Easy Lemon Brownies
Delicious Easy Lemon Brownies are the perfect spring or summertime treat. Ready in under a half hour, these dessert bars are perfect for any occasion!
A CITRUS TWIST ON CLASSIC BROWNIES
Calling all my lemon lovers, these Easy Lemon Brownies are for you! These luscious treats are the perfect texture and have just the right amount of tart flavor. Just like traditional brownies, these Lemon Brownie Bars are moist, dense, and full of fantastic flavor. You only need a handful of ingredients to make these simple treats. The sweet and soft, tangy glaze makes these Lemon Bars the perfect dessert to snack on if you are a lemon lover like me!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Just like chocolate brownies, these lemon ones are dense and moist. They aren’t cakey. If you’re wanting cake-y bars, you’ll need to add a an additional leavening agent like baking powder to get that rise and airiness in them.
While I imagine you could ditch the glaze, I find that it really takes these bars up a notch. The lemon citrus flavor in it really makes them pop too. You could change the lemon extract to a different extract if desired or swap it out for something thicker if desired.
You can add whatever you like with these bars. Personally, I think adding some poppy seeds would be great. They are light, easy and would still let the lemon flavor shine through. You could also try some mini baking chips if desired or white chocolate chips.
Absolutely! If you love Lemon Brownie bars as much as we do, then you’re going to want to make a double batch 🙂
I suggest using a 9×13-inch baking pan and bake them that way. You’ll need to increase the baking time though.
Yes! I have a recipe for Homemade Lemon Brownies you can use instead.
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Yes, these flavored brownies can be frozen to keep longer. I like to flash freeze them before transferring them to a freezer safe container and freezing for up to 3 months.
Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before eating again. If you flash freeze them, you can just grab one or two, or a handful to enjoy later without having to thaw the whole leftover batch.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- lemon cake mix – I know that they keep going down in sizes for cake mixes. This recipe will work with the 13 ounce boxes all the way up to the 18 ounce boxes (if you can still find those anymore.) This won’t work with the Jiffy Cake mixes unless you grab two boxes of those.
- eggs – if you have time allow the eggs to come to room temperature. This will allow them to mix into the batter much easier.
- unsalted butter – if all you have is salted butter then you can use that. There is so little salt in salted butter and the amount we’re using here that it won’t make much of a difference.
- lemon extract – you could also use fresh lemon juice or lemon zest if you can’t find lemon extract.
- powdered sugar
- milk – if you really want to take it up a notch, try using heavy cream!
HOW TO MAKE LEMON BROWNIES
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare an 8×8-inch pan by spraying generously with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl. Mix the cake mix, melted butter, and lemon extract. Add in eggs. Mix until just combined, the mixture will be thick! Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, lemon extract, and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Pour over the cooled brownies and smooth evenly.
Cut into 9 pieces and serve!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Strawberry Brownies
- Iced Lemon Snack Cake
- Homemade Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Lava Cake
- Starbucks Lemon Loaf
- Lemon Magic Cake
- Classic Lemon Bars
- Butterfinger Brownies
Originally Published: March 2023
Republished: March 2025
Easy Lemon Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies:
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Glaze:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 ½ Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and prepare an 8×8-inch baking pan by spraying generously with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl. Mix 1 box lemon cake mix, 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and 1 teaspoon lemon extract. Mix until just combined, the mixture will be thick!
- Press the mixture (it will be thick) into the prepared baking dish and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the glaze, whisk together ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon extract and 1 ½ Tablespoons milk in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
- Pour over the cooled brownies and smooth evenly.
- Cut into 9 pieces and serve!
Notes
- You can make a double batch if desired.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
if I don’t have lemon extract can i use lemon juice?