Lemon Blueberry Bread
This lemon blueberry bread is studded with juicy blueberries and topped with a simple lemon drizzle. So simple and definitely one of our favorite quick bread recipes!!
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Making this Lemon Blueberry Bread
“You should never make cake again — when you want to make cake, you should make this instead. It’s way better,” my husband informed me after gobbling down a slice or two of this bread.
“I’ll take TWO pieces,” he requested as I buttered a slice to put in his work lunch the next day. I smiled and happily obliged.
Why We Love this Lemon Blueberry Bread
This is one of the most flavorful, moist quick bread recipes I’ve ever made.
Not only is the batter full of wonderful ingredients such as blueberries, butter and lemon zest, but the lemon flavor is also enhanced by a lemon syrup AND a lemon glaze.
And the syrup doesn’t just sit on top of the bread — first you jab many holes into the bread with a skewer (I used the end of a paint brush), then brush the top with all that good lemon flavor and let it seep into the bread. Heavenly.
I love that this lemon blueberry bread has the perfect amount of sweetness, balanced by the blueberries and the tang of the lemon. I’m not one for overly sweet treats, so I halved the amount of the drizzle.
Click HERE to save this recipe for Lemon Blueberry Bread!
Tools to Make Lemon Blueberry Loaf
You’ll need a few kitchen tools to prepare this lemon blueberry loaf. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started:
- Measuring Cups and Spoons – to measure the ingredients.
- Medium Bowl – to combine the dry ingredients in.
- Wire Whisk – to stir the flour mixture with.
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment – to prepare the lemon blueberry bread batter in.
- Silicone Spatula – for scraping the sides of the bowl, folding the blueberries in, and spooning batter into the prepared pan.
- Loaf Pan – to bake the blueberry lemon bread in.
- Parchment Paper – to line the sides and bottom of the pan.
- Wire Rack – to cool the bread on.
- Wooden Skewer – to poke holes in the bread for adding the lemon syrup.
- Small Bowl – to prepare the lemon syrup and lemon glaze in.
- Silicone Pastry Brush – to brush the lemon syrup on top of the loaf cake.
- Spoon or Piping Bag – to drizzle the simple glaze on top of the bread.
Lemon Blueberry Bread Ingredients
This quick bread recipe has 3 components: the lemon blueberry bread, a lemon syrup, and a tart lemon glaze. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare it:
For the Lemon Blueberry Loaf:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Sea Salt
- Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Lemon Zest
- Large Eggs
- Whole Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Fresh Blueberries
For the Lemon Syrup
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Granulated Sugar
For the Simple Lemon Glaze
- Confectioner’s Sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh Lemon Zest
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make this lemon blueberry loaf recipe, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Bread
To make this simple quick bread recipe, combine the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, then stir them together. Gently toss the blueberries in a little flour before folding into the batter.
Bake the lemon blueberry bread until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. While still warm, poke holes all over the bread and brush the lemon syrup over top.
Let the bread cool completely before adding the lemon drizzle on top. It’s tough to wait, I know! But the end result is so worth it! Then, add some extra lemon zest on top for a pretty garnish.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe for blueberry lemon bread. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Tips for Making the Best Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Eggs – For this lemon quick bread, you’ll want to start with room temperature eggs. Check out these tips for how to bring eggs to room temperature quickly.
- Butter – You’ll also need room temperature butter. Check out these tips to soften butter quickly.
Lemon Blueberry Bread FAQ
Got questions about how to make this recipe for lemon and blueberry bread? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
Can I Use Frozen Blueberries?
Yes, you can use frozen blueberries when making this lemon blueberry bread. No need to thaw them first, either!
I recommend tossing the frozen berries in a spoonful of flour or cornstarch before adding them to the batter. Frozen blueberries can release a lot of liquid when cooked. This can sometimes cause soggy baked goods!
Also, when baking with frozen blueberries, you may need to add a few extra minutes to the total cook time because the batter will be colder due to adding the frozen blueberries.
How Do You Know When this Lemon Blueberry Loaf is Done?
I found that I needed to bake the bread for several more minutes than indicated by the original recipe.
Test the bread for doneness by inserting a toothpick or wooden skewer in the center of the loaf at the specified time and work from there.
Every oven is different, so I recommend with starting with the shortest bake time and adding time as needed.
What Should I Serve with this Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe?
This bread is scrumptious without butter. But we’re butter fiends over here, so of course we spread ours generously with it. Here are some more serving ideas:
- If serving for breakfast – for breakfast, this blueberry lemon loaf tastes great with a cup of coffee, crispy bacon, fresh fruit, and/or scrambled eggs.
- If serving for dessert – serve the lemon blueberry loaf with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.
How Should I Store this Blueberry Lemon Loaf?
I recommend storing this lemon blueberry bread in an airtight container in the refridgerator.
Since it’s soaked with lemon syrup and has a drizzle topping, it needs to be chilled if you want it to last more than a day.
Try this Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe!
Next time you’re looking for a great way to enjoy blueberry season, give this beautiful lemon blueberry bread a try!
Did you love the bright flavors in this easy recipe? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this easy bread recipe.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of this delicious lemon blueberry bread!
More Lemon Desserts:
These Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles taste like the real thing! This is such a refreshing treat to make during the summer.
Lemon Ice Cream is easier to make than you’d think! Make a big batch to serve to guests after a day by the pool.
You’d never know these Lemon Cheesecake Cookies are gluten-free. They’re made with pudding mix and are seriously addictive!
This Coconut Lemon Banana Bread is made slightly healthier by the addition of coconut oil and wheat flour.
Don’t like making pies? Me neither! Instead, I prefer making this Triple Berry Lemon Galette. It’s so easy, but looks so fancy!
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Lemon Blueberry Bread
This lemon blueberry bread is studded with juicy blueberries and topped with a simple lemon drizzle. This is such a simple quick bread recipe!
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Bread
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Lemon Syrup
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
Lemon Glaze
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Garnish
- Lemon zest
Instructions
Make the bread:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of flour, the baking powder and the salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, butter and lemon zest until light-colored, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one by one, beating until well mixed before adding the next. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until well blended.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
- In a small bowl, gently toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. Carefully fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center of the bread comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes.
- Remove from oven and set on a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Turn the bread out onto the cooling rack.
Make the lemon syrup:
- In a small saucepan, bring the lemon juice and sugar to a boil. Cook until the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- While the bread is still warm, jab it all over with s skewer. Brush with the lemon syrup. Let the bread cool completely, about 2-3 hours.
Make the glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add more juice/sugar to gain desired consistency.
- Drizzle over the cooled bread, then garnish with fresh grated lemon zest.
Notes
This lemon blueberry bread should be stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 288Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 257mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 28gProtein: 4g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Jeanette Totzke says
Tried your bread and it turned out fantastic! I took it to my friends for the weekend and everyone raved about it. It’s a definite repeat.
sara says
Looks and sounds great. Wondering if self rising flour would work as well as the plain flour and also if frozen blueberries could be used.
Erica Lea | Buttered Side Up says
I haven’t worked much with self rising flour, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. Frozen blueberries should work just fine. 🙂
Debi says
Thank you! I’ll try that,, the bread looks amazing! Can’t wait! 🙂
Debi says
This bread looks fabulous! I’m making some holiday goodie gift baskets and want to make mini loaves,,, do you think this recipe will be ok for mini’s?
Erica Lea | Buttered Side Up says
I think it would work for mini loaves – you just want to make sure to check to see if they’re finished baking much sooner than 50 minutes. And you might want to use wild blueberries since they’re smaller. 🙂
Flynn says
This stuff is amazing. I halved it because I didn’t have enough butter, subbed part of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour and made it in little loaf pans. Also used a duck egg. Couldn’t wait til it cooled to eat it.
Jennifer says
I made this bread and the flavor was great but it didn’t rise enough and was very dense, any idea what went wrong?
Erica Lea | Buttered Side Up says
Hmmm…my best guesses would be: the type of flour you used, how long you stirred the batter, and how old your baking powder is. Did you do any ingredient substitutions?