This Blueberry Lemon Bread is sweet, tangy, loaded with juicy blueberries and a decadent cream cheese swirl! It’s the perfect quick bread recipe for Spring!
Lemon and blueberries is one of my favorite combinations, but I crave it even more once the sun starts bringing some heat and Spring is on the way!
The freshness of lemon is one flavor we love in all forms!
Some of our other favorites? Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake, and this Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts.
The Blueberry Lemon Bread is made extra special with a decadent cream cheese swirl and a tangy lemon glaze. You can omit either or both, if you want to take this Lemon Bread from a special treat to a more responsible every day snack or breakfast 😉
I’ve included more tips and tricks for customizing this easy Lemon Bread recipe below.
I love quick breads because they’re less work than muffins (no messing with liners or scooping), and they can go from breakfast to school lunches to dessert pretty easily, with an extra serving of fruit or a drizzle of glaze.
I ended up adapting the recipe from Taste of Home’s Complete Guide to Baking cookbook (which I actually can’t find on Amazon anymore), which I love when I’m looking for help with a basic baking recipe! You could skip the cream cheese layer completely if you want to, but I think that’s what really makes this bread extra special.
Looking for a basic recipe? Try this Glazed Lemon Bread next.
Variations on this Cream Cheese Filled Blueberry Lemon Bread:
- Feel free to leave out the cream cheese or the glaze if you want to cut back on the sugar in this recipe.
- I have made the cream cheese layer with an without the egg, so if you don’t have an extra, don’t fret! It will be fine without.
- If you don’t have fresh lemons, you can use lemon extract in place of the lemon zest and juice. Use about 2 tablespoons of lemon extract, depending on how much you like lemon 😉
- Fresh or frozen blueberries both work well in this recipe. If you are using frozen blueberries, be sure to add in frozen and toss with a bit of flour for best results. They do tend to turn the batter purple, but it won’t affect the flavor! If using frozen blueberries, you may need to bake this loaf longer, up to 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Once the lemon bread reaches your desired exterior color, cover tightly with foil to prevent further browning. I have found that lemon breads tend to brown more than some others, so I always recommend covering it once it is golden brown.
What kind of pan is best for this Blueberry Lemon Bread?
A while back, I switched out my old non-stick loaf pans for glass pans, which I love.
However, my glass pans are only 1.5L, while my other pans were 2L, and I’m noticing how much of a difference that makes! Please note that this recipe is tested in an 8×4″ glass loaf pan, and if you have a 9×5″ or a dark non stick then you might find it bakes much more quickly and is a little lower. Just check the bread 10-20 minutes before the end of the baking time and check every 5 minutes with a toothpick.
*This post, recipe, images and video has been updated since its original post date in June 2017.
Cream Cheese Filled Blueberry Lemon Bread
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup plain 0% Greek yogurt (150 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup lemon juice (1 lemon)
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (200-210 grams) fluffed and levelled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- zest of 2 lemons (or 3, if you like things tangy!)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (*if using frozen blueberries, toss with 1 tablespoon flour before adding to batter)
Cream Cheese Layer
- 4 oz cream cheese ½ package
- 1/4 cup sugar 50g
- 1 egg white
Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered icing sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8×4″ (or 9×5″ — see note above) loaf pan (I recommend glass or silicone as it will darken more quickly in a non stick pan).
- In a large bowl whisk together oil and sugar. Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla and juice and whisk until smooth.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest and stir just until combined. Fold in blueberries.
- Make the cream cheese layer: in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg white with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Pour ⅔ of your bread batter into prepared loaf pan. Top with all of cream cheese mixture and spread evenly. Top with remaining ⅓ bread batter and smooth the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes, covering loosely with foil after 30 minutes or when top is golden, until a toothpick in the bread comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Note that the cream cheese will set as it cools.
- Cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Glaze
- Gradually stir lemon juice into powdered icing sugar until desired consistency is reached — you may not need all of the lemon juice!
- Drizzle over loaf before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Susan says
I used melted butter instead of the oil. Used regular sour cream because I didn’t have the yogurt in the fridge. And I skipped the egg white in the cream cheese. Came out fantastic. It’s not even fully cooled and the loaf is almost gone.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Susan!
Kathleen Paap says
I used blueberry Activia low calorie yogurt instead of Greek yogurt. I also made half of the recipe but cooked it for 53 min. in a glass pan. It turned out perfect. I didn’t even have to make the frosting because it is sweet enough on its own.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kathleen!
Mary says
Mine is in the oven now but I’m nervous. The batter was quite runny and filled my pan to the top!! I also didn’t read the ingredients right and bought plain regular yogurt, not Greek. Fingers crossed!!
Ashley Fehr says
I hope it turns out well for you! It will rise somewhat so I would try not to fill completely. It may be that your loaf pan was slightly smaller.
Mary says
It was a little smaller, but I have to say it turned out delicious!! I made a double recipe a week later!! Thank you!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Mary!
Piper Hepburn says
I made this yesterday and it came out perfect. Followed directions exactly, except I only had 1 lemon so I added lemon extract. I wonder if the issues some others have had have something to do with altitude? I’m at about 4500 feet, so sometimes things take longer to cook here.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Piper! It’s definitely something worth noting!
Shannon Kite says
I just made two loaves. It’s very good, but a little gummy/dense? Is that because it’s a quick bread, no yeast?
Ashley Fehr says
It shouldn’t be dense, but it is different than yeast bread. It is more like cake than yeast bread. If it’s gummy, it could be that it needed to be baked a little longer.
Gabby says
I made this for our family‘s Mother’s Day brunch today. OMG – it was so delicious! Everyone liked it. I will definitely make it again!!
I have a question – do you think I can substitute the yogurt for mascarpone? I made it with sour cream this time and it worked really well. I just happen to have leftover mascarpone in the fridge and I‘m looking for something to use it up with.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear you liked it! I can’t say for sure, but I think it should work fine? I’ve never tried!
Gabby says
I made it again last night for a friend’s birthday and it turned out fine with the mascarpone. It adds calories to the bread, though 😉
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for coming back and letting me know!
Jason Van Tassel says
This was 10/10. Easy to make and absolutely delicious.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jason!
Shaniece Custis says
For the baking powder can we substitute it for baking soda ? Or something else ?
Ashley Fehr says
For this recipe I wouldn’t substitute the baking powder as it can throw off the whole recipe. Baking soda reacts with acid differently so the loaf won’t turn out the same
Rebecca says
This recipe turned out beautifully. I used frozen blueberries and sprinkled some flour on them as directed. I also substituted sour cream because I unfortunately did not have any greek yogurt on hand. Still, it was DELICIOUS! Thank you so much for sharing this. I can’t wait to try some more of your recipes. 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Rebecca! I’m so glad to hear that!
Joanne says
I made this with my daughter and it came out beautiful. It was perfect it took the exact cooking time . We did substitute regular sour cream for the greek yogurt. We will be making this again!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Joanne! I’m so happy to hear that!
Cindy says
Looks amazing, is there any way to make the glazed without powdered sugar? Want to avoid kids bouncing off the walls lol
Ashley Fehr says
You can just skip it!
Sandi says
You had me at cream cheese. I knew I had to make it :-).
Ashley Fehr says
I love my cream cheese too!
Renee Goerger says
This recipe is a real winner. The flavor is outstanding and my entire family loves it!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Renee!
Lisalia says
Lemon and blueberry is the BEST combo. Thanks for this yummy and easy to follow recipe! I cooked mine a little longer too – because I used frozen blueberries. It was delicious.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks! I’m so glad you liked it!
Jacki says
Can this be made into muffins instead of loaf?
Ashley Fehr says
I actually haven’t tried, sorry!
RB says
I’ve made this bread about 6-10 times in three different kitchens and it always comes out under-cooked in the middle. Ugh! Today, I even turned the temp down and cooked it for an extra 30 minutes and still came out the same. What’s the secret?!
Ashley Fehr says
I think you should probably bake it longer if it is not cooked? I just made this last week, so I know that it takes roughly an hour. It is moist, so I wouldn’t mistake that for being undercooked.
So Annoyed says
If 90 minutes doesn’t do it, then something is definitely wrong! It wasn’t moist, it was uncooked. I even tried a different sized pan in hopes that would help it cook more evenly. No luck. Slight improvement–The outside was nice and brown, but the inside was just a step above gooey. Once it cooled, it was just a gelatin like blob. I tossed it… again.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m not sure what to say, except that you should probably stop trying. There has been lots of success with this recipe, if you care to scan the comments below.
Christiane says
I made this bread last weekend – and it will definitely not be the last time I made it! It was really delicious! However, I also had the problem with the runny cream cheese filling despite using the egg white of a medium sized egg and will try using a different kind of cream cheese next time. Also, even though I reduced the sugar to 150 g in the dough and 40 g in the cream cheese filling the bread was still too sweet for my taste.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m glad it turned out well! The brand of cream cheese can definitely make a difference — organic cream cheese has a softer texture but I find if I use Philadelphia or a similar style it turns out great
Kelly says
I love this recipe! My only complaint is that every single time I make it, it needs an extra 15-25 minutes to cook than what’s written above. I’m not sure if I should turn the temperature up or what, but I always forget to allow that extra time!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Kelly! I’m so glad you like it! It’s so hard to say because all ovens cook so differently (and aren’t always very accurate regarding temperature). I’ll have to try the recipe again with an oven thermometer!
Elvira Ficca says
This is delicious, it baked longer because of the non stick pan. Great taste! I added abit more sugar!! Thanks
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Elvira!
Lauren says
Hiya, this looks amazing. Can I use plain flour instead of all purpose? And also what cream cheese is best to use?