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Aunt Mary’s blueberry bread has a moist, buttery crumb and is bursting with fresh, juicy blueberries and a touch of lemon. Serve the bread for a simple make-ahead breakfast, set out a slice for an afternoon snack, or add a dollop of whipped cream for a light dessert. This is truly a summertime treat!
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If you love recipes with blueberries, be sure to try these blueberry cheesecake bars, a batch of blueberry streusel muffins, some homemade blueberry jam, an easy blueberry cobbler, and this old-fashioned blueberry buckle, too!
How to Make Blueberry Bread | 1-Minute Video
If your idea of heaven is somewhere deep in a patch of blueberry bushes, fingers stained purple and your belly full, then you have come to the right place! There’s no better way to take advantage of the fresh summer fruit than baking a couple of loaves of Aunt Mary’s lemon blueberry bread. She is famous for this recipe, and I’m so lucky that she has shared it with all of us!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Rich and buttery: the bread is a perfect cross between a classic quick bread and a lemon pound cake. It’s rich, buttery, and dense, with a moist crumb, bright citrus flavor, a beautiful golden brown crust, and a sweet cinnamon-sugar topping.
- 2 Loaves: this recipe yields two loaves, so you get twice as much bread for one effort. Share a loaf with a friend, or stash the extra in the freezer for a later date.
- Versatile: the blueberry bread is a delicious breakfast or brunch option when paired with fruit and a cup of coffee, but it’s equally delicious for dessert with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Is it a quick bread or a blueberry loaf cake? You decide!
Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for two loaves of the best blueberry bread recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Butter or margarine: for rich flavor and moist texture. I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt to the batter.
- Sugar: for just the right amount of sweetness.
- Eggs: give the bread structure and lift.
- Lemon extract (or lemon juice and lemon zest): this is an optional ingredient if you like lemon blueberry bread. Aunt Mary always uses 1-2 teaspoons of lemon extract. If you prefer, you can substitute with 2 tablespoons of grated lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice. If you prefer, just omit this ingredient altogether. The bread is delicious even without the citrus flavor.
- Milk or cream: to thin the batter slightly and add fat to keep the bread moist and tender.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the batter. Properly measure the flour by spooning the flour into the cup and lightly leveling with the straight edge of a knife. Packing the measuring cup too tightly and using too much flour can result in dry, dense loaves of bread.
- Baking powder: the leavening agent that helps the bread rise.
- Salt: enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and balances the sweetness for depth of flavor.
- Blueberries: fresh berries are always my preference, but you can sub with frozen blueberries in a pinch. See my notes below for those details.
- Cinnamon: adds warmth to the topping.
Directions
This lemon blueberry bread is made from scratch, but it’s incredibly easy and it comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients and then gradually add the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the blueberries. Coat the blueberries with a little bit of flour before adding them to the batter. The flour absorbs the berries’ juices, which helps them stay suspended in the cake. The thick batter also supports the berries so that they don’t sink to the bottom.
- Spoon the batter into to greased loaf pans and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack, slice, and serve!
Serving Suggestions
This easy blueberry bread recipe is a perfect addition to a breakfast or brunch spread. Offer butter and blueberry jam on the side and your guests will be thrilled! The bread also goes well with other brunch dishes like an easy fruit salad with vanilla pudding, this fresh fruit salad with honey lemon dressing, a baked western omelet, or a ham and broccoli quiche.
You can also serve the blueberry bread on a platter of other quick bread recipes, including banana bread and zucchini bread, or offer it with a dollop of whipped cream for a light summer dessert.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Aunt Mary always seems to have at least a couple of loaves of this lemon blueberry bread recipe stashed in the freezer for visitors, family, and friends. In fact, the bread is best when baked 1 day in advance. The flavors come together and it gets more moist as it rests!
- How to Store: The bread will stay fresh when wrapped tightly or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also wrap the bread and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- How to Freeze: To extend the life of your bread, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, put it in a freezer bag or wrap with aluminum foil, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature.
Recipe Variations
- Bake a blueberry cake in a Bundt pan (instead of using the two loaf pans). Bake the Bundt cake at 325 degrees F for 70-80 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for about 20 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Instead of the cinnamon-sugar topping, try a simple lemon glaze. Simply whisk together 1 ¼ cups confectioners sugar with 2-3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pour the glaze over the cooled loaves.
- To bake mini loaves, the smaller pans will likely need about 25-28 minutes, but this will vary depending on the actual size of your pans.
- Use a combination of fresh, in-season berries such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, too.
- Another great twist would be swapping the blueberries for cranberries and using orange zest and orange juice rather than lemon.
- Add about 1 cup of chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans for crunch.
Expert Tips
- When zesting lemons, only scrape off the very outer peel. This is where all of the essential oils and flavor can be found. Do not scrape off the white pith, which has a bitter taste.
- Spray your pans really well with a nonstick baking spray, or grease with butter and sprinkle with flour. This will prevent the bread from sticking to the pan.
- Fresh blueberries are best. You can substitute with frozen blueberries; however, be aware that the frozen berries will “bleed” and likely turn the batter a weird bluish-green color. Do not thaw the frozen berries before folding them into the batter.
More Blueberry Recipes to Try
Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins
35 minutes mins
Banana Blueberry Smoothie
5 minutes mins
Southern Blueberry Pound Cake
4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Blueberry Bread
Ingredients
BREAD
- 1 stick (½ cup) salted butter or margarine, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon extract (or 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest with 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- 1 cup milk
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen), tossed with 1 tablespoon flour
TOPPING
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until incorporated. Slowly add the milk and the lemon flavor (if using); mix to combine. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide batter evenly between the two loaf pans. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle over the top of the bread.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top starts to get too dark, after the first 45 minutes you can loosely cover the bread with foil until it's done baking. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- Aunt Mary always uses 1-2 teaspoons of lemon extract. If you prefer, you can substitute with 2 tablespoons of grated lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice. If you don’t want lemon blueberry bread, just omit this ingredient altogether. The bread is delicious even without the citrus flavor.
- Bake a blueberry cake in a Bundt pan (instead of using the two loaf pans). Bake the Bundt cake at 325 degrees F for 70-80 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for about 20 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Instead of the cinnamon-sugar topping, try a lemon glaze. Simply whisk together 1 ¼ cups confectioners sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaves.
- If using unsalted butter, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt to the batter.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in May, 2020. It was updated in May, 2024.
Ca I use buttermilk?
Hi Marie,
We haven’t tested it but wouldn’t recommend using buttermilk as its likely to impact the flavor of the bread.
Should the top be hard when it’s done after 50 minutes?
Hi Marie! The top should be solid but not hard. Was it hard all the way through?
My first try was with the cinnamon/sugar topping. I haven’t tried it yet with the Lemon/Confection extract but I can only imagine the same result — fantastic! This easy recipe produces a very moist, tasty bread!