Lemon Blueberry Bread with Lemon Glaze

This Lemon Blueberry Bread is a moist and delicious quick bread loaded with fresh blueberries and topped with a zesty lemon glaze. Bake this easy bread recipe for the perfect sweet breakfast or afternoon snack!

I personally love to serve it in the afternoon with a cup of cold brew coffee. I make my own cold brew at home in the summer and its SO easy!

Make this refreshing quick bread for the perfect afternoon snack

The only thing better than berry season are summer baked goods made with fresh summer berries. This lemon blueberry bread is the perfect thing to make with fresh ripe blueberries.

Few flavors work better together than lemon and blueberry. There is just something about the sweet burst of a fresh blueberry that marries perfectly to the tart tang of lemon.

This blueberry lemon bread is bursting with lemon flavor thanks to the drizzle of lemon glaze over the top. It is a great thing to serve on a hot day after you go for a walk or swim in a pool.

If you’re looking for another lemony recipe, try these buttery lemon blueberry scones or soft lemon ricotta cookies.

Ingredients you’ll need

You need just a few simple ingredients to make this lemon blueberry loaf.

• Sour cream — This is the secret to a super moist loaf! Full-fat sour cream adds richness and a subtle tang. Greek yogurt works great as a swap if that’s what you have on hand.
• Eggs — Two large eggs bind everything together and give the bread structure. Make sure they’re at room temperature for the smoothest batter.
• Vegetable oil — Oil keeps the bread moist for days (better than butter for quick breads!). Any neutral oil like canola or avocado oil works fine.
• Vanilla extract — Just a teaspoon, but it rounds out all the flavors. Use real vanilla if you can.
• Lemon juice — Fresh lemon juice only here. Bottled juice won’t give you that bright, fresh flavor. Juice your lemon before zesting it to make things easier.
• Lemon zest — This is where most of the lemon flavor lives! Don’t skip it. Zest directly over your mixing bowl so you don’t lose any of those fragrant oils.
• Granulated sugar — Sweetens the loaf and helps create a tender crumb. No substitutions recommended here as it affects texture.
• All-purpose flour — Standard AP flour works perfectly. To make this gluten free, swap in a 1:1 gluten free flour blend.
• Baking soda + baking powder — Both are needed! Together they give the loaf the right rise without being too dense or too airy.
• Kosher salt — Don’t skip the salt — it balances the sweetness and makes the lemon flavor pop.
• Fresh blueberries — Fresh is best, but frozen works too! If using frozen, add them straight from the freezer (don’t thaw first) and expect a few extra minutes of bake time. Before folding into the batter, toss them in a teaspoon of flour — this keeps them from sinking to the bottom.
• Lemon Glaze – make a rich and simple glaze to spread over the top of the loaf. Just mix together some powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and milk

Ingredient substitutions

You can easily make this blueberry lemon bread gluten free. Just use a gluten free all purpose flour in place of the standard all purpose flour.

You can omit the lemon glaze or replace it with a thicken frosting like a butter cream. You can even use a cream cheese frosting to add a little tang.

If you would like to use another fruit in place of the blueberries, any berry will work. I like to use raspberries, blackberries or some mixed berries.

Feel free to use greek yogurt or any plain yogurt in place of the sour cream. You can even use a dairy free yogurt.

How to make a loaf of Lemon Blueberry Bread

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F and line a loaf pan with parchment. whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, sour cream, oil and sugar. Fold, dry ingredients into wet with a flat spatula.

Step 2: Toss fresh or frozen blueberries in a bit of all purpose flour and pour into the bowl. Stir the blueberries into the batter.

Step 3: Pour batter into a loaf pan. Bake at 350F until you insert a toothpick into the loaf and it comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool for a bit in the pan, then take it out of the pan to finish cooling completely.

Step 4: Once the loaf has cooled completely, prepare a lemon glaze in a small mixing bowl. Pour the glaze over the loaf, spread it out and cut into slices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage and freezing

To store, allow the cake to cool completely. Then, tightly wrap in plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

If you want to freeze this lemon blueberry bread recipe, it will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge or on the counter before cutting into slices.