Moist, tangy, and loaded with sweet, juicy blueberries, our Lemon Blueberry Bread is the kind of tender, bakery-style quick bread recipe that tastes like spring showing off.
Set out our blueberry and lemon bread when friends come by for a cup of coffee, and between the crackling white glaze and that soft, lemony crumb, you’ll swear someone actually gasped.
This delicious lemon blueberry bread stands out because it gets the little things right. The lemon brings a bright, clean, sharpness without overpowering.
The sweet blueberries stay whole and juicy, not sunken or dry. The moist crumb is tender, yet sturdy enough to hold its shape with every slice. The simple glaze shines like a jewel and finishes the loaf with a burst of sweet lemon flavor.
Our blueberry and lemon bread can be oven-ready in only 15 minutes, which frees you to prep something else or just put your feet up and enjoy the smell.
It’s a straightforward recipe with no complicated steps, with the kind of flavor that feels bakery-worthy from the first bite.
For the same blueberry-lemon magic in a softer, sweeter slice, try our Lemon Blueberry Cake that’s layered, lush, and made to impress. Or try Lemon Zucchini Bread for another sweet loaf that leans into lemon and gets its tender texture from moisture-rich zucchini that disappears into the crumb.
Ingredients for Lemon Blueberry Bread
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up the Recipe?
Absolutely. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, and there’s no need to thaw. If they’re extra juicy, toss them in a little flour to keep them from sinking.
Vegetable oil works great, but melted butter, olive oil, or avocado oil will all do the job. Coconut oil adds a hint of flavor, but bakes up just fine.
For a different texture, try swapping in a little whole wheat flour or replacing some of the milk with Greek yogurt or sour cream.
Using maple syrup or another liquid sweetener? Cut back the milk a little to keep the batter balanced.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Bread
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make lemon blueberry bread in your home kitchen.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Liberally grease a 9 x 5 glass loaf pan or metal pan, and set aside until needed.
- Add the granulated sugar, whole milk, vegetable oil, large egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to a large bowl.
- Whisk to combine the wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, and table salt.
- Whisk just enough to combine the flour mixture.
- Add the fresh blueberries and the two tablespoons of all-purpose flour to a separate bowl.
- Stir to coat the blueberries with the flour. This will keep the juicy berries in place in the batter as it bakes.
- Add the flour-coated berries to the batter.
- Gently stir to combine using a wooden spoon or paddle attachment.
- Pour the blueberry and lemon bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top of the loaf with a spatula.
- Place the loaf pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- While the blueberry lemon bread cools, add the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice to a small bowl to make your simple lemon glaze.
- Mix until smooth.
*If the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
*Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the lemon blueberry loaf from the pan and place it on the wire rack to cool completely.
When the bread has cooled completely, pour the glaze over the top of the bread.
Our lemon blueberry bread is rich, zesty, and studded with enough berries to make you set down your planner and miss the start of your Zoom meeting. But once your boss tries a slice, they’ll start forgiving you for things you’ve not even done yet.
How to Store and Freeze
Once cooled, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It’ll stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then layer them in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave. The glaze may lose a bit of its shine after freezing, but the flavor stays just as good.
Recipe FAQs
Fresh lemon juice gives the best flavor. Bottled juice can work in a pinch, as long as it’s 100% juice with no additives. If you’re out of zest, a little lemon extract will do the job. Start with half a teaspoon and adjust to taste.
Yes. Using room temperature eggs and milk creates a smoother batter and a more evenly baked loaf. If they’re too cold, the batter can curdle or bake unevenly.
Yes, you can fold in chopped walnuts, pecans, white chocolate chips, or any of your favorite baking chips. Just keep the total amount to about half a cup to avoid throwing off the balance of the batter.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Equipment
- 9 x 5 loaf pan
Ingredients
Bread
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest -optional
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 cups blueberries
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour -to toss the blueberries in
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 – 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice -more or less as needed
Instructions
Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Liberally grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and set aside until needed.
- Add the granulated sugar, whole milk, vegetable oil, large egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and mix to combine the wet ingredients.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and table salt to the wet ingredients.
- Whisk just enough to combine.
- In a small bowl, toss together the blueberries and the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to coat them.
- Add the flour-coated berries to the batter. Gently stir to combine.
- Pour the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Place the loaf pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and place it on the wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze
- Add the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice to a small bowl. Mix until smooth.*If the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- When the bread has cooled completely, pour the glaze over the top of the bread.
Notes
It’s essential to test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. Can I add nuts or chips to the bread? Yes, you can fold in chopped walnuts, pecans, white chocolate chips, or any of your favorite baking chips.. Just keep the total amount to about half a cup to avoid throwing off the balance of the batter.
Leave a Comment