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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
First time a recipe here didn’t work out as expected. Ours wasn’t dry like others. But cake like. A very good cake, but not blonde like. May need to try another lemon blondie sometime
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for your feedback and trying these blondies, sorry to hear you didn’t love them. Have a nice week!
I made these for Spring/easter party and they were so good! I love the lemon flavor and the “lemon sugar” topping. Delicious!
Hey Mary,
Yay! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear they turned out well for you! xx
Turned out much thinner than I thought and more dense. Overall bland flavor, the lemon wasn’t very strong.
Hi Joanie,
So sorry to hear these blondies were not enjoyed, thanks for giving them a try. Have a nice week!
Everyone raved at how good these blondies taste. Perfect balanced citrus flavor, wonderful texture and frosting that put it over the top. I did not melt the white chocolate chips but added them to the dough which I thought added to the delectableness
Hey Christopher,
Happy Monday!! Thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your feedback!🌷
I made these exactly like the recipe with a heavy duty 9 X 9 pan. Absolutely thick, lemony, chewy deliciousness ! The frosting was more a glaze and I preferred it that way. These are AMAZING
Hi Patrice,
Happy Monday!! Thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your feedback!🌷
Hi Tieghan,
I used a 9×9 pan and went with your 30 minutes. Next time, I will try less time no crinkled top on mine. as for the icing, you did indicate how long to let the brownies cool before putting the icing on. Also, should the icing be on the thin side? my was thin in texture so I added more powdered sugar.
Thank you for your great recipes,
Carolann
Thanks so much, Carolann! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Sorry, you should definitely let the bars cool completely before adding the icing. For a thicker icing, more powdered sugar should help:) Happy Sunday!🌼🐰
This recipe turned out great! I also put three tablespoons of lemon juice in the icing and it gave the best lemon flavor. Mine were chewy in the middle and crunchy on the outside great combo. Followed the instructions no adjustments.
Hi Kelly,
Amazing! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, so glad it turned out nicely for you! Have the best weekend!🌸
I made this in an 8×8 pan, they were still very thin. Not a chewy texture they were very dense in texture. Very very little lemon flavor.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Kelli. Sorry to hear the recipe was not enjoyed. Have a nice weekend!
I really liked this recipe!!! Mine were not thin or dry. They were lovely and quite lemony. I baked them for 28 minutes and used 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice for the icing. I would definitely make them again and use as a guft.
Hey Alice,
Amazing! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, so glad it turned out nicely for you! Have the best weekend!🌸
Very sunken in, dense, thin even with the adjustments & barely lemon flavor. It was a miss for me.
Sorry to hear this, Jen. Thanks for trying the recipe. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!
If you’re looking for a very lemony dessert, this one isn’t it. Any lemon flavor is barely there. But the actual problem is the texture—these were thin, dry, and dense. Sadly a miss.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Candace. So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Have a great Friday!
Did you intend for these to be so sunken? Just wondering how that can be remedied. I know you live at a high elevation.
Why do you assume everyone celebrates Easter?
Hi Dylan,
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! Let me know if you give this recipe a try!
Happy Thursday!!
Disappointed in these. I’ve really struggled with all of HBH’s baked items. They just don’t come together. Not something you can serve to guests.
Hi Ewa,
So sorry to hear this. Is there anything that I can help with or anything specific that went wrong? Please let me know if I can help! xx
These turned out much thinner than I expected. They were also quite dense in texture. Flavor was so-so.
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for sharing your feedback and giving this recipe a try, sorry to hear you didn’t love them. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!
What’s the point of a crinkle top if they get covered in icing?
Hi Delilah,
I love the texture of the crinkle top:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx