As a mom of 5, recipes like this Lemon Blueberry Bread has been my go-to way to make weekend breakfast feel extra special without a crazy amount of work. The whole house smells like a bakery, and the loaf comes out super tender with a buttery crumb topping layered with that bright pop of lemon. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, and it doubles like a dream, perfect for saving a loaf for later.
Whenever lemons are in season, I love checking out this whole list of lemon recipes. We're big fans of citrus around here, everything from chicken and veggies to desserts gets a bright, zesty twist.
This Lemon and Blueberry Bread Recipe is one of those recipes that works year-round. Perfect in the winter when citrus is in season, in spring when you want something bright, and summer when juicy blueberries are at their peak. It makes a beautiful addition to an Easter or Mother's Day brunch table, but just as welcome on any random summer morning.
The streusel topping has one small but essential step that keeps it crisp instead of sinking into the loaf (a detail that you learn after baking many loaves of quick breads). There's lemon in both the batter and topping for balanced flavor, not just sweetness, and the result is a tender loaf with a butter topping.
With 35+ lemon recipes, it's no surprise that we have a lemon loaf (made with Greek yogurt for ultimate moistness) and a lemon coffee cake that have been on repeat for many years!
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Why this recipe made the cut
Every recipe on Borrowed Bites gets tested, re-tested, and tasted by multiple groups to ensure it's something you can be proud to serve! Here's why this one earned its spot:
- Bakery-style: If I am going to take the effort to bake something at home, I want it to be seriously over-the-top delicious.
- Real ingredients: No fake extract or artificial flavors. Just real ingredients that have the best flavor.
- Simple, easy batter: Mix the wet, mix the dry, and then combine them together. Toss in the blueberries, layer on the crumble topping, and you are done. Easy peasy.
Ingredients for lemon and blueberry bread
This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients along with a lemon and blueberries. Exact amounts are listed in the recipe card below.
- Milk: Whole milk is our preference, but 2% will work as well. Skim milk doesn't have enough fat to keep the batter moist so we skip that.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect for keeping a tender crumb but still holding together.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar has the clean sweetness it needs.
- Butter: Salted butter provides both moisture and flavor.
- Eggs: We use large grade AA which is the standard size used in baking.
- Salt: Kosher salt is our go-to.
- Baking powder: We always recommend using aluminum-free baking powder to ensure that it doesn't have a metallic aftertaste.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract makes a notable difference in the overall flavor.
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used. Small to medium-sized berries are preferred but large ones can be used.
- Lemons: Absolutely nothing compares to the citrus flavor of fresh lemon. It is used for both the essential oils in the peel and the juice.
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make lemon blueberry bread with streusel topping
Start by preheating the oven to 350ºF. Then generously spray a 1 lb loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75) with baking spray.
Into a small mixing bowl, place the sugar and the lemon zest. Rub together with clean fingers or the back of a spoon until all the essential oils from the zest are mixed into the sugar.
Add in the flour and melted butter. Mix together with a fork until large pieces have formed. Now for the essential tip: place the bowl in the refrigerator until needed.
For the batter, mix the melted butter, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla together.
Pour the milk and lemon juice into the other ingredients and mix the wet ingredients together until fully combined.
Gently whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use very gentle pressure during this step to make sure the loaf stays tender.
In a seperate bowl, toss the blueberries together with 2 tablespoons of flour and then softly fold them into the batter. Mixing them with the flour first helps them stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom. Spread evenly into the prepared loaf pan.
Finally, grab the bowl of crumble out of the fridge and break it up with a fork and spread across the top of the loaf pan. Be sure to cover from side to side.
Bake in a preheated oven for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a couple moist crumbs. No wet batter should be on the cake tester.
Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Hint: As with all quick breads, they need to cool all the way to maintain the most moisture. However, if you just have to cut into the loaf before it is room temperature, it is still tasty.
Variations and substitutions
- Lemon: Equal amounts of orange would be incredible!
- Butter: If you want to use unsalted butter, just add in an extra pinch (about ⅛ tsp) of salt to the batter.
- Blueberries: Small fresh blackberries or raspberries would be delicious here, but size really matters. Larger ones release too much moisture and ruin the texture of the loaf. Skip frozen blackberries or raspberries altogether because they are just too wet for this recipe.
What to serve with
For a delicious brunch recipe or just to round out a casual weekend breakfast add one or two of these:
How to store
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you want to store it longer, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 6 months.
FAQs
Yes! Meyer lemons are great in this bread. They do have a softer, more mild lemon flavor so you might want to use a little more zest, but they still produce a delicious bread.
Yes! While we love this recipe as-is, some of this simple lemon glaze would be extra delicious drizzled over the cooled loaf.
Tips & tricks
- Once the flour is added, use a gentle hand. This is key to a tender crumb instead of a dense loaf.
- Use a metal pan with 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 dimensions for best results. Glass or ceramic pans will give a thicker, tougher crust.
- Make sure the topping has plenty of time to chill before adding it to the batter. Cold crumble means a topping that stays crisp and crunchy instead of melting into the loaf.
- Always use aluminum-free baking powder to ensure there is no metallic aftertaste.
More recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Orange Loaf (This is literally one of the best things ever!)
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Lemon Scones
- Apple Scones
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Cranberry Coffee Cake
- Banana Bread
- Oven Baked Bacon
Recipe
Blueberry Lemon Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pound loaf pan 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ¾ granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon zest - about 1 large lemon
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoon butter melted
Lemon Blueberry Batter
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest about 2 large lemons
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
Instructions
Topping
- Place sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to mix them together. Add in the flour and melted butter. Mix together and place in the fridge until needed.¾ granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon zest - about 1 large lemon, ⅓ cup all purpose flour, 4 tablespoon butter
Loaf
- In a large bowl whisk together butter, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla until evenly mixed. Add in the milk and the lemon juice.⅓ cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoon lemon zest, ⅓ cup milk, 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Gently whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use gentle pressure1 ½ cup all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl toss together the blueberries and 2 tablespoon of flour. Add to the batter and fold in gently.1 cup blueberries, 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- Place into a prepared 9x5 loaf pan. Sprinkle the streusel on top. Bake for 55-65 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Notes
- Once the flour is added, use a gentle hand. This is key to a tender crumb instead of a dense loaf.
- Use a metal pan with 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 dimensions for best results. Glass or ceramic pans will give a thicker, tougher crust.
- Make sure the topping has plenty of time to chill before adding it to the batter. Cold crumble means a topping that stays crisp and crunchy instead of melting into the loaf.
- Always use aluminum-free baking powder to ensure there is no metallic aftertaste.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Danielle says
This is a great recipe for a simple breakfast!