This post may contain affiliate links, see my Privacy Policy.
Fresh blueberries paired with lemon is a perfect combination in this blueberry lemon bread. This quick bread is perfect for breakfast or a midday snack or even served as a dessert and can be made with fresh or frozen blueberries.
Quick breads are very similar to muffins. They can be mixed together in just 10 minutes and then baked. Breads do take much longer to bake than muffins, but once cooled the bread can be sliced up and served. Quick breads are also perfect for giving as a gift.
Blueberries and lemon are a classic pairing. They just go perfectly together. I also have a recipe for blueberry lemon popsicles and I have blueberry lemon bars!
Steps to make bread
Full printable recipe is available below! Just scroll to the bottom!
- Combine melted butter and sugar together in a bowl
- Add milk, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix until combined
- Fold in flour, baking soda and salt
- Add blueberries and fold gently.
- Put in bread pan and bake.
Tips for making quick bread
- Do not overmix batter
- Bake in a fully preheated oven
- Test bread for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs, bread is cooked through. If toothpick comes out with wet crumbs or batter, the bread needs to cook longer
- Allow bread to fully cool before slicing
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used. I used fresh blueberries in this recipe but frozen blueberries work perfectly as well. If you use frozen berries, increase the cooking time 5-10 minutes.
I use fresh if I have them, otherwise frozen blueberries work well. Using frozen berries makes it possible to enjoy this bread all year long!
I love eating fresh blueberries, but frozen ones are a great treat. There is no difference once the berries are cooked up in a bread or dessert. If using frozen berries, don’t thaw before adding to batter. Just fold them in frozen.
How long do you bake blueberry lemon bread?
Blueberry lemon bread bakes for one hour in a 350 degree oven. If you used frozen berries, your time will increase by about 10 minutes.
Can I make mini loaves?
Yes, you can make mini loaves. You will use two small bread pans instead of one regular sized bread pan. Reduce cooking time to 45 minutes. I often make small loaves because I like the size and each slice makes a perfect sized snack. The small loaves make perfect gifts too!
Can I freeze this bread?
Yes, this bread is perfect for freezing. Allow bread to fully cool then place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to a month. I like to slice my bread before freezing, but you can freeze whole as well.
Other Great Recipes to Try:
- Oatmeal Banana Bread
- Zucchini Bread
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Blackberry Muffins
- Triple Berry Muffins
- Rhubarb Bread
Don’t forget to PIN for later!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my bread recipes!
Blueberry Lemon Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup butter (melted)
- 3/4 Cup sugar
- 1/2 Cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
Regular Loaf
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a loaf pan with a non-stick spray.
- In a mixing bowl combine butter and sugar.
- Add milk, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
- Add flour. baking powder and salt. Mix until combined.
- With a spatula gently fold blueberries into mixture.
- Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove from pan and continue cooling on rack.
Mini Loaf
- Follow instructions above for making bread batter.
- Place batter in two greased mini loaf pans.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.
Notes
- Can use fresh or frozen blueberries.
- If adding frozen, do not thaw before adding.
- Cooking time will increase by about 10 minutes when using frozen berries.
Tips for making quick bread
- Do not overmix batter
- Bake in a fully preheated oven
- Test bread for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs, bread is cooked through. If toothpick comes out with wet crumbs or batter, the bread needs to cook longer
- Allow bread to fully cool before slicing
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from The New Basics Cookbook.
This recipe was originally published in May of 2016. Many of the photos and the post have been updated.
44 Comments
Sarah K
August 4, 2020 at 8:23 amThis is an awesome loaf. It’s a little more bready than I was expecting but mine also turned out more crumbly than you picture. Maybe I overmixed it? I’m also a lemon fiend and could stand for more lemon juice and zest in this. Lovely to serve with coffee, ice cream or cool whip. Great recipe!
Kathy
August 4, 2020 at 8:45 amHi Sarah,
Over mixing can cause a crumbly bread, so that could be the issue. As far as more lemon – go for it! Be careful about adding too much juice though. You don’t want your batter to become runny. You might also try glazing your bread with a powdered sugar lemon juice glaze! That would add a burst of lemon flavor!
Happy Baking!
David @ Spiced
July 20, 2020 at 5:12 amBlueberries + lemons really do go so well together! These loaves look amazing, Kathy. We’re going on our annual blueberry picking fiesta this week, and we’ll have enough blueberries for weeks. I’ll definitely be saving some to make loaves…I just hope mine look as good as yours! 🙂
Fred G
January 18, 2019 at 6:49 amInteresting combination for a great taste.