This Iced Lemon Bread is a must-try! Moist, citrusy, and soft with a pound-cake-like texture, thanks to yogurt in the batter!

Try Lemon Blueberry Bread next!

Overhead image of a slice of Lemon Bread on a plate

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The Best Lemon Bread Recipe

The lemon bread recipe at Starbucks is a favorite among my kiddos. When the weather gets cold, we’ll occasionally go and grab them some Pumpkin Spice Steamers as a fun treat. And without fail, they’ll always beg for a piece of their iced lemon loaf. I don’t blame them–it’s delicious!

So, it’s about time I made my own version for them to enjoy a bit more frequently. Except now, they scarf down the loaf in a couple days and immediately start asking for more–ha!

Lemon Bread With Yogurt

For extra-moist lemon bread, use full-fat Greek yogurt—my favorite is Honey Vanilla Greek yogurt.

Want more lemon flavor? Try lemon yogurt instead. Full-fat sour cream also works great and tastes delicious.

Process shots of Lemon Bread-- images of the dry ingredients and wet ingredients being mixed together

How To Make Lemon Bread

This easy Lemon Bread needs no mixer—just two main ingredients for bright lemon flavor and a dense, cake-like texture.

  1. Lemon zest adds big flavor without extra liquid—save the juice for the glaze.
  2. Lemon extract boosts citrus flavor without changing texture—use a pure one like McCormick® or Watkins®.

Quick Tip

Use the right pan! This Lemon Bread won’t bake properly in other sizes—stick to a 9×5-inch (1 pound) pan. Here’s my favorite loaf pan!

Troubleshooting:

Why did my Lemon Bread fall? Too much sugar, too little baking powder, not baking it long enough, or wet ingredients not mixed well.

Why is it so dense? Expired baking powder or soda, too much flour from packing it in, overmixing, or waiting too long to bake the batter.

Storage

How To Store Lemon Bread

  • Room Temp: Stays fresh for 2–3 days, then gets too moist.
  • Fridge: Wrap slices tightly and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
  • Freezer: Wrap the unglazed and uncut loaf in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

More Favorite Lemon Recipes:

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5 from 5 votes

Lemon Bread

By Chelsea Lords
This iced Lemon Bread is a total winner—ultra moist, packed with bright citrus, and perfectly sweet. With a pound-cake-like texture and yogurt in the batter, it’s soft, rich, and irresistible!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Cooling Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 10 slices (1 loaf)

Equipment

  • 9 x 5-inch bread pan see note 1

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt I love honey-vanilla flavored; or use full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 large lemons including lemon juice for glaze; see note 2
  • 2 tablespoons lemon extract see note 3
Dry Ingredients
  • 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Topping and Glaze
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions 

  • It’s important that the wet ingredients are all at the same temperature (room temperature) for them to combine nicely. Remove from the fridge about 45 mins to an hour before using. Grease and lightly flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Add all the wet ingredients to a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons lemon zest. Whisk together until completely smooth.
  • Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Whisk together. Make a well in the center.
  • Pour wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients and mix until it forms a batter.
  • Pour and then smooth batter into prepared pan. Top with 2 tablespoons sugar (just sprinkle on top; don’t press down). Bake for 60–75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
  • Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool another hour before slicing. Don’t rush the cooling—the bread is still “baking.”
  • Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add a tiny pinch of salt and slowly whisk in 1 tablespoon lemon juice until a glaze consistency forms. Transfer the glaze to a plastic bag and cut off the tip. Pipe the glaze over the completely cooled bread.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Be sure to use the correct size of pan so the recipe works properly. Here’s the loaf pan I use and love. If you use an 8×4-inch pan, only add about 75% of the batter and note that bake time is shorter. Generously grease the bread pan with cooking spray (or rub on shortening), then lightly dust with flour. Alternatively, line it with parchment paper and leave an overhang for easy removal.
Note 2: There is a lot of zest—and it’s all needed here—and no juice in the bread. You’ll use lemon juice for the glaze. When zesting the lemon, avoid the white pith of the lemon—it is very bitter. Using a zester (like this one), zest only the very outside yellow part of the lemon.
Note 3: Not to be confused with lemon juice, lemon extract is a flavor enhancer (like vanilla extract) that gives this bread an intense citrusy lemon flavor. I use lemon extract to pack in as much lemon flavor as possible without messing up the consistency of the bread (like lemon juice would). Lemon extract can usually be found near other baking extracts and spices in the grocery store; I recommend using a pure lemon extract. I’ve tested both McCormick and Watkins in this recipe, and both perform comparably. 
Storage: I like to finish this bread within 1–3 days. After that, it begins to lose texture. It can, however, last up to a week stored in an airtight container and tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. After the third day, I recommend storing it in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Meet Chelsea

Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 5 votes

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16 Comments

  1. Emily says:

    5 stars
    Followed recipe exactly as written but just added a little more lemon juice as I used vanilla yogurt. Baked 50 min. It was the BEST lemon bread I have ever made!! I have two lemons left and am going to make another loaf to freeze!

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I am so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for your comment Emily! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jazmin F says:

    5 stars
    I LOVED this recipe! I think I will always make this bread. It could have been a tiny bit more moist so I will try cooking 5-10 minutes less or using the full 2 containers of yogurt instead of measuring out a cup.

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Yay!! I’m soo glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for your comment Jazmin! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Lynnie says:

    This recipe is so fresh and delicious! I substituted with Truvia sugar instead of the real thing and the flavor was wonderful!! Thanks for posting!! ??????

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      I can’t say for sure without testing, but it looks like it would work! Let me know if you try it 🙂

      Reply
  5. Laura says:

    I love quick breads and anything lemon! Can’t wait to give this a go! Your photos are beautiful too 🙂

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you so much Laura! 🙂 I appreciate that! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Lynn Harrell says:

    Where did you get that cool juicer? I love it. The bread was fabulous.

    Reply
  7. Katya says:

    5 stars
    What a beautiful lemon bread!

    Reply
    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thank you so much Katya! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Medha says:

    This is just stunning! I love the use of greek yogurt- it really makes this moist and lightens it up 🙂

    Reply
  9. Lindsay Cotter says:

    5 stars
    Would love to make a gluten free version of this! Looks delicious!

    Reply