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Crinkle Top Lemon Blondies —sweet, buttery, and swirled with rich brown butter. These blondies are generously iced, perfectly chewy, and delish!
They’re chewy and crinkly with just the right amount of bright lemon flavor, made with sweetened lemon sugar, deep brown sugar, and subtle hints of vanilla and caramelized butter.
Each bar melts in your mouth, topped with a creamy brown butter lemon icing and a final dusting of lemon sugar for a sparkly, citrusy finish. These are the blondies everyone will be asking for again and again.
This is the year I’m experimenting and having fun baking with lemon. I didn’t grow up thinking lemon desserts were worthy of my time and carried that belief into adulthood. But slowly, over the years, I’ve discovered the deliciousness of a sweet lemon treat. And after learning that my littlest brother, Oslo, loves lemon desserts, I’m now ecstatic about creating even more lemony sweets!
Watching little Oslo devour these bars with so much happiness completely melted my heart. These lemon blondies have officially climbed to the top of my “favorites” list!
After that, I couldn’t stop thinking about lemon desserts. Originally, I just wanted to make a simple lemon bar—something I didn’t have a recipe for yet and that felt fresh and new. I think I was also feeling a little extra inspired by these sunny springtime days!
But let’s be real: blondies always have more fun. So I set out to develop the perfect lemon blondie recipe. And you guys… they are just scrumptious. We’re talking crinkly tops, the deep richness of brown butter, bright lemony goodness, a touch of vanilla, and dreamy swirls of vanilla bourbon white chocolate (I found the best bars at Whole Foods).
I know you all will love these!
Here are the details
Ingredients
- Lemon zest
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Eggs – Make sure they are at room temperature and not at all chilled
- Salted butter
- White chocolate – I use Milkboy Swiss Bourbon Vanilla Chocolate Bars
- Vanilla
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
Ingredients for the Icing
- Salted butter – lightly browned on the stove
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla
- Powdered sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon zest
Steps
Step 1: the lemon sugar
Mix the granulated sugar with the lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar. This will release the lemon’s oils, infusing more flavor into the sugar.
Mix in the brown sugar.
Step 2: the eggs
The key to adding the eggs is to really whisk them first.
Whisking the eggs before mixing them into the blondie batter creates air within the eggs that helps create that crinkly top. It might seem like an unnecessary step and a waste of a clean bowl, but just trust me on this one!
Add the lemon sugar mixture to the eggs.
Step 3: lightly brown the butter and mix with eggs
To do this, add the cold, salted butter to a skillet. I like to use a cast-iron skillet.
Let the butter sizzle and just lightly turn brown over medium heat. Now, mix the warm butter into the eggs and sugar, constantly whisking until a smooth, glossy batter forms. The warmth helps dissolve the sugars.
Whisk in the white chocolate, allowing some of the finely chopped chocolate to begin to get melty. Add the vanilla.
Step 4: finish the batter and bake
Add the flour and salt. Whisk until the batter is very smooth.
Use a 9×9-inch square brownie pan for these. I baked mine for exactly 30 minutes.
Step 5: the icing
Once the blondies have cooled, make the tangy lemon icing.
Mix a small amount of browned butter with lemon juice, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Add water to thin the icing as needed. Pour the icing over the blondies. It’s so pretty!
The final step is to sprinkle the lemon zest and sugar mix over the blondies. Beyond delicious! Have fun and enjoy some sweet lemony blondies. Little Oslo’s favorite dessert!
Looking for other sweet recipes? Here are a few ideas:
5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake
Dirty Horchata Tres Leches Cake
Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake
Coconut Banana Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
Lastly, if you make these Crinkle Top Lemon Blondies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Crinkle Top Lemon Blondies
Servings: 16 bars
Calories Per Serving: 194 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3.5 ounces high quality white chocolate, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Icing
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, browned
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment paper.2. In a bowl, mix the granulated sugar with the lemon zest, use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, releasing the lemon oil. Add the brown sugar.3. in a bowl, whisk the eggs for 1 minute until bubbly on top. Add the lemon sugar mix. 4. Add the butter to a pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk the the butter into the sugar and eggs until smooth and glossy. Stir in the white chocolate and vanilla.5. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until just set and crinkly on top. 6. To make the icing. Whisk the brown butter, lemon juice, vanilla, powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Spoon over the bars. Mix the sugar and lemon zest. Sprinkle the lemon sugar over the bars. Let the icing set for 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy! Enjoy!
This post was originally published on April 15, 2025
I noticed yours sank quite a bit on the Instagram stories – how do I prevent this from happening to mine? If I follow the recipe as is, won’t it turn out more sunken like yours?
Hi Veronica,
I use a 9×9 inch pan and love the way they come out. Thinner, chewier and with that crinkly top! I think they are so delicious. You can use an 8×8 inch pan for a thicker blondie, if preferred.
Otherwise I would stick to the recipe! I think once you try them you will love them!
Hope this helps. Let me know what you think! Happy Friday!!
These are so sunken in. Any ideas for how to avoid that?
Hi Regina,
I use a 9×9 inch pan and love the way they come out. Thinner, chewier and with that crinkly top! I think they are so delicious. You can use an 8×8 inch pan for a thicker blondie, if preferred.
Otherwise I would stick to the recipe! I think once you try them you will love them!
Hope this helps. Let me know what you think! Happy Easter!!
I fully understand the rationale of foregoing the bakery in order to create your own delicious baked goods at home, with complete control over what goes into them – and at a lower cost. You clearly weren’t putting anyone down.
I like to bake at home as well, but rarely visit bakeries. Not as a “put down” there are obviously a lot of lovely bakeries out there, but baking at home just hits differently.
These blondies were wonderful, and I really enjoy lemon desserts around Easter. Thanks for the inspiration. These were simple, easy to make and really tasty!
Thanks so much, Gina! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you:) Thanks for making it! Happy Easter! xx
Hi, these look really tasty but I saw your Instagram stories today and it looks like yours were very thin and had a really crisp edge. How do I avoid that? Thanks!
Hey Marlene! I use a 9×9 inch pan and love the way they come out. Thinner, chewier and with that crinkly top! I think they are so delicious. You can use an 8×8 inch pan for a thicker Blondies if preferred.
The edges are from the butter, again really good. I don’t think when you bake your batch that you will have an intense edge. I baked many batches and the edges varied in size each time! You really don’t notice them.
Otherwise I would stick to the recipe! I think once you try them you will love them.
Hope this helps. Let me know what you think! Happy Easter!!
I noticed these were very sunken in on your IG videos. Is there a way to prevent this before I make them? Thank you!
Hi Martha,
I use a 9×9 inch pan and love the way they come out. Thinner, chewier and with that crinkly top! I think they are so delicious. You can use an 8×8 inch pan for a thicker blondie if preferred.
Otherwise I would stick to the recipe! I think once you try them you will love them!
Hope this helps. Let me know what you think! Happy Easter!!
I love a lemon dessert! Why does the crinkle top matter if you’re going to cover it with icing? These look quite thin and sunken. Any suggestions on how to make thick blondies that don’t sink?
Hey Rosie! I use a 9×9 inch pan and love the way they come out. Thinner, chewier and with that crinkly top! I think they are so delicious. You can use an 8×8 inch pan for a thicker Blondies if preferred.
Otherwise I would stick to the recipe! I think once you try them you will love them! The crinkle top just adds texture.
Hope this helps. Let me know what you think! Happy Easter!!
These came out really thin, I was expecting a thicker chewy bar. The flavor was ok. I didn’t really enjoy the white chocolate chunks though. I made them as a test run to bring to Easter brunch, thankful I tested first!
Hi Lucy,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you didn’t love them. Happy Easter!
Why do you keep cutting on bakeries? 🙁 I like some of your recipes but it is a little off putting to hear you put down bakers!
Hi Gracey,
Sorry, I am not sure what you mean by “cutting on bakeries”. I LOVE a great bakery and never meant to put them down. I was only trying to highlight how yummy a homemade variation is too. Appreciate this feedback and will adjust in the future! Hope you enjoy the blondies! Have a great Wednesday and happy almost Easter!
Can I double this recipe and bake in a 9×13 pan? They sound delicious but I need enough for a bigger crowd. Thank you.
Hi Deborah,
Sure, I bet that would work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I only have an 8×8 or 9×13 pan. which would you suggest and bake time?
Hi Holli,
I would go ahead and use the 8×8 pan and bake for just over 30 minutes. I hope you love this recipe!
In step 4 you say to add cocoa powder. I’m guessing that is an error. Love your recipes.
Thanks so much, Karen! Yes, all is fixed now:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try!
I wish you would quit putting down bakeries in your blogs. 🙁 everything is “better than bakery” – I’ve had some pretty amazing baked goods from bakeries! There’s a lot of talent! Please take this into consideration, thank you.
Hey Sasha! Thank you so much for pointing this out to me. I LOVE a great bakery too and never meant to put them down. I was only trying to highlight how yummy a homemade variation is too. Appreciate this feedback and will adjust in the future! Hope you enjoy the blondies! Have a great Wednesday and happy almost Easter!
These look delicious! I will be replacing our traditional lemon squares with these for Easter this year! Thanks for your great recipes and your beautiful photos!! And Happy Easter!
P.S. in your instructions above the recipe, you mention “cocoa powder”, I’m thinking you meant “baking powder”?
Thank you so much, Laura:) I hope you love this recipe! Happy Easter!
Is there a store brand of white chocolate you can recommend besides ordering one. The blondies look delicious.Thx Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Sure! Tony’s and Ghirardelli are both great options. I hope this helps! xx
Little misprint in the recipe. Not cocoa powder, baking powder
Thanks, Leslie! All is fixed:)