Lemon Blueberry Bread

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Whether you call it breakfast, a snack, or dessert, it's hard to beat the classic flavors of lemon blueberry bread.

Southern Living Lemon Blueberry Bread sliced and ready to serve with coffee
Photo:

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Active Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 25 mins
Servings:
8

Loaded with fresh blueberries and infused with classic lemony flavors, this lemon blueberry bread is moist, tender, and bakery-level beautiful. It’s also easy to whip up: Seasoned Southern bakers will have most of these ingredients on hand, like sour cream which adds some tang and ensures a good rise in the oven.

You'll notice that the batter is slightly thick, which is intentional: A thicker batter allows the blueberries to stay suspended throughout the crumb as the loaf bakes. A sprinkle of blueberries on the top is an added visual flourish. With a drizzle of glaze and shimmering turbinado sugar, this recipe is a showstopper.

Learn how to make lemon blueberry bread, and try it for breakfast with your morning coffee, or serve it as a snack for guests with afternoon tea.

What Does Lemon Blueberry Bread Taste Like?

This lemon blueberry bread is wonderfully lemony and studded with fresh ripe blueberries, which bring a slightly floral essence to this classic loaf. While the crumb of the loaf itself is not overly sweet, a generous drizzle of glaze brings a boost of sweetness and a dusting of turbinado sugar adds texture and a dash of elegance.

Ingredients for Lemon Blueberry Bread

Most of the ingredients for this sweet loaf are standard for baking dessert breads, but this lemon blueberry bread has the added freshness of fresh, ripe blueberries and lemon. To make lemon blueberry bread, here’s what you’ll need:

  • Baking spray with flour: Coats the pan for easy removal.
  • All-purpose flour: Forms the overall structure of the loaf.
  • Granulated sugar: Sweetens the loaf.
  • Baking soda: Gives the lemon blueberry loaf its rise.
  • Kosher salt: Enhances and balances the sweetness and flavor of the loaf.
  • Sour cream: Helps activate the baking soda to give the loaf its rise.
  • Canola oil: Gives the bread a moist, tender crumb.
  • Large eggs: Binds the batter together for an even, uniform structure.
  • Fresh lemon zest and lemon juice: Fresh zest provides a distinctive and unique lemony flavor throughout the loaf, while lemon juice makes for a sweet, balanced lemony glaze.
  • Fresh blueberries: Fresh blueberries add pops of sweet and tart, juicy flavor.
  • Turbinado sugar: If you don’t have turbinado sugar on hand, you can use granulated or sparkling sugar.
  • Powdered sugar: Makes for a sweet, glossy glaze.
Southern Living Lemon Blueberry Bread ingredients

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

How To Make Lemon Blueberry Bread

Most breads prepared in a loaf pan follow the same process—this is why they’re so fun to make and easy to master. You’ll be a pro in no time! The full recipe is below, but here’s a quick walk-through:

  • Step 1: Coat your loaf pan with baking spray, and set aside. Baking spray contains flour and oil for easy removal once the loaf is baked, so there is no need to line the loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Step 2: Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; you’ll add your wet batter to this.
  • Step 3: Combine wet ingredients and lemon zest. Whisk together sour cream, canola oil, eggs, and lemon zest in a smaller bowl.
  • Step 4: Make batter: Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and gradually pour your wet batter into into the flour mixture, stirring just to combine. 
  • Step 5: Add blueberries: Fold in some blueberries, reserving some to sprinkle overtop; pour batter into your prepared loaf pan, sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar and the remaining blueberries.
  • Step 6: Bake: Bake the lemon blueberry bread at 350°F.
  • Step 7: Prepare glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and remaining zest. Drizzle over the lemon blueberry bread once it’s cool. 

Can I Make Lemon Blueberry Bread Ahead?

Unlike some other desserts that are best served warm, lemon blueberry bread is one of those that tastes just as good—maybe even better—the day after it is made. Make the whole recipe ahead, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap, or store it in a resealable airtight container at room temperature up to one day ahead of time. For sparkling presentation, prepare and drizzle the glaze just before serving.

Can I Freeze Lemon Blueberry Bread?

Yes! Seal it tightly in a freezer-safe container, or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before freezing. Let it thaw to room temperature on the counter overnight. Just be sure to hold off on the glaze. Prepare and drizzle it overtop before serving, as the glaze itself won't freeze as well as the loaf will.

Editorial contributions by Catherine Jessee.

Southern Living Lemon Blueberry Bread sliced and ready to serve

Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Ingredients

  • Baking spray with flour

  • 2 cups (about 8 1/2 oz.) all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tsp. baking soda

  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

  • 3/4 cup sour cream

  • 1/2 cup canola oil

  • 2 large eggs

  • 3 tsp. grated lemon zest, plus 2 to 3 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 2 lemons), divided

  • 1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries (from 1 [16-oz.] container), divided

  • 1 Tbsp. turbinado sugar

  • 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Prepare oven and loaf pan:

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with baking spray; set aside.

    Southern Living Lemon Blueberry Loaf preparing the pan

    Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

  2. Combine dry ingredients:

    Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until combined.

    Southern Living Lemon Blueberry Bread whisking together the dry ingredients

    Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

  3. Make batter:

    Whisk together sour cream, oil, eggs, and 2 teaspoons of the lemon zest in a medium bowl until combined. Create a well in center of dry ingredients. Gradually add sour cream mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

    Southern Living Lemon Blueberry Bread stirring together the batter for the bread

    Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

  4. Add blueberries:

    Fold in 1 cup of the blueberries; transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle top of batter evenly with turbinado sugar and remaining 1/4 cup blueberries.

    Southern Living Lemon Blueberry Bread in the pan ready to bake

    Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

  5. Bake the bread:

    Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Carefully loosen edges from side of pan, remove loaf, and cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

    Southern Living Lemon Blueberry Bread after baking

    Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

  6. Add drizzle:

    Whisk together powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and remaining 1 teaspoon zest in a small bowl until smooth and combined, adding more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

    Southern Living Lemon Blueberry Bread topped with glaze

    Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What does sour cream do in lemon blueberry bread?

    Sour cream doesn’t just add tang. It also adds acidity that activates the baking soda and helps the bread rise.

  • Is it possible to add lemon juice instead of lemon zest?

    Lemon zest helps permeate the bread with a distinctive lemon flavor and essence. While adding lemon juice wouldn’t do any harm to the recipe, the lemony flavors would not come through as prominently.

Additional reporting by
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee is an Assistant Digital Food Editor at Southern Living. She is a writer, editor, and recipe developer with a passion for Appalachian foodways, culture, and history. Prior to joining the Southern Living, Catherine tested and developed recipes for print and digital publications like EatingWell, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Serious Eats, Southern Living, and more.

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