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This Lemon Blueberry Bread is like a loaf of pure sunshine! It is soft, moist, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor and juicy blueberries in every single bite. Whether you’re serving it for a spring brunch, a quick snack, or even dessert, this easy quick bread recipe is a total keeper. It features a tender crumb and a bright lemon glaze that pulls all those flavors together for the ultimate bread recipe.
This moist lemon blueberry bread recipe yields one loaf and can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned blueberries. The recipe features a rich crumb made with evaporated milk and is flavored with lemon extract for a bright citrus profile. It is baked in an 8×4-inch pan for 35–45 minutes and finished with an optional powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze.
I love, love, love lemon bread and lemon blueberry muffins, and this recipe is the best lemon blueberry loaf ever. I’ve been making that lemon quick bread recipe forever and it works every time, so I thought, why not add blueberries? The pairing is iconic and the result is the most fabulous breakfast, brunch, or snack.
The secret to the best lemon blueberry bread is the combination of lemon extract and evaporated milk. While many recipes rely solely on zest, the extract provides a consistent, bold citrus punch that doesn’t fade during baking. Using evaporated milk instead of regular milk results in a much richer, velvet-like texture that keeps the bread moist for days. This is a no-fail quick bread that is so easy to make, you’ll want a loaf on your counter all summer long.
Ingredient in Lemon Blueberry Bread
- All-purpose Flour: Be sure to measure it correctly – never pack it. Spoon and scoop it! We’ll whisk the flour with Baking Powder and salt to make the bread nice and fluffy.
- 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.
- In quick bread baking, evaporated milk is a secret weapon for moisture control. Because it has 60% of the water removed, it contains a higher concentration of milk solids and fats than regular milk. This provides the necessary density to support heavy blueberries, preventing the bread from becoming spongy or falling apart when sliced.
- Be sure to check the can: evaporated milk is sold next to the sweetened condensed milk and they are very different things.
- 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. Lemon zest adds that fresh lemon flavor without watering the batter down with juice. It’s the perfect combo.
- Blueberries can be fresh, frozen, or canned. Thaw frozen blueberries and drain them, drain canned blueberries well.
- Be sure to use fresh squeezed lemon juice for the simple lemon glaze.
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.
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Dorothy’s Expert Quick Bread Tips
- For the ideal height and a perfect crack on top, use an 8×4-inch loaf pan. While a 9×5-inch pan can be used, it will result in a flatter, wider loaf that may dry out faster.
- Don’t over mix the batter. Mix long enough for the batter to form, and that’s it. If you over mix, the bread will be denser.
- To test quick bread for doneness, insert a toothpick slightly to the side of the center; it should come out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- 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.
- To prevent your blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan, do not over mix the batter. Stir the dry and wet ingredients just until a batter forms, then carefully fold the berries in by hand. This keeps the berries suspended in the thick batter. For frozen or canned berries, ensure they are thawed and thoroughly drained before folding to avoid excess moisture staining the crumb.
- Don’t sub regular milk for evaporated. The batter won’t have the right consistency, and the recipe won’t work.
- 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.
Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe
Recipe Video
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
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 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
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Whisk the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk the eggs, oil, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and zest in a separate bowl.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the bread until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool before adding the glaze.
- 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.
FAQ
Nope, the glaze is optional!
Yes, but don’t skip the lemon zest if you use bottled lemon juice.
Yes, it freezes great! Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap or in an airtight container and store it in a freezer bag.
This is an easy recipe to make gluten-free by simply substituting 1:1 Gluten Free Flour.
No, for this specific recipe, the evaporated milk is critical for the batter consistency and crumb texture; regular milk will result in a bread that is too thin and potentially soggy.
Gently fold the berries in at the very end. If using frozen berries, do not thaw them; toss them in a tablespoon of flour before folding to help them stay suspended and prevent “bleeding”.
Keep it tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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!
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.
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!
Best lemon blueberry bread recipe. It taste so good.
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. 🙂
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