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.
Made this recipe last night when babysitting for a friend’s 7 year old daughter…. it was super easy, fun, and came out DELICIOUS!!!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Heather! It’s definitely one of my favorite things to make too 🙂
Tried your recipe for the first time and it’s DELICIOUS! Very easy to make and super moist.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the kind comment, Thao! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
This bread is absolutely delicious. I followed the directions exactly and hubby and I really enjoyed it. We had it for dessert and breakfast!
So glad you and your husband both enjoyed it, Dani! 🙂
My mother lives in a senior resident apartment complex and the ladies have afternoon coffee every week day and I have made this twice now for them and they love it! It is such a great recipe! I love pleasing those ladies and love baking for them because many of them don’t bake anymore (my mother included!). You have made a bunch of ol’ ladies very happy (me, too!!!) Thank you for posting this recipe. I see you have comments on this from a couple of years ago, so it’s nice to see that this recipe is still making the rounds! Debbie
Your comment made my day, Debbie! It’s always so wonderful to hear from readers when they love a recipe and I’m so glad the ladies at your mother’s apartment complex loved it too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This was divine! Made it two days in a row using fresh then frozen berries and both batches were perfection.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Rose!
This is a keeper. Did not have time for glaze and even without, it was nicknamed “blueberry goodness” at work. With lots of lemons and heavy rain in California, let the baking continue! Thanks for publishing. After one trial, it is already a favorite.
I’m so glad to hear everyone liked the recipe, Renee! And I love that nickname 🙂
I put all the ingredients together, but noticed you did not call for them to get mixed with the flour and others. I put it in the loaf pan, tasted the batter and it was not good. I realized it needed sugar, so I added the cup. I hope this does not make it overmixed and it still turns out ok! I hope I am doing this right now. Fingers crossed!
Hi, Melissa. Sorry for any confusion, the recipe says to combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another bowl, and then combine them. Hopefully the bread still turned out good for you! 🙂
Just made this blueberry lemon loaf. It is delicious!!! I didn’t have a whole lemon on hand so I used a few drops of pure lemon extract in addition to the zest of half a lemon. I also substituted 1 cup whole whole wheat flour and 1 cup of oats for the called all purpose flour. You wouldn’t notice a difference! Thank you for this recipe 🙂
The lemon extract was a wonderful idea! So glad to hear the whole wheat flour and oats worked great too, thank you for sharing! 🙂
I made the recipe AS IS, and it looks just like the picture. The taste is out of this world. 350 degrees, 60 minutes, spot on. I love the combination of lemon and blueberries.
So glad you enjoyed the bread, Robin! I actually made another loaf of it yesterday too! 🙂
This was delicious! I have made it a few times now. Most recently, I use d 1/2c regular sugar and 1/2c coconut sugar and loved it! Thank you!
I love to use coconut sugar, I definitely need to try that out next time I make a loaf! So glad you enjoyed the bread! 🙂
The hostess served this yesterday at breakfast. It looked great and tasted as though it came from heaven. I now have the recipe so what more could I ask for? Thank you!
So glad you to hear that you liked the bread, Richard!
Made two of these for a party. Not only were they gone halfway through the party, but I overheard multiple people absolutely RAVING about them! Thanks for helping me make a great impression!
That is so wonderful to hear, Crystal! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the bread! 🙂
It’s in the oven! Thanks for the recipe! Taking it to our friends camp for breakfast! Have a lovely weekend!
What a great idea, Lora! We go camping a lot too, I may need to bring a loaf of this next time! Hope you and your friends enjoy the bread 🙂
Hi Danielle!
Mine loaf came our more like scone texture, Where did I do wrong? I used vegetable oil and sour cream instead of yogurt. I believe I was also consciences about not over mixing dry to wet. Any thoughts?
Hi, Kim! The vegetable oil and sour cream would be fine. How did you measure your flour? Did your scoop it out of the container or spoon & level the flour? Scooping it out of the container can cause the flour to become packed inside the cup and you can end up with too much. I’m wondering if maybe there was too much flour and that’s why it turned out that way?
I’ve made this a couple times now and I love it! I devour it, and make extra to give away to friends. Thanks!
So glad to hear that, Shelby! This recipe is one of my favorites! 🙂
I just found this recipe today and made it right away. I whipped it together with happiness and only then realized I’d misplaced my loaf pan! I improvised by baking the mix in a 12-cup muffin pan at 375 degrees for 28 minutes… And voila! Perfection!!! Thanks SO much for this great recipe. My kids are going to LOVE today’s after school snack!
Great idea to use the muffin pan, Mary! I hope your kids enjoyed the snack too 🙂
my boys and I tried this. and loved it. we are now making our second batch. anyone who has tried ours loved it as well. awesome stuff
Glad to hear that everyone enjoyed the bread, John! This is one of our favorite recipes too 🙂
nowhere in this recipe does it say to add sugar. Don’t forget to add sugar when it says add all dry ingredients
It’s written in step 4 of the instructions, you whisk the sugar together with the other wet ingredients.
Hi, Danielle. I baked this bread tonight, and it is truly scrumptious! The aromas coming from the kitchen were drool-worthy, and waiting for the bread to cool before icing and eating it took enormous self-control. My husband and I love blueberries and lemons, so this recipe is definitely a keeper.
I only had Meyer lemons on hand, which aren’t quite as tart as regular lemons, so I just added a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice from concentrate to up the intensity. The bread was succulent and full of lemony goodness, and we can’t wait to have more tomorrow morning for breakfast.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
My husband and I love lemon and blueberries too, it’s hard to have self control around this bread 🙂 So glad to hear you both enjoyed it!
I’ve made this recipe three times and getting into the kitchen soon to make it again today. I try to avoid gluten, so I make it with gluten-free flour and it is amazing! So moist and full of flavor. I’ve also played with the glaze and have put it on when the bread is still hot. It seeps into the top layer and around the edges and when cooled is like a lemony crust! Today I plan to wait until it is cooled, haven’t tried that way yet. Love the recipe, thank you!
So glad to hear that the recipe works well with gluten-free flour, Ranae! I haven’t tried adding the glaze while the bread is still warm, but that sounds wonderful. I may need to give that a try next time 🙂
Just finished baking your recipe for blueberry lemon bread with lemon glaze in my new LG electric oven. I did use sunflower oil and was very careful not to over mix the batter, it was done in 55 minutes. It’s absolutely delicious and so moist! Looking forward to sharing it with my family and friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
So glad you liked the bread! 🙂
I just made this bread this morning to take to church. Of course being the considerate person I am, I had to sample before sharing with my friends. This Blueberry Lemon Bread is so delicious, so moist and beautiful. I’ll be making it again this week for my husband to take to work.
I always make sure to taste test before sharing with others, nothing wrong with that! 🙂 I’m so glad you liked the bread, Patty!
Have made this several times. It is so good it’s addictive. Family loves it! Definitely a keeper!!
So glad to hear your family loves the bread!
Came out lovely and just the right flavor. At 50 mins it was still very wet, but at 60 it was just over done and still fantastic. I use a smooth chopstick when I test these things and it’s very reliable compared to a toothpick or butter knife fyi.
Thank you so much for the recipe!! Fiance doesn’t have a sweet tooth, but was impossible to keep him from licking the batter spoon lol
So glad to hear that you and your fiance enjoyed the bread, Amanda! Using a chopstick is a really great idea, I’ll have to try that out! 🙂
Hello. Thank you for this great recipe! Our friend was diagnosed last May with cancer and he loves my baking. I was looking for a recipe with more nutrition and with lemon, as it is so good for you.
He loves this bread!!! I have made it over and over for him. I made it again tonight and felt the need to Thank you!
He’s not going to win the fight, but he’s going out with lots of his fave bread!
Thanks again Danielle! Marty and I both appreciate it!
This was such a sweet comment to read this morning, Donna. I’m so glad to hear that your friend loves this blueberry lemon bread! You and your friend are also in my thoughts and prayers.
I have a few different sizes of loaf pans. What size do you use? I can’t wait to make this for an Easter brunch!!! Thanks!
Hi, Denise! I use a 9×5 loaf pan for this recipe.
I am really excited about baking the bread, but I was wondering about replacing the sugar with and artificial sweetener like sucralose (it has a 1 to 1 replacement). I am on Weight Watchers and looking for recipes that I can modify slightly to reduce points.
I don’t typically use artificial sweeteners, so I’m not quite sure. If you have a sweetener that says it can replace sugar 1:1, then it may work. But I imagine that it would change the texture/taste of the bread too.
This was AWESOME! I didn’t even need to glaze it – it tasted wonderful on its own. I would recommend checking doneness sooner than recipe asked for. I checked at 35 minutes and 40 minutes.
I sometimes leave the glaze off too 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
Made this today– the batter was amazing and the bread was delicious too! I eyeballed the topping and ended up with a very liquidy glaze, but still so good 🙂 Looking forward to having some more for breakfast tomorrow!
So glad you enjoyed the bread, Mandy! 🙂
Do you bake using bottom heat? Or top & bottom heat?
Hi, Sheryl! As far as I know, my oven uses both.