Blueberry Bread

This easy blueberry bread is buttery, tender and filled with juicy berries in every bite. Instead of making blueberry muffins, I’ve adapted the recipe to be made in a loaf pan – which yields a deliciously moist quick bread that the whole family will love. It’s perfect for breakfast or tea time with a drizzle of sweet glaze, or spread with a little butter or jam. Like a big, warm, slice of your favorite blueberry muffin!

If you love blueberry muffins – then this blueberry bread should definitely be the next thing you bake. It has a buttery, vanilla flavor; tender, moist, extra fluffy crumb; and is packed with blueberries. We’re basically making blueberry muffins in a loaf pan, and the result is a delicious blueberry treat that’s reminiscent of blueberry pound cake. 

Blueberry Bread Recipe

This blueberry bread is a simple, no fuss quick bread recipe. That being said – I find the term “quick bread” a little misleading. While the batter comes together in about 15 minutes, it takes a loooooong time to bake. So make sure to give yourself plenty of time.

I actually originally posted this recipe in 2018, but I knew I could improve it to make it even better. So – here are the changes/important ingredients:

• Butter. Originally I used a combo of butter and oil, but this time we’re using 100% butter for more flavor.
• A little lemon zest for more flavor. I wouldn’t call this a lemon blueberry bread, but just a hint of lemon zest brightens up the flavor.
• Milk and sour cream for moisture. After numerous (and I mean numerous) recipe tests, I found that the combination of using both milk and sour cream give a more moist and tender crumb. The texture is perfectly dense – just like you want a quick bread to be.
• More blueberries. Because the loaf is dense and tender – we can pack it with even more blueberries.
• Optional lemon glaze. It adds a little extra sweetness if that’s your thing.
  

Fluffy, buttery, never dry, filled with berries.

Tips for Making this Blueberry Muffin Bread

• Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature before getting started. This ensures everything mixes evenly without over mixing the batter.
  • You can place the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes.
  • Take the sour cream and milk out of the fridge 30 minutes prior. Or measure it out, and microwave for 10-second intervals on medium power, stirring between each.
• Be very careful to measure the flour properly. Too much flour leads to a dry and crumbly bread. Give the flour a whisk first, then spoon and level it into a measuring cup. Or – if you have a scale, measure out 250g.
• Do not over mix the batter. Gently fold in the dry ingredients, sour cream, and berries. If the batter is mixed too much – it gets tough, instead of tender.
• To prevent over browning on the edges, bake the blueberry bread in a light-colored metal loaf pan or a glass pan.
• Make sure the bread is fully cooked – it can often take a full 60-75 minutes. 90% of the time when quick breads sink in the middle it’s because they weren’t baked long enough.

Can I use frozen berries in blueberry bread? Yup! Absolutely. If using frozen berries, do not thaw the berries. Toss the frozen berries in 2 teaspoons of flour to prevent them bleeding color. I find using frozen berries usually increases the bake time by about 5 minutes.

This easy blueberry bread will stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, and it also freezes well. To freeze, make sure the bread is 100% cooled. Then wrap in tightly in plastic (either slices or the whole loaf), and place in a freezer container or freezer bag. Then when you’re ready to enjoy, thaw in the fridge the night before. I recommend freezing it without the glaze.

This blueberry bread is so deliciously moist, tender, and when it’s filled with juicy berries – you really can’t go wrong.

Love blueberries? Try these other favorites too:

• Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Triple Berry Muffins
• Blueberry Coffee Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Muffins
• Blueberry Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Cake

Print Recipe

Blueberry Bread

This easy blueberry bread is buttery, moist and filled with juicy berries in every bite. It's like a big, warm, slice of your favorite blueberry muffin. 

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Blueberry Bread, Blueberry Recipes, Quick Breads

Servings: 10 slices

Author: Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter , melted & cooled
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup sour cream*
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ½ cups blueberries , fresh or frozen**

Glaze (Option

• 1 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice , or milk

Instructions

Blueberry Bread

• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x5 inch loaf pan*** with parchment, then grease and flour the sides.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl beat together the melted butter, sugar and lemon zest.
• Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
• Beat in the sour cream.
• Turn the mixer off, then gently fold in about ½ of the flour mixture using a rubber spatula.
• Then gently fold in the milk, followed by the rest of the flour mixture.
• When the batter is almost mixed together (there will still be some lumps), fold in the berries.**
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes. After about 30 minutes of baking, tent a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the bread to prevent burning on the top. When the bread is done an inserted toothpick should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs and the bread should feel firm or slightly springy to the touch .
• Cool fully in the pan before cutting in. 

Glaze

• Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
• Whisk in a little more powdered sugar or lemon juice as necessary. It should look white in color, but thin enough to drizzle.
• Remove the cooled bread from the pan, and drizzle the glaze over top.

Notes

*Plain Greek yogurt works too. 

**If using frozen berries, do not thaw. Toss frozen berries in 2 tsp flour before gently folding into the batter.

***I find baking in a ceramic or glass pan increases the bake time. 

Make-ahead Tips: Cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze the bread, cool fully then wrap tightly in plastic. Place in a freezer container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge.