Introduction

Oh, friend, do I have a treat for you today! There’s something truly magical about the combination of bright, zesty lemon and sweet, bursting blueberries. It just screams sunshine and cozy mornings, doesn’t it? This Easy Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe is one of my absolute favorites because it brings all that happiness into your kitchen with hardly any fuss. It’s the kind of quick bread that makes your house smell amazing, feels wonderfully simple to bake, and disappears faster than you can say “seconds, please!” Whether you’re whipping it up for a weekend breakfast, an afternoon snack, or just because you need a little dose of sunshine, this loaf is guaranteed to bring a smile.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Seriously, what’s not to love? But just in case you need a little convincing (you won’t!), here are a few reasons why this Lemon Blueberry Bread will become your new go-to:

Fast: Quick breads mean minimal rise time – perfect for when you need a delicious treat, stat!
Easy: No fancy techniques here. Just simple mixing and baking.
Giftable: Wrap up a loaf for a neighbor, friend, or family member. It’s always a welcome gift!
Crowd-pleasing: Kids and adults alike adore this classic flavor combo.

Ingredients

Gather ’round, let’s talk about the simple superstars that make this bread happen. You likely have most of these in your pantry right now!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour: Our base! Gives the bread its structure.
1 teaspoon baking powder: The leavening agent that helps our loaf rise nice and tall.
1 teaspoon salt: Don’t skip this! It balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted: Adds richness and moisture. Make sure it’s just melted, not piping hot!
1 cup granulated sugar: Sweetness is key!
2 large eggs: Binds everything together and adds structure and richness.
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract: A little touch of warmth and classic flavor.
2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest: This is where that bright, intense lemon flavor comes from! Use a microplane for best results.
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice: Adds tang and moisture. Fresh is always best for flavor.
1/2 cup milk: Helps create a tender crumb. Any milk (dairy or non-dairy) works here.
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries: The little bursts of joy! Use fresh when in season, or frozen straight from the freezer.
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour: This is a little trick I’ll tell you about later!

How to Make It

Alright, apron on? Let’s get baking! This is going to be so simple, I promise.

Prep Your Pan and Oven: First things first, let’s get ready. Preheat your oven to a cozy 350°F (175°C). Grab a 9×5 inch loaf pan. You want to grease it well and then give it a light dusting with flour. This helps ensure your beautiful bread slides right out after baking!
Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Just a quick whisk to make sure they’re all mixed together evenly. Set this aside for a moment.
Start the Wet Ingredients: Now, grab a larger bowl. Pour in your melted butter and the sugar. Whisk them together until they’re nicely combined. It won’t be super creamy yet, just mixed.
Add Eggs and Flavor: Next, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Once the eggs are in, stir in that wonderful vanilla extract and the fragrant lemon zest. Take a deep breath and enjoy that smell!
Mix Milk and Lemon Juice: In a small separate bowl, quickly whisk together the milk and the fresh lemon juice. You might notice the milk looking a little curdled – totally normal! The acid from the lemon reacts with the milk, and it actually helps create a lovely, tender texture in the bread.
Combine Wet and Dry: Now we’re going to bring the wet and dry ingredients together. Add about a third of the dry mixture to the large bowl with the wet ingredients, mix gently. Then add about half of the milk mixture, mix gently. Continue alternating like this, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (Dry, Wet, Dry, Wet, Dry). Mix just until everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix – lumps are okay! Overmixing develops the gluten too much and can result in a tough bread. We want tender!
Flour Those Berries: Remember that extra tablespoon of flour? Here’s its job! In a small bowl, gently toss the blueberries with that last tablespoon of flour. This little step is a secret weapon! It helps the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf while it bakes.
Fold in the Blueberries: Gently fold the floured blueberries into your batter. Use a spatula and go easy – you don’t want to mash them or overwork the batter you just carefully mixed. Just a few turns until they’re pretty evenly distributed.
Pour and Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread the top out evenly with the spatula. Pop it into your preheated oven.
Bake Until Golden: Bake for 50-60 minutes. Baking times can vary, so start checking around 50 minutes. The bread is done when a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the very center comes out clean (maybe with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter). If the top starts getting too brown before the inside is done, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
Cool Down: Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. This allows it to finish setting up. Then, carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is a virtue here – slicing into a hot quick bread can sometimes make it fall apart a bit.

Substitutions & Additions

Feeling creative? This recipe is pretty forgiving and delicious as is, but here are a few ideas to switch things up:

Different Berries: Swap the blueberries for raspberries, chopped strawberries, or a mix of berries. Just make sure to still toss them in flour!
Add Poppy Seeds: For a classic lemon-poppy seed twist, add 1-2 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients.
Add Nuts: Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans with the blueberries for some crunch.
Make it Gluten-Free: You can often substitute the all-purpose flour with a good quality 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
Add a Glaze: While delicious plain, a simple lemon glaze takes it over the top! Whisk together about 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice or milk until pourable. Drizzle over the cooled loaf.

Tips for Success

Here are a few little pointers I’ve picked up along the way to make sure your Lemon Blueberry Bread turns out perfect every time:

Don’t Overmix: I know I mentioned it in the instructions, but it’s worth repeating! Mix until just combined. A few small lumps are fine.
Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge (like a knife). Scooping directly from the bag can pack the flour and result in too much, making your bread dense.
Use Fresh Lemon: Bottled lemon juice just doesn’t have the same bright flavor as fresh. And definitely use fresh zest – that’s where the intense lemon oil lives!
Flour Those Berries!: Seriously, this step is a game-changer for preventing soggy bottoms and ensuring the berries are distributed throughout the loaf.
Test for Doneness: Use a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf, not just the edge. It should come out clean.
Prep Ahead: You can mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients (minus the milk/lemon mix and blueberries) the night before and store them separately at room temp. Just combine them, add the milk mixture and floured berries, and bake the next morning!

How to Store It

Assuming there are any leftovers (a big assumption in my house!), here’s how to keep your bread fresh:

Once completely cooled, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It should stay fresh for 2-3 days. For longer storage, you can wrap individual slices or the whole cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

FAQs

Got questions? I’ve got answers!

Q: Can I use frozen blueberries?

A: Absolutely! No need to thaw them, just toss them in flour straight from the freezer and gently fold them into the batter.

Q: Why do I flour the blueberries?

A: Coating the berries in a little flour helps them “cling” to the batter and prevents them from sinking to the bottom during baking. It also helps absorb some of their moisture so they don’t make wet streaks in the bread.

Q: Can I turn this into muffins?

A: Yes! Simply divide the batter into a greased or lined muffin tin. Bake at the same temperature (350°F/175°C) for a shorter time, usually 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Q: My loaf sunk in the middle! What happened?

A: This can happen for a few reasons: oven temperature was too low, it was underbaked, or the batter was overmixed. Make sure your oven thermostat is accurate, always test for doneness in the center, and mix gently until just combined!

Happy Baking, my friend!

Easy Lemon Blueberry Bread

A simple and delicious quick bread recipe featuring the classic combination of bright, zesty lemon and sweet blueberries. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a snack.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 55

Equipment

Loaf pan 9x5 inch
Medium-sized bowl
Large bowl
Small bowl
Whisk
Spatula
Wooden skewer or toothpick for testing doneness
Wire rack for cooling
Microplane optional, for grating lemon zest

Ingredients

Hauptzutaten

1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
0.33 cup unsalted butter melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp fresh grated lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
0.5 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tbsp all-purpose flour for coating blueberries

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan well and dust it lightly with flour.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, pour in your melted butter and the sugar. Whisk them together until nicely combined.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
In a small separate bowl, whisk together the milk and the fresh lemon juice until just combined (it may curdle, which is normal).
Add about a third of the dry mixture to the large bowl with the wet ingredients, mix gently. Then add about half of the milk mixture, mix gently. Continue alternating like this, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (Dry, Wet, Dry, Wet, Dry). Mix just until everything is combined, being careful not to overmix.
In a small bowl, gently toss the blueberries with the last tablespoon of flour. This helps prevent them from sinking.
Gently fold the floured blueberries into your batter using a spatula until pretty evenly distributed.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread the top out evenly with the spatula. Pop it into your preheated oven.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the very center comes out clean (maybe with a few moist crumbs). If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil.
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Substitutions & Additions: Swap blueberries for other berries (raspberries, chopped strawberries), add 1-2 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients, fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, add a simple lemon glaze (whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or milk) over the cooled loaf.
Tips for Success: Don't overmix the batter; lumps are okay. Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling. Use fresh lemon juice and zest for best flavor. Always toss blueberries in flour before adding to batter to prevent sinking. Test for doneness in the center of the loaf. You can prep dry and wet ingredients (minus milk/lemon and blueberries) the night before and combine/bake in the morning.
Storage: Once completely cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage, wrap slices or the whole loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
FAQs: Yes, you can use frozen blueberries (don't thaw, just flour). Flour coating prevents sinking and wet streaks. Yes, you can turn this into muffins (bake at 350°F/175°C for 20-25 minutes). Sinking loaf can be due to low oven temp, underbaking, or overmixing.