An easy lemon bread recipe topped with a sweet lemon glaze. This Glazed Lemon Bread is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!

A loaf of lemon bread with glaze on top. Three slices have been cut from the front.

Does anything scream spring more than a beautiful loaf of lemon bread? Okay, maybe a loaf of lemon bread topped with a lemon glaze? Yep, that sounds a little better.

If you’ve been following for a while, you know how much I adore lemon desserts. And judging by how popular these lemon bars are on my site, I think it’s safe to say a lot of you love lemon too. So, I decided to start February off on the right foot with an easy lemon bread recipe.

Since this is a quick bread, it’s simple to mix together and only takes about 10-15 minutes to get in the oven. To be honest, the hardest part about making this bread is waiting for it to bake and cool. 

Ingredients in This Recipe 

This lemon quick bread recipe comes together with pantry staples. Here’s what goes into the recipe: 

  • All-purpose flour: When measuring your flour, make sure to spoon and level your flour instead of scooping it out of the container. I wrote a post about the spoon and level method here, but it’s important to use the right amount of flour so you don’t end up with a super dense loaf.
  • Baking powder: Helps the bread rise in the oven. 
  • Salt: Balances out the sugar in the batter. 
  • Oil: A neutral oil, like canola or vegetable, is best. 
  • Granulated sugar: Sweetens the quick bread and complements the sour lemon juice. 
  • Sour cream: If you don’t have sour cream, then plain Greek yogurt works fine too.
  • Lemon juice and zest: Use fresh lemons since you’ll need both the juice and zest. 
  • Eggs: To help bind everything together.
  • Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract, if possible. 
  • Powdered sugar: Is mixed with lemon juice to make the glaze. 

A slice of lemon bread on a white plate with a fork. Another plate rests in the background.

How to Make Lemon Bread with Glaze 

To make this lemon bread, you’ll start by whisking together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. 

For the wet ingredients, you’ll whisk together the oil, sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. The oil and sour cream help keep this bread incredibly moist, even after a few days. 

You’ll combine the wet and dry ingredients together, pour the batter into a loaf pan, and bake it. I like to line the pan with some parchment paper and leave a little overhang to make it easier to lift the bread out of the pan. I have a visual of what I mean in this banana bread post.

Once the bread has cooled, you can either leave it plain or top it with a glaze. If you’re a true lemon lover, then I suggest using the lemon glaze. Or if you like things less lemony, you can make a plain glaze by using milk instead of lemon juice!

A slice of glazed lemon loaf bread on a plate with a fork. A piece has been removed and is speared on the fork.

Can I Add Blueberries? 

If you want to make lemon blueberry bread, I recommend following my Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe instead. I’ve tested that recipe many times and know that it works! 

Baking Tips

  • When measuring your flour, don’t scoop it out of the container with the measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
  • Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined, over mixing the batter can lead to a denser loaf.
  • You can use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt in this bread, full fat is also best.

More Lemon Desserts to Try! 

Glazed Lemon Bread

5 from 14 ratings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
An easy lemon bread recipe topped with a sweet lemon glaze. This Glazed Lemon Bread is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Leave a Review

Ingredients

Servings: 1 loaf

For the lemon bread:

  • 1 and 3/4 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour , spooned & leveled
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) oil (canola or vegetable)
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (230 grams) sour cream
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the lemon glaze:

  • 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice

Instructions
 

To make the lemon bread:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined.
  • Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and mix until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it around into one even layer. Bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If needed, tent with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning on top of the bread.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the loaf pan. Carefully remove from the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the lemon glaze:

  • Once the bread has cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. If the glaze is too thick, add more lemon juice as needed. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
  • Pour the glaze on the bread and spread it around to fully cover the top of the bread. Allow the glaze to harden for 15-20 minutes, then slice and enjoy!

Notes

Storage instructions: Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This bread will also freeze well for 2-3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Prep time does not include cooling time.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.