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Straight from the oven, this Lemon Blueberry Bread looks golden and smells amazing. Every bite has loads of juicy blueberries surrounded by soft, fluffy bread. A splash of lemon brightens it up and makes it perfect for when you need a happy treat or want to wow folks at a brunch. Even my family's picky eaters always end up fighting for the last slice.
The first time I made this was for a baby shower. Everybody kept talking about how the lemon kept it from being too sweet. It vanished before we even got through our coffee. Now it’s a spring staple at my place when fresh berries start showing up.
Lively Ingredients
- A spoonful of flour for coating: Stops the blueberries from sinking down in the batter
- Blueberries: Bring big juicy pops of flavor. Fresh gives the brightest color but frozen works just fine too
- Milk: Makes the bread super tender and moist, whole milk is best
- Fresh lemon juice: Pulls in a nice tangy brightness. Squeeze right before you need it
- Fresh grated lemon zest: Packs in a ton of sunny, lemony flavor—just the yellow outer bit
- Vanilla extract: Brings cozy notes and rounds the flavor mix. Go for the real stuff if you can
- Eggs: They hold everything together and keep it moist inside
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens things up and helps the top get golden
- Unsalted butter, melted: Gives a rich buttery taste and just the right texture
- Salt: Keeps things from turning out too sweet and makes flavors pop
- Baking powder: Helps your loaf rise so you end up with something light
- All-purpose flour: Classic and sturdy—use unbleached for best texture
- For the lemon glaze butter, melted: Makes your glaze shiny and smooth
- Powdered sugar: Thickens and sweetens up that tangy glaze
- Fresh lemon juice (in the glaze): Cranks up the lemon punch in the glaze
- Vanilla extract (for the glaze): Gives the glaze a softer, mellow layer
No-Fuss Steps
- Cool and Glaze:
- Let the bread chill in its pan for half an hour, then move to a wire rack. Mix melted butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a bowl till you’ve got a smooth glaze, then pour over your cooled loaf. Give it a few minutes to firm up before cutting a slice.
- Bake:
- Spoon your batter into the pan and even out the top. Bake for 55–65 minutes. When you stick a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean, you’re good. Might see a few soft crumbs—perfect.
- Fold in Blueberries:
- Drop the flour-dusted berries into your batter. Gently stir them in by hand so you don’t bust them up.
- Prep the Blueberries:
- If you’re using fresh berries, rinse ‘em so they’re a bit wet. Toss them with a spoonful of flour in a bowl—keeps them from ending up at the bottom when baking.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixes:
- Start by adding some flour mix to your wet stuff, then half the milk, then repeat. Mix real gently so you don’t get tough bread—stop as soon as you don’t see any more flour.
- Blend the Wet Ingredients:
- Grab a big bowl or the stand mixer and stir up your melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix them till smooth.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients:
- Stir together your flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Keep handy for when you combine everything.
- Preheat and Prepare the Pan:
- Turn your oven on to 350°F. Get a 9x5 loaf pan covered in parchment or give it a swipe of butter, so the bread pops out easy.
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Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice are what make it for me. The smell in the kitchen when it’s baking always brings back memories of when my mom would bake with lemons from our yard on lazy Sunday mornings.
Easy Storage
Let your loaf cool down all the way first, then wrap it up in plastic wrap or put it in a sealed container. It’ll stay fresh on your counter for about three days, or in the fridge for five. Want it to last longer? Just slice up pieces, wrap them tight, and store in the freezer.
Swap Ideas
If you’re out of blueberries, raspberries or blackberries are great too. Going dairy free? Pick a vegan butter and almond milk. No lemons? Limes give it a cool twist!
Tasty Ways to Eat
Slice it thick and eat warm with extra glaze, or top with whipped cream if you’re feeling fancy. Leftovers? Perfect at brunch or as a snack with your favorite tea.
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Fun Backstory
Easy breads like this got popular in American kitchens because you don’t need yeast and they’re a breeze to toss together with fruit when it’s in season. Lemon plus blueberry is especially loved as soon as spring and summer hit.
Common Questions
- → What stops all the blueberries from dropping to the bottom?
If you roll the blueberries in a bit of flour before mixing them in, they'll hang out in the batter instead of sinking while baking.
- → Is it okay to use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?
Totally! Frozen ones are great. Don’t bother thawing — just dump them in when you mix the batter.
- → How do you store the loaf best?
When it’s cool, wrap it in plastic and leave it out (skip the glaze for now). Pour the glaze on right before you eat for the best bite.
- → Can I use something else for lemon zest?
Fresh lemon zest is top for that zing, but you can reach for dried zest or add a splash more lemon juice if that’s all you have.
- → Will this work if I want it dairy-free?
Absolutely! Pick a plant butter and your favorite non-dairy milk. It’ll be just as tasty.
- → Which baking pan should I grab for this?
A 9-by-5 inch loaf pan is spot on for a nice rise. Parchment paper helps you pop it out easily.