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Mom Approved!

Lemony Lemonies

These may not look like all that much at first glance, but let me tell you they are fantastic! They’re little lemon brownies or lemonies. My mom found them on Pinterest and said she wanted me to make some for her right away. So I came up with this version to give her on Mother’s Day.

These are such a refreshing treat.  A dense, tangy, cakey little bite of bliss. And it pains me to say that I might even choose them over chocolate. I know crazy, but they are that tasty. My mom loved them and so did I. Warning… they won’t last long so load up on lemons and be prepared to make a second batch.

Lemons

Pucker up. These pack the perfect amount of lemony punch. A combination of fresh squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest.

Lemon Zest

Zesty!

Lemon brownie steps

The ingredients are mixed in one bowl and stirred by hand. Nice!!!

Glazing

And after they’re baked and cooled, they’re topped with a tangy lemony glaze.

Perfection.

Lemon brownies

 

Lemon Bites

Lemon Brownies may not be the right name because they’re like the opposite of chocolate. And lemon bars don’t really work since that dessert is already taken. (Speaking of lemon bars, I think you’ll like this recipe, too.) Lemonies is a cute name that some recipes used. I think I like that best. Lemony Lemonies it is. Thank you for the recipe inspiration Pinterest and for helping me make my mom happy.

Sink your teeth into these right away. You won’t regret it.

And here’s more variations on Pinterest.

Lemony Lemonies
Yield: 25 small squares

Lemony Lemonies

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Lemonies

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, almost completely melted and then cooled
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze

  • 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square pan or line pan with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray to easily lift brownies out of pan.
  2. Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and zest together using a wire whisk.
  3. Add melted butter, lemon juice, eggs and vanilla and stir until completely combined.
  4. Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
  5. Remove from oven and cool.
  6. For lemon icing, sift powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add lemon juice and zest and stir until completely combined and smooth. Pour over lemonies and let rest until icing sets. You can also place in the fridge to speed things up. Cut into 16 or 25 small bars.

Notes

I think they're even better slightly chilled for a few minutes.

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101 comments on “Mom Approved!”

  1. These yummy bars are to die for! Every time I bring them to a get together they disappear in no time. I am always asked for the recipe! I cut them into 2 inch squares and put them in mini cupcake papers so there are more bites for everyone! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!!

  2. Hi! There were two things wrong with these Lenonites! First thing was that I never got to frost them, and second was they didn’t last more than about 5 minutes! These are the most scrumptious things we have ever eaten! I added some Lemon Powder to them, about 2 tsp. , and they just don’t last long enough to share them with anyone! Next time I hope I can get them frosted! Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe! You are AWESOME! Just Roni ????

  3. I made these a couple weeks ago, and holy WOW are they good. So much bright, lemony flavor, and the best texture ever. So good slightly chilled! I usually use the Bakerella lemon bar recipe when I make lemon bars, and I have to say – these are even better. I finished at least half the pan on my own! This weekend, I’m going rogue: I’m going to try this recipe as a strawberry dessert. I’m going to sub strawberry nectar for the lemon juice, add a couple blended strawberries instead of zest, and then make the glaze with lemon juice and a couple more blended berries. Can’t wait to see how they turn out.

  4. Have you ever tried doubling the recipe?  I would like to,  as I am having people over tonight for supper and know they will go quick.

  5. Love this recipe!

  6. Le monies….I love that name! These were so addicting!  I didn’t have any fresh lemon, but I had a lime. I used bottled lemon juice, but grated fresh lime for the brownies and the icing.  It gave it just a hint of lime,.  We had these for dessert after spicy tacos. Great combo! 

    Now we need to figure out how to get the same brownie almost fudge like results using a larger batch recipe. Do you think doubling the ingredients and putting it in two pans would work? I think if a person doubled the amounts and put it into a 9×13″ pan, the center might not get done before the edges get over baked. Have you tried making a larger batch? ???

    • I just asked the same question about doubling the recipe.  Wondering if you ever tried it and how it turned out for you?.

  7. Mom approved? DEFINITELY mine!

  8. oh and the flavor does develop after a day and they freeze really well.

  9. I have made these twice in two weeks! super easy to mix and bake. lemons were a bit too tart first time around so really made me pucker up. Reduced the lemons and icing sugar in second attempt and the balance was lovely. BTW i have made these two way- melted transparent butter resulted in a low more dense sort of cake. Moist and flavorful and not fudgy but packed in. Soft mushy butter but not melted transparent beaten into the dry ingredients then all others added made for a more fluffy taller layer but very crumbly. Making it again this weekend for dessert in ramekins then topping with lemon curd/fresh whipped cream and chocolate shards….:)

  10. Awesome awesome awesome.. That’s all what I can say about this recipe.. Picture of this cake urged me to bake one for my husband when he is back from his office.. He simply loved it.. In the last week, I baked it 3 times for several occasion. Thanks Bakerella for this wonderful recipe..

  11. I know this is an old thread but these are the absolute BEST!! I have made these about a dozen times now – more than half of the time with a gluten free flour blend – and they were perfectly lemony each time! This is my go to treat now for almost any occasion or just for an after school treat. AMAZING!!! Thank you for another terrific recipe!

  12. I just finished making two batches. They are good but you must be a lemon lover to enjoy. I am having trouble cutting them without having them crumble. Will try again tomorrow. Also, the glaze/frosting was really thick so I had to add a little milk to thin out. They have a resemblance to a shortbread flavor but with a lemon twist. They are more work than I thought and I’m not sure I will make again. Depends on the reviews I get tomorrow. Feeding a class of 32 2nd graders.

  13. These were totally delicious! I made them for a party I was going to. One of my friends said they tasted like the lemon iced pound cake at Starbucks, and I think he is exactly right. Only in little bite-sized pieces with more glaze, yummy!

  14. Doubling the recipe and using a 9×13 pan work beautifully. These were a great tasting treat. They cut cleanly and made for a lovely small bite. Best of all, they froze well. I’ll be making these soon for upcoming family reunions.

  15. These are making my mouth water. I love anything lemon. I enjoy looking at your blog. I have a cooking blog as well. Jump on over to http://thinking-outside-the-pot.com/ to check it out. Enjoy!

  16. I doubled this and baked in a 9×13. Also substituted apple sauce for butter, and they came out beautifully. Will definitely make again!

  17. These are so delish… I used lime, because that’s what I had in the house, and made them for a friend at work for his birthday, and everyone loved them. The frosting is the best part! I also substituted apple sauce for butter, and it came out beautifully, for a “light” version.

  18. Can this recipe be doubled successfully and baked in a 13 x 9 pan?

  19. Hello! I’m from the Netherlands and when I bake I don’t use cups… Because I don’t have those measuring cups. I once tried a recipe and changed all the cups to grams, but it was a total failure and a waste of ingredients :( but I still want to try your recipes! Could you consider also putting up your recipes in grams? I’m sure you would make more people besides me very happy!

  20. So, I tried these yesterday for my mom’s birthday…made a cake, too because in general, nothing I try the first time turns out. LOL. But these….wow! So delicious! At first, really too tart, but then, after another bite, soooooooo good. Mine were a bit less pretty because I rushed the setting of the topping, but they were still pretty enough. LOL. This one is really a keeper, and I am so happy they turned out! I even took a picture, though they aren’t as pretty as yours.

  21. Hi there! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe! I tried it today and they are so tangy! Good I doubled everything, because they are going away fast :) Great for summer!

  22. Hi Bakerella, these are delicious!!!!! I made them last week and should have doubled the recipe; they lasted 24 hours! I’m whipping up another batch today and hopefully we’ll have some tomorrow afternoon. Your website makes me so happy! Thanks for sharing.

  23. These are fantastic and have become my frequent weekly bake. However last week I was distracted while making them and forgot to put the lemon juice in the base. So when they came out of the oven I poured the juice straight over the hot cake, then cooled and iced as per usual. What a fortuitous mistake, it made them even more delicious – moist and tangy.
    What a fantastic recipe. Straight from the fridge they taste like lemon meringue tart and I like them even better the day after baking.

  24. I made these too. So good, my colleagues ate the whole pan!!

  25. Have made three times since recipe posted! Everyone in my family loves them. Will be my summer 2014 go dessert recipe! Thanks so much!

  26. Oh MY GOSH!!!! These were fabulous! I had to stop myself from eating the whole tray! I will definitely be making these time and time again.

  27. Just made these. They are indeed delicious.

  28. Oh my goodness! I’m not sure how I missed these, but I NEEEEED them in my life! Need!

  29. Jenni, Thi P, Noelle, Sadaf, Rachel, Robyn R, Jiann M, Margo C, Jessica M, Kim, Debbie, Krystal, Dee – WOW guys! I’m so happy you all enjoyed them.

  30. I finally made these and can I just say they are WONDERFUL! I might add that I am not really a baker. Very moist, dense, and lemony, a cross between a shortbread and a brownie. I followed the recipe and I cooked them for exactly 24 minutes. They turned out great. I did not get the melted butter part so I let the butter soften and quickly blended the butter into the flour mixture and my batter was thick like your picture. I began to realize that even with the baking powder these “lemonies” will not rise very much. Also, its very rich so a little piece packs quite a punch,hence the little bite size pieces in the picture. Thanks for the recipe.

  31. Omg. My coworker sent me this recipe. I made then today and they came out amazing. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

  32. I wonder if this would work well with a gluten free flour. Since it seems dense like a brownie, and I’ve had no problems replacing wheat flour with GF flour when making brownies.

  33. I made a double batch last night and baked it in a 9×13 pan. Baking time was 34 minutes. My batter was a lot runnier than your picture, but the bars came out “fudgy” and moist (just like a regular brownie) and was TOTALLY delish!! I did not double the icing part.
    My co-workers are drooling over the plate.
    Thanks Bakerella – you rock!!!

  34. Is the baking time the same if you double the recipe and bake in a 9×13? These look wonderful! And Georgia in Australia: I looked and each butter stick (which equals 1/2cup) is 113g. So it looks like 3/4cup would be 170g. Hope that helps!

  35. These look great, I have a tree full of lemons and I’ve been thinking of different ways to use them up…limoncello, lemon curd and just tried lemon millefeuille…

  36. I’ll will try this as soon as possible, mhmmm

  37. These are fantastic! I made these almost a week ago with my Meyer lemons. I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×13 pan lined with parchment. I melted the butter all the way as well, and these bars came out with the perfect, moist “brownie” texture that I love. They were amazing chilled from the fridge or room temp.
    I still have a couple left after nearly a week, and they still taste fantastic (maybe even a little better)!
    Thank you for this recipe!

  38. These look divine! I’m in Australia so I tend to use a combination of imperial and metric measurements – does anyone know what 3/4 C butter is in grams? I have cup measures to measure out the other ingredients but would like to know approx. how much butter I’ll need to soften. Thanks!

  39. Love these! Just made a double batch to bring to a friend’s lobster bake. It was the perfect dessert! As I mentioned, I doubled the recipe – the end result was perfect! LOVE LOVE LOVE! Thanks Bakerella!!!

  40. My batter didn’t look as thick as yours, mine are cooling now. I hope that they are as good as they look. I can’t wait & I’m using them as a dessert tomorrow for a brunch.

  41. I just made these today! SO. GOOD. I didn’t think I would want to use icing, but I made it anyway and WOW did that seal the deal. I may or may not have eaten half a pan by myself…

    PS my mom loved them too :)

  42. they look absolutely dangerous…

    oh my, i’m just going to have to make them though…

  43. I’m going to double this and bring to my friend’s annual lobster party this weekend! Seems like the perfect dessert for such an occasion!

  44. Anyone try subbing coconut oil for the butter?

  45. The recipe sounds amazing, really want to try these out! I don’t live in the USA and was wondering what kind of vanilla did you use? The fresh kind or extract? Or maybe you have something that we don’t in the vanilla department :) I thank you already!

  46. Love anything lemon – and who doesn’t love a brownie. Perfect mix! Can’t wait to try these :) :)

  47. I made these last week and they were super delicious. Perfect amount of lemon. Was thinking about making them for a baby shower in two weeks. Any ideas on how they would bake up in a mini cupcake pan?

  48. I made these with canola oil, I doubled the recipe but only used 1 1/4 cups of oil, and they were great.

  49. I’ve made these twice since I saw this recipe posted last week. They are “scrumptious,” as stated by one of the women who tried them at a yard sale I hosted last week. (I made a batch for my kids to sell to keep them busy, and they went faster than the yard sale stuff I was practically giving away!)

    Love how simple the recipe is, and apart from the lemons, I always have this stuff on hand.

    Thanks!
    Sadaf

  50. OK, these look absolutely amazing! I’m sure if I just used Earth Balance butter and egg replacer they’ll turn out great!

  51. Ooh these look so good! I can’t remember when I last baked anything lemony – need to try these soon :-)

  52. Mmmmm lemon cake and cup of tea. So cute mix for a sunday. approved :P

  53. Turned out amazing, even with melted butter! They didn’t rise quite as high, but they cut beautifully and tasted amazing. This ones a keeper!

  54. I went too far and melted the butter. Hoping they turn out well anyway! My batter looked much thinner than the picture. Fingers crossed…

  55. I love lemon desserts and these look fantastic!!

  56. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Love the pic!

  57. I tried this recipe today amd the whole family loved it. Thanks, Bakerella!

  58. These look just soo moist and lemony!!

  59. i have to try making this for my hubby! he loves lemon flavored anything =)

    http://www.lesley-kim.com

  60. Just made some and they are fantastic! Thank you for a keeper.

  61. Bonnie – I really hope they turn out for you. I also used unsalted butter this time and they came out even better – I updated ingredients above.

  62. Thank you B I will be making them again today….no browned butter

  63. Bonnie – I made these again last night just to make sure and they came out great. I baked in a glass 8X8 pan and took them out at 25 minutes. Try making yours again without browned butter.

    Thanks MOM!!! : ) glad you loved them

    Mannie – I have seen similar recipes using oil instead of butter.

    Constance W – I think those would be cute.

    sofiah – I felt the same way when I first tasted these!

  64. There are some recipes in life that you just know you will continue making throughout your life!this is definitely one of them!thank you thank you thank you

  65. Looks delish! Wondering if I can transform into petite cakes with a thin coating of vanilla candy melts. Hmmmm. We shall see. Ty Bakerella. ????

  66. These look delicious!! Consider it pinned and going to be tried out this week, thank you :)

    http://www.lulabellelifestyle.com

  67. Oh how much I know I would love these!!! I know they were absolutely amazing! Lemonies – perfection!!!

  68. Found the same recipe a few weeks ago when we were picking all the lemons off our tree. These are fabulous!

  69. These look good. Do you know if I can substitute butter for something else? I know nothing measures up to the goodness of butter baked goods, but daughter is allergic to milk and wonder if I can make these with alternatives.

  70. Love these! Sometimes we all need a little break from chocolate and lemon is a delightful switch!

  71. these look delicious! would do great when I’m not in a chocolately mood ^^”

  72. These were even better than they look. A lemon surprise. I’m waiting for her to make more.

  73. PLEASE make this in a gluten free version :) Lemon is my favorite, over chocolate any day!! No garbanzo flour. I’m not knowledgeable about the science of baking to know how much rice, sourghum, oat? flours to use, but I know it can be done.
    Kate

  74. These look amazzing!! My mouth is watering they look and sound sooo good. Can’t wait to try them!
    Thanks for sharing.

    Please visit my blog as well:
    https://lulusandtiffanyblues.wordpress.com/
    xx

  75. My batter looked very much like the above but I am suspecting the butter at the moment….I had browned some butter to use in another recipe and used the remnants of that (about 1/3 c) plus enough to make up the 3/4 c…a possibility? with the moisture cooked out of the butter did I end up with too much fat?

  76. Hey Bonnie – I don’t know why they would have needed to bake that long. Did your batter look like the picture above?

  77. OMG! I love, love, love lemon desserts! Everytime i visit your site, i wish for Wonkavision so I can take a bite out of all the delicious scrumptious things you make!. I am so making these this weekend! Thank you!

  78. I have a tree full of lemons just calling to be squeezed! Oh, yeah! Thank you!

  79. Lemonies sureeee is a cuteeeee name!!!!!!!!!! I loveeeeee how you made an entire brownie out of these delicious citrus fruit!!!!! I can’t wait to make a batch of these scrummy lemony lemonies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3

  80. Well, I must be a dunce! I couldn’t wait to make these luscious looking bars and I failed miserably. After 45 minutes in a 350 oven they tested cooked and only jiggled a tiny bit in the centre but they are not cooked!!!! My hubby thinks they are yummy anyway. I think I did something wrong. But what?????

  81. Thanks guys!!!

    Tanya – hope she enjoys them as much as we did.

    Anna – That works for me : )

    Chris – I’ll reword. I just meant the butter can be almost completely melted and then cooled. It didn’t have to be bubbling hot and melted all the way. Melted and soft enough to incorporate when mixed together.

    Jenny Flake – agreed.

    Helen – I was thinking the same thing. Hope you try the oranges and let me know if you do.

  82. Me and my sister will love these, we’re lemon lovers! Lemon cookies, lemon cake, lemom frosting.. we’ll eat it all haha.. these look absolutely divine <3

  83. oh these sound just wonderful. my mom would love these too. definitely going to make them soon and surprise her with them.
    perfect. thanks for sharing.

  84. These look so lemony and delicious – I’ve got lots of oranges in my fruit bowl at the minute so I’m wondering whether orangy orangies might work as well.

  85. I have been on a real lemon kick lately so I can’t wait to try these!!

  86. Lemon is my mom’s favorite! I cannot wait to make these for her! I’ve been stuck with boxed lemon cake (yuck) or lemon bars for so long…she will be delighted with these, I am sure!

  87. These look even better than lemon drizzle!

  88. I am in love with all things lemony!! Bet they are amazing! Hope you are doing well! We need a girls getaway stat!!

  89. What does “almost melted and cooled” butter mean?

  90. Oh those look great :D although choc chips would still be good-fruit and chocolate pair well ;) and I like the name lemonies :D

  91. This is one of my favorite all-time recipes!
    These work really well with lime, too. Or key lime! Mmm.
    Lovely photos!

  92. They look as they will melt in the mouth :-) Really yummy!

  93. These do look so good! I love the flavour of real lemons.

  94. I love recipes like this… where I already own all of the ingredients!
    Horray!

  95. Thank you us mich for this Lomonossow recipe! I’ll have a try next week:-)

  96. thank goodnss I have lots of willing testers for this sort of thing!!! lol thanks for what looks like another super treat!

  97. As a self-proclaimed ‘lemonhead’, these are to die for.
    Why not ‘lemon blondies’?

  98. Bakerella you are not doing my waistline any good! But instead of scolding you because these are FABULOUSLY lemony, I want to say THANK YOU. My Miss 7(going 17) loves lemons “to the max”. She is in the kitchen whipping up a batch of these to take with to school

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