Lemon Blueberry Loaf is magical. There is something about the combination of blueberries and lemon. This bread is really more of a cake. It has the consistency of a pound cake but with all of the added flavor a quick bread. Plus it’s bursting with the bright, happy flavors of lemon and blueberry!
We’re also loving this Iced Lemon Loaf Cake – the flavor is so bright!
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Why this Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe is a Keeper
Not only do lemons bring out the best flavor in fruits that they are paired with, but they add a certain brightness to recipes that you just can’t get from other flavors. Many recipes call for lemon zest (the outer yellow skin) since this is where most of the flavor is. But this recipe also uses lemon juice to infuse a citrus-y lemon flavor.
- 30 Minute Meal: Moist and tender with a tangy lemon glaze.
- Easy Ingredients: All found in pantry or fridge, this is such a bright flavor.
- Family Friendly: It is the perfect summer loaf.
- Adaptable: Can make it low-carb or dairy free, etc…
If you’re looking for more inspired recipes, try these Easy Blueberry Cobbler, Blueberry Streusel Muffins Recipe, Blueberry White Chocolate Cookies.
What is Lemon Zest?
Lemon zest is the brightly colored, flavorful outermost layer of the lemon peel . It’s packed with volatile oils that contain the intense lemon flavor and aroma we all know and love.
Ingredient Notes for the Best Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Loaf Cake
- Butter, melted
- Lemon juice and Fresh Lemon Zest
- All-purpose flour, scooped and leveled
- Fresh or frozen blueberries
- Walnuts
Crumble
- Flour: The flour and sugar are combined to make a delicious crumble topping to the loaf.
- Sugar
Simple Lemon Glaze
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is ideal and adds brightness to the glaze.
- Sugar: Adds a sweet finish to the blueberry loaf and helps keep it extra moist.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions to Make Lemon Blueberry Loaf Recipe
- Greek Yogurt: Try adding sour cream in place of the eggs or Greek yogurt works as well. It will make your loaf moist.
- Blueberry Muffins: Make the batter the same way and then pour the batter into muffin tins.
Blueberry Loaf Pro Tip
Toss the blueberries in a little flour before folding them into the batter.
This light coating of flour helps prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf and bleeding excessively. It also keeps them from bursting too much during baking.
How to Make Blueberry Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze
These are the basic steps for making blueberry lemon loaf cake. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Prep the ingredients for the Blueberry Lemon Bread
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then in a large bowl, beat the melted butter, sugar, lemon juice and eggs.
2. Make the Loaf
Then in a large bowl, combined the flour, baking powder and salt. Next, stir the dry Ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk together. Fold in the blueberries, nuts and lemon zest.
3. Bake the Lemon Blueberry Bread
Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 70-75 mins. Test doneness with a toothpick, make sure it comes out clean.
4. Cool Completely at Room Temperature and Mix Sugar and Lemon Zest
While the loaf is cooling, Whisk the lemon juice and powdered sugar. Finally, drizzle the lemon syrup over the loaf before slicing and serving the cooled loaf.
Quick Bread Recipe FAQs
Look for berries with a uniform, vibrant blue or bluish-purple color. This indicates ripe berries. Also, avoid any berries with reddish hues, as they’re underripe and won’t be as sweet.
Of course, make this easy recipe when the fruit is in season and freeze until ready to eat. Let the bread cool. Once the delicious lemon bread has cooled, wrap well in plastic wrap and freezer paper or place in an airtight container.
Indeed, you can use any type of berry that you would like to make this recipe. Even switch up the bread flavors such as zucchini bread or banana bread.
Greasing:
You can use cooking spray, vegetable oil, melted butter, or even shortening to grease the pan. Use a pastry brush or a paper towel to coat the entire inside surface of the pan with a thin layer of your chosen fat.
Let the bread cool completely: This allows the bread to shrink slightly away from the pan sides, making it easier to remove.
Run a knife around the edges: If the bread seems stuck, gently slide a thin knife around the edges of the loaf to loosen it from the pan before inverting it.
Expert Tips for Making This Moist Lemon Blueberry Recipe
Make this zesty lemon and blueberry bread for a special breakfast or brunch treat or even for a delicious after dinner dessert.
- Add More Zest: If you like lemony flavor, add more lemon zest to your batter for a bright lemon flavor.
- Short cut tip: Use frozen blueberries, are great if you can not use fresh for this lemon blueberry loaf cake.
- Variation tip: Sour cream about a cup for moisture.
- Alternate ingredient: Add nuts different nuts Pecans are wonderful.
- Lemon Icing: One the loaf is made, you can place a creamy icing on top of the loaf in place of the simple glaze.
More Lemon Recipes
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Lemon Blueberry Loaf
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Ingredients
Cake
- ⅓ cup Butter, melted
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
- 2 Large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups All-purpose flour, scooped and leveled
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Whole milk
- 1 cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup Walnuts , chopped
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest, grated
Crumble
- ¼ cup All-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup Butter, unsalted
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
- ¼ cup Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, sugar, lemon juice and eggs.
- Combined the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Stir the dry Ingredients into the wet and whisk together.
- Fold in the blueberries, nuts and lemon zest.
- Pour into a greased loaf pan and evenly spread crumb topping on the top of the loaf mixture. Gently press on crumb and then bake for 70-75 mins.
- Test doneness with a skewer, it should come clean.
- Cool for 10 mins before removing from the pan.
- Mix the lemon juice and powdered sugar.
- Drizzle over the coffee cake.
Christina’s Notes
- Add More Zest: Like lemony flavor, add more lemon zest.
- Short Cut Tip: Frozen blueberries, are great if you can not use fresh.
- Alternate Ingredient: Add nuts different nuts pecans are wonderful.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
It does not say when to add the milk
Added more Cinnamon and lemon zest plus, did also add 1 C. of sour cream. Loaf was amazing!
Addendum: I also added 1 cup of cut up fresh peaches.😀
It says to add moisture replace Greek yogurt with sour cream but Greek yogurt is not listed as one of the ingredients.
In the expert tips it says you can add a cup of sour cream to add moisture, the greek yogurt can also be used.
There’s no mention of the “crumble” in the instructions ? Have I missed this somewhere in the recipie ?
You can never go wrong with blueberry and lemon! This is a moist, delicious treat.
One of my favorite flavor combos this is so refreshing!
Such moist delicious bread. I wasn’t expecting it to have such good lemony flavor. It’s bright and wonderful!
This is definitely a keeper! I also love blueberry and lemon together. I will be making this soon!
Thank you!
You won’t be disappointed! It’s scrumptious! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂