Lemon Lemonies

If you like lemon, you’re going to love these bars.

They’re packed with bold lemon flavor and not for the faint of heart.

I’ve seen recipes on Pinterest for similar bars that are called lemon blondies, lemon brownies, or lemon lemonies. My fast, easy, no-mixer version is heavy on the lemon zing and lemonies seems the most fitting.

If you’re looking for traditional lemon bars or fluffy lemon cake, the lemonies are not it.

They’re the lemon equivalent of moist, fudgy brownies with zero traces of cakiness. They’re tooth-sinkingly dense with subtle buttery undertones like blondies have.

The bars themselves are not super lemony, thanks to melted white chocolate that’s stirred into the batter, but the glaze is pretty zippy. If you want to dial back the overall lemon intensity of the dessert, halve the recipe for the glaze, and drizzle it on like this, rather than flooding the entire surface.

But with lemon desserts, I generally prefer bold lemon flavor, and nothing is every too lemony for my daughter. She picks lemons slices out of ice water and eats them as if they were orange slices. Pucker much.

After pouring the glaze over the warm bars right as they emerge from the oven, it sets up, seeps into the bars, and makes them even moister, softer, and more lemony.

With each bite of a lemonie, I wanted another. It’s the type of food that the more you have, the more you want. The boldly tart-yet-sweet element really kept me going back to straighten the rows.

And the texture is exactly what I want in bars. Dense, rich, moist, chewy, and thick enough to be so satisfying.

Between my row straightening and my family’s love for lemon things, the lemonies disappeared fast.

Print Recipe

Lemon Lemonies

This fast, easy, no-mixer recipe is perfect for lemon lovers because the bars are packed with bold lemon flavor. They’re the lemon equivalent of moist, fudgy brownies with zero traces of cakiness. They’re tooth-sinkingly dense with subtle buttery undertones like blondies have. The bars themselves are not super lemony thanks to melted white chocolate in the batter, but the glaze is. Dial back the overall lemon intensity of the dessert by halving the glaze recipe, and drizzling it on rather than covering the entire surface. As the glaze sets up and seeps into the bars, it makes them even moister, softer, and more lemony. The boldly tart-yet-sweet element, combined with the thick, dense, chewy texture makes the lemonies richly satisfying.

Yield: one 8x8-inch pan, 9 generous pieces

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: about 27 to 28 minutes

Total Time: about 3 hours, for cooling & glaze setting up

Ingredients:

Bars
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt, optional and to taste
Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar
about 1/3 cup lemon juice, or as necessary for consistency
about 1 tablespoon lemon zest, or to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Bars -  In a large, microwave-safe bowl add the white chocolate, butter, and heat to melt, about 2 minutes on high power. Stop to check and stir after 1 minute, and then heat in 20-second bursts, stopping to stir after each burst, until mixture can be stirred smooth. White chocolate is very prone to scorching and seizing up, so watch it carefully and don't overheat.
3. Wait momentarily before adding the eggs so you don't scramble them. Add the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and whisk until combined.
4. Add the flour, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don't overmix.
5. Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
6. Bake for about 27 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter; set aside and make the glaze.
7. Glaze - In a medium bowl, add 2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup lemon juice, and whisk until smooth. As necessary, add additional lemon juice (or sugar) to reach desired glaze consistency. I used slightly over 1/3 cup lemon juice. Glaze should be fairly thin and easily pourable.
8. Evenly pour glaze over bars, smoothing it lightly with a spatula if necessary, but glaze will likely just slide into place.
9. Evenly sprinkle with lemon zest.
10. Allow bars to cool in pan uncovered for at least 2 to 3 hours, (or overnight and cover with a sheet of foil) before slicing and serving so glaze can set up. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

Related Recipes

The Best Lemon Bars – Truly the best lemon bars I’ve ever had

Pink Lemonade Freezer Bars (no-bake) – Fast, easy, refreshing freezer bars

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting – Soft, fluffy, moist, very lemony cupcakes from scratch! Easy one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for cupcakes that taste like they’re from a bakery

Coconut Lime White Chocolate Bars

Key Lime Pie Bars

The Best Homemade Margaritas: All-Natural, 3-Ingredients (vegan, GF)

5-Calorie Raspberry Lime Margarita Fizz (non-alcoholic, vegan, gluten-free) – 5-Calorie Raspberry Lime Margarita Fizz (non-alcoholic) – Cool, refreshing & won’t break your caloric bank with only 5 calories!

Coconut White Chocolate Blondies

Tropical Escape Soft Pineapple Crumble Bars