These fudgy and zesty Shortbread Lemon Blondies are filled with tangy flavors. They're made with a layer of buttery shortbread crust and are filled with lemon zest and white chocolate.
A cross between a lemon bar and a brownie, these Shortbread Lemon Blondies have it all: buttery crust, zesty flavor, and a fudgy texture. They whip up in no time, and there's no chill time involved, so you can eat them as soon as they're done cooling out of the oven. Perfect summer treat!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Zesty flavors: These blondies are filled with tangy, lemony flavors!
- Shortbread crust: These lemon blondies have a delicious shortbread crust that is so good and buttery!
- Fudgy: The texture of these blondies is very much brownie-like, and have a fudgy center, thanks to the white chocolate.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Butter: The crust as well as the blondies both need butter. I use unsalted butter in both.
- Flour: All purpose flour for the shortbread crust and the lemon blondies is best.
- Sugar: Powdered sugar for the shortbread crust and granulated sugar for the blondies.
- Lemon: I love using lemon zest in my lemon desserts.
- Salt: Both elements need salt.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs, room temperature.
- White Chocolate: I use chocolate chips, but you can use chocolate bars. Make sure to chop them before microwaving them.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Shortbread Lemon Blondies
Shortbread Crust
Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
Beat together: In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, flour, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest, and beat using a handheld mixer until the mixture is crumbly (see photo in post).
Press into pan: Pour the crumbly crust into the prepared pan and press down using an offset spatula or your fingers until you have a smooth base.
Bake: Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Lemon Blondies
Melt chocolate: While the crust bakes, add butter and white chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, making sure to stir between each increment, until both white chocolate and butter are melted mixed together. Set aside to cool.
Lemon Sugar: In a medium bowl, add granulated sugar and lemon zest and using your fingers, rub them together. This helps bring out the oils in the zest, which yields more flavor.
Beat eggs: Add the eggs and beat with a handheld mixer for 2 minutes until the eggs and sugar are combined and the color is visibly lighter. Pour in the white chocolate and beat for 30-45 seconds until combined.
Add flour: Fold in the flour and salt until just incorporated.
Pour & Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan (with the crust) and smooth it out. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The blondies will have puffed up and the edges will have a deep color. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Substitutions
Lemon Glaze: I've tried these both with powdered sugar and lemon glaze and both are delicious. Depends on what you like. If you want even more of a tang, I suggest adding a lemon glaze, which is just powdered sugar and lemon juice until you get a glaze, thick runny consistency. Pour it oven the lemon blondies and enjoy.
Storage
Store these Shortbread Lemon Blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
Pro Tips
- Measure Flour Correctly: As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure to use room temperature ingredients where called for.
- Infuse the sugar with zest: To achieve a cake bursting with lemon, infuse the sugar with the zest by rubbing the zest and sugar together with your fingers to release the oils in the zest. This creates an even better flavored cake.
- Don't Over bake: Start checking the lemon blondies at 20 minutes to ensure you don’t over bake. You want to make sure you end up with fudgy centers!
- High quality chocolate: I like using Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Guittard because I know they all taste wonderful in recipes. Here’s more info on baking with the right chocolate.
FAQ
To achieve fudgy blondies, don't over bake and don't add any leavening agents.
Yes, you can double the ingredients and use a 9x13 baking pan. The baking time will be longer, so keep an eye on it.
More Summer Recipes to Try:
- Strawberry Banana Cake
- Lemon Butter Cake
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- Berry Bundt Cakes
- Orange Olive Oil Cake
- Cherry Almond Cake
📖 Recipe Card
Shortbread Lemon Blondies
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- zest of half a lemon
Lemon Blondies
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (150g) white chocolate chips or bars
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- zest of 2 large lemons
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Topping
- powdered sugar
Lemon Glaze (optional)
- powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
Instructions
Shortbread crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, flour, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest, and beat using a handheld mixer until the mixture is crumbly (see photo in post).
- Pour the crumbly crust into the prepared pan and press down using an offset spatula or your fingers until you have a smooth base.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Lemon Blondies
- While the crust bakes, add butter and white chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, making sure to stir between each increment, until both white chocolate and butter are melted mixed together. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, add granulated sugar and lemon zest and using your fingers, rub them together. This helps bring out the oils in the zest, which yields more flavor.
- Add the eggs and beat with a handheld mixer for 2 minutes until the eggs and sugar are combined and the color is visibly lighter. Pour in the white chocolate and beat for 30-45 seconds until combined.
- Fold in the flour and salt until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan (with the crust) and smooth it out. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The blondies will have puffed up and the edges will have a deep color. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar and enjoy.
Lemon Glaze (optional)
- If you would like a zestier, lemony flavor, add a lemon glaze instead of the powdered sugar. Add powdered sugar to a bowl, then pour lemon juice and mix until you reach the desired consistency. You're looking for a pourable, thick glaze. Pour it over the shortbread lemon blondies and spread and enjoy.
Sorcha says
So surprised there aren't any comments yet!
Please everyone make these, they are absolutely incredible. I've taken them to work, I've taken them to a mum and baby group. Every single time people love these.
Hakima says
Thank you so much for the review, Sorcha! I'm so glad you loved them, and shared with the people you love! 🙂