It feels like Spring! Who's ready to celebrate?
We could with Kick-Ass Lemon Cream Cheese Blondies!
I got so excited, I added some fancy, kick-ass sprinkles to commemorate the occasion with you just to get this party started. Don't they look like they need a bite taken out? Oops...too late! The party has begun!
You'll love the lemon and cream cheese balance in these blondies. They are baked slightly chewy, then topped with a layer of luscious lemony glaze. They remind me of sunshine!
If you are a blondie fan, I highly recommend these Disappearing Reese & Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Blondies and these Chunky Monkey Peanut Butter Cup Banana Blondies too.
Oh! And here's 10 Over-The-Top Blondies That Will Make Your Head Spin for the blondie extraordinaire.
I adapted this recipe from this cookbook, Extreme Brownies
by Connie Weis. She used mascarpone, which you can too, to replace the cream cheese.
If you're ready for some yummy lemon treats to kick-start your spring and summer months, Kick-Ass Lemon Cream Cheese Blondies are the ticket! 
Want some more lemon in your life?
Lemon Burst Poke Cake
Lemon Limoncello Cake Loaf
Tangy Lemon Cream Cheese & White Chocolate Chip {Cake Mix} Cookies
Super Soft Lemon Glazed Sugar Cookies
Lemon Layered Pudding Cheesecake Bars
Kick-Ass Lemon Cream Cheese Blondies
Ingredients
Lemon Cream Cheese Blondies
- Vegetable shortening and 2 teaspoons flour for 9x13 pan
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 lemons large @ room temp
- 2 eggs large @ room temp
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Tart Lemon Glaze
- 2 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon aguave or light corn syrup
- 2 lemons, room temp
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lemon Cream Cheese Blondies
- Prepare pan by lining pan with heavy tin foil, then lightly grease and dust 9x13 pan with flour on sides and bottom of pan. Knock out any access flour and dispose of.
- Cut the butter into 1 inch slices and place butter and cream cheese in a heavy sauce pan and cook over very low heat, whisking occasionally until melted. Turn heat off and leave saucepan on burner.
- Grate zest from 4 lemons and place sugar and lemon zest into food processor until zest has broken down, about 10 seconds.
- Using a large mixing bowl, add eggs and lightly beat, then add in lemon/sugar mixture and lemon juice just until incorporated. Add to butter/cream cheese mixture and blend together.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, salt baking powder and baking soda together to combine.
- Sift dry ingredient mixture into the large mixing bowl with the wet mixture, then whisk mixture until just combined. (Batter will be lumpy)
- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and top is lightly browned.
- Transfer pan to cooling rack.
Tart Lemon Glaze
- While blondies are baking, prepare lemon glaze, sift the confectioners' sugar into a small mixing bowl.
- Zest remaining lemons onto sugar using a grater. Extract lemons to get 3 tablespoons, then add into sugar, along with the lemon extract and aguave syrup and use small silicone spatula until smooth.
- Pour onto of hot blondies, then spread evenly.
- Let blondies sit at room temp for 30 minutes, the refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Refrigerate overnight if possible.
Notes
Nutrition
You are right! I added 2 lemons in for the juice/zest part. Thank you so much and I hope you really enjoy! 🙂
In step 12 it says to zest the remaining lemons! But, if you follow the directions, you do not have any remaining lemons! The ingredients list calls for 4 lemons, and step 4 says to zest 4 lemons, so there are no remaining lemons for step 12 and the glaze. Can you help me by explaining what is mixed up here?
❤thank you so much!
9x13 pan Stacey!
What size pan?
I'm so glad you want them to add to your file Donna! 🙂 Thank you so much!
These really are kick ass! Made them last weekend and yum! Slightly tart...dense texture that I love.....will definitely add this recipe to my file!!!
Thank you Julianne! 🙂
lemon cream cheese?! You're speaking my language.
I am so sorry Jane, I updated the recipe adding that in. I was having issues with my recipe card plugin and it wouldn't let me update or save anything for a few days. I transferred to a new plug-in so hopefully we are good now. Technical issues are always so much fun. Thank you for the feedback! 🙂 I hope they worked out for you. 🙂
HI,
Just made these, they are in the oven now. I read your comment about when to add the cream cheese mixture but you didn't say when to add the lemon juice?
Thanks!
lmao Jessie! Sweet! <3
These just make me so freaking happy. And I like the name, I'm from NJ so that's basically how I talk.
LOL right Maria! 🙂
Got the love the title!!!! Lemon and cream cheese is indeed a kick ass combo, YUM!
Linda, It's not letting me update the recipe card right now, but you add it in here:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare pan by lining pan with heavy tin foil, then lightly grease and dust pan with flour on sides and bottom of pan. Knock out any access flour and dispose of.
Cut the butter into 1 inch slices and place butter and cream cheese in a heavy sauce pan and cook over very low heat, whisking occasionally until melted. Turn heat off and leave saucepan on burner.
Grate zest from 4 lemons and place sugar and lemon zest into food processor until zest has broken down, about 10 seconds.
Using a large mixing bowl, add eggs and lightly beat, then add in lemon sugar just until incorporated. Add to butter/cream cheese mixture and blend together.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, salt baking powder and baking soda together to combine.
Sift dry ingredient mixture into the large mixing bowl with the wet mixture, then whisk mixture until just combined. (Batter will be lumpy)
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and top is lightly browned.
Transfer pan to cooling rack.
While blondies are baking, prepare lemon glaze, sift the confectioners' sugar into a small mixing bowl.
Zest remaining lemons onto sugar using a grater. Extract lemons to get 3 tablespoons, then add into sugar, along with the lemon extract and aguave syrup and use small silicone spatula until smooth.
Pour onto of hot blondies, then spread evenly.
Let blondies sit at room temp for 30 minutes, the refrigerate until ready to serve.
Refrigerate overnight if possible.
When do you add the butter and cream cheese mixture to the other ingredients?
I saw California goes from drought all those years to flooding? My heart goes out to you all! We've been having degree weather in Indiana and it's been awesome, but I'm sure winter isn't over...yet! 🙂 Lemon and cream cheese always makes everything better though!! LOL
Awe thank you Joanne! 🙂 You are so sweet!
OMG Kim!!!!!! These bars! My hubby loves lemon and cream cheese. These would be perfect for him! Yum!! I wish it was feeling like spring here. We are on flood watch aghhhhh. So much for sunny California weather hehehe 🙂
Such pretty photo's! These blondies look delicious, too!