This Lemon Blueberry Bread is the perfect loaf to bake during the summer, when blueberries are abounding. This quick bread is moist, tender, and bursting with juicy blueberries!
It’s a great way to use all the blueberries of the season. It’s a very easy recipe that takes just a few minutes of active prep time.
This delicious lemon blueberry bread is also freezer-friendly, so bake a few loaves and freeze them for later to satisfy your cravings!
It’s blueberry season! Summer is here and I am all about cooking and baking with fresh berries. We love this Watermelon Blueberry Salad, Grilled Peach Salad with Berries, and Strawberry Chicken Salad with Blueberries. I’ve also been baking lots of Blueberry Peach Muffins. We just can’t get enough!
Today I am sharing a beloved family recipe: Lemon Blueberry Bread. It’s tender, moist, and bursting with plump blueberries. It’s one of my favorite quick breads ever!
Here’s why I love this amazing quick bread:
- Moist and tender: This lemon blueberry bread is made with Greek yogurt, which makes an extra tender loaf.
- Fragrant and delicious: Bursting with fresh lemon flavors!
- Freezer friendly! Freeze it for 3 months if needed!
Making a loaf of lemon blueberry bread is super easy. It takes just 15 minutes minutes of active prep time and the rest is taken care of by the oven!
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
As always, the full ingredient list and quantities can be found in the recipe card down below. Here are a few helpful notes:
- Flour: All-purpose flour works here.
- Baking powder: The main leavening agent.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness. Don’t use brown sugar.
- Salt: Brings out all the flavors.
- Plain Greek yogurt: Adds moisture and tenderness to the bread.
- Eggs, at room temperature: Gives it structure.
- Vanilla extract: For flavor.
- Vegetable oil: Oil works better for quick breads than butter. It yields a much tender loaf.
- Lemon zest and lemon juice: Fresh.
- Blueberries: I’d recommend using fresh but frozen works too.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 | Mix dry ingredients
To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with butter, and set aside. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Step 2 | Mix wet ingredients
To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with butter, and set aside. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Step 3 | Mix dry and wet ingredients, plus blueberries
Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
Toss the rest of the blueberries and 1 tablespoon of flour to coat (this will prevent the blueberries from sinking). Carefully, fold in the floured blueberries into the batter, then top with a few more to make it look pretty.
Step 4 | Bake
Pour the batter into the greased 9×5 baking pan evenly. Then, top with the remaining 2-3 tablespoons of berries, gently pushing them down into the batter but letting them still be visible. Bake for about 60-65 minutes, and cover with aluminum foil after 45 minutes to prevent it from browning too much.
Why Use Oil Instead of Butter
When it comes to quick breads, I always choose to bake them with vegetable oil. Quick breads made with oil are always more tender and moist.
Here’s why: Oil makes the bread lighter and fluffier, with more separated crumbs. On the other hand, butter will yield a denser bread with tight crumbs, more like a pound cake.
Substitutions and Variations
As with many baking recipes, I wouldn’t recommend making too many changes to this lemon blueberry bread, except for these:
- Blueberries: Instead of fresh blueberries, use frozen blueberries.
- Make a glaze to drizzle on top: Combine 1 cup confectioners sugar with 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk. You can also add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and lemon zest.
- Make smaller loaves: Reduce the baking time 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Make muffins! Bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so.
If you’re looking to use a different berry, try this strawberry bread! Other quick breads or loafs recipes you may like:
Make Ahead and Freezing
This lemon blueberry bread can be made ahead! Wrap it tightly and or store in an airtight container for about 5 days. To make it last longer, wrap and refrigerate for up to 7 days.
You can also freeze it. Let the lemon blueberry bread cool down completely. Wrap with 2 layers of aluminum foil tightly and store in a freezer-friendly container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, absolutely.
Flouring the blueberries will prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
I’d recommend using vegetable oil – it will yield a tender bread with slightly separated crumbs. Using butter will yield a denser loaf, more like pound cake.
Yes, let the bread cool down completely. Wrap with 2 layers of aluminum foil tightly and store in a freezer-friendly container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
This recipe was published in 2020 and updated in June 2022 to include new photos and information, plus a few recipe modifications.
Tips for Success
- Don’t over-mix the batter: Mix until just combined and no pockets of flour remain. The batter will be thick.
- Resist the urge to open the oven: Opening and closing the oven while baking will result in sunken bread. You only need to open it once to cover with foil, and one more time when it’s done.
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature
- If you can’t find fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries will work too.
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Lemon Blueberry Bread
Equipment
- Zester
Ingredients
- Butter for greasing the pan
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoons - divided
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- Zest of 2 lemons - about 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries, plus a few more for topping - or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with butter.
- Combine the dry ingredients: in a large bowl, combine the 1 ¾ cups flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Set aside
- Combine the wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice until evenly combined.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. There should be no pockets of flour. Don’t overmix. The batter will be thick.
- In another bowl, toss the 1 ½ cup of blueberries and the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour to coat. Gently fold in the floured blueberries into the batter, leaving any excess flour behind.
- Pour the prepared batter into the prepared loaf pan. Then, top with a few blueberries (I used about 10 blueberries), gently pushing them down into the batter but letting them still be visible. This will make the bread look pretty.
- Bake for about 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. About 45 minutes into the baking time, cover with aluminum foil to prevent it from browning too fast. Tip: To prevent the bread from sinking in the middle, only open it once when you need to cover it with foil.
- Remove from oven, remove foil, and let it cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Resist the urge to open the oven: Opening and closing the oven while baking will result in sunken bread. During the baking time, only open it once to cover with foil.
- Blueberries: I’d recommend using fresh blueberries, but frozen works too.
- Why toss blueberries with flour: This prevents them from sinking to the bottom.
- Make a glaze (optional): Combine 1 cup confectioners sugar with 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk. You can also add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and lemon zest.
- Fresh blueberries: Frozen blueberries.
- Make smaller loaves: Reduce the baking time 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Make muffins! Bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so.
Pearl says
Have made your lemon bread a few times now and it’s a big hit with everyone! Love it!
Tania says
Thank you, Pearl!
Randy says
Just took this out of the oven. It looks and smells wonderful. I used light tasting olive oil and for the first time, added some fresh chopped basil. I will be making this again.
Tania says
Happy to hear, Randy! Thank you for trying my recipe!
Gina says
I was wondering can I use a sugar substitute like splenda? Or something else
Tania says
Hi Gina, I haven’t tested this recipe with splenda, so I can’t say for sure unfortunately. If you try it with splenda, let me know how it turns out!
Marlenne says
We just made our first Lemon Blueberry Bread and it came out PERFECT! Moist, zesty and with a billion blueberries (just what the recipe said) and OMG! Great recipe and easy to follow!
Tania says
Thank you so much, Marlenne!
Martin Walasek says
Hi Tania. On Sunday I made this recipe and it turned out wonderful. Two quick things. One in the recipe I overlooked the tossing the blueberries in the 1 tbsp. of flour. Well, actually I didn’t overlook it as much as I did not separate that 1 tbsp. when prepping my ingredients. Why do you have to coat the blueberries in flour? The other thing I just noticed on your pictures is that the inside of your bread is more pores, like bread. Mine is not like that, it’s still tasty but what did I not do. I only baked it for the max 75 minutes because I was too worried of burning it. Thank you.
Tania says
Hi Martin, I’m so glad to hear! Thank you so much for your kind comment. So, tossing the blueberries with flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom. Regarding the inside of my bread (in the photos) having more “pores,” overmixing could cause dense quick bread. I mixed mine until JUST combined and until there were more no flour pockets. Also, for the batter, did you use oil or butter? I always bake quick breads with oil because oil creates more tender and separated crumbs. I Hope it helps!