! I love lemon but traditional lemon squares have that weird texture. These sound amazing!