Lemon Blueberry Bread – with a tangy lemon flavor, and studded with juicy blueberries, this quick bread is unbelievable! Enjoy a slice any time of day.
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Blueberries are nearly impossible to grow here in Utah, so fresh blueberries usually cost a pretty penny. But my local grocery store had flats of blueberries on sale last week, so we have been enjoying blueberries for days!
My son has been whipping up smoothies almost every morning, so I knew I’d better get baking before all the blueberries were gone.
I enjoy blueberries in just about any form, but I really love them paired with lemon. Such a fresh and tasty combination, don’t you agree?
Lemon blueberry bread is so simple to make, you don’t even need to pull out a mixer. Just a simple whisk and mixing bowls will do the job.
The hardest part is zesting your lemon, but if you have a great lemon zester even that job is a snap!
I really do prefer to use fresh blueberries in baked goods because they turn out so much prettier. Frozen berries tend to leave swirls in the bread. But that doesn’t affect the flavor, so if all you have is frozen berries, don’t sweat it.
Every bite of this bread is loaded with lemon flavor and berries. I kept the leftovers in an airtight container and they were great for a couple days.
This bread was actually supposed to have a lemon glaze, but when I went into my food storage room I discovered we were out of powdered sugar. Honestly, my family didn’t miss it, and I felt a little better about them eating it for breakfast the next day. 😉
Of course, the glaze does add an extra burst of lemon flavor, and makes the bread even more decadent, so if you have powdered sugar, go for it!
Tips for making Blueberry Lemon Bread:
– I’ve tried this recipe in a large loaf pan, but I had much better success with the mini loaf pans.
-Spray your pans well, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Nothing is more frustrating than a loaf that sticks to the pan and breaks when you try to take it out.
-As with all lemon recipes, the great flavor comes from lemon zest. I stock up on lemons when they are on sale, zest and juice them, and freeze the zest and juice so I always have it on hand.
-Tossing the berries with flour helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf. It also helps keep frozen berries from streaking your batter.
-Don’t over-mix after you add the dry ingredients, or you may end up with a tough loaf.
Love blueberries? Here are a few more recipes to check out:
Orange Blueberry Muffins
Blueberry Pancakes
Blueberry Dump Cake
Blueberry Ice Cream
To see all my quick bread recipes, click HERE.
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 tsp flour for tossing berries
- Optional glaze: 3/4 cup powdered sugar + 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Spray three mini loaf pans with non-stick spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs and sour cream; whisk till very well mixed.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir into wet ingredients. Toss berries with the 1 teaspoon of flour and gently fold into the batter. (If using frozen berries, toss them with 2 teaspoons of flour.)
- Divide batter between the three pans. Bake at 325° for about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling racks.
- If desired whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over loaves.
Notes
Nutrition
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My loaf pans were slightly smaller and bread was not done after 40 minutes 😞
Still in the oven, really hope I don’t over bake!
Different pans and ovens will bake differently, but as long as you use the toothpick test, you should be fine.
howdy..i’d like to make both one batch of 3 mini loaves and another single batch using a 9 x 5…do you just cook the 9 x 5 longer or does the 9 x 5 require both a different baking time as well as baking temp????
my pref is simply to double the recipe in order to make the above…
No, you don’t have to adjust the temperature, just the baking time. The larger loaf usually needs 55-60 minutes. When I double the recipe, I fill the large pan first, then slide it in the oven while I fill the smaller pans. Then I take them out and let the large loaf continue baking. Works great!
Kara,
I love this Lemon Blueberry Quick Bread recipe. I will be making this week for a get-together weekend with my sisters. We all love Lemon/Blueberry combo. I will comment again once my sisters and I savor them with our tea!
I’m with you, lemon blueberry is the bomb! I hope you have a splendid time with your sisters, and that you all enjoy the bread!
Excellent recipe! I used a 9x5inch loaf pan and baked it for 55 minutes. Perfect!
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it Beverly! It’s one that I could eat any time of day all year long! 🙂
I make a simple glaze by mixing lemon juice and granulated sugar together. I poke a few holes in top of bread while it is still warm and then slowly drizzle sugar/lemon juice over the top. I have never cared for an icing sugar glaze on my breads.
Why 3 pans? What size vessel should I use to make one, and how long should I bake it?
Hello, I’m from Italy, I’m not too much used to the way of measuring ingredients in US and UK so I’d like to know what “a cup of” means: is that a tea-size or bigger or smaller cup? Thank you very much!
Benedetta Agnoletto – Milan
Have you ever tried freezing these? Curious as to how they would freeze. I’m baking these today.
We ate them fast enough that I didn’t need to freeze any, but I freeze similar quick bread all the time. Just make sure it is completely cool, then wrap it in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped loaves in ziplock freezer bags. I almost always have a loaf of quick bread in the freezer, and it is so handy!
I loved this recipe! I read your blog fairly often and you’re always coming out with some great stuff!
I shared this bread on my Facebook and my followers loved it! Keep up the good work!:)
This is my favorite kind of bread. And thanks to this recipe I can make it myself!
I am not sure why the ingredients list calls for sour cream or plain yogurt but the instructions don’t say when to add this. It’s not mentioned at all in the instructions. Was it added to the ingredients by mistake or is a step missing in the instructions?
Oh goodness, that’s what I get for trying to type a recipe at midnight. That’s the second mistake a reader noticed. So sorry! You whisk the sour cream in with the lemon juice and eggs. Fingers crossed that I actually have the recipe 100% right this time. 🙂
Used oil but found it confusing that the directions called for butter and pan size was unclear. My concept of mini is apparently different than yours. Should have looked at the Amazon website for dimensions, I quess. Had to guess at baking times. Bread was tasty.
I have updated the recipe with the dimensions of the pans I used. So sorry for the confusion. Glad your bread turned out in the end though. 🙂
Kara. Please tell me if it should be oil or melted butter. I can’t wait to make this!
Thanks,
I used oil, it makes a more moist bread. The melted butter in the instructions was a typo. Sorry about that!
I love anything & everything with lemon & blueberry. These look so delicious and perfect for gifting too!