When it's time to pick lemons in Arizona, it's time to make lemon blueberry bread. There's nothing like fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for lemon blueberry bread. And, there is nothing like the taste of fresh lemons right off the tree.
In Arizona, lemons ripen in the trees and need to be picked in January. This year, however, our warmer than usual winter presented an early harvest. In other words, I have hundreds of beautiful lemons.
Obviously, we share our lemons with our neighborbors and family, and I juice and zest as many as I can to use when lemons are $1.00 apiece at the grocery store.
Since lemon brings out the berries' flavor, I decided to add some beautiful organic blueberries I found at the market. Blueberry lemon bread, without a doubt, resembles desert rather than bread.
Like my Orange Cranberry Bread recipe, I made this blueberry lemon bread recipe oil-free and without refined sugar.
Let's make some luscious blueberry lemon bread.
Juicing and zesting the lemons
To juice the lemons for the freshest lemon juice, I used my Cuisinart Juicer. Although I only needed 1/2 cup of lemon juice for the blueberry lemon bread, I juiced additional lemons and zest to freeze to use later.
Tips for juicing in-season fruits to use in the off-season
Even though the juicer quickly juices the lemons, it helps strain the already juiced lemons. Once strained, the juice is free of any additional pulp or seeds that may slip through the juicer.
Additional ways save juices in-season to save money in the off-season.
As you know, lemons, limes, and other citrus are expensive, especially in the off-season. Regardless if you have a lemon tree in your back year, in-season fruit is cheaper and fresher than off-season fruit.
Instead of wasting money, consider these ways of using in-season fruit and preserving it for later use.
- Juice lemons, oranges, and limes freeze in ice cube trays (2-3 Tablespoons each ice cube reservoir); then transfer into a zip lock bag for easy access to use drinks, sauces, or other recipes calling for citrus.
- Freeze lemon, orange, and lime slices or wedges for up to 3 months to add to summer drinks
- Freshly squeezed citrus juice lasts up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
- Make fresh lemonade
- Zest multiple lemons or other citrus and keep in the refrigerator in a mason jar for up to 2 weeks. Zest can also be frozen in a mason jar or freezer-safe container and scooped out as needed.
What ingredients are in blueberry lemon bread?
- All-purpose flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Lemon Zest
- Oat Milk
- Blueberries
- Vanilla Extract
- Maple Syrup (or coconut sugar)
One of my favorite parts about this blueberry lemon bread recipe is it all happens in one bowl. Once the dry ingredients are stirred together, the rest of the ingredients go into the very same bowl.
The blueberries, however, aren't folded in until the very end, so they maintain firmness and don't break apart. Also, I reserve some blueberries to add to the top of the batter once it's poured into the pan.
Another tip is to use a silicone loaf pan or line the pan with parchment paper to avoid having to use any sprays or oils.
When the bread is completely cooked, check to make sure it's done by placing a knife into eh middle of the loaf pan. If it's done, the knife comes out clean. Pop it back into the oven if some batter appears on the knife.
Additionally, allow the blueberry lemon bread to cool completely before removing the bread from the pan. As a result, the flavors in the bread enhance even more if you can wait until the next day to eat the bread.
If you can wait, cover the bread tightly and patiently wait for a delicious piece of blueberry lemon bread with a cup of your favorite tea or coffee.
So, the next time you're craving a sweet treat, give blueberry lemon bread a try.
If you are looking or some sweet treats, check out these healthy sweet recipes
- Orange Cranberry Bread
- Greek New Year Bread
- Pumpkin Spice Bread
- Mini Chocolate Donuts
- Pomegranate Chocolates
- Simple Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Vegan Vanilla Pudding
- Chocolate Vegan Pudding
- Chia Seed Pudding
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Blueberry lemon bread is oil-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free. Made with fresh Arizona lemons and organic blueberries that literally pop in your mouth. Each bite is like sunshine in your mouth.
Ingredients
Blueberry Lemon Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 salt
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or 1 flax egg)
- 1/2 cup oat unsweetened oat milk (or any unsweetened plant-milk of choice)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (or 3/4 cups coconut sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups blueberries, divided (reserve 1/2 cup for the top of the bread)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir dry ingredients together to make sure the baking powder and baking soda are mixed in.
- If using coconut sugar, stir into the dry ingredients.
- Now add the apple sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and oat milk. Also, add maple syrup if using instead of coconut sugar.
- Stir by hand; do not use an electric mixer.
- Do not over-stir; just make sure all the ingredients and wet ingredients create a thick and slightly lumpy batter.
- Next, gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Using a silicone bread pan or a pan lined with parchment paper, pour bread batter into the pan, scraping down the bowl's sides to get all the batter.
- Then, place 1/2 cup blueberries into the top of the bread, randomly placing them. This is just for added flavor and for aesthetics.
- Cook for 50-55 minutes. If using a silicone pan, check the bread at 45 minutes since it cooks quickly.
- To check to make sure the bread is cooked through, place a knife through the middle. It should come out clean. If there is batter on the knife, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
10 servingsServing Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 168Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 194mgCarbohydrates 43gFiber 2gSugar 16gProtein 4g
Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Ruth Petrucci
You show your bread in a glass pan without parchment paper and not Silicone pan. Is it really the recipe in that pan you have given us in about.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Ruth, of course, it's the same recipe. I sprayed it with water because I ran out of parchment paper at the last minute. Mine actually stuck a little bit, so I wanted to remind you to use the parchment paper or a silicone pan, so yours doesn't stick like mine did.
Ruth Petrucci
Thank you.
Donna Lohman
Hi Kathy, the bread looks delicious!!! I can't wait to try it.
For the all-purpose white flour, Can I use oat or wheat flour instead?
Does it taste just as good?
Thank you for sharing your love of food.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Donna, someone tried Bob Mill's 2-1 gluten-free four today and it turned out delicious. I would use oat flour before wheat flour. Sometimes wheat flour makes things a bit drier than oat flour. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Donna
I am excited about trying this recipe this weekend. Your photos are amazing! I would like to replace the maple syrup with agave. Do you have any thoughts/insights about that? Thanks.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Donna, you can easily replace the maple syrup with gave. I haven't tried it, so let me know how it goes. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Donna R
Kathy,
I wish you could see and smell my loaf... it is amazing! This is my first time cooking a loaf, and I believe I may have done something wrong because, while it is perfect on the outside and tastes delicious (and smells even better), it is a little wet/moist on the inside. Maybe that is how it is supposed to be, but it does not look as dry as your photo. I'll try it again. Thanks for the GREAT recipe!
Kathy Carmichael
Donna, did you let it rest and set up? Or it may just need to bake a little longer. Did you test it with a knife to make sure it came out clean?
Donna R
You are so kind to reply! I did both. I'm baking it longer by the slice in my toaster oven--- as I eat it, It's perfect. Thanks!
Kathy Carmichael
Donna, I'm so glad it worked out. And I'm glad you liked the lemon blueberry bread. I love toasting slices in the toaster oven too 🙂
June
I'm a little confused. I thought all-purpose flour is the same as wheat flour. What's the difference?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi June, all-purpose flour, also known as white flour, is usually made from a mix of hard and soft wheat to achieve the ideal protein content. The bran and germ are removed. I buy unbleached all-purpose flour.
On the other hand, whole-wheat flour is made up of the whole wheat kernel—endosperm, bran, and germ. Because of this, it has a higher protein content than all-purpose, as well as more fiber, nutrients, and flavor. Because the bran and germ get in the way of gluten formation, whole-wheat flour has a bad rap for making baked goods dense.
Either flour can be used or a combination of both for the lemon blueberry bread.
Barbara Kay
What a great explanation! I've never heard that, but so appreciate your detailed info, Thanks!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Barbara. You are very welcome. I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂