Aunt Mary’s blueberry bread recipe 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, an afternoon snack, or add a whipped cream for a summertime dessert.
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 was famous for this recipe, and I’m so lucky that she has shared it with all of us!
The Best Blueberry Bread Recipe for 2 Loaves
This blueberry bread recipe is a perfect cross between a classic quick bread and a blueberry 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. The 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.
Finally, you’ll love that the blueberry bread is incredibly versatile! It’s 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!
And if you love recipes with blueberries as much as we do, be sure to try a batch of blueberry streusel muffins, some homemade blueberry jam, an easy blueberry cobbler, and this old-fashioned blueberry buckle, too!
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!
– Vickie
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Salted butter adds rich flavor and moisture to the blueberry loaf. If using unsalted butter, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt to the batter.
- Aunt Mary always used 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. Alternatively, you can just omit this ingredient altogether. The bread is delicious even without the citrus flavor.
- 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.
- 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.
- Fresh berries are always 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.
How to Make this Blueberry Loaf Recipe
This 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. 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.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, then 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 or vanilla ice cream for a light summer dessert.
Did you make this recipe?
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Watch How to Make It
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), optional
- 1 cup milk
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, tossed with 1 tablespoon flour
TOPPING
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray; 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Aunt Mary always seemed to have at least a couple of loaves of this blueberry bread 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 loaves 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
- Prepare a blueberry cake in a Bundt pan (instead of using 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. It’s suddenly an autumn treat!
- Add about 1 cup of chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans for crunch.
More Blueberry Recipes to Try
Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins
35 minutes mins
Blueberry Banana Smoothie
5 minutes mins
Easy Blueberry Cobbler
45 minutes mins
Originally published in May, 2020, this post was updated in June, 2025.
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!
This is a great recipe. I make it frequently. But today the recipe for the optional lemon glaze seems to have disappeared! Was it deleted? I love the lemon glaze. Thanks.
Hi, Patti! It’s still there in the “Recipe Variations” section. Here it is as well: 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.
So glad that you enjoy it!
Hi Blair.. this looks so delicious. I can’t wait to try it!
Would it also work with frozen blueberries?
Hi Lois!
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.