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Lemon Quick Bread – this easy quick bread recipe is bursting with lemon flavor. It’s got such a great lemon flavor like pound cake but it’s quick bread – great for an easy breakfast or brunch!
Lemon Quick Bread is SO good!
One of the things I love the most is LEMON. I can never get enough lemon in dessert or breakfast foods. Muffins, pie, cake, drinks, cookies…you name it I LOVE IT and so do you all! (THESE lemon cookies went totally viral!)
When you feel like lemon loaf but you want it for breakfast, it’s time to make EASY Lemon Bread. You’ll love this because:
- It’s a simple quick bread recipe!
- It’s perfectly lemony – tart and sweet
- The glaze makes it even better!
- It’s like dessert but it’s acceptable for breakfast!
- It’s FREEZER friendly!
What is Lemon Bread?
This is most definitely in the bread-not-cake category. The crumb is similar but it’s not as sweet as a cake and is much closer to the texture of banana bread (without the bananas). The lemon flavor POPS, thanks to lemon zest and lemon extract (the extract is optional but gives so much flavor; be sure to use PURE lemon extract).
Once the lemon breads done I drizzled it with a simple lemon glaze, but if you’re cutting calories that is totally optional. This is a bread that’s good enough for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, and doesn’t make you feel like you just ate cake at 9am.
Lemon Quick Bread Ingredients
Flour: I always use all-purpose flour. Be sure to measure it correctly!
Sugar: Granulated sugar is best in this bread.
Baking Powder: This helps the bread rise.
Salt: For flavor, since we’re using oil as the fat.
Evaporated Milk: Be sure to buy evaporated, not sweetened condensed. It comes in a can in the baking aisle. It adds a richer flavor and some fat to the bread, making it nice and moist.
Eggs: Be sure to buy large eggs!
Oil: Vegetable oil is best.
Lemon Zest: This is where all the flavor is! Don’t skip it. Learn how to zest a lemon!
Lemon Extract: Always buy PURE extracts. The lemon extract pumps up the lemon flavor of this bread.
Powdered Sugar + Lemon Juice: You need these for the glaze.
Lemon Extract vs Lemon Zest vs Lemon Juice
There is no juice in the bread itself because lemon juice doesn’t add much flavor. The real flavor of the lemon is the zest and the extract.
You can skip the extract if you must but don’t skip the zest! Adding lemon juice won’t alter the flavor too much.
How to make Lemon Bread
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet to the dry.
- Stir until just combined.
- Add to an 8×4-inch loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.
- To make the icing, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice
Expert Tips for the BEST Lemon Quick Bread
- Make Glazed Lemon Bread by whisking powdered sugar with lemon juice for an delicious topping.
- If you want your citrus quick bread to be really lemony, don’t skip the lemon extract.
- Don’t over bake this – when a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs in the center, it’s done.
Lemon Bread FAQ
This recipe is designed for an 8×4-inch loaf pan. You can use a 9×5-inch but the loaf won’t dome and will be flatter on top.
I always recommend sticking to the instructions and using what’s called for, so grab a can of evaporated milk for best results. However, in a pinch you can substitute milk, non dairy milk, half and half or cream. The result may be a bit different crumb than pictured.
Bake this at 350°F for about 40-50 minutes.
Store covered on the counter or freeze it for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap the whole loaf in plastic or place slices in sandwich bags and seal.
Lemon Bread Variations and Quick Bread Examples
Have you made this recipe?
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Lemon Quick Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large egs
- ⅓ cup (79ml) oil
- 5 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract optional
- Zest of one large or two small lemons
- ½ cup 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. (The extract is optional but gives that telltale lemon flavor.) Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until the batter forms.
- 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 Nutrition
Click here to see the complete list of Lemon Recipes!
Sweets from friends:
Cherry Almond Quick Bread by Lemons for Lulu
Red Velvet Quick Bread by Taste and Tell
Maple Cinnamon Quick Bread by The Food Charlatan
Happy 2017!! Isn’t that crazy? I’m continually shocked at how fast time flies. I’ll read a book or see something reference the early 2000s and think it was just a year or so ago…and then I realize that the early 2000s were over 10 years ago.
As I’ve talked about before, I don’t make really strict resolutions. Resolutions are meant to be broken, so I don’t even bother trying. Sure, losing weight is something I want to do, as is eat better, drink less wine, and exercise more. Don’t we all want to do that all the time? But really, I have to get serious. My metabolism isn’t getting any younger, and my pants keep shrinking, so…healthier eating is becoming a priority for me. It’s not a resolution, just a goal.
Last year, I resolved to be happy. 2015 was a really hard year and I looked forward to making 2016 a better one, and you know what? I did. I’m super proud of myself that I put myself first last year. As I’ve talked about at length, I began to conquer my anxiety in early 2016. I took back control of my life and as result, I’m such a happier person. I’ve been able to make stronger friendships online and in real life by forming relationships with women that I now call best friends and sisters. I’ve been a better and happier mom and wife, and I was able to stay strong during some hard times the last few months.
My resolution for this year is similar: be happy, have fun, and enjoy life. I’m going to be 40 later this year, and I want to enjoy every minute. Time flies so fast now that I want to hang onto every enjoyable second and live in the moment, have more fun, and be happy about it. As I get older I am getting so much better and doing the things that I want to do and letting go of the rest. I still have lot to learn, but I’m really enjoying this time in my life. (Now, if I could only freeze Jordan at 11, it would be even better!)
My resolution for my business is similar: I want to enjoy myself. I want to have fun and love what I’m doing. 99% of the time, I still love this job (I get to write about food! And eat!) and I consider myself lucky. The times I dislike what I’m doing are far and few between, and I want to keep it that way, so I resolve to do what makes me happy on this blog. That means sharing things all the things I love, and that includes more than just dessert….so stay tuned!
Lemon Bread is an easy lemon quick bread recipe with glaze – it’s SO good for breakfast! Freezable too!
Last Updated on March 3, 2022
I made this today but found it to be on the dry side. Any ideas as to what could make it moist? Note – I did make one change to the recipe and substituted whole milk for evaporated milk. Otherwise, I followed the direction to a “T”
Very tasty. I made a few modifications: zest of 4 small lemons, juice of 1, skipped the milk (got away with this by doubling the eggs) and used honey instead of sugar and only coconut oil. Our home smelled divine. Thanks!
I’m craving a lemon bread, but I do not have fresh lemons….only bottled lemon juice. Is there any recipes without the zest?
Hi Dorothy – can regular milk be substituted for the evaporated milk? If not, can something else be substituted for it?
Thank you!
Usually, evaporated milk is a substitute for cream, so I would imagine you could use cream for evaporated milk. Hope that helps.
Easy and tasty. Thanks.
I used 1/2 cup sugar, had no lemon extract, but wanted a lemony taste, added 1/2 oz lemon juice, plus the required amt of extract to the eggs and whisked, and 4 & 1/2 ozs milk.
Thank you so much. Not only for the recipe, but mainly for your honesty about your life. I am going thru a very hard time right now. I needed to see that there’s someone else that felt the same as I do now. Thank you so much. I pray this ends soon.
I make this but double it and use buttermilk! Cook in a bunt pan!
Glad you like it!
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