These sourdough discard lemon brownies are the definition of refreshing pucker sour meets sweet flavor. Brownies don’t always have to be chocolatey to be fudgy! These are sure to be a delicious treat that your guests and family will absolutely obsess over all year round.
I absolutely love brown butter sourdough blondies or rich fudgy sourdough brownies, but this delicious brownies bar is probably my favorite. Sorta like a lemon pound cake married with a lemon bar, there’s just so much Lemon!
I have always preferred the light and refreshing taste of lemons though. My childhood favorite is the old-fashioned lemon meringue pie. I have been baking it since around 7 years old. I love the pucker and sweet combo!
And this sourdough lemon brownie does not disappoint!
What are Sourdough Discard Lemon Brownies?
Sometimes called lemon blondies, it’s a tender brownie with a fudgy texture. It’s not a Lemon bar. A lemon bar has a shortbread crust and a gooey lemon curd base. It can have chocolate like regular brownies, but not dark chocolate, only white chocolate pairs well. A lemon cake is taller, drier, and has a lot more crumb action. It’s sorta like the goldilocks of the lemon desserts, just a happy little medium of it all, and makes downright perfect brownies.
If you need to start at the beginning and make yourself a sourdough starter that’s okay! You can use it in all your sourdough discard recipes. I’ll cover all the basics to get you started in simple steps made for a beginner.
If you want to know a little more about where Lemon Brownies came from, Buttermilk by Sam touches on the history briefly. It’s a fairly new dessert and not the same one that The Big Cookie Company is describing.
Why You Will Love This Lovely Recipe:
The Requirements of Every Good Brownie
- Lemon with fresh lemon juice and loads of zest, this sourdough lemon brownie will make your taste buds explode on contact.
- Fluffy yet melt-in-your-mouth-moist.
- Simple ingredients I bet you usually have right in your pantry, so no need to run to the grocery store.
- Extremely easy to make, this is one of the best recipes for a beginner sourdough enthusiast.
- No artificial colors, white sugar, lemon extract, or lemon oil make this a healthier dessert, your mouth will never know it! Shhh…
- It helps use up excess sourdough starter.
TIPS LIST: For Sourdough Discard Lemon Brownies
- Zest the lemon before you juice them: If you juice them first it’s pretty hard to zest flimsy hollow lemon halves.
- If you like less lemon flavor: add a little less lemon juice and zest. If you like it more, then do a little more. (Maybe about ½ tsp in either direction)
- If you like gooier moisture bars: make sure to cook it a minute or two less. Probably at the 22-minute mark.
- If you want a denser bar that more resembles a brownie: omit the baking powder entirely.
- If you like a fluffier more cake-like texture: then cook it a little longer. About the 25-minute mark. If you try the recipe and it still isn’t fluffy enough, then next time add ½ tsp more baking powder.
- Use a whisp to mix by hand: Using an electric mixer will incorporate too much air.
TOOLS LIST:
- Medium bowl
- Lemon zester: A regular handheld cheese grater usually has one side with this.
- Lemon juicer
- Whisk: I love the Dutch whisk myself. Feel free to use an electric mixer
- Stainless steel bowl
- Small saucepan
- 9×9 baking pan
- Parchment paper (or grease the pan)
- wire rack
INGREDIENT LIST: For Sourdough Discard Lemon Brownies
- Sourdough starter: for people who are gluten-sensitive, it helps to use extra sourdough discard for part or most of a recipe. The starter has already mostly broken down the gluten, making it more digestible. You can also use an active sourdough starter.
- Honey or Sugar: We prefer to use honey but if we add any granulated sugar we think the best option is to use sucanat or raw organic sugar. The original recipe that we used for years called for dark brown sugar. This does add sweetness, a hint of caramel, and an extra rich depth of flavor. We still think the best way is this slightly more healthy, easy recipe because we can have it more often and not feel guilty!
- Lemons: for zest and juice
- Butter: add the moisture, depth of crumb texture, and a savory element here.
- White chocolate chips: you don’t have to add this but it takes these brownies to the next level. We like Lily’s, it’s sweetened with stevia. It is totally optional, if you want to leave this out, feel free to. We have tried it both ways and it doesn’t change the structure or texture of the lemon brownies.
- Vanilla extract: for the warmth it gives overall
- Eggs at room temperature: to hold together all the ingredients and add a savory richness
- Almond extract: give it a more complex depth of flavor, totally optional
- Flour: I like unbleached all-purpose flour or fresh-milled whole wheat flour. Don’t use cake flour.
- Baking powder: it’s a leavening agent that will add a little softness and height in a good way
- Salt: to balance out the sweet
- Avocado oil cooking spray
How to Make Sourdough Discard Lemon Brownies:
This sourdough lemon brownie is so incredibly simple to make. There is no prep time, you just mix, pour, bake, and glaze. Delish!
1 Prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper or grease it well. If you are new to baking and not sure how to prepare a cake pan so it doesn’t stick, King Arthur has a great descriptive post about this!
2 Mix:
Beat the softened butter, honey, and lemon zest till creamy and light in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Make sure not to use melted butter, you won’t get such fudgy brownies, and if you are adding sugar mix til the sugar dissolves. Add the eggs and egg yolk 1 at a time and continue mixing. Add sourdough starter discard, lemon juice, and vanilla and stir till smooth (here is where you add the melted white chocolate and almond extract if you want those). Next, add the dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder, and mix till just combined.
3 Pour brownie batter:
Pour the whole thing into the baking pan and smooth it.
4 Bake time:
Bake for 20-25 mins.
How to Make Delicious Lemon Glaze for These
Sourdough Discard Lemon Brownies: For a Shiny Top
This glaze is what gives these lemon brownie bars a deeper flavor, gives them a crackly top, and adds so much moisture! It’s an absolute must. Really tart meets really sweet and they kinda mellow each other out in the perfect way. It’s a scrumptious thin kiss on the top of these beauties.
1 Powdered Sugar: Just any old regular white powdered sugar will work, it’s not the star of this recipe.
2 Fresh Lemon Juice: Squeeze the lemon and then pour it through a small sieve to remove the seeds and pulp.
3 Fresh Lemon Zest: It is what really gives this lemon bar its sweet pucker that we all love making these the absolute best brownies.
Whisk it all together and spread evenly over the cooled lemon brownie bars.
Note: If you want lower sugar, you can leave the glaze off.
Tips and Tricks:
- Gluten Free: if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you can swap out the flour for a 1:1 type gluten-free flour like King Arthur’s baking flour or Bob’s Red Mill
- Real Lemon: my best advice is to use fresh lemons in this recipe. It’s what really gives this recipe its crisp spring rain meets sunshine pucker. It truly does make all the difference!
- Double it: If you need to double the recipe, use a 9×13” pan. It should cook in about the same amount of time.
- Juicing tip: roll the lemons between your palm and the counter before juicing. It helps release the juice from their membranes, making it much easier to juice.
- How to Pick Good Lemons: you want thinner skins, deep yellow, and heavier fruit. These will have the most Fruit.
- How to zest lemons: try to buy organic lemons and then, either way, wash them first. You can use the small holes of a cheese grater if you don’t have a zester. Stop once the yellow is removed and you see through to the white pith. You wanna get very little pith because it is bitter.
How to Prepare Ahead of Time:
Another great way to make these easy sourdough brownies is to let this recipe rest in the fridge overnight. This is a delicious way to incorporate all the sourdough benefits with the addition of sourdough starter action. If you do this then don’t add the baking powder yet. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap. Then, the next morning pull it out and let it warm for an hour or two. Add the baking powder, stir, pour into the prepared pan, and bake as normal.
FAQ/ Questions:
Yes! These freeze great! So if you have a big party coming it really helps to make these ahead of time and pop them in the freezer. Store them in an airtight container. To thaw just pull them out and set them on the counter.
You can if you are in a pinch, but I don’t recommend it. The bottled lemon juice will give it a different flavor. Sour, but not a fresh kinda of sour. If you do end up needing to use it, double the amount to try and compensate.
Lemon bars are made with a shortbread base and have a lemon curd base. Lemon Brownies are thick, gooey, and chewy. The texture of a brownie but tastes like lemon in a wonderful way.
Using high-quality fresh ingredients is what makes the best brownie. Sift your dry ingredients together before mixing in. Use room-temperature eggs and don’t mix the batter. Most importantly, don’t overcook even by a minute!
If You Like this Great Recipe:
Here are more recipes to try that will satisfy your chocolate cravings
- Sourdough Dense Chocolate Cake
- Fudgy Sourdough Chocolate Brownies
- Sourdough Cranberry White Chocolate Blondie Bars
More Cadence Farmhouse Dinner Recipes: to go with these Lemon Brownies
- Italian Sausage Meatloaf
- Hearty Meat Lovers Lasagna
- Homemade Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
- Sourdough Chinese Orange Chicken
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Hearty Shepherd Pie
Sourdough Lemon Brownies
These sourdough discard lemon brownies are the definition of refreshing pucker sour meets sweet flavor. Brownies don't always have to be chocolatey to be fudgy! These are sure to be a delicious treat that your guests and family will absolutely obsess over all year round.
Ingredients
- ½ c sourdough starter
- ½ c honey or 1 c sugar: sucanat or raw organic sugar
- ½ c butter
- 2 T lemon zest
- 3 T lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs + 1 yolk
- 1 c Flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
- 4 oz white chocolate (optional)
- GLAZE: 2 c powder sugar + 3 T lemon juice + 2 T lemon zest
Instructions
1 Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper or grease it well.
2 Mix: Beat the softened butter, honey and lemon zest till creamy and light. Add the eggs 1 at a time and continue mixing. Add sourdough starter, lemon juice, vanilla (add the melted white chocolate and almond extract if you want them included) and stir till smooth. Add flour, salt and baking powder, mix until just combined.
3 Pour: Pour the batter in the baking pan and smooth it.
4 Bake: Bake for 25 mins. Cool for 15 mins before glazing.
5 GLAZE: Mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest together and spread evenly over the slightly warm lemon brownies. Cool completely for best results and cleanest cutting.
Notes
- Gluten Free: if you want to make this recipe gluten free, you can swap out the flour for a 1:1 type gluten free flour like King Arthur Baking or Bob’s red Mill
- Real lemon: my best advice is to use real lemon in this recipe. It's what really gives this recipe its fresh spring rain meets sunshine pucker. It makes all the difference!
- Double it: If you need to double the recipe, use a 9x13” pan. It should cook in about the same amount of time.
- Juicing tip: roll the lemons between your palm and the counter before juicing. It helps release the juice from their membranes, making it much easier to juice.
- How to pick good lemons: you want thinner skins, deep yellow and heavier fruit. These will have the most Fruit.
- How to zest lemons: try to buy organic lemons and then either way, wash them first. You can use the small holes of a cheese grater if you don't have a zester. Stop once the yellow is removed and you see through to the white pith. You wanna get very little pith because it is bitter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 576Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 270mgCarbohydrates: 107gFiber: 1gSugar: 90gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information isn't always exactly accurate, this is just for an estimate.
If you are looking for more information about all things sourdough and want to go down a great rabbit hole, check out King Arthur Baking.
For an incredible recipe on a basic sourdough bread loaf, check out Pioneer Woman Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe. She is an incredible sourdough baker.
Have you tried these sourdough lemon brownies before? We’d love to know what you think in the comments below!!
Megan Jones
Can I use bread flour?
Cadence Farmhouse
Yes you can use bread flour. It might give it a little more cake like texture though.