With just 5 ingredients, you can make these lemon brownies in under 30 minutes! This simple dessert is loaded with a bright, fresh lemon flavor.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Brighten up a dessert favorite. These lemon brownies give the plain old chocolate brownie variety a bright, fresh makeover.
- So easy to make. You'll just need 5 simple ingredients, and these will be out of the oven within 30 minutes!
- Perfect for a party or potluck. You're going to get 12-16 servings out of this simple recipe...the perfect size for a crowd.
🍋 Ingredients
(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)
- lemon cake mix - Yes, we're using boxed cake mix for this recipe...you'll never know!
- eggs - I recommend using large eggs for this dessert.
- vegetable oil - Now I know I typically recommend butter when using a boxed cake mix, but the vegetable oil is going to give the brownies a little more fudginess (is that a word?) and that crunch on top.
- powdered sugar - Don't make the mistake of using granulated sugar for this...it's far too grainy! Powdered sugar will give you a smooth finish. (In a pinch, you can pulse granulated sugar in a food processor to make powdered sugar.)
- lemon juice - If needed, you can use bottled lemon juice, but I really recommend fresh-squeezed lemon juice for this if you can. It's only about a lemon's worth of juice.
Additions & Substitutions
- Add additional sweetness by mixing 1 cup of white chocolate chips into the batter before baking.
- Give your brownies even more freshness by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter.
- Make these in any flavor! Simply change the flavor of the cake mix to change up your brownies. These are great as strawberry brownies, banana brownies, or even red velvet brownies.
If you want a lemon dessert that's a little creamier, try these lemon cream cheese bars!
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Lemon Brownies
Step 1: Prepare brownie batter.
In a large bowl, blend cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil. Spread this mixture in an 8x8" dish prepared with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Step 2: Drizzle with lemon glaze.
While the brownies are cooling, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a thick glaze. Drizzle over the brownies as they cool.
Allow brownies to set in the refrigerator for about an hour.
❄️ Leftovers & Storage
Because of the glaze, you might want to store these in the fridge. They will last longer than a normal dish at room temperature (5-6 hours is fine), but the glaze can go bad quickly if not refrigerated.
Enjoy these within 3-4 days of preparing them. They're great warm or cool!
Can I freeze these brownies?
I wouldn't freeze these brownies - the texture can be a little off after freezing.
💡 More Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Feeding a big crowd? Double the recipe and use a 9x13" pan. The same cooking time should work, but you might need to add a minute or two (your brownies should be starting to turn golden brown and still jiggly in the middle, but not liquid).
- Don't overmix the brownie batter - just stir until blended. Mixing too much can make the brownies overly chewy.
- The brownie mixture will be thick, almost like cookie dough. Trust the process - it will bake beautifully!
More Cake Mix Recipes
Enjoy, everyone! If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think. Leave a rating ⭐️ and review 💭 in the comments below. And before you go, follow along to get the latest and greatest from the blog!
Lemon Brownies
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Ingredients
For Brownies
- 15.25 oz lemon cake mix
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
For Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about a lemon's worth of juice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs. Spread mixture in an 8x8" glass dish sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake brownies at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until sides are set.
- While brownies cool, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over brownies as they cool.
- Allow brownies to set in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Notes
- Because of the glaze, you might want to store these in the fridge. They will last longer than a normal dish at room temperature (5-6 hours is fine), but the glaze can go bad quickly if not refrigerated.
- Feeding a big crowd? Double the recipe and use a 9x13" pan. The same cooking time should work, but you might need to add a minute or two (your brownies should be starting to turn golden brown and still jiggly in the middle, but not liquid).
- Don't overmix the brownie batter - just stir until blended. Mixing too much can make the brownies overly chewy.
- The brownie mixture will be really thick (almost like cookie dough) before baking.
