This Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe is drizzled with a lemon glaze and is a variation of the classic lemon loaf. It’s a quick bread that’s perfect for brunch… and so easy you can make it while pre-gaming with a Bloody Mary. Say that three times in a mirror and free drinks for everyone!
Going down the rabbit hole of spring and summer recipes? Make sure to pin these Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes and this Italian Easter Bread.
A while back, my neighbors gifted me with a bounty of lemons from their tree and I used them to create a pie, macarons, and this French yogurt loaf recipe from Bon Appetit.
I made the lemon loaf for a weekend brunch and it was excellent. Light, soft, and tender, and so perfect with a little bit of whipped cream on top. It was the sleeper hit of brunch. It looked unassuming, but when my guests started trying it, everyone asked me for the recipe. So, I decided to make it again.
This time, I increased the lemon flavor because I love lemons and years of eating too many Sour Patch Kids means I can eat them like oranges. I didn’t go totally overboard, though, because I realize that not everyone is a citrus freak. Which is not the same thing as being a circus freak, mom.
To increase the tartness, I added lemon juice to the loaf and combined lemon juice and powdered sugar together to create a Starbucks’s Lemon Loaf copycat lemon glaze which I drizzled it on top after I let the loaf cool completely.
I also threw in a cup and a half of fresh blueberries because why the heck not. I mean because they pair really nicely with the citrus fruit.
Tips to Make the Perfect Lemon Blueberry Bread
The best thing about this lemon blueberry bread is you don’t need yeast to get it to rise and you can make it without an electric mixer, all of which means you can bake it when your best friend calls and tells you she’s hosting an impromptu brunch in two hours.
Here are some tips to make this recipe even more foolproof:
- Oil and flour the pan. Making her guests dig your lemon blueberry cake loaf out of the pan isn’t going to win you any points. So do yourself a favor and spray the loaf pan with oil and dust it with flour before you do anything else.
- Get a zester. You’ll be zesting 3-4 lemons for this recipe and that box grater will do a number on your knuckles so do yourself a favor and pick up a zester. And, remember, we don’t talk about Fight Club.
- Use fresh blueberries. They taste so much better when they’re fresh and in season (which is April to September, btw.) If you have to use frozen blueberries, rinse them in a colander until the water runs clear and then dry them.
- Swap butter for oil. I think one of the things that makes this recipe so good is that it swaps butter for oil. Butter is delicious, but it results in a denser cake, whereas oil provides more height and a lighter crumb.
- Don’t over bake the bread. Again, this sounds obvious, but someone out there is going to turn this luscious loaf into a burnt block. Don’t let that someone be you. Bake it for 50 minutes, or just until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Wait for the bread to cool before you glaze. You can make the lemon glaze while the bread bakes, but let it cool completely on a wire rack before drizzling it with glaze. If you begin pouring and find the glaze isn’t sticking, pop it back in the fridge until it’s set. If you have patience everything will eventually work… er the glaze will eventually set. Whoa got a little personal there. Ok, we’re out!
Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 13⁄4 cup flour (divided)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 3⁄4 tsp. coarse kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons)
- 3⁄4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1½ cup blueberries
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- ½ tsp. lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 pinch fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray and dust with flour. Shake excess out of pan.
- Zest lemons using box grater or zester. Set aside.
- Juice lemons. Set juice aside.
- Place flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. Whisk to blend. Set aside.
- Place sugar and 1 Tbsp. of lemon zest in large bowl. Work zest and sugar together with your hands until sugar is moist and fragrant.
- Add Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon juice to large bowl with sugar mixture. Whisk to combine until no lumps remain. Stir in fresh blueberries.
- Add flour mixture to yogurt mixture and stir gently to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes. Flip pan over and remove loaf. Let cool completely before adding lemon glaze.
Lemon Glaze
- Whisk powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, melted butter, and salt in large bowl until combined. Place in fridge until no longer runny.
- When the lemon blueberry bread has cooled, drizzle glaze over the top.
My background is in publishing (I've worked at Parade, Men's Journal, Us Weekly, Stuff, Blender, Beachbody, and more), mostly with a focus in health, fitness, and entertainment. I've also run my own baking company and competed on Cupcake Wars, so hit me up with your baking questions!
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Lemon and blueberry are so amazing together! This looks so delicious, can’t wait to try it!
Thank you! Let me know what you think!
I make a similar cake at home, but I love the idea of the lemon glaze here. Looks so delicious!!
Thank you! I really love the lemon glaze – it also helps the bread stay moist for a few more days 🙂
I am not sure if there is anything more delicious than this! I love my microplane zester!
Lemon and blueberry cake is the perfect spring dessert – so bright and fresh!
This looks like a lovely dessert for a warm summer day!
This looks so good! Can I sub regular yougrt for the greek?
Hi Ursula! Thank you! You can, but it will affect the consistency and appearance. But, it might be even better! Just make sure to use 3/4 cup full fat (whole milk) regular yogurt.
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. May I ask what size loaf pan you used.
I used a 9×5″ loaf pan 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!
This is the best lemon blueberry bread/cake I’ve ever tasted! It’s perfectly sweet and sour, not skimping on the lemon flavor at all. I could eat an entire loaf of this…so delicious!
Thank you! That’s so sweet of you to say! 🙂
Rebecca, this looks amazing! I agree, blueberry and lemon are a fantastic combo. I’ve tried it in cookies but this bread might just have to be the next thing I bake!
We’ve been getting rhubarb for a while now in the UK but I think our season starts earlier. Love the lemon and blueberry combo though – Your bread looks delicious!
I love lemon and blueberry, it is such a great combination. This bread looks so moist and delicious
Lemon and blueberry is such a great combination.
This sounds just delicious and perfect for morning tea 😀
Lemon and blueberries are the perfect pair. I usually make them into muffins, but will need to remember to make a loaf next time!
I would have thought this was perfect, except I found it tasted very heavily of baking powder! Otherwise very nice. I may reduce the baking powder to 1 tsp next time though.
Can this recipe be doubled
DELICIOUS!
I have made this twice in 1 week (doubles the recipe both times). I love lemon so I used 3 lemons. Also – i live in a dry climate so I used 6 eggs and 1.5 cups of buttermilk instead of sour cream.
Ladies at the office said it is “da bomb”! Thank you!!
What does 13/4 flour mean?
1 and 3/4 cup
Why does it say “flour divided”?
could you double recipe and use a bunt pan
What would using fat free Greek yogurt do to the texture flavor of cake ?