This lemon blueberry loaf is dappled with fresh lemon zest and can be made with fresh or frozen blueberries. It's like a blueberry muffin in loaf form, and it's sure to be a crowd pleaser!
As a fan of the flavors of blueberry muffins and of the practicality of a loaf of zucchini bread, I thought it was only natural to find a way to combine the two into a Blueberry Lemon Loaf!
To make this classic lemon blueberry flavor combination a little more interesting, we're adding fresh chopped thyme. Of course, it's not required and you can omit it, but it does add something a little special!
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Recipe highlights
- This blueberry bread works with fresh or frozen blueberries (I tested both!)
- Made with blueberry yogurt for extra blueberry flavor and a rich texture
- This recipe makes one loaf, but can easily be doubled (which I recommend, because it freezes well!)
- The texture reminds me a lot of blueberry muffins. I suspect the recipe will work well as a blueberry muffin recipe, but I'll be sure to update this page when I test it.
Ingredients
- Blueberries: Fresh works best here but frozen does work. If using frozen, I recommend decreasing to just 1 cup to avoid overly moist bread. If using fresh, you can use an entire pint-sized clamshell.
- Lemon: Choose one large lemon. The lemon zest is rubbed with sugar to impart lemony flavor into every bite.
- Sugar: I use a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will work in place of light brown if that's what you have on hand.
- Thyme: The freshly chopped thyme is also rubbed with the sugar. This adds the slightest hint of herbiness to the bread. It can be omitted.
- Blueberry Greek yogurt: This adds extra blueberry flavor. I typically use Chobani. Lemon yogurt also works, if you want to enhance the lemon flavor. Yogurt has a similar affect as sour cream, which works as a direct swap here.
- Oil: I prefer the moistness the oil gives quick breads like this. I use canola oil, but olive oil can be used instead. Note that olive oil will alter the flavor of the bread, similar to this Vegan Olive Oil Cake.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, use clean hands to massage together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and thyme. Rub together for 1-2 minutes to really impart the flavor. Whisk in the oil, eggs, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir this into the batter ½ cup at a time, until just combined.
- Sprinkle the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the bread.
- Fold the blueberries into the batter. Transfer the batter to a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes, or until the loaf is domed and cracked in the center and pulling away at the edges. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the center of the loaf. Let rest for 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool.
Storage tips
- Storage: Keeps well at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: This blueberry loaf freezes well. I recommend slicing and freezing for an easy grab-and-go snack/dessert, but you can also freeze an entire loaf. Let thaw on the counter overnight.
More quick breads
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Blueberry Lemon Thyme Loaf
This blueberry quick bread is a simple recipe that's filled with fresh spring flavor, thanks to fresh lemon zest and a hint of fresh thyme.
Equipment
- 1 9x5-inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 large lemon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup canola oil see note #1
- 5.3 ounce container blueberry Greek yogurt see note #2
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 pint fresh blueberries see note #3
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper (optional, makes removal easier.)
- Juice and zest the lemon, measuring out roughly 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use clean hands to massage together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and thyme. Rub together for 1-2 minutes to really impart the flavor.
- Whisk in the eggs, oil, Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir this into the batter ½ cup at a time, until just combined.
- Sprinkle the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Transfer the batter to the greased loaf pan.
- Bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes (I typically bake ~50 minutes), or until the loaf is domed, golden, and cracked in the center and pulling away at the edges. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the center of the loaf. Let rest for 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool. Let cool entirely before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Oil: I use canola oil, but olive oil can be used instead. Note that unless you use light olive oil, the olive flavor will come through.
- Blueberry Greek yogurt: This adds extra blueberry flavor. I typically use Chobani. Lemon yogurt also works, if you want to enhance the lemon flavor. Yogurt has a similar affect as sour cream, which works as a direct swap here.
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen work but do yield slightly different results. If using frozen, I recommend using just 1 cup. The frozen blueberries do not need to be thawed. Note that they turn the bread slightly blue, while fresh blueberries are a bit firmer and don't affect the color of the bread.
- Storage: Keeps well at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: This blueberry loaf freezes well. I recommend slicing and freezing for an easy grab-and-go snack/dessert, but you can also freeze an entire loaf. Let thaw on the counter overnight.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 412kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 9gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 170mgPotassium: 188mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 93IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 3mg
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