Lemon Blueberry Bread
Ultra moist, easy to make, and topped with a thick lemon icing, this lemon blueberry bread is sure to be a new favorite! A combination of oil and sour cream prevents the quick bread from drying out, while lemon juice and zest adds lots of tangy flavor.
Want to know a dangerous secret? There’s just 20 minutes of hands-on prep work standing between you and an entire loaf of glazed lemon blueberry bread.
This quick bread recipe is incredibly easy to make and has been a reader favorite for many years. The batter comes together almost mindlessly, and if the thick lemon glaze didn’t need to go on top of the bread I could very easily eat it with a spoon.
If blueberries aren’t in season, make this lemon blueberry loaf with frozen berries. It’s a delicious year-round treat that adds a pop of bright spring flavors to any day!
Ingredients in This Recipe
I almost always have the ingredients needed for this easy quick bread on hand. You’ll find the full measurements in the recipe card below, but let’s review some of the star ingredients.
- Oil: I prefer using oil rather than melted butter as it keeps the bread moist and springy. You can use either canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil. If using coconut oil, make sure all of the other ingredients are at room temperature to prevent it from solidifying.
- Sour cream: I always make lemon blueberry bread with sour cream as it adds moisture and tang to the batter. If desired, you can substitute it with an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
- Lemon juice and zest: I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice. Don’t add more than the recipe calls for, as the extra moisture could alter the texture of the baked quick bread. If you’re craving an even stronger lemon flavor, add extra lemon zest to the batter instead.
- Blueberries: I like to toss the berries with a couple teaspoons of flour before mixing them into the batter. The flour helps prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom while the bread bakes.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Forms the base of the lemon glaze. Adding less confectioners’ sugar will result in a runnier glaze, while adding extra will result in a thicker (and sweeter) glaze.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the wet ingredients: In another mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients the wet: Stir until just combined.
- Add the blueberries: Toss the berries with 2 teaspoons of flour before mixing them into the batter. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
- Bake the bread: Turn the batter into a greased and lined 9×5-inch loaf pan, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Make the lemon glaze: Once the lemon blueberry loaf has cooled completely, whisk together the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar and spread it evenly over the top.
- Allow the glaze to set: The glaze will start to set up after roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Frozen Blueberries Be Used?
Yes, you may use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe. If using frozen berries, add them directly to the batter without thawing them first and make sure to gently fold them in. You may need to increase the bake time by a few minutes.
Can Lemon Extract Be Added?
For a much stronger lemon flavor, you can add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract to the batter. Do NOT use lemon oil as that’s different from lemon extract.
Can I Bake the Batter in Mini Loaf Pans?
Yes, you can bake the bread in mini loaf pans but you will need to reduce the baking time. My best guess is that it would probably take 20 to 35 minutes depending on the size of your pans.
Can the Batter Be Baked in a Muffin Pan?
Yes, you can divide the batter between 12 greased or lined muffin cups. The bake time should be around 20 minutes. Or you can use my lemon blueberry muffin recipe instead.
Can the Bread Be Frozen?
Yes, the lemon blueberry bread can be frozen for up to three months. I prefer freezing the bread without the glaze. After thawing it overnight in the fridge, I bring the entire loaf to room temperature before glazing and serving it.
Baking Tips
- If you’d like to increase the lemon flavor in the batter, you may add another tablespoon of lemon zest or 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. Do not add extract lemon juice, as that would alter the texture of the quick bread.
- Line your pan with parchment paper before pouring the batter into it. This will make it much easier to lift the bread out of the pan.
- Don’t over mix your batter! This can over develop the gluten in your bread and lead to a denser loaf.
- If you find that your lemon glaze is too thick, add up 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice at a time to thin it out. If your glaze is too thin, add extra confectioners’ sugar.
More Lemon Blueberry Recipes to Make!
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
- Baked Lemon Blueberry Donuts
Recipe Video
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (250 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil (120 ml)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (230 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (30 ml)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup blueberries + 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour (150 grams)
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar (120 grams)
- 1.5 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice use more or less as needed
Instructions
- To make the bread: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, line the pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract together until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries with 2 teaspoons of flour. Then, gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Baking time will vary slightly depending on if you use fresh or frozen berries. If needed, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 to 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 pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze: Once the bread has cooled, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until fully combined and no lumps remain. If your mixture is too thick, slowly add a little more 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.
- Drizzle the glaze on top of the bread and spread it around. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes to give the glaze time to harden.
I have made this loaf many times and it’s always delicious. I have doubled the recipe with no problem and sometimes I use frozen cranberries if I don’t have blueberries available and that is a terrific combination too. I use sour cream because I always have it on hand. I have shared this recipe with multiple people, everyone loves it.
This blueberry lemon loaf is awesome. I doubled the recipe and made two full loaves and one small loaf. The small loaf is what I refer to as my tester loaf because i test everything I bake. I followed the directions exactly other than I ran out of sour cream and so just added in a mix of sour cream and yogurt, Next time I will probably add a bit more lemon zest and Lemon juice but other than that, it was perfect. Light, fluffy and absolutely delicious. I used fresh blueberries and it worked very well. Thank you for this fabulous recipe. It will be a staple in our home for sure.
I followed the recipe exactly and made it without the glaze. It came put absolutely perfect. Looking forward to trying a very similar cranberry orange bread recipe tomorrow!!
Can you double the recipe and cook in a tube pan?
Yes, that would be fine! Or you can use my lemon blueberry bundt cake recipe here.
I’ve made this a few times now. I don’t like eggs, so I sub with flax eggs. Just before I combine wet and dry ingredients I add frozen blueberries to the flour mixture. Great recipe and super easy. A favourite in my house.
I just made this recipe and WOW! I absolutely love it! The sweet punch of the lemon glaze goes so well with the blueberries and I had to stop myself from eating a third piece! I did end up having to use the yogurt instead of sour cream and applesauce instead of oil. Other than that and an extra handful of blueberries I stuck to the recipe! Definitely saving this one, thank you so much!
Can this recipe be used to make as cupcakes?
Yes, you can bake it into 12 muffins! The baking time should be around 20 minutes.
I’ve made this a few times with sour cream and Greek yoghurt and it’s been a favourite!
I’m now making it for a gluten-free friend… can anyone please help with what flour to substitute with instead? I really don’t want to ruin it!
So glad you loved the recipe! I haven’t tried it with a gluten-free flour yet. If you’ve had success substituting a certain brand of gluten-free flour 1:1 for all purpose in other recipes, it may work in this one.
This loaf is moist, not overwhelmingky lemony, and delicious. I was short by about 1/3 of a cup on the Greek yogurt so I added 1/3 cup of mascarpone, which added another layer of flovour to the loaf. I skipped the glaze altogether; the loaf already has a full cup of sugar, after all.
I used frozen blueberries and I baked the loaf for around 70 minutes, pulling it out of the oven just when the cake tester came out clean.
Thanks for another great recipe, Danielle!
This cake was amazing! I buttered instead of sprayed my glass loaf pan. I used avocado oil, bottled lemon juice and I was 1/4 cup short of sour cream so I added kefir to make up the difference. I did have to bake it about 10 minutes longer due to oven temp variance. My husband loves it and my grandbaby, who doesn’t care for citrus flavors gobbled it up. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
I was craving lemon blueberry cake and found this recipe, which was PERFECT! So delicious, perfectly lemon-y, sweet but still tart. It did take me 70 min to cook.
this bread was delicious and moist. i had to keep it in the oven for longer than it said, and cover the top with aluminum foil due to the extra time. so don’t be scared if it’s not done in time. but once cooked it was pretty great
I made this in four small (3×5) pans and baked for 35 minutes. Because I didn’t want to put the glaze on, the bread needed to be extra lemony, so I used the zest from two lemons and the juice from 1 1/2, which was just under 1/4 cup. After removing the loaves from the oven, I set the timer for 10 minutes to see if they were ready to come out of the pans. They came out perfectly. This bread is very moist and delicious! Thank you!
I’d love to make this but I don’t have any lemons at the moment 🙁 would it still work to use bottled / concentrate lemon juice?
Yes, bottled lemon juice would be fine.
I’ve only 100 grams of blueberries in the house.Would it be worth going ahead anyways..?
Yes, that would be fine!
Can I use a stick of butter melted instead of the oil? I’m not the best baker but I’m used to using that in the banana bread I make. I certainly don’t want to ruin it tho. Thanks in advance!
I think it would be fine.
I made this tonight for the first time and it was delicious! This is sure to become a family favorite! 🙂
This is the best recipe ever! Second time making it and it’s great. I used Greek plain yogurt instead of sour cream. This will be my go to. I am eating way too much of it.
Can anyone recommend how much to bake these as mini-loaves?
Hi, Jen! The baking time will just depend on the size of your mini loaf pans, but you will need to reduce the baking time.
My baking has not been up to par lately. Not sure if it is everything going on in the world and I’m just not into it or what. But found fresh blueberries on sale and remembered seeing your recipe for this bread so decided to give it a go. Without a doubt a perfectly moist and flavorful bread. I love lemon and blueberry together and this is well blended. I did bake this in three small loaf pans, as I wanted to share with neighbors. All three rose lovely and browned nicely at 50 minutes. Thanks again for another great recipe Danielle. You never let me down. Cindy.
Thank you, Cindy! So happy the bread turned out great for you!
Could you bake in mini loaf pans for gifts?
Yes, that would be fine! You would need to decrease the baking time though.
So great. Multi-generational family of 7 loved it, twice! Second time around I used fruity olive oil and it was super as well. Also, I think that makes it healthy. Totally correct, right?
I also just tried this recipe today and it was really great – i also added extra lemon juice cause i love citrus flavors! but it was so moist and the blue berries didt sink!! i went a little lighter on the glaze but oh man so good!
Can I bake this in a square pan? If so, do I need to change the amount of time I leave it in for? Thank you!
I think that would be fine! I’m not sure on baking time, but you may need to reduce it if you use a square pan.
What a great recipe! Easy, delicious, and looks impressive! Thank you Danielle … looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
This recipe is, hands down, the best one yet. I substituted huckleberries for blueberries a few times too. Definitely at the top of my loaf list 🙂
This recipe is the best bread ever. Just changed one thing, I added chopped walnuts and it is the best.
I made this today and it turned out wonderfully! The blueberries didn’t sink in the batter, and the cake was moist and delicious! I made the mistake of removing it from the pan to early and it broke in half, but that’s on me and my impatience.
Checked three times that it required 2 tsp of baking powder. I should’ve followed my instincts — was too much…I could taste it and it ruined an otherwise beautiful loaf.
Sorry the bread didn’t turn out well for you, Barbara. A general rule of thumb when baking is to use 1 teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour, so 2 teaspoons isn’t too much. Are you sure you didn’t use baking soda by mistake? Baking soda is much stronger than baking powder and you would definitely taste it.
Maybe there is a difference in electric stove to gas but this recipe which I followed exactly is enough for 2 loaves. Knowing better, I put the full loaf pan in the oven and now the bottom of my oven is covered in batter. It rose right out of the pan. Once my oven cools down enough to clean I will split what’s left into 2 pans and see what I get!
Does this recipe make two loaves or one? A person commented that she made one loaf and it over flowed all over the bottom of her oven.
It makes one loaf in a 9×5 loaf pan. I’ve never had any issues with it overflowing in that size pan either.
I followed the ingredients and used plain greek yogurt. My batter was not consistency to pour. I used frozen blieberries. I folded my berries in too much as my batter was blue. What did I do wrong? Added too much flour possibly, because I didnt spoon it in the measuring cup. I scooped it in then levelled off the flour.
If you scooped your flour from the container, you likely ended up with too much and that’s why the batter was too thick. If you make the recipe again, I highly suggest spooning and leveling your flour.
Hi Danielle, can i use regular plain yogurt? I don’t buy greek yogurt.
Yes, that would be fine!
I add 1.5 teaspoons of lemon extract and it is amazing!! I will make this forever 🙂
This is soooo delicious! I can’t stop slicing myself pieces!
I have made it twice, one for a gift. Making two again today. Perfect as is! Delicious! My husband loves it!
I, too, made two loaves, one as a gift, because it’s so beautiful! It really looks like a gift. I loved it. My only comment is that I wish nutrition info were included.
I wanted to mention, I added frozen fruit medly which included strawberries, kiwis, and bananas. The bright fruit and yellow bread looked like jewels!