Lemon Blueberry Bread is perfect for the end-of-summer blueberries and bright, citrusy lemons! Make this recipe as a bread or muffins. Either way, it’s delicious toasted or sliced and served with coffee, tea, or a big glass of milk!
Like banana bread, this is great as a snack or even a dessert. Can you imagine Lemon blueberry bread slices as French toast? Add a little dollop of whipped cream on top for the most decadent of dessert breakfast.
To Make Blueberry Bread
This recipe is so incredibly easy, made with the best of what summer has to offer, berries and citrus!
- Prep: Combine wet ingredients (per recipe below). Stir the dry ingredients together with the lemon zest.
- Mix: Add the wet to the dry and gently mix. Overmixing will cause a chewy loaf so mix just until combined for a tender crumb.
Baking with Blueberries
I use fresh blueberries in this recipe but you can use frozen blueberries in baking too!
- FLOUR: Tossing blueberries with flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the batter.
- FROZEN BERRIES: If using frozen berries, there is no need to defrost first but your loaf may need 10 minutes or so extra.
- COLOR: Frozen blueberries may change the color of your batter but will still taste amazing.
- FRUIT: Short on blueberries? Sub in other favorite fruits for a great bread
Toppings for Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Glaze
I create a simple glaze for this recipe with lemon juice and sugar. This glaze is poured over the warm bread, almost like a poke cake for a burst of lemon flavor.
Use a chopstick or skewer to poke the holes.
Tip: Put a lemon in the microwave about 30 seconds to warm enough to extract as much juice as possible from them!
Crumble
If you’d prefer a crumble topping for this bread, combine the following and sprinkle overtop the bread. Gently press into the batter before baking.
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- pinch of cinnamon
How to Tell Quick Bread is Ready
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. A smooth, golden color on the top is also a good sign that the bread is ready, too!
Storing Blueberry Bread
Easy peasy! Keep it tightly wrapped or covered and your lemon blueberry bread will last at least a week (if it’s not gobbled up first)!
Can Freeze It? Absolutely! Lemon blueberry bread freezes great because it is denser than a cake or pastry. Just make sure it is totally cooled, slice it and wrap it tightly, label it, and pop it in the freezer in a single layer. Once it is totally frozen, feel free to stack the slices!
This is the best summertime recipe ever! Totally versatile and flavorful at the same time!
More Fun Bread Recipes
- Easy Banana Bread – quick & easy classic!
- Monkey Bread – sweet & sticky treat
- Pumpkin Zucchini Bread – loaded with fall flavors!
- Easy Rolo Pull-Apart Bread – just 2 ingredients
- Chocolate Banana Bread – triple chocolate infusion!
- Warm Apple Bread – delicious apple pie bread
- Strawberry Bread – with a delicious glaze
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup light cream or milk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon juiced & zested
- 1 ¼ cup blueberries divided
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease & flour a 9x5 pan.
- Zest & juice the lemon. Set each aside.
- Cream butter & sugar, add in eggs and milk. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
- Add to butter mixture and stir just until combined, do not over mix.
- In a bowl, toss blueberries with flour. Remove any excess flour and fold 1 cup of blueberries into the batter. Pour into prepared pan. Top with remaining blueberries.
- Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and place on a cooling rack.
- Stir together powdered sugar and remaining lemon juice until smooth. Poke holes all over the loaf (I used a chopstick) and pour glaze over the loaf. Cool completely.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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How much lemon zest?
It’s the zest from one whole lemon. Enjoy Richard!
Love your recipes
love your recipes.
Thank you Donna :)
Would love to join this group
Welcome Sonja! To receive emails with new recipes, you can click here to sign up to receive emails. Look forward to sending you recipes!
I recently purchased a Nordic Ware Loaf pan (Citrus Blossom) and used your recipe as the christening of my new pan! It turned out wonderfully! I brought in a second loaf to work and received SO many compliments! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us – it’s definitely a keeper for me! Here’s a few slight changes that I made so maybe my advice might help others (especially those with loaves that might be burning on the outside).
Nordic Ware suggests baking at 325 using their dark pans so that’s what I did and, in my oven, the loaf was done after 60 minutes! Maybe baking at a lower temperature (especially if using a dark pan) might help with edges getting too dark!
I used Buttermilk in place of the cream / milk called for purely because that’s all that I had on hand at the time and didn’t want to make another trip to the grocery store.
I used frozen blueberries because I have tons in my freezer and needed to use them.
I added an extra 1/2 TBSP of lemon juice to my loaf because I wanted a more “lemony” flavor!
Delicious! Now I’m wishing I had more left – it went too fast! :)
Also forgot to mention that I just stirred all the blueberries into the batter since I was using a specialty pan and didn’t want any at the top.
Thank you for sharing Natalie!
I love reading your site! Thanks for sharing your recipes with us.
Is it ok to use canola/vegetable oil instead of butter? Thanks.
I haven’t tried this with oil in place of butter so I can’t say for sure how it would work. Let us know how it goes!
This recipe was the easiest ever & it turned out perfect! The family loved it, so I ended up making a second loaf right away.
I absolutely love love love this recipe!
My family can’t get enough of it!
Love this loaf and so has everyone that I’ve shared it with!
Absolutely delicious! I added a bit more lemon than it called for and it was amazing!
Just made this today…excellent recipe.
I am LOVING your recipes. Made the amazing blueberry lemon loaf (twice) and the broccoli salad (with cranberries + sunflower seeds). WOW. Need more!
Bread didn’t expend, too dense and small. The taste is alright but I have seen better..
Sorry this didn’t work out for you. Is your baking powder fresh?
Hi , I would like to make the bread but I would like to know if you could use frozen blueberries if you don’t have fresh .thank you sherry
Definitely Sherry, and there is no need to defrost them first! Just add them in frozen. Keep in mind this may add maybe 10 or so extra mins to the baking time.
Every time I bake a recipe like this the middle is very dense, but the rest is done. If I leave it in the oven any longer it would be burnt. Any recommendations? I am going to try this recipe.
Do you have an oven thermometer? I would suggest making sure you’re cooking this on the middle rack and perhaps turning the pan halfway if you think your oven might cook unevenly. Let us know how it goes.
I’ve made this recipe 3 times and the flavor and look is fantastic BUT it’s been a heavy dense bread each time :( I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
This was sooooo easy and delicious.i made it and gave some to my neighbours, she called and told me she thought it was so good, I added lemon juice and vanilla to it
Can I use brown sugar?
Hi Fazia, we have only tried the recipe as written but I think you could substitute white for brown sugar. (Equal amounts.) There might be a slightly different taste. Let us know how these turn out for you!
I was a little worried at first because the batter was so dense and thick that I thought this would come out dry, but 55 mins later, I had a moist and thick bread. I added vanilla extract and an extra teaspoon or 2 of lemon juice for flavor, and used frozen blueberries. It turned out perfect.
How long would the muffin version take to bake?
I’ve only made the recipe as written. You could try following the instructions for blueberry muffins. I’d suggest checking the muffins a couple of minutes earlier than recommended to make sure that they don’t overbake. Let us know if you try it, Katie!
I am addicted to this recipe. I made it and it smelled so good upon coming out of the oven I hate half in the first sitting. I served the second half to company and they were convinced I bought it. I went out and bought more lemons and blueberries and have made at least 2/week since I first made it in June!! It is perfect!
So glad you liked it, Marina! :)
I am very impressed with your passion, drive, and presentation. I have done much research for a blueberry recipe that speaks to me and yours was it. Next weekend I will attempt this into tiny loaf pans to sell at the blueberry farm. Do you or any of your readers know what temperature and how long they have to bake to be just as perfect as your large loaf?
Much gratitude for your kind consideration and if it is okay with you, I will print a copy of the recipe with your contact or website information, if you would like.
Thank you
Brig
I haven’t tried this with mini loaf pans but as a general rule they take about 25 minutes to bake. I would check frequently for the first batch to ensure they don’t overcook. Enjoy the recipe!