This Blueberry Lemon Bread is super moist, easy to make, and topped with a delicious lemon glaze. Perfect for breakfast or dessert!
While it’s almost time to start breaking out the apple and pumpkin recipes, I can’t help but want to keep baking with fresh fruit. Especially when it’s something as delicious as this blueberry lemon bread.
I originally published the recipe for this bread when I first started my blog in 2014. While the recipe is still the same, I wanted to update the post with better pictures and reshare it with you because this is still a recipe that I absolutely adore.
Aside from the fact that this bread is SO delicious, it’s also simple to make too. You don’t need even need a mixer to make it and it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and get into the oven!
To make the bread, you’ll start out by whisking together some flour, baking powder, and salt. When it comes to measuring your flour for this bread, you want to avoid scooping it out of the container. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
If you scoop the flour from the container it can become packed inside the measuring cup and you can end up with too much flour, which means a denser loaf of bread.
For the wet ingredients, you’ll be using some oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and zest, and sour cream. You can use any kind of oil that you prefer, but the best options are canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil. Along with the oil, the sour cream also provides moisture which helps keep this bread from drying out. If you don’t have any sour cream, then plain Greek yogurt works fine too!
Then, mix together the wet and dry ingredients until they’re just combined. Toss your blueberries with a little bit of flour and gently fold them in.
Then, just bake the bread and let it cool while you make the glaze which is just a simple mixture of powdered sugar and lemon juice. The glaze is optional, but this bread isn’t super lemony so it adds a little more lemon flavor.
Baking Tips For Blueberry Lemon Bread
- When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it out of the container with your measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Make sure to mix your wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. You want to avoid overmixing the batter, otherwise, it can lead to a denser loaf of bread.
- Make sure to sure to toss the blueberries with 1-2 teaspoons of flour. This will help keep the berries suspended in the batter and prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the bread.
Blueberry Lemon Bread with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Blueberry Lemon Bread:
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) oil coconut, vegetable, or canola
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (230 grams) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150 grams) blueberries + 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup (120 grams) confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice use more or less as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries with the 2 teaspoons of flour. Then, fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If needed, cover loosely with foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes in the loaf pan. Carefully remove from the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze:
- Once the bread has cooled, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Start with two tablespoons of lemon juice and whisk well. If your mixture is too thick, slowly add up to one more tablespoon of lemon juice. You want the glaze to be thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough to set up on the bread. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar as needed.
- Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze on top of the bread and spread it around. The glaze should harden up a little more after about 15-20 minutes.
Notes
Lightly adapted from Betty Crocker
More lemon blueberry recipes to try!
Mini Lemon Blueberry Cheesecakes
This was perfect! I live over 5,000 feet in altitude and the bread was still super moist. I didn’t put on the glaze since I was out of powdered sugar, but I really don’t think it lacked anything since the bread is sweet enough on its own. If/when I make this again I might use another 1/4-1/2 cup of blueberries.
So glad to hear that the bread turned out great for you at the higher altitude, Jessica!
Can you double or triple this recipe for multiple loaves?
I think it would be fine to double the recipe. I would probably avoid tripling it because it would be far too much batter and you’ll likely end up over mixing it by accident.
My berries are frozen. Should I let them thaw before folding in or can they be added frozen and thaw during the baking process??
You can use frozen berries, just be sure to fold them in carefully.
I baked mine right at 60 min. And it’s still very raw in the middle. Not sure what I did wrong.
Hi, Jason. Every oven is different so it may take more time in your oven. Have you tested your oven temperature with an oven thermometer? It sounds like it may not be quite hot enough. You can bake it longer if needed, just cover loosely with foil if the top begins to brown before the bread is finished.
Hi
I made this the other day and it was amazing but the middle wasnt done. I tried tenting with foil ect but finally had to pull it since the sides and top were done. Would this work in a bundt pan or something similar? And what temp/time? (My horrible oven seems to not heat bread pans well).
Thanks!
Have you checked your oven with an oven thermometer yet? This wouldn’t be quite enough batter for a full bundt cake, but I do have a lemon blueberry bundt cake recipe here: https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/lemon-blueberry-bundt-cake/.
Thank you! Looks like my oven is off by 25*
You can calibrate your oven so that it bakes at the correct temperature! If you do a quick search for your oven model, you should be able to find out how to adjust it for your oven 🙂
Thanks, i got the recipe il try it out on my free time, eager to have a nice bread
Hope you enjoy the bread!
My daughter and I made this tonight. It came out so tasty.
So glad you liked the bread, Lara!
Hello, can I use butter instead of oil? Thanks!
It would probably work, but it will change the texture of the bread. I suggest sticking with oil though, since it helps keep the bread moist.
Can I subistitute the yogurt or sour cream for buttermilk?
I’ve tried it, but the blueberries tend to sink more even if they’re tossed in flour.
AMAZING! Love the flour tip.
You mentioned that this bread isn’t super lemony. Would using lemon extract instead of vanilla work to make it more lemony? Or could I just add more zest and lemon juice?
Yes, that would work fine. Or you can add more lemon zest.
If you want more lemon flavor, should you add both more lemon juice and zest? Or only zest? Thanks!
I would add more lemon zest, you can use the zest of 1 and 1/2 – 2 lemons.
This was awesome, easy and I didn’t have to run to the store! I doubled the recipe and it made 2 loaves 4×8 and also 2 smaller ones 3×5. I LOVE the crown it made! I’ve tried other recipes and none can compare to how this rose! It’s a keeper!