Lemon Blondies with Coconut and White Chocolate
These lemon blondies with coconut and white chocolate are soft, chewy, and packed with flavor. Both lemon zest and juice flavor the blondies, adding zing and subtle tartness. The brightness of the lemon is complemented by the addition of sweet white chocolate chips and nutty toasted coconut. Easy to make and impossible to resist, these blondies are perfect for springtime gatherings or anytime you’re craving a lemony treat.
I love a good bar recipe, and I have shared plenty of brownies on the blog and a few blondie recipes like these apple blondies, raspberry blondies, and peanut butter blondies that have Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunks in them! I felt it was time to make a blondie to celebrate Spring.
These blondies have all the trademarks of a great blondie: They’re chewy but soft and perfectly sweet. The coconut flakes and zesty lemon flavor pack them with texture. The white chocolate chips add a little sweetness sprinkled throughout.
I prefer using large coconut flakes in this recipe because shredded coconut tends to get lost in the batter. The flavor of the coconut stands out more when you use the large coconut flakes. Some stores label the coconut flakes as coconut chips.
I’m all about the flavor! For added flavor, I highly recommend toasting the coconut flakes.
If you love these bars (which I hope you do!) and want to serve them at a party, you can easily double the recipe and bake them in a 9×13 pan. Depending on your oven, you may have to increase the baking time slightly.
Ingredients
- unsweetened coconut flakes
- granulated sugar
- a few lemons + zest
- unsalted butter
- a large egg + an egg yolk
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- white chocolate chips
How to Make Lemon Blondies
Put the coconut in a large skillet. Toast it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven and lightly grease a square baking pan, then line it with parchment, leaving an overhang.
Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers for about a minute, until highly fragrant.
Juice one of the lemons and measure out 2 tablespoons of juice, then add it to the sugar mixture along with the melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix in the toasted coconut and white chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold until just combined. The batter will be somewhat thick.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake the bars in the preheated oven until the top and edges are golden and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool the baked blondies for at least half an hour in the pan.
Loosen the edges with a palette knife, then use the parchment to lift the blondies out of the pan.
Slice the bars now for a softer texture, or allow them to cool completely for a firmer texture. Cut into 9 equal slices for larger blondies or 16 equal slices for smaller blondies.
How to Store
Keep the leftover blondie bars in an airtight container at room temperature. Make sure to enjoy them within 3-4 days.
More Spring Bar Recipes
- Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
- Classic Lemon Bars
- Coconut Lime Bars
- Cheesecake with Ginger Lime Candied Strawberries
- Coconut Cassava Bars
What do you think of this amazing lemon blondie recipe? What would you serve with these bars? Let me know in the comment section below.
If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!
Happy Spring baking, friends!
Lemon Blondie Recipe
Lemon Blondies with Coconut and White Chocolate
These lemon blondies with coconut and white chocolate are soft, chewy, and packed with flavor. Easy to make and impossible to resist, these blondies are perfect for springtime gatherings or anytime you’re craving a lemony treat.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 medium lemons, zested
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Put the coconut in a large skillet. Toast it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan then line it with parchment leaving an overhang.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers for 30-60 seconds until highly fragrant. Juice one of the lemons and measure out 2 tablespoons of juice then add it to the sugar mixture along with the melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the toasted coconut and white chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold until just combined. The batter will be somewhat thick. Spread the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated 350 degree oven until the top and edges are golden and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Cool the baked blondies for at least 30 minutes in the pan. Loosen the edges with a palette knife then use the parchment to lift the blondies out of the pan. Slice now for a softer texture or allow to cool completely for a firmer texture. Cut into 9 equal slices for larger blondies or 16 equal slices for smaller blondies.
Notes
- For super precise slices, allow the blondies to cool completely and use a sharp, clean knife for each cut.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Make sure to enjoy them within 3-4 days.
Recipe Tips
- Room temperature eggs will keep the melted butter from seizing up when mixed together. Bring eggs to room temperature quickly by setting them in a bowl and covering them with warm (not hot!) water. Let the eggs sit for 10-15 minutes before using them in the recipe.
- Don’t skip out on toasting the coconut! It yields a deeper and more pronounced flavor.
- To keep the blondies from being tough, mix the dry and wet ingredients until they are just combined. You should no longer see any dry pockets of flour. Overmixing can start to activate the gluten in the flour, which can yield a tougher texture.
- An offset spatula will make easy work of spreading the thick batter into an even layer in the pan.
- You can use a chopped white chocolate bar in place of the chips. Just make sure to chop it into bite-sized pieces and then measure out ⅔ cup to use in the recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 111mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 3g