Easy, refreshing Lemon Glaze made with just 3 ingredients! Mix up this amazing Lemon Glaze recipe in 5 minute to take homemade or store-bought breakfast rolls, pound cakes, sweet breads,cakes, bundt cakes, angel food cakes, donuts, scones, cookies, and more over the top!
As an avid entertainer and baker, I spent years perfecting a blend of butter, powdered sugar and butter to achieve the perfect balance of light lemon flavor, silky smooth melt-in-your-mouth texture that sets!
This foolproof Lemon Glaze recipe doesn’t require any special baking or decorating skills! It’s a crowd pleaser, and readers agree! This easy recipe has over 140 5 star ratings!
★★★★★
“Absolutely wonderful glaze! I’m new at this and it was super easy and tastes Marvelous! Thank you!” – Nancy
★★★★★
“This recipe is wonderful. I don’t like most glazes. They always taste like the confectioners sugar, which I don’t really like. I think the butter makes the difference (butter always helps).” – Rebecca
One bite and you’ll add this to the list of your favorite lemon recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delightfully light, sweet and full of bright flavor.
- It is thick, translucent, soft, and sets for the perfect slice, every time.
- Elevates any dessert, without effort.
Lemon Glaze Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – Salted or unsalted butter, at room temperature, your personal preference.
- Powdered Sugar– Powdered sugar is very fine, giving this glaze the most incredible texture and soft bite. To substitute white granulated sugar, make your own powdered sugar, pulse in a food proce
- ssor until fine. Organic powdered sugar is not a suitable substitute.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh squeezed adds the best flavor, but store bought lemon juice can be substituted.
Optional: Lemon Zest to garnish
Tips from My Test Kitchen
- Bring baked goods to room temperature before adding a glaze to prevent it from melting off.
- Warm glaze in a pourable or measuring cup in the microwave for a smooth pour or in a bowl to dip muffins and cookies.
This recipe is easily adaptable!
How to Thicken Glaze
Add additional powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time.
How to Thin Glaze
For a thinner glaze, reduce powdered sugar, adding a half cup at a time until you achieve the desired consistency. Please note this will affect how the glaze sets. Alternatively, warm or add more lemon juice (for classic glaze add milk to thin).
How to Glaze a Bundt Cake or Loaf of Bread
Warm and drizzle over the top in a continuous motion to ensure it’s evenly glazed. Allow to set before slicing.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate – Make lemon glaze ahead and store in an airtight container refrigerated up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before warming. Freezing glazes is not recommended.
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4.92 from 144 votes
Lemon Glaze
By Julie Blanner
Add delightfully light, bright flavor to all of your favorite baked goods – cakes, breads, muffins and more with this delicious glaze! The luxurious texture is soft, but sets for a picture perfect slice!
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Total: 5 minutes mins
Servings: 12
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Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice 2 lemons, juiced
Instructions
In a small microwave safe mixing bowl, whisk to combine butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
6 tablespoons butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup lemon juice
Pour over room temperature scones, cookies, cakes, pound cake and more!
Allow to set before slicing.
Julie’s Tips
If powdered sugar appears clumpy, sift or whisk before integrating with butter and juice.
Best used on room temperature baked goods – cookies, cakes, pound cakes, bundt cakes, bars, donuts, breads and more.
If needed, add glaze to a large microwavable measuring cup and warm for a smooth pour or in a bowl to dip muffins and cookies.
To Thicken or Thin Glaze
Please note altering will affect how the glaze sets.
Thicken
- Add additional powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time.
Thin3 different methods
- Reduce powdered sugar adding a half cup at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Add more lemon juice or for a classic take, add milk, a teaspoon at a time.
- Warm.
Substitutions
Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference.
Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar. Substitute with white granulated sugar. Pulse in a small food processor or blender until it becomes fine in texture. Organic powdered sugar is not a suitable substitute (it tends to clump).
Lemon Juice – Juice 2 medium to large lemons for fresh flavor or substitute with ¼ cup lemon juice found in the produce section of your grocer.
- Avoid organic powdered sugar. It doesn’t achieve a desirable consistency.
- Warm the glaze in the microwave (you can use a measuring cup).
- Whisk until smooth to remove any lumps.
- Pour over your baked goods rather than spread for a beautiful finish.
Storage Notes
Store glaze in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature, warm and drizzle.
For best results, do not freeze.
Video
Serving: 1g | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 5mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 2mg
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
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