Blueberry Lemon Loaf (Fluffy & Easy to Make)

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This soft blueberry lemon loaf is a delicious treat that is bursting with fresh blueberry and citrus flavor. This quick bread is easy to make and perfect for breakfast, dessert or a snack!

Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Lemon Loaf Recipe

This blueberry lemon loaf recipe is quick and easy to mix together. Like many quickbreads, this blueberry lemon loaf uses many pantry staples that you likely already have on hand. This makes it perfect to serve at a brunch or to make in bulk and keep in the freezer for quick snacks. 

Blueberry Lemon Loaf Ingredient Substitutions

There are a few ingredients that can be swapped in the event you don’t have them on hand or have some dietary restrictions that prevent you from using some certain ingredients. The first two ingredients are the milk and butter. If you need to make this recipe dairy free, you can substitute the milk for water or a plant based milk. The butter can be changed to coconut oil 

The next ingredient you can substitute is the lemon juice. While fresh lemon juice is best because you can also zest the lemons before juicing, bottled lemon juice will also provide a delicious lemon flavor to your loaf.

Next, the all purpose flour can be substituted. If you need to be gluten free, I would suggest finding a good 1:1 gluten free flour replacement instead of just using a single type of gluten free flour such as coconut or almond flour. Using a premixed gluten free flour that is labeled 1:1 replacement is specifically formulated to perform much like an APF than single ingredient gluten free flours. For example, Almond flour has a higher moisture content than all purpose flour. If you only change out the flour and don’t adjust the wet ingredient ratio, your loaves are likely to turn out very different than what this recipe intends.

Lastly, the fresh blueberries can be substituted for frozen. This recipe calls to use frozen wild blueberries because they fair better in this thin batter (especially coated with cornstarch. To use fresh berries, you will need to use more flour than the recipe calls for to ensure they do not sink to the bottom. Take it from me, you will realize the loaves are A MESS if the berries sink to the bottom!

Tips for Better Loafs

Tip #1

When you make quickbreads, there are a few tips that will help you produce a better loaf. The first tip for any soft bread is to not overmix!! Over mixing makes gluten develop causing a dense and rubbery textured quickbread. If you’re worried about overmixing, have no fear! When stirring the wet ingredients into the dry, mix the ingredients until they are JUST combined. You should mix just until you cannot visibly see any dry spots. Only mixing until there are no visible dry spots should prevent the gluten development and rubbery texture. Just be aware that your batter will likely be lumpy. That’s okay! 

Tip #2

The second tip is to zest your lemons before juicing. While this tip is mainly to improve the efficiency of making the batter, it’s still a good one! Zesting lemons before juicing allows you to zest easier because you have a bigger piece of lemon to hold on to. If you juice then try to zest, there’s a lot less to hold on to and the half or quarter of the lemon tends to be slippery from the juice. 

Looking for more quick bread recipes? You might also enjoy these Cinnamon Spice Zucchini Muffins or these Chocolate Zucchini Muffins!

Tip #3

The next tip is to fill the loaf pans evenly and about two thirds of the way full. While you may think this tip is mainly for presentation, it does serve a purpose. Baking loaves that are not equally filled can cause uneven baking. This is important to know when you test for doneness. A lesser filled loaf pan will be done long before a bigger loaf. If you’re baking the two loaves at the same time, taking one out before the other causes the oven temperature to quickly drop and the bread may deflate its beautiful rise before it’s fully cooked.

Tip #4

The fourth tip is to check for doneness. The best way to check for doneness is to use a toothpick or something with a small diameter and poke the loaf directly in the middle. If your toothpick or tool comes out with any crumbs, they’re not done yet!

Tip #5

The last tip is to fill your loaf pans and then let them sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before baking. This allows for the baking soda to start reacting and the final loaf will have a more rounded top when baking.  

Shelf life

Like many fresh bakery items, this blueberry lemon loaf is best enjoyed as close to the time of baking as possible. Enjoying within 2-3 days will ensure you have the best flavor and texture. 

If you know you will not be able to enjoy all of your bread within a few days,  you can freeze any leftovers to enjoy later. Freezing this bread will greatly extend the shelf life up to 6-12 months. If you plan to enjoy a slice or two at one time, I recommend slicing, wrapping each slice in parchment or plastic wrap and then freezing! This will allow you to take out just one slice at a time to thaw and enjoy.

Storage 

For short term storage of 2-3 days, this bread can be loosely wrapped in a cotton tea towel and placed on the counter. This will prevent the bread from getting sticky while maintaining the best flavor. 

If you’re looking to store this bread for longer than 2-3 days, it’s best to store it in the freezer. For the best results when storing in the freezer, I recommend slicing and wrapping each slice individually in a layer of plastic wrap. Each slice should be snugly wrapped in plastic after they have completely cooled to room temperature. After all slices have been wrapped, add them to an air tight container like a plastic freezer bag or hard sided food storage container and place in the freezer. 

When you want to enjoy a slice or two, simply take them out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat in a toaster oven until warmed through. 

Fresh Blueberries vs Frozen Blueberries

A common conundrum for home baking with berries is deciding to use fresh or frozen berries. While fresh and frozen berries produce the same flavor, they differ in the aesthetics a bit. 

Frozen blueberries often spread the blueberry color throughout the batter and can often make the baked good look grey. Fresh blueberries keep the blueberry color concentrated. However, they easily sink in this thinner batter. 

Since this is a thinner batter, I suggest using frozen wild berries and coating them in a little cornstarch before adding them to your batter. Wild blueberries are often smaller in diameter. Their smaller size allows for them to stay suspended in the batter. As a bonus, coating the frozen berries in cornstarch, arrowroot powder or flour gives an extra boost in the suspension department.

If you need to use fresh berries, I suggest increasing the flour amount between 1/4 – 1/2 cup. This will thicken the batter and the blueberries should stay suspended better.

Ingredients For Blueberry Lemon Loaf

3 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 ¼ cups Cane Sugar

1 ¼ cups Whole Milk

½ cup Butter, melted & slightly cooled

½ cup Avocado Oil

2 Large Eggs

¼ cup Lemon Juice

1 ½ TBSP Lemon Zest

2 ½ Cups Frozen Wild Blueberries

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

½ tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Baking Powder, double acting

½ tsp Salt

1 1/2 TBSP Cornstarch (can also use arrowroot powder or flour)

Tools To Make Blueberry Lemon Loaf

A Whisk or sifter

A large mixing bowl

A medium mixing bowl 

Two Loaf pans

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.

2. In a separate large bowl, add sugar and lemon zest together. Use your hands and mix the lemon zest and sugar together. Be sure to use your fingers to press the sugar and zest together. This will release more of the lemon oil from the zest making a more pronounced lemon flavor.

3. After the lemon zest and sugar are well mixed, add the whole milk, eggs, melted and slightly cooled butter, avocado oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until combined. The butter may appear to re-harden as you mix, that’s okay.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir together until just combined.

5. Add lemon juice. Stir until just until the lemon juice is fully incorporated. It’s okay to see some lumps.

6. Measure out and quickly coat your frozen wild blueberries in cornstarch. Once fully coated, gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

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7. Grease your pan or arrange parchment paper in the loaf pan. Fill each loaf pan about three-quarters of the way full. 

8. Let the batter rest in the loaf pans for 5-10 minutes (resting the batter is not mandatory but you will get a better rise). Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with loose crumbs (not wet batter) when inserted in the center of the loaf. For a slightly crunchy crust, let the edges brown slightly.

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9. Once they are done, let the loaves cool for 3-5 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack

Blueberry Lemon Loaf FAQ:

Can This Blueberry Lemon Loaf Be Made Dairy Free? 

If you need to make this recipe dairy free, you can substitute the milk for water or a plant based milk. The butter can be changed to coconut oil.

Can This Blueberry Lemon Loaf Be Made With Just Lemon Juice? 

While fresh lemon juice is best because you can also zest the lemons before juicing, bottled lemon juice will also provide a delicious lemon flavor to your loaves.

Can This Blueberry Lemon Loaf Be Made With Gluten Free Flour? 

I have not tested this recipe with any gluten free flour. However, gluten free flour mixes tend to lend themselves well to quick breads.

If you need to be gluten free, I would suggest finding a good 1:1 gluten free flour replacement instead of using a single type of gluten free flour such as coconut or almond flour. Using a premixed gluten free flour that is labeled 1:1 replacement is specifically formulated to perform much like an APF than single ingredient gluten free flours. For example, Almond flour has a higher moisture content than all purpose flour. If you only change out the flour and don’t adjust the wet ingredient ratio, your loaves are likely to turn out very different than what this recipe intends.

What Are Some Tips for Better Quick Breads?

The first tip for any quick bread you may make is to not overmix!! Only mixing until there are no visible dry spots should prevent the gluten development and rubbery texture. Just be aware that your batter will likely be lumpy. That’s okay! 

The second tip is to zest your lemons before juicing. Zesting lemons before juicing allows you to zest easier because you have a bigger piece of lemon to hold on to. If you juice then try to zest, there’s a lot less to hold on to and the half or quarter of the lemon tends to be slippery from the juice. 

The next tip is to fill the loaf pans evenly and about two thirds of the way full. Baking multiple loaf pans that are not equally filled can cause uneven baking. This is important to know when you test for doneness. A lesser filled loaf pan will be done long before a more filled one. 

The fourth tip is to check for doneness. The best way to check for doneness is to use a toothpick or something with a small diameter and poke the loaf directly in the middle. If your toothpick or tool comes out with any crumbs, they’re not done yet!

The last tip is to fill your loaf pans cups and then let them sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before baking. This allows for the baking soda to start reacting and the final bread will have a more rounded top when baking.  

What’s The Shelf Life of Blueberry Lemon Loaves?

Like many fresh bakery items, this blueberry lemon loaf is best enjoyed as close to the time of baking as possible. Enjoying within 2-3 days will ensure you have the best flavor and texture. 

If you know you will not be able to enjoy all of your bread within a few days,  you can freeze any leftovers to enjoy later. Freezing this bread will greatly extend the shelf life up to 6-12 months. If you plan to enjoy a slice or two at one time, I recommend slicing, wrapping each slice in parchment or plastic wrap and then freezing! This will allow you to take out just one slice at a time to thaw and enjoy.

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What’s The Best Way To Store Blueberry Lemon Loafs?

For short term storage of 2-3 days, this bread can be loosely wrapped in a cotton tea towel and placed on the counter. This will prevent the bread from getting sticky while maintaining the best flavor. 

If you’re looking to store this bread for longer than 2-3 days, it’s best to store it in the freezer. For the best results when storing in the freezer, I recommend slicing and wrapping each slice individually in a layer of plastic wrap. Each slice should be snugly wrapped in plastic after they have completely cooled to room temperature. After all slices have been wrapped, add them to an air tight container like a plastic freezer bag or hard sided food storage container and place in the freezer. 

Should I Use Fresh or Frozen Blueberries?

A common conundrum for home baking with berries is deciding to use fresh or frozen berries. While fresh and frozen berries produce the same flavor, they differ in the aesthetics a bit. 

Frozen blueberries often spread the blueberry color throughout the batter and can often make the baked good look grey. Fresh blueberries keep the blueberry color concentrated. However, they easily sink in this thinner batter. 

Since this is a thinner batter, I suggest using frozen wild berries and coating them in a little cornstarch before adding them to your batter. Wild blueberries are often smaller in diameter. Their smaller size allows for them to stay suspended in the batter. As a bonus, coating the frozen berries in cornstarch, arrowroot powder or flour gives an extra boost in the suspension department.

If you need to use fresh berries, I suggest increasing the flour amount between 1/4 – 1/2 cup. This will thicken the batter and the blueberries should stay suspended better.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to know! Tag @MissysHomestead on Instagram or comment below