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Lemon Blueberry Bread with lemon glaze is bursting with fresh flavors! It’s made with lemon extract for the best lemon flavor with blueberries mixed in. You can use fresh, frozen, or canned blueberries for this recipe. One of my favorite quick bread recipes, it’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, snacks, or even dessert.

Lemon blueberry loaf with one slice cut off


My Go-To Lemon Recipe

I love, love, love lemon bread and lemon blueberry muffins, and this recipe is the best lemon blueberry loaf ever. Soft and moist with a bright lemon flavor and juicy blueberries in every bite. It’s like a loaf of sunshine!

It’s also a quick bread recipe, so it’s easy, and I’m sharing all of my tips for a light and fluffy lemon bread with the most fantastic tender crumb. This one’s a keeper, for sure.

ingredients in cake

Ingredients Needed

  • All-purpose Flour: Be sure to measure it correctly – never pack it.
  • Baking powder: To make it rise and be nice and fluffy.
  • Oil: Vegetable oil works best. I like using oil because I find it makes a nice moist and fluffy quick bread – canola oil may be substituted.
  • Evaporated milk: This is sold in a can in the baking aisle – be sure not to get sweetened condensed milk! The evaporated milk adds moisture to the bread.
  • Lemon: This is where a lot of the lemon flavor comes from, so don’t skip it! The secret to the best lemon bread is to use lemon extract and lemon zest. The extract has a concentrated flavor, so you don’t need much – a little goes a long way. The zest adds that fresh lemon flavor without watering the batter down with juice. It’s the perfect combo.
  • Blueberries – fresh, frozen, or canned can be used. Thaw frozen blueberries and drain them or canned blueberries well.
  • Lemon juice: Be sure to use fresh squeezed lemon juice for the simple lemon glaze.

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

Best Blueberries To Use

  • Fresh blueberries are lovely in this bread if they’re in season.
  • You can also use frozen blueberries. Thaw them first and drain them well before adding them to the batter.
  • I’ve made this recipe with canned blueberries, too! Just be sure to thoroughly drain them before mixing them into the batter.
  • Skip the blueberries and use your favorite berries: raspberries, blackberries, or even strawberries. I also have a loaf with cranberries and orange that is very similar to this one.
  • You can skip all the lemon and just make blueberry bread if you want too!
6 grid collage showing how to make lemon blueberry bread

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Bread

  1. Whisk the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk the eggs, oil, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and zest in a separate bowl.
  3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
  4. Gently fold in the blueberries.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the bread until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool before adding the glaze.
  6. To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. If it’s too thick, add a little more liquid. If it’s too thin, add a little more sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the bread.
Overhead shot of lemon blueberry bread loaf cut into slices

Tip From Dorothy

Expert Tips

  • Pan Size: For the best loaf, use an 8×4” loaf pan. You can use a 9×5-inch but the loaf will be flatter.
  • Don’t overmix the batter. Mix long enough for the batter to form, and that’s it. If you overmix, the bread will be denser.
  • When you add the blueberries, carefully stir or fold them in so they don’t burst and stain the batter. Also, if you mix them too much into the batter, they will sink to the bottom of the bread.
  • Don’t sub the evaporated milk for regular milk. The batter won’t have the right consistency, and the recipe won’t work.
  • If you use canned or frozen blueberries, make sure they’re thawed (if frozen) and well-drained.
  • You can store the bread at room temperature for a few days. Keep it tightly wrapped. To extend the shelf life, you can store it wrapped in the refrigerator for a few extra days.
  • You can also freeze lemon bread for up to two months.
Overhead shot of lemon blueberry bread loaf cut into slices

FAQ

Do I have to glaze the bread?

Nope, the glaze is optional!

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

Yes, but don’t skip the lemon zest if you use bottled lemon juice.

Can you freeze lemon bread?

Yes, it freezes great! Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap or in an airtight container and store it in a freezer bag.

Can you make lemon blueberry bread gluten free?

This is an easy recipe to make gluten-free by simply substituting 1:1 Gluten Free Flour.

Overhead shot of a slice of lemon blueberry bread

Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe

4.75 from 12 votes
Lemon Blueberry Bread with lemon glaze is bursting with fresh flavors – it’s the perfect recipe for breakfast, brunch, snacks, or even dessert.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield 10 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • 5 ounces evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
  • Zest of one large or two small lemons
  • 1 cup fresh frozen or canned blueberries (see note)
  • ½ cup (57g) powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8.5” by 4.5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray (use the kind with flour if you have it). You can also use an 8”x4” loaf pan.
  • Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Place eggs, oil, evaporated milk, extract, and zest in a large measuring cup or small bowl and whisk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until the batter forms. Fold in blueberries carefully.
  • Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean just slightly to one side of center. Cool before frosting.
  • Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice (1 tablespoon at a time) until desired consistency, drizzle over the bread. The frosting is optional and makes it more sweet, but the bread is good without it as well.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • Pan Size: For the best loaf, use an 8×4” loaf pan. You can use a 9×5-inch but the loaf will be flatter.
  • Don’t overmix the batter. Mix long enough for the batter to form, and that’s it. If you overmix, the bread will be denser.
  • When you add the blueberries, carefully stir or fold them in so they don’t burst and stain the batter. Also, if you mix them too much into the batter, they will sink to the bottom of the bread.
  • Don’t sub the evaporated milk for regular milk. The batter won’t have the right consistency, and the recipe won’t work.
  • If you use canned or frozen blueberries, make sure they’re thawed (if frozen) and well-drained.
  • You can store the bread at room temperature for a few days. Keep it tightly wrapped. To extend the shelf life, you can store it wrapped in the refrigerator for a few extra days.
  • You can also freeze lemon bread for up to two months.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 273IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Other Favorite Quick Breads

This Lemon Blueberry Bread is made with lemon extract for the best lemon flavor with blueberries mixed in. You can use fresh, frozen, or canned blueberries for this recipe, making it super convenient!



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.75 from 12 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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11 Comments

  1. I didn’t have any lemons, but I had some oranges, so I made orange blueberry bread instead. It was really good, but I thought it would probably be a little better with lemon than orange. So when I got some lemons, I made it again and it was even more delicious with lemons, just as I thought. Another recipe to add to my go-to list!

    Reply

  2. Love lemon, love blueberries, love quick bread. Made this and ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Can I say anything else?
    It was loved by all.

    Reply

  3. This recipe was very easy to make, and my kitchen smelled great. I felt like it was a little bland, though. I didn’t put on the glaze because I didn’t want it TOO sweet, but even if I had, I think the bread still could have used a bit more flavor. The texture was a bit different than I expected. It was more like a biscuit or pancake texture than that of a banana or zucchini bread, but it was still moist. The flavors definitely melded through overnight, though, and I could taste the lemon a lot more the next day. Overall, blueberries and lemon are a great flavor combination!

    Reply

  5. A head’s up… your picture of the recipe ingredients has butter in it, but in your description, you said that you use oil instead of butter for texture. Also, oil is written in your ingredients list. 🙂

    Reply