This Lemon Blueberry Bread is soft, moist, and generously filled with blueberries and bright lemon flavor. This is a quick and easy bread recipe everyone will love.
Lemon Blueberry Bread
This is a very simple recipe and according to so many of you, it is the best blueberry bread ever. It turns out perfectly every single time.
I can’t get enough of the blueberry recipes these days and this one has been a favorite for a very long time. If you love this recipe for lemon blueberry bread, you should try this blueberry lime bread recipe too. And if you want a quick bread that’s a little different, this Cinnamon Roll Quick Bread is a keeper too.
If you’re looking for a few more awesome blueberry recipes to try after this one, I recommend the Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls, Blueberry Pie Bars, Blueberry Buttermilk Cake, and of course, my family’s Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling.
Blueberry Bread with Sour Cream
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- butter
- sugar
- fresh lemon juice
- eggs
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- lemon zest
- blueberries fresh or frozen
Glaze Ingredients
- powdered sugar
- fresh lemon juice
Sour cream and Greek yogurt both work nicely in this recipe and will create a nice, moist loaf. However, the sour cream will deliver a richer bread. I typically use whichever option I have on hand.
Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe
The only special note for this recipe is that you’ll start baking the bread with the oven temperature at 375°F, and after 20 minutes you will lower the temperature to 350°F. I’m not certain of the science behind it, but baking at those temperatures works to deliver beautiful domed muffins and breads without sunken middles every single time.
To make this bread, combine the melted butter, sugar, lemon juice, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, stirring gently. Fold in lemon zest and blueberries. Do not over-mix.
Pour the batter into a well-greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pan. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. At the 20-minute mark, turn the oven down to 350°F and bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove to wire rack.
Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to form a glaze. Drizzle glaze over the bread while still warm.
Blueberry + lemon is an irresistible combination and these are some of our favorite recipes inspired by this pairing.
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Soft, tender cookies filled with bursting blueberries and topped with a tangy sweet lemon glaze, these lemon blueberry cookies have been an enormous hit with everyone who tries them.
Oh, my friends, these blueberry lemon bars turned out even more amazing than I hoped! With sweet bursting blueberries in every bite of the tangy lemon bars, they proved irresistible for me.
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
Glaze Ingredients
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, lemon juice, and eggs. Whisk smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, stirring gently. Fold in lemon zest and blueberries. Do not over-mix.
- Pour into a well greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pan. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. At the 20-minute mark, turn the oven down to 350°F. Bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove to wire rack.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to form a glaze. Drizzle glaze over the bread while still warm.
Nutrition
{originally published 5/2014 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/2/24}
Gloria // Simply Gloria says
Mallory, I’m in love with this blueberry action! Thank you so much for sharing this sweet bread with all of us at the Show Stopper today!
I love how you shared your honesty about blogging in this post. I feel the exact same way. I have just been going with the flow and learning new things every single day in this blogging world. 🙂
Mallory says
Thanks for stopping by and your encouraging comments. It definitely is a journey!
Amanda @ Old House to New Home says
I am a new blogger and like you, have learned so much. As I fall completely in love with blogging, I’ve learned that I had no idea what went into having a successful blog. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and the recipe! I am going to make it for brunch tomorrow!
Mallory says
It definitely has a big learning curve, but the challenge makes it so exciting and rewarding!
Tammy says
I’m confused. The recipe calls for 3 T of lemon juice. The glaze calls for 2 T. Does that mean 1 T goes in the bread and the other 2 T for the glaze, or do u need 5 T of lemon juice total? Please help. I want to make this. It looks delicious!
Mallory says
Yes, you will need 5 T of lemon juice total. 3 will go into the batter for the bread and the other 2 will go into the glaze. Sorry for the confusion. I will update the recipe to hopefully make it clearer.
Marie says
Normal people use “tbl” for table spoon! Or “tsp” for teaspoon! I thought you were a “perfectionist?
Kristy says
Normal people also use T for tablespoon and t for teaspoon.
jabeve says
A perfectionist indeed. She spelled it out – no chance for mistake. Didn’t your Mother ever teach you, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”???
I guess not
Linda Rosner, CEC says
I have been cooking and baking for more than 50 years. EVERYONE uses “T” for tablespoon and “t” or “tsp” for teaspoon. Where have you been, Marie? “T” always means Tablespoon. ALWAYS! Quit picking on Mallory.
Patricia Caputo says
I’ve been around for 70+ years and have seen recipes written both ways. T for tablespoon and t for teaspoon is just as acceptable as Tbls. and tsp. respectively. More important is what ingredients are in the recipe and how much of each!
Rachael says
Awesome! Such a good recipe, thanks a lot!
Mallory says
I’m glad you liked it, Rachael!
Eve says
Can I use frozen blueberry
Joyce Stocker says
Can you double or triple the lemon blueberry bread, or do I have to do them one by one? Thanks. Love your blog.
Mallory says
Thanks, Joyce. I have never tried to do more than one loaf at a time since there are just two of us, but I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t double or triple the batch. The hardest part may be getting the dough evenly divided between the pans, so they bake evenly.
Lynda Pelletier says
I just made this tonight {Feb 23,2023}
And I doubled the recipe I also mixed in a generous tbsp of flour to my frozen blueberries, so that they didn’t sink to the bottom of the batter while baking.
They look amazing. I’m just getting ready to do the drizzle. Yum thank you for sharing your recipe.
Mary says
You are quite welcome, Lynda.
Joyce Stocker says
Thanks I just finished it is.in oven doubled it.
The Mommy says
I just LOVE this bread! I bought blueberries when they were on sale…and then had about 4 containers more than I truly needed! I made this twice in one week (something I NEVER do – I like variety). It’s fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing! (Only change I made – I never have Greek yogurt so I subbed sour cream).
Mallory says
Thanks for sharing your experience! I’m glad you loved it. It’s also nice to know that sour cream works as a good substitute.
Huyen says
Hi Mallory, thanks for sharing this recipe with us. Can tell you put your heart into this cake & this blog by reading your posts 🙂
Im waiting for my cake now and the room already smells like heaven 😀
I cut half of the recipe as there are only 2 of us in the house. Still not sure if I should bake that long for my 1/2 dough? 🙂
Mallory says
Thanks, Huyen. It will probably need less time in the oven. Just keep a close eye on it.
Leah says
Such an awesome recipe! Just made this as I am pregnant and craving delicious baked goods hehe, thanks!!:-)
Mallory says
Thanks, Leah.
Sarah Torres says
This bread is so good and easy to make. My husband asked me to make another one immediately. I am definitely saving this one for blueberry season. Also I used half whole wheat flour with good results. Thanks!
Jayne says
Love this bread but had a hard time with the timing. The bread was already brown on top after the first 20 minutes. I turned the temp down to 300 for the last 30 min.
Lora says
I am making it now and having a hard time too. It’s been in there 30 minutes and is already very brown (almost burnt) around the edges. Turned the temp down to 300 too. Hoping this helps saves it!!
Mallory says
Thanks for the comment, Lora. Would you mind sharing how the it turned out.
Angela says
I don’t have Greek yogurt on hand. Would applesauce work?
Sofy says
Hi,
I am wondering if you use nonfat or full fat greek yoghurt and whether either of them will give any difference? thanx a lot!!
Mallory says
Hi Sofy. I used nonfat Greek yogurt in my recipe, but I’m sure full fat would work too. If you try it let me know how it turns out. Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica says
How long would you suggest cooking if you made it as giant muffins? This looks delicious
Stephanie says
I add 1 tsp. lemon extract to the batter in addition to the lemon juice and another cup of blueberries. It’s super moist with the additional blueberries so you can eliminate the glaze if you want. I love this recipe!
Mallory says
Thanks, Stephanie. I’m glad you loved it.
Sarah says
I really like this recipe. I’ve made it two times this week and working on my third (On spring break so I have time). The second time I made it, I made an orange glaze with orange juice and put a bit of orange juice in the batter and then instead of blueberries I put in cut apple. It turned out really well for an experiment! So thanks for sharing this recipe it’s fantastic!
Loekie says
I just tried this recipe and I loved it!
The only hard thing is that we (I live in the Netherlands) don’t measure in cups but with grams, but that’s all.
Thank you so much, love to bake this a 100times more!
Thudsmom says
Just made my first blueberry anything and this is what I chose. It is beautiful and a new favorite! Do you know how long a naked lemon is good for? I zested 2, but only used one for juice.
Thanks for sharing this awesome treat.
teejcee says
I made this and it was delicious! My family loved it and it did not last an hour at my house. Thanks for this wonderful recipe I am sure will become a staple in our home.
Vicki says
Made this today, turned out beautifully, yet taste it but it smells divine.
Marguerite says
I’m gluten free do you think I make this recipe with Gluten All Purpose Flour? I would appreciate if you would let me know because this recipe looks delicious and I would love it make it and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Marguerite
Mallory says
I’m not sure, since I’ve never tried it, but you could give it a shot with a tried and true gluten free flour blend.
Suzie says
We loved this bread. So much that I had to make another loaf because I needed it for a open house at school for the next day. I had to make another loaf because they ate 1/2 of the first loaf. They loved it. I was willing to make another loaf because it was SO easy. I will make this one again. I will share your sight tomorrow when everyone asks for the recipe.
Mallory says
Thanks, Suzie! I’m so glad you loved it.
Lisa Jennings says
Not having luck with this one. Dark around edges and an hour in and still very batter like in the middle. Oven thermometer is reading 350. It is brand new and other recipes are baking as expected.
Mallory says
Thanks for the comment Lisa? We’re you using a dark pan? Others have had good success with this recipe.
Jami says
I notice multiple comments about the bread browning. May I suggest you let people know that if their bread starts to brown to dome it. They can do it for the last 20- 30 minutes or whenever they notice it browning. Use tinfoil to dome.
Also- the science (if you want to call it that) for the reduction in temp to help a dome shape is this- What happens is naturally the outside of bread/cupcakes/etc cook at a faster rate compared to the middle and people tend to cook the baked goods at one temp. for one set of time. So in turn this causes the bread/cupcake to only rise to a certain height – typically the height of the outer portion. When you switch up the temperature mid bake you have baked the outside to a height it would normally bake to, but then when you reduce the temp you give the middle time to rise like it should without burning the baked good. It crawls up the outer edges and rises higher.
P.s. You are usually are not changing the baking time although there might be some variation. With cupcakes I always bake at a higher temp- say 375 deg for 2-4mins and then reduce to around 330-340 deg for the remainder of cooking time.
sanda besulic says
Hi Mallory
I believe the reason that you start with a temp of 375 is because it needs the force of the heat to help the bread rise.
The delicious ingredients make it a bit heavy and harder to rise. I lived many years in Europe with my in-laws and my mother-in-law always started bread at a higher temp then turned it down when it rose and had a good color. For me it makes perfect sense.
Just one more thing – I love your blog!
Take care
Benny says
I baked this for a large get together with friends. Everyone loved it. I doubled the recipe and it makes a lot more than I thought. I used the left over to make cinnamon toast for my kids. They loved it. Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely make this again.
Heather says
I made this bread this morning and it was very good. I mixed the yogurt in with the sugar/egg mixture before adding to the dry ingredients. I used mini loaf pans. It made 3 loaves and cooked for 55 minutes at 350. I will definitely be making this again and probably double it to make more! YUM!!!
Joann says
I would like to know calories and fat. Thanks
Joann says
I would like for know calories.
Lynne says
Just came across your blog and this recipe. I was so excited that I had all of the ingredients on hand. It’s in the oven right now. Thank you for sharing!
Irene says
This looks really yummy, but I have frozen cherries – can I use them instead of blueberries?
Mallory says
I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why not.
Mallory says
I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Robin says
I can’t seem to get the recipe to print. I’ve tried printing from Pinterest & also from Safari. I’m wondering if there’s a problem with the print button?
Sam says
How should I adjust the baking time to do these as cupcakes instead?
Amanda says
Same question – would love to make in muffin pan, as I don’t have a loaf pan. Anyone try this? Have cooking temp/time suggestions?!
Elva Johnson says
I think you do a great job on your blog. It seems like you are just talking to me and being honest as we Ladies do with our cooking. Please don’t try to make it perfect as it is much more interesting the way you write.
I love anything Blueberry or cranberry so you had me at Blueberry. I like the way you present your recipes. I don’t have to scroll through pages of reviews or comments it is right up front where it should be. Good Luck I think you will do fine.
Aloha, Elva J.
Shelley says
Tried this tonight. It was awesome. I didn’t even put any frosting on it. My family had it gone before it was fully cooled off ?.
Elizabeth says
This was very yummy! Thanks for the recipe. I used gluten free baking mix and corn oil instead of butter. I will definitely be making this again.
Natalie Rosenthal says
I tried this receipe today. It rose beautifullly then collapsed when cooled. The berries ended up on the bottom. It was very moist and delicious. I did have to tent it because i only use a dark loaf pan. I have a silicone loaf pan, but i think it adds a weird flavor to my baked goods. DH says he can’t taste it but i do. I will try again, but this time coat the blueberries in flour and bake a tad longer. I use a convection oven so i have to make adjustsments on temp and cooking time.
Christy Antilley says
Help!!! Our county fair is this weekend and my daughter signed up to make this bread. We made it once and it turned out good. Two more times did it the exact same way and it isn’t coming out right. Almost a gel like inside substance. But the top and sides are getting brown. I have pictures. We are using a dark pan and following the directions exactly. Any suggestions??? We have until Friday to get it perfect. Thank you!!!
Mallory says
Hmm. I’m not exactly sure. Is it rising right? Could it be a problem with the baking soda and baking powder? That would be the first thing I’d double check. Check the expiration dates and double check the amounts are right.
Mallory says
Check out this article. It might help. https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2014/07/15/how-to-prevent-dense-gluey-streaks-in-your-cake/ I’d be very sure not to overmix the batter. Good luck!
Christy antilley says
Thanks for the reply!!! I appreciate you help! That article helped!! That’s exactly what was happening!!
It took a few tries but she got it!!! Changed from baking powder to baking soda. Used Meyers lemons instead of regular lemons, and made her change the way she zested the lemon. (She was cutting it in half squeezing then zesting. That made it pasty and juicy.) she was also letting the mixer just run while she was getting other things ready. So that helped!!
I wanted to let you know she won 6th place with the lemon blueberry bread!! (Out of 75-100 entries at best guess) She made the top 10, and then had to interview. Even though she placed 6th, she was able to move to 5th in the and able to auction her bread. (Thanks to someone else placing in two categories). She received $3,000 in the auction!! She has the opportunity to receive addition money through add ons throughout the week, so that could go up. Needless to say we were excited!!! ( I have pictures if you want to see them )
Most kids bake their item over and over before committing to bake it for the fair. The day entries were due, she found the recipe on Pinterest and told her dad that is what she was making. I couldn’t believe it since we had never made it!! So proud of her for picking something unique, and not giving up when it was not turning out.
Thanks again for your response! It means a lot that you took the time to get back to us, and thanks for a great recipe!! I think my son my bake it for the next year. And my daughter Is already looking for
next years winning recipes. (I told her no last minute picks, but I am sure we will like always!) any suggestions for a show stopper??
Pat says
Hi
Did you use a glass pan or a dark pan to bake this? Uour bread is beautiful!
Mallory says
I believe the one in the pictures I used a glass pan. But I’ve used both dark and glass before. The dark definitely bakes faster though.
Jo says
Can this bread be baked and then frozen?
Mallory says
Yes. Bake and let cool completely before wrapping tightly and freezing.
Laura says
We have several blueberry bushes so I’m always looking for good recipes. This one is excellent! I substituted Splenda for the sugar in the recipe but used regular powdered sugar for the glaze. I also used sour cream instead of yogurt. This bread was fabulous after a night in the refrigerator; dense, moist and oh so good! Thanks so much, I’m passing this one on.
Heidi says
I realize this is an old post already but it looks so good. I want to try it. Just wondering how necessary the lemon zest is. Since it already has all that lemon juice in it how lemony (is that a word😉) will it be if I omit it? If it needs more lemon flavor than what the juice will give I thot of using a little lemon extract instead of the zest since it is more concentrated than juice.
Mallory says
The lemon zest is what gives it most of the flavor, so I wouldn’t omit it.
Esther says
I just have to say that this recipe is a keeper! I am going to try to make it with cranberry and orange as well. I have another batch and a half in the oven right now. I have been making small loaves to pass out to friends. I bake at 350 the whole time and for about 35 minutes. I used real lemon juice from the green bottle for the juice and lemon extract for the zest and it still taste good. Those are the only changes. I do mix my berries in flour before adding to the batter and it helps to keep them within the batter. Thanks so much for a great recipe.
Kaye Peters says
This is a keeper, I made this last night as I had some fresh blueberries I needed to use up. The recipe was simple and yummy.
terry says
in the oven now and just realized i left out baking soda. while it’s listed in ingredients, it is not mentioned in the text instructions, looks like it may still turn out okay?
Sally C says
I am a bit confused because the ingredients lists both baking soda and baking powder but the baking instructions only list the baking powder. Do you use both or is it a mistake?
POOKIE says
the other evening i had the urge to bake, & since i had a few lemons i looked for a ‘lemon quickbread’.
this was the 1st recipe i viewed & decided i wanted to try it…the fact that i could use melted butter & mix
everything w/a whisk, wooden spoon whatever was the plus i was looking for. i did not have enough
butter so made up the difference w/coconut oil. i often use half butter & have coconut oil & really love
the results. i have also read that using melted vs. soften butter is recommended for quickbreads.
i probably used closer to 4tbls lemon juice & to avoid there being too much liquid i added about 2 or so
tbls. more flour. also added about 1 tbls vanilla. i had frozen berries…blueberries, raspberries, & bosenberries
& used just over 1 cut. NO GLAZE.. this lemon blueberry loaf was absolutely DELICIOUS! AWESOME! WOW!!!
i ate most of IT that day & going to make it again today..
i am going to buy & add lemon extract for that xtra lemony flavor, & i think i will add orange & lime zest.
i also used just under 1 cup of sugar & it was not overly sweet, but just sweet enough. i will use the vanilla
extract + the lemon. thank you so much for this recipe, i look forward to trying your other recipes.
Gary says
Good Afternoon so by using the baking soda we don’t use the baking powder at all
Thanks
Mary says
Hi Gary, you’ll need to use both baking powder and baking soda in this recipe.
Wanda says
The recipe might be great with fresh berries, as called for. I used frozen berries and the bread was still raw in the centre after 70 min in the oven.
Mary says
Hi Wanda! You are correct that the frozen berries may have altered the recipe. Frozen berries often lengthen the amount of baking time, and they can also add moisture to the bread. Hopefully, you were able to pop it back into the oven to finish baking.
Lauren says
Made this for my hubby and we both loved it! I added an extra 1/4 cup of blueberries, and reduced the baking temperatures by 25° because I used a dark, nonstick loaf pan. The glaze was very thin and most of it dripped off the cooled loaf, so I took a basting brush and repeatedly brushed the drippings back onto the bread until most of it stuck. I’ll definitely make this cake-bread again.
Mary says
I’m so glad you like the bread, Lauren!
Patricia Caputo says
This recipe sounds delicious and having read comments from those who have made it, it appears to be a winner. I have a couple questions. One, I live at 5700’ altitude. Do I need to make any adjustments to the recipe or baking times. Two, I want to make mini loaves to give away to the neighbors for Christmas, along with cookies and candy. What would I need to do differently. I know I won’t be cooking them as long but how do I appropriately change the cooking times at each temperature. And will the blueberries cook in less time?
Mary says
You’ll likely need a little less baking time, but I can’t tell you exactly how long, Patricia. You’ll want to watch for doneness and adjust accordingly. I haven’t tested this recipe at high altitude myself. This is a great tutorial with suggestions for adjustments, if you want to try it: https://mountainmamacooks.com/high-altitude/ I hope that helps!
Heather says
Ok so yes it’s an easy recipe. Yes it’s easy to eat too 😊My family devoured it. I now have to make another one oh darn. I don’t usually write reviews but this was so good!!! 🙏
Mary says
This bread is such a treat!
Sue Rumer says
Could you use this recipe for muffins?
Mary says
Sure could, Sue.
Maria Cicco says
Excellent! So good more like a dessert than a bread. Put with vanilla ice cream the sweet and tart from the lemon are a perfect combination
Mary says
I am glad you enjoyed it, Maria.
Barb says
Do you think I could double recipe and use a Bundt pan instead of loaf pan?
Mary says
I have not tried this recipe in a bundt pan, Barb.
Joy says
I made this today. I substituted brown rice flour for AP flour for a gluten free family member and it was fantastic !
Mary says
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Joy!