Blonde Orange Brownies
These Orange Brownies are dense and moist like fudgy brownies, without any chocolate. Orange zest and juice flavor both the bars and cream cheese frosting for a sweet citrus dessert.
Citrus Lover’s Dessert
Reader Cathy noticed that I am a fan of citrus. I guess it’s not really a secret. I practically shout it from the top of my lungs in every recipe that includes lemons or limes!
So Cathy thought I would like to try this “orange brownies recipe” that she makes often and loves. I have had it on the back-burner for a little while, but I have finally gotten around to making it. And I must say, it’s a wonderful treat!
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Orange Brownies Recipe
I googled “Orange Brownies” to see if Cathy got the recipe somewhere online, so that I could link the recipe to the proper source, and it looks like it is an altered version from Paula Deen. After reading several reviews of Paula Deen’s recipe, it was a common frustration that the brownies were more cake-like.
I altered the recipe just a tad and got these moist, dense Blonde Orange Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s a fabulous springtime dessert. And is even nice enough for Easter. (I have actually made these into lemon brownies as well. They are great both ways!)
AKA Orange Blondies
The title “orange brownies” is a little deceiving when there is no chocolate in them. They are more like orange blondies, yet they don’t have any brown sugar/molasses or cookie-like texture. Hence, my own made up name, “Blonde Orange Brownies.”
They are more sweet than other citrus desserts, but that’s because oranges are more sweet than tangy lemons or limes, and that’s ok. If you’re a fan of orange desserts, then you’re going to love these orange blondies.
How to make Orange Brownies
First make the orange brownie batter.
- Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.
- Add the eggs and mix well. Scrape bowl.
- Add the orange zest and juice. Mix until incorporated.
- Add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. The top and edges will be lightly browned.
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
While the orange brownies are baking, make the orange cream cheese frosting. The consistency is thinner than frosting that can be piped. So it’s more like an icing, but not as thin as a glaze.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the orange zest, 1 Tbsp of orange juice, and the powdered sugar.
- Mix until incorporated. Add up to 1 Tbsp more orange juice if needed, depending on desired taste/consistency.
Frosting the Orange Brownies
- Pierce the entire sheet of brownies with a fork while still warm. (*Honestly, this part is optional. Since the frosting is thicker than a glaze, it doesn’t soak into the bars that much.)
- Spread the orange cream cheese frosting over the top. Refrigerate until cool. Then cut and serve. Keep leftovers refrigerated.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- You will need 2-3 fresh oranges for this recipe to have enough zest and juice.
- Use a microplane to zest the orange peel into a glass bowl. Then measure as needed with stainless steel measuring spoons. (Do NOT use plastic utensils/bowls for zest as the oils in the skin may stain and/or eat away the plastic.)
- Make sure to use just the outer orange skin for the zest and not any of the white pith, as it is bitter.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs so everything creams together properly. Cold ingredients do not combine well.
- Eat these orange brownies at room temperature or cold from the fridge. Decide which way you like them better. Enjoy!
More Orange Desserts
If you liked this recipe, you might also like these orange desserts:
- Orange Rolls
- Orange Fluff
- Creamsicle Cake
- Orange Julius Recipe
- Upside Down French Toast
- Best Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!
Blonde Orange Brownies
Ingredients
Blonde Orange Brownie:
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp orange zest, *See NOTES
- 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, *See NOTES
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, stir, spoon & level
- 1 tsp salt
Orange Cream Frosting:
- 8 ounces (226 g) block-style cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp orange zest
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, or more, if needed to reach desired frosting consistency
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- For the Brownies: Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix well. Scrape bowl. Add the orange zest and juice. Mix until incorporated.
- Add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350℉ for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. The top and edges will be lightly browned.
- Make the Frosting: In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the orange zest, 1 Tbsp of orange juice, and the powdered sugar. Mix until incorporated. Add up to 1 Tbsp more orange juice if needed, depending on desired taste/consistency.
- Pierce the entire sheet of brownies with a fork while still warm. Spread frosting over the top. Refrigerate until cool. Then cut and serve. Keep leftovers refrigerated.
Notes
- You will need a total of 2-3 fresh oranges for juice and zest needed for this recipe.
Nutrition
Did you make this?
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Recipe altered from Paula Deen
*Originally published 5/19/13. Post updated February 2023.
I follow this recipe to a tea, but the batter looked wrong. I went ahead and baked it and it was completely flat. I looked up some similar recipes and they all called for at least another half a cup of flour. They still tasted yummy, but I couldn’t take them to serve at a family dinner
I’m not sure I understand what you mean when it was completely flat. Did it sink? The bars are supposed to be somewhat thin (like 3/4-inch or so thick) and dense, not cakey. I have step by step pictures to help you see if yours looks like it’s supposed to. Maybe the butter and sugar wasn’t creamed long enough to fluff it up? Sorry you didn’t achieve the result you were hoping for. I’ve used this same recipe for lemon brownies as well and I don’t add any extra flour, so I can’t speak to that.
Husband can’t have eggs, can you please suggest a substitute? TIA
I haven’t tried any substitutions myself, so I can’t say for certain, but this article has a section for how to substitute eggs in brownies. Make sure you find and read the proper section labeled “Egg Substitutes for Brownies.” https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/egg-substitutes-for-baking/ Good luck!
These are fantastic! I added a 1/2 tsp orange oil to the batter, and another to the frosting, to up the orange just a bit more. Zest and juice from navels. I forgot to pierce, but after sitting in the refrigerator over night, the frosting had melded with the cookie base very well.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe Megan!
I love anything orange so made these the other day. I don’t know what I did around , but they turned out badly-kind of gloppy and flat. I threw them away. Any suggestions-I would love to try again because the recipe reads as something I would love.
Sorry you had a bad experience with this recipe. I’d say make sure that you have creamed the butter and sugar well. You could also try incorporating the eggs in one at a time to produce more volume with the batter. Note, this is not a cakey brownie. If this is something you’d prefer, you can decrease the fat (butter) and incorporate more flour, or add some baking powder, but I can’t give exact quantities because I haven’t tested this.
I MADE THESE BROWNIES TODAY THEY ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD.WE LOVED THEM. THIS RECIPE IS A KEEPER. YUMMMMM!!!!
That is so great Susan! Glad you loved them!
Hello, amber this is ms. Jean thanks you for the recipes. I would like to receive emails from you. Happy holidays.
Hi Ms. Jean!
There is an email subscribe option in my sidebar. I grabbed your email address from this comment and put it in there. You will get an email to verify your subscription, make sure you click the link in the email to say that you do want to get receive email updates from my blog. Thanks!
I made these they are amazing. Make sure to add juice from orange to give great flavor and I doubled zest. Am going to try with lemons.
Yay! That’s so great! I am glad you liked them! A lemon brownie would be good too!
I just made these and they’re wonderful!!! I substituted the orange pulp from the juicer for some of the juice in the glaze.
Great! I am so glad you liked them!
Thanks for recently linking this delicious recipe to my Tasty Thursdays party, Amber. It is being featured in my Fantastic Fruit – Week #4 – Outstanding Oranges post. http://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2013/07/fantastic-fruit-series-week-4.html
Thanks, Nichi
They look delicious, really tasty. I will have to give them a go at the weekend! I made some super healthy gluten free brownies and they turned out really tasty. Here is the link to the recipe http://bit.ly/12Zks7Y 🙂