Lemon Blueberry Bread is a family favorite! It bakes up tender and moist, has a crackly sugar top, juicy blueberries, and a simple lemon glaze that pulls it all together.
Author’s Notes
Blueberries in Everything, Please
My whole family is obsessed with blueberries, especially my husband. They’re his favorite fruit. If he hasn’t eaten them all in a morning bowl of oatmeal or yogurt, they usually end up in a baked good.
Blueberry muffins, blueberry cobbler, and blueberry pancakes are a few favorites in my house. And now this Lemon Blueberry Bread has officially joined the list! I think it is my family’s favorite quick bread…or at least tied with pumpkin.
This bread is bright and lemony, soft with a tender crumb, and moist all the way through. The sweet blueberries pair perfectly with the lemon flavor. And the lemon glaze is the perfect finishing touch!
Ingredients In Lemon Blueberry Bread
| Ingredient Group | Helpful Tip |
|---|---|
| Flour, Baking Soda, Salt | Whisk together well so the bread rises evenly and bakes up tender. |
| Sugar, Brown Sugar | For sweetening the bread. The brown sugar helps create that perfect crisp top. |
| Oil, Greek Yogurt, Milk, Egg | This is my number one tip! Bring all to room temperature so the batter mixes smoothly which creates a softer, more evenly baked lemon blueberry bread. |
| Lemons, Lemon Extract | Use zest and extract for the best strong lemon flavor. |
| Blueberries | Toss fresh berries in flour so they do not sink to the bottom of the bread. |
Chelsea’s Ingredient Tip
Lemon Extract
Lemon extract adds bright citrus flavor without changing the bread’s texture, which can happen when too much lemon juice is used.
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Prep: Bring wet ingredients to room temperature, preheat oven, and grease a loaf pan.
- Mix: Whisk wet ingredients, then stir into dry just until smooth.
- Add berries: Toss berries in flour and gently fold into the batter.
- Bake: Pour into pan, add topping, and bake until set.
- Cool & glaze: Cool completely, then drizzle with glaze.
Look for these signs:
-The bread pulls away slightly from the edges of the pan
-The top is golden
-A toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs
Yes. Remove the bread from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool. This allows air to circulate underneath so the bottom stays dry and not sticky.
Storage
Room temperature: Tightly wrap individual slices and store for 1 to 3 days. The bread softens and becomes more moist as it sits.
Refrigerator: Wrap slices well and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Freezer: Slice unglazed bread and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer bag, press out extra air, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Quick Tip
Use the right size pan. This lemon blueberry bread is intended for a 9×5-inch, 1-pound loaf pan. Other sizes will affect how it cooks. Here’s my favorite loaf pan.
Put Leftover Blueberries To Good Use:
Desserts
Blueberry Crisp
Beverages
Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade
Desserts
Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes
Desserts
Homemade Blueberry Syrup
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Equipment
- 9 x 5-inch bread pan see note 1
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg at room temp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt I love full-fat honey-vanilla; or use full-fat sour cream; at room temp
- 3/4 cup whole milk at room temp
- 2 large lemons see note 2
- 2 tablespoons lemon extract see note 3
- 1-1/4 cups fresh blueberries divided (or use frozen; see note 4)
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Glaze optional: 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Bring all wet ingredients to room temperature so they mix smoothly and help the bread rise with a better texture. Remove them from the fridge 45 minutes to 1 hour before starting. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, then preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add all the wet ingredients to a large bowl. Briskly whisk together until completely smooth.
- Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center, pour in the wet ingredients, and whisk just until smooth. (Do not use an electric mixer. Don't overmix.)
- Wash and completely dry the blueberries. Add 1 cup blueberries to a small bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons flour until nicely coated (keeps berries from sinking to bottom). Add to the batter and gently stir to stir through.
- Pour and smooth batter into prepared pan. Gently press remaining 1/4 cup blueberries into the top of the bread. Mix 2 tablespoons brown sugar plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and sprinkle on top of the loaf (just sprinkle evenly on top; don’t press down). Bake for 60–75 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Don't over-bake or bread will be dry.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool a further 1 hour before slicing. Don’t rush the cooling; the bread is still “baking”/solidifying.
- In a small bowl, add powdered sugar. Add a tiny pinch of salt and slowly add in lemon juice while whisking until glaze consistency is formed. Transfer glaze to a plastic bag and cut off the tip. Pipe the glaze over the completely cooled bread.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can oat milk be substituted for the whole milk?
Hey Traci, unfortunately I haven’t tested this with oat milk so I can’t say for sure.
I made this into muffins and bread using frozen blueberries. I only had one container of Greek yogurt so I used sour cream to make up the difference.Served it with a glaze on the top of powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. Compliments from the entire group of friends who enjoyed it warm out of the oven with me. Will definitely make again!
Oh my yummy! I love this idea! Thanks Leah! 🙂
Any tips for replacement flours? I’m off wheat at the moment, and have used coconut flour in some recipes but it doesn’t really rise.
I’m sorry Christina, I can’t say for sure without testing myself, but I’m not sure what flour would replace okay. I do know coconut flour wouldn’t work very well in this recipe. Wish I could be of more help.
DELICIOUS! I made some adjustments & thought I’d share in case it helps anyone else. Because I only ended up having about 1/4 cup coconut oil, I used olive oil for the remaining 1/4 cup oil. I also substituted Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes mix for the flour, as it states on the box it can be used in place of flour. When replacing, it recommends a 1:1 ratio and omitting baking powder & salt from the recipe, as well, so I did that, too. I also cut the sugar down to 1/2 cup – I don’t like overly sweet baked goods so this wasn’t a big deal to me. I didn’t have lemon yogurt, so I used plain nonfat greek yogurt with an extra dash of lemon extract. Even with all of these changes, this bread turned out AMAZING! I was a little nervous about making all the adjustments because it seemed to already be a unique recipe, but it turned out so great. So refreshing to be able to eat some delicious bread & actually get some nutrition without a guilty conscience! Thanks so much for this recipe! Would be interested to try with an alternative sweetener to white sugar & also want to try your lemon poppyseed next!!
Thanks so much for your comment and for sharing your modifications Maggie! 🙂 I’m sure many readers will appreciate it! I hope you love the lemon poppyseed!
A couple questions Chelsea,
Do you know if white whole wheat flour has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour?
I have not baked with white whole wheat flour. I like the idea of a healthier version of a sweet bread with out loosing quality. Will I notice a difference in the finished product using the white whole wheat flour instead of regular white flour?
Hi Kathleen! Here’s a great article explaining the difference between the flours: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-deal-8-12459. If you use white whole wheat flour instead of regular white flour the taste and texture is quite similar but the bread is more dense. I’ve made this bread with both all white flour and then also with white whole wheat flour and we love both. My husband does prefer the version with all white flour though, but I don’t think there is a huge difference between the two 🙂
and old trick to keep blueberries from sinking…dust them lightly with flour, then mix them in gently. I have got to try this tomorrow. thanks
Yes that works great 🙂 I hope you love this bread!
Hi, I would like to know if I can substitute the coconut oil for another kind of vegetable oil.
I haven’t tried a different oil in this bread so I can’t say for sure without further recipe testing, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.