When you think of brownies, you probably think of chocolate. In fact, up until I saw this delightful recipe for lemon brownies, I would have sworn to you that the very definition of “brownie” had at least something to do with chocolate. And maybe it does. Maybe these lemon brownies are on the cutting edge, changing the very brownie landscape. I wouldn’t doubt their ability. These lemon brownies are the bomb, and they don’t even use any butter. Which is basically just showing off at the point, but we’ll take it.
Ingredients You’ll Need For Lemon Brownies
- 1 cup of all-purpose white or wheat pastry flour (that’s right, wheat flour works perfectly for these brownies)
- 3/4 cups of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 tsp. of baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt (make sure it has at least 2% fat) or sour cream
- 3 Tblsp. vegetable oil
- The zest of 2 lemons + 2 Tblsp. of fresh lemon juice
For the glaze:
- 1 heaping cup of powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
- zest and juice of one large lemon
Baking Instructions For Lemon Brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8 x 8-inch cake pan with aluminum foil. Be sure to leave a few inches of excess foil sticking up from the sides of the pan. It comes in handy to lift the brownies out of the pan.
- Zest the lemons using a box grater or citrus zester.
- Add the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs, yogurt, oil, and lemon zest to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Cut one of the lemons open and squeeze 2 tablespoons of juice from it. Be sure there are no seeds in the juice!
- Using a spatula, wooden spoon, or fork, mix everything together. You’re looking for a smooth, creamy consistency to the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- If necessary, push the batter out into the corners of the baking pan so it is evenly spread throughout.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the icing.
- Add the powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice to a bowl. Stir together until a smooth glaze forms. Be patient, it takes about 30 seconds for the juice and the sugar to work their magic. Once the glaze forms, stir in the remaining lemon zest.
- When the brownies are done, allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a sheet of parchment paper for glazing
- Drizzle the lemon icing over the top, allowing it to coat the top evenly and even drip down the sides.
- Slice and enjoy!
