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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
This is a truly good recipe! Browning the butter makes all the difference. I doubled the recipe. Glad I did! This recipe has gone into my favorites index cards!!! Just make it!
Hi Tammy,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner!!
Loved these sooo much I will be making again and again. Brought to a dinner party and the guests loved them! A few changes I’ll make for next batch: I will probably bake a little longer as the middle of the brownie was very gooey. Any tips for making sure it will be baked through all the way to the middle? Also- I did immediately put water in the icing and it was too runny. Next time I’ll do no water in the icing. Delicious flavors all around and I’ll be trying more of your classic blonde recipes for my fiancé who does not love lemon. Thank you!!
Hi Sam,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well! I would stick a toothpick in the middle before removing from the oven next time. xx
These were a HUGE hit at our mother’s day dinner – so yummy!
Hey Jenn,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well! xx
These are incredible! Perfect density, texture, and just the right amount of lemon
Thanks so much, Kaitie!! So glad to hear these blondies were a hit, I appreciate you making them! xT
Outstanding! These bright lemon blondies were practically addicting. I added chopped white chocolate and doubled the amount of lemon zest.
For presentation; I let the brown butter glaze cool slightly before piping it over the cut bars.
Brilliant flavor combo; perfect for spring. My only regret is not making a double batch.
Hi Hope,
Thank you so much! I am thrilled to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you! Thanks for giving it a try!
This was unbelievably good! Thank you 🙂
Hi Helen,
Yay!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you!🌷 Happy Thursday!
This was SO good! Turned out perfect. Already can’t wait to make it again
Hi Jamie,
Happy Sunday! I’m thrilled to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Made these for book club and there was not a single one left amid a sea of other treats. I had several friends ask for the recipe. A hit! Perfect for spring and I am craving them as I write. The brown butter is magic with the lemon.
Thanks so much, Maura:) Love to hear this recipe was a hit, I appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend! xT
These were sooooo good. I loved the combo of lemon and brown butter. Almost tasted a little like caramel. After reading comments I added 1/4 tsp of lemon extract to the batter. Not sure if that did a lot but the flavors were divine. I baked exactly 30 minutes as the recipe stated. Let them cool, cut in triangles and drizzled with icing after placing on serving platter. Wanted to lick the plate when they were gone.
Hey there,
Happy Friday!🌺 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you!
I really wish your recipe ratings said the total number of people who have rated the recipe. The overall percentages help me decide if I want to make recipes I see online.
Thanks for sharing this suggestion, Jenn!
I saw some comments that the lemon flavor was subtle so I added more zest in the batter and they were perfect! Perfect gooey in the middle with more cakey edges! I love that I found your recipes and discovered browning butter!
Hey Haley,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Happy Wednesday! xx
Would you be able to make ahead and freeze ?
Hi Cristi,
Yes! Just wait to add the icing until these are thawed:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This is one of the best desserts I have ever made!! Brown butter toffeeish vibes paired with the clean and fresh lemon scene is amazingggg!! I made these for Easter Sunday dessert and they were divine. I paired them with 2 mini scoops of homemade strawberry ice cream, some diced strawberries and sprinkled more of the lemon sugar on top! Delish!!
Hey Jess,
Wonderful! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner! xx
Worst recipe I’ve made. Never made a bad one yet until now. Should have baked for another 5-8 minutes
Hi Jackie,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Was there something specific that went wrong or anything that I can help with? Please let me know!
Made these after viewing some of the comments. It was fantastic! Some people complained about it being flat and dense, but you need to make sure the eggs are at room temps and I also whisked them with a hand held mixer! I think it made a world of difference. I also added just a tad bit more baking soda. It turned out a bit more cake like. As far as the lemon flavor, my husband loves lemons so I simply added more lemon zest to the icing, bater and topping! Thank you HBH and Happy Easter to you too!
Thanks so much, Melanie:) I am so glad to hear that these blondies turned out well for you, thanks for making them and sharing your tips! Happy Monday! xx