Blueberry Lemon Loaf is a moist cake-like loaf loaded with fresh blueberries and lemon flavor, topped and baked with a crumble topping. Then, the loaf is drizzled with a sweet glaze to make this a perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert. This is a copycat of the viral Costco Blueberry Lemon Loaf and dare I say, even BETTER! If you would like to try it without added lemon flavor, I also have a delicious Blueberry Bread you will love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature ingredients (specifically butter, sour cream, egg, and milk) are important here to prevent lumps in this quick bread.
Egg: Out of eggs? Here are a few egg substitutes you could try.
Lemon: You will need one lemon for this recipe. First, zest the lemon until you have 2 teaspoons. Then, juice the lemon for 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best in this recipe. However, you could also use frozen blueberries. Be sure to reserve about 1/4 cup to reserve for the topping before baking the loaf.
Crumble Topping: The crumble topping is easy to make, but really adds something amazing to this blueberry lemon loaf. It’s the topping I added to my Double Blueberry Muffins, which was so perfect, I had to use it again!
Glaze: The simple confectioners’ sugar glaze is made with just two ingredients, confectioners’ sugar (also known as icing sugar or powdered sugar) and water. Add water as needed to get the glaze to your desired consistency. The bread is also delicious without the glaze if you prefer to leave that off.
Can I Make This Loaf Into Muffins?
Sure! If you prefer blueberry lemon muffins (this is the recipe!), fold all of the blueberries into the batter (without reserving any for the top). Fill 12 lined muffin cups with about 3/4 cup of the batter. Top with crumble and bake for about 20 minutes.
How To Store Blueberry Lemon Loaf
Room Temperature: Wrap the bread in plastic wrap. It will last for up to five days at room temperature.
To Refrigerate: (This is not the recommended method since storing bread in the refrigerator can dry it out faster.) Place in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container and then place into the refrigerator. It should keep for up to 5 days. To reheat, remove from refrigerator and pop a slice into the microwave for 10 seconds or just allow the loaf to come to room temperature naturally, about 15 minutes.
Can I Freeze Blueberry Lemon Loaf?
Yes! If freezing the loaf, you will want to make sure you allow it to cool completely. Wrap the blueberry lemon loaf tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap and place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. If you prefer not to use foil directly on your bread, wrap it tightly with parchment paper, then place that into a sealable plastic bag. Label it with the date; it will last for two to three months in the freezer. To thaw bread, take it out of the freezer and set it on the counter. Allow it to reach room temperature before you take it out of its packaging; it will re-absorb some of its moisture this way.
More Blueberry Lemon Treats
Blueberry Lemon Loaf
Ingredients
Blueberry Lemon Loaf
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (½ stick, 57 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (122.5 g) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 cups (296 g) fresh blueberries, divided
Crumble Topping
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
Glaze
- 1 cup (125 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons water, room temperature
Instructions
Blueberry Lemon Loaf
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, butter, sour cream, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat until creamy. (You could also use a handheld mixer.)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- With the mixer on low, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Gently fold in about 1 ¾ cups of blueberries, reserving ¼ cup for the topping.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the reserved blueberries.
Crumble Topping
- To make the crumble topping, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter in a small bowl.
- Top the batter with the crumble.
- Bake the loaf for 65 minutes. The bread is done when an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter. Let the loaf cool before adding the glaze.
Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and water. Add more water until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf. Slice and serve.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Holy cow, this loaf is AMAZING! I have always been a big fan of blueberry and lemon but this one is probably my new favorite. You might be tempted to scale back and use fewer blueberries. Don't, I say! 2 cups is the perfect amount!
Elizabeth
This loaf was moist and full of blueberries! I appreciated just a hint of lemon flavor since I am not always a fan of blueberry lemon treats. The crumble topping made this extra amazing!
Bella
Lemon and blueberries go so well together, in my opinion. There are sweet and tart flavors. This is a moist loaf with juicy sweet blueberries. Everything about it is incredibly tasty.
If you love the flavors of spring, this is it! Plump, juicy blueberries, in a fantastic lemon flavored loaf with a crunchy crumble on top is out of this world!
Selena
Blueberry overload!! If you love blueberries and moist bread, this is it! The hint of lemon and crunchy crumble on top is just perfection.
I made it twice following exactly the recipe blueberry lemon loaf. It came out bad both times the dough was tight and it looked raw. I did the exact time you said and it still looked raw. I tried a second time and it came out the same as yesterday. Not sure why if I’m following your recipe step by step and I’m not getting the results you said I should get.
Hi Mariana – so sorry to hear there were any complications with your blueberry bread. Sounds like it may be an oven issue, and you may want to do a test loaf to see how long it takes you to bake in your oven.
Hi I absolutely love this recipe!! I made it twice in one week because it was that good! I was wondering, would I be able to substitute the blueberries for strawberries? And if I could, what would the measurements for the strawberries be? Thanks so much for sharing this fantastic recipe!!
I made 4 of these loaves. They all came out of the oven raw in the middle after baking at 375 degrees for 70-75 minutes.
I had to take them out of the oven because they were starting to burn on the bottom. They looked lovely at first and a toothpick came out clean. But shortly after, they collapsed in the middle.
I feel like I just wasted 8 cups of blueberries , 4 sticks of butter, 4 eggs, 6 cups of flour, etc.
So sorry to hear that! Sounds like you baked 4 loaves at a time that can affect baking time significantly. My recipe shares the time and temperature for 1 loaf.
Hi,I just bought all the ingredients.
Can I double this?
The baking time is waaaay off. Luckily I kept an eye on my loaf, and took it out after 45 minutes. Even then, it was getting a little too brown. My oven is exact, so don’t tell me my oven is off.
It’s a great idea to check doneness of baked goods in your own home, as times can range and every oven is different. Yours may have baked faster if you did the following:
Oven Temperature Accuracy: If the oven runs hotter than the recipe’s specified temperature, the loaf could bake more quickly. An oven thermometer can help verify if your oven’s temperature is accurate.
Pan Size and Material: The type and size of the pan can impact baking time. A loaf baked in a darker or metal pan might cook faster than one baked in a lighter or glass pan.
Ingredient Temperature: Ingredients that are warmer (e.g., room-temperature eggs or milk) can influence baking time. Cold ingredients can sometimes slow down the cooking process.
Ingredient Quantities: Slight variations in the amount of ingredients, such as adding a bit more fruit or using different types of flour, can also impact baking time.
Altitude and Humidity: Baking at higher altitudes or in humid environments can affect baking times and temperatures.
If your loaf baked in 45 minutes it might be that your oven runs hotter or if you made any alterations to the recipe like I have listed above.
Followed your recipe perfectly. The loaf came out packed, not light & fluffy. Baked 65 minutes it was still raw in the middle!
Very disappointed! I thought this recipe was similar to the Lemon Blueberry cake served at Panera Bread Company! I was so wrong!
Hi Gigi (Although the name in the email you left is completely different)
I don’t know how you could possible know it would be “packed” if it was raw.
When made correctly, this recipe will look exactly like the images and taste better than any big corporations mass-baked product. Hope that helps!