Lemon Quick Bread – this easy quick bread recipe is bursting with lemon flavor. It’s great for dessert or breakfast – with or without a lemon glaze!
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!
First up, 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!) I think it’s fitting that my first recipe of the year is lemon: a Lemon Quick Bread, that is.
Late last year a reader messaged me on Facebook and told me she lived close by and her Meyer lemon tree was ready for harvest. She offered to meet me and give me a huge bag, which both shocked and awed me. We performed our drug deal lemon exchange outside the local Sprout’s and I came home to make all the lemon desserts. (Thanks Donna!)
So far I’ve made drinks and lemon curd…and this quick bread. TWICE. Yep, it’s that good. I ate it for many a second breakfast over the holiday break.
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 cake was 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.
I should know…after all I ate about half of each of two loaves…so one whole loaf…which is why my “be happy” resolution includes “eat less”!
Lemon Quick Bread
Yield: 8-10 servings
Total Time: 1 hour
Lemon Quick Bread – this easy quick bread recipe is bursting with lemon flavor. It’s great for dessert or breakfast – with or without a lemon glaze!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egs
- 1/3 cup oil
- 5 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract, optional
- Zest of one large or two small lemons
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
- 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 slightly adapted from Nestle.
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
Hi there! I’m Dorothy! 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. 
I love, love, love lemon bread and cakes! They’re so light and don’t feel heavy. Thanks for the recipe!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
OMG NEEEEEEEEED this is like sunshine on a rainy day!
YES! Bring on the lemon!
This looks awesome! And I know you have a major love of lemons! I just planted a lemon tree in the fall and it has 4 big lemons on it right now and like 100 little lemon buds…hopefully they will all become fruit.
I am glad you’re happy and doing what makes you happy and in such a good place!
P.S. Did you change your font? Either that or my eyes are playing tricks on me which is entirely possible 🙂
I’m jealous about your tree, although I have a few friends that recently told me they just throw all their lemons away so now I have a source, lol. Lindsay did a site update for me so I think she did change the font, it shocked me too, lol.
Happy New Year to you too! I don’t usually accept gifts just for New Year’s, but if this recipe is what you’re dishing out I’m sure going to take it! Looks so dense and moist and delicious!
My mouth is watering for this. I can skip cooking dinner tonight and we can eat lemon bread, right?
Happy new year to you! Glad you had a good year. Hope 2017 is even better. xoxo
I love lemons, I can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m also loving your resolutions! My life actually got better at 40, you have a lot of wonderful things to look forward to. Keep up that great attitude!
Thank you!
Dorothy,
I really enjoy each of your personal blog posts and recipes. You are so honest and thoughtful in sharing your life. You are inspiring me!
I am excited to see what surprises you have on store for us!
Wishing you and your family a great year!
OOOooooh, YUM! I haven’t made something like this in a long time but I really need to try this.
Looks amazing and have to make this for my lemon loving girls!
I too am turning 40 this year, and like you, I just want to enjoy myself and my family/friends. So far we have a trip to Ireland booked, a new puppy coming in April and redoing my kitchen into my dream cooking/baking area. Good thing I still think I am 25 and think I have the energy to accomplish all this within the next few months.
A new puppy!! OMG! And have fun in Ireland!
Forgive me for being dense, but is lemon extract lemon juice or do I need to buy that to make this…I have a lemon tree and needed ideas, so thanks!
Lemon extract is like vanilla extract, sold in the baking aisle. It punches up the lemon flavor. Lemon juice doesn’t do much (the zest helps, but it still won’t give it that telltale flavor).
What a great cake to have in your cake tin ready for hungry little mouths to feed after school and clubs.
I can’t believe it’s 2017 either! This looks so bright and fresh! Yum!
Great Cake, im a lemon lover and adding a lemon curd won’t hurt either. You go girl!😋👍
I can’t get enough lemon flavored food. Seriously, it’s a huge handicap for me…I have no willpower or self control. This looks gorgeous!
Neither do I! I have some of this still in the freezer and I want it so bad.
This quick bread looks so bouncy and moist. I am looking forward to trying it this week. I have several lemons waiting to be used just for this recipe. And then the other lemon recipes you have after your recipe look divine!
Can you bread flour in place of the all purpose?
I’ve never tried…
This looks so moist and flavorful! I love it. My boyfriend is a huge fan of lemony baked goods, so this will have to go on the menu ASAP.
LEMONS, oh yes! Have you ever had lemons from El Salvador? They are beyond description delicious. This restaurant on the side of a volcano there makes a luscious lemon slushy drink that can only be repeated in heaven. And the strange thing is the lemons are green when ripe! No, they are not the cousin lime. You may have detected by now that I am also a lemon lover. My husband is a fan of my LEMON chess pie. Thanks for letting me rave. Cindy Mc
I make this but double it and use buttermilk! Cook in a bunt pan!
Glad you like it!