Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf is moist and delicious with just the right amount of blueberries and lemon. Enjoy a slice for dessert today, perfect with tea or coffee!
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
Do you ever miss baking? I do! And if you’re anything like me, then I know how strong the cravings are for something lemony, moist, and full of juicy blueberries. So moist in fact that you’ll want to be extra careful when slicing it up to enjoy. Who could have thought that one little loaf would have so much to bring to the table?
If the idea of baking a bread fills any newbie bakers with fear, don’t sweat it – the hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the oven timer to ding as that divine smell fills your home, I promise. With this under your belt you’ll have no problem mastering my delicious marbled chocolate banana bread next, because loaves need a little company on the countertop before they’re gobbled up.
Ingredients In Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe, for complete measurements and instructions be sure to keep scrolling:
- Flour – All purpose is all you’ll need for this loaf.
- Baking powder – This is a leavening agent, which means it’ll help this delicious cake rise in the oven.
- Salt – So important for bringing all those flavours together and making them shine.
- Greek Yogurt – Unflavoured will do just fine. Packed full of protein and probiotics, this yogurt is key for a moist slice.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar is what I use in this recipe. For information regarding which sugars work best in your baked good, this guide is a good start.
- Eggs – An important emulsifier for ensuring a smooth batter.
- Lemon zest – This will pack more citrusy flavour than just lemon juice alone, be sure to wash your lemons well prior to zesting.
- Vanilla Extract – A (not so secret) secret ingredient that will give your baked goods a flavor that is well balanced and well rounded. Without vanilla you may find your loaf’s flavour a little flat.
- Vegetable oil – A must for keeping your Lemon Blueberry Loaf from getting dry. You’ll want to look for a light, flavorless oil with a high smoke point. Canola is a great all purpose oil for recipes like this one.
- Blueberries – Fresh or frozen will serve you well. Treat them gently once they’re in the batter and these little antioxidant bombs will reward you.
Ingredients In Lemon Syrup
I love to double down on that citrusy goodness and there’s just no better way than with a delicious lemon syrup that we will incorporate into the cake once it’s had some time to cool.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed is the way to go, no ifs ands or butts. Want a trick for getting as much juice as possible? Make sure your lemons are room temperature before placing on the counter whole, press your hand down firmly and roll the lemon back and forth. Slice and juice till your hearts content!
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar will do just fine.
Ingredients In Lemon Glaze
More lemon? Am I crazy? Well maybe a little, but I know you are too so let’s go that extra mile together.
- Icing sugar – This finely ground sugar dissolves easily and is perfect for icing and glazes. Don’t be tempted by the granulated used earlier, it will give your glaze a gritty texture.
- Lemon juice – Just a bit more of the fresh stuff for us lemon fiends.
- Vanilla extract – Key for mellowing out that citrus and sugar hit.
- Milk – Used sparingly to thin out the glaze if need be.
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
- Prepare your oven and loaf pan: Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pan with unsalted butter or cooking spray and then flour it.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Hold off on the sugar for now! Set aside once done.
- Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl whisk together the yogurt, lemon zest, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry: Add the wet to the dry and whisk till fully incorporated.
- Prepare the blueberries: Add a tablespoon of flour to the blueberries in a separate bowl, this will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan while baking. Gently fold them into the batter once well coated.
- Pour into loaf pan: Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or till a toothpick can be inserted into the centre and come out clean, whichever comes first.
- Finishing the loaf: When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack, be sure to place the rack on a baking sheet beforehand. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes in the top of the cake. Pour the lemon syrup (recipe below) over the cake and allow to cool. Once cooled drizzle with the lemon glaze, slice and enjoy!
How To Make Lemon Syrup
Prepare in a saucepan: Cook the lemon juice with the sugar just until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
How To Make Lemon Glaze
Combine the ingredients: Whisk the lemon juice, icing sugar, and vanilla till the consistency is smooth. You’re going to be aiming for a runny glaze so add a tablespoon of milk at a time once combined to achieve the right consistency.
Storing Your Loaf
- The best way to store your new Lemon Blueberry Yogurt loaf is right on the counter top. Storing it in the fridge may dry out your dessert prematurely. Place it on a plate and cover with plastic wrap and it will last for 3 days before it begins to get dry. The milk in the glaze won’t spoil on the counter before the 3 day mark so don’t sweat it.
- If you’d prefer to store in the freezer, wrap the loaf tightly in aluminum foil before placing in a large ziploc bag, be sure to press out as much of the air in the bag as possible before sealing. This method will keep your loaf fresh for up to 4 months. To thaw you’ll want to keep it wrapped in foil as it thaws on your counter for up to 3 hours.
- Don’t glaze your loaf before putting it in the freezer, the glaze can become runny while thawing.
- The glaze can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Tips For Making The Best Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
- Use fat free Greek yogurt if you’d like to cut down on calories for this recipe.
- Oven temperatures vary, mine took around an hour and 15 minutes to bake this loaf so don’t worry if you hit the 50 minute mark and it’s not quite ready.
- If you use frozen blueberries rather than fresh be sure to rinse them well and pat dry with paper towel before incorporating.
- Grease your loaf pan well, especially in the corners.
Alternatives
- If you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand, sour cream can be substituted as it will still provide moisture, tanginess, and the needed level of fat. Don’t worry your loaf won’t taste like sour cream once it’s been baked.
- Regular yogurt lacks the fat and protein that makes its Greek alternative so great for this recipe so it is not a recommended substitute.
- As a general rule, berries and tree fruit can be baked. If you don’t have blueberries on hand feel free to use: raspberries, blackberries, cherries (pitted), etc. Just be extra careful when folding these into the batter.
- A Bundt cake pan works just as well if you lack a loaf pan.
Craving More Lemon? Try these recipes:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
- Old Fashioned Lemon Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Lemon Yogurt Cake
- Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread With Lemon Icing
Looking for more recipes? Follow on... My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 10 mins
Serves: 12
This Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf is moist and delicious with just the right amount of blueberries and lemon. Enjoy a slice for dessert today, perfect with tea or coffee!
Ingredients
For Loaf
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
For Lemon Syrup
- 1/3 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp sugar
For Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- milk, if needed to thin out the glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Grease an 8.5x4.5x2.5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray then flour it.
- In a large bowl whisk together the 1 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla extract and vegetable oil.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
- In another small bowl mix together the blueberries with the 1 tbsp of flour. This will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Each oven is different so baking time could vary greatly. Mine took about 1 hour and 10 minutes to be completely done.
- While the loaf is baking make the lemon syrup by cooking the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of sugar in a small saucepan just until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
- Make the lemon glaze by whisking the icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract. This glaze needs to be quite runny, so add milk as needed, about a tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
- When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cook in the loaf pan for about 10 minutes. Remove from loaf pan onto a baking rack, then place the baking rack over a baking sheet. Poke holes in the cake using a skewer or toothpick then pour the lemon syrup all over the cake. Allow it to cool.
- Once the cake is cooled, drizzle with the lemon glaze, cut into slices and serve.
Video
Recipe Notes
Use fat free Greek yogurt if you'd like to cut down on calories for this recipe.
Make sure the cake is fully cooled before topping it with the glaze.
The glaze is meant to come out quite thin, but feel free to adjust the amount of liquid and icing sugar to suit you preference.
This recipe will make fantastic muffins as well. Adjust the baking time for 25-30 minutes for regular muffins, and 12-15 minutes for mini muffins.
If you use frozen blueberries, make sure to rinse them very well and pat dry with paper towels.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Recipe loosely adapted from Ina Garten
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 291kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 44g (15%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 10g (15%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Cholesterol: 53mg (18%)Sodium: 124mg (5%)Potassium: 170mg (5%)Sugar: 30g (33%)Vitamin A: 85IU (2%)Vitamin C: 7.7mg (9%)Calcium: 67mg (7%)Iron: 1.1mg (6%)
Marion says
Can I use olive oil as that is all I have in the cupboard.
Jo Cooks Team says
As long as it’s not extra virgin olive oil. Just keep in mind it has a stronger flavor than vegetable oil and may pick up in the flavor of the loaf.
Mae says
I’m currently home because of my country’s Restricted Movement Order and My oven just broke down T_T , can I steam this recipe instead?
jo says
Interesting question. I can’t say I’ve ever steam any kind of baked good before but right off the bat, I think it might work, the difference is you might not end up with that brown top.
Marina says
This recipe is amazing. I changed it a bit. Used 2 eggs instead of 3, cut oil and sugar in half and reduced by quarter baking powder. Used 1 cup of blueberries and half cup or raisins (golden and
dark ones mixed ) . It turned out great. Love , love , love this loaf . And I usually don’t leave comments.😁. This one worth it👍
Jo Cooks Team says
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! We’re glad you love the recipe 🙂
Catherine says
This recipe is amazing! Cake was really moist and delicious!
Does anyone know what I can substitute for the greek yogurt and eggs if I wanted to make this vegan?
I will be entertaining some vegan guests over the weekend and would really like to serve this.
Jo Cooks Team says
Check out your local grocery store and see if they have any vegan yogurt or egg alternatives. Otherwise, there are lots of recipes online for easy homemade dairy-free yogurts! For eggs, 1 tbsp chia seeds soaked in 3 tbsp water = 1 egg.
Charlotte says
Can I use cake flour instead? Thanks!
Jo Cooks Team 2 says
Yes you can! The amount would need to be adjusted a little bit – use 1 cup + 2 Tbsp of cake flour as a substitute.
Linda says
This recipe is phenomenal! I couldn’t stop eating it. I didn’t even do the glaze (out of laziness) but I did add the syrup! It’s one of my favorite flavor combinations of all time. It’s so moist and delicious. This will become a go-to recipe.
Carolyn says
This is the exact recipe l’ve been using for yrs except your recipe calls for 1/2 cup of more berries 🤨
jamie says
Everyone loves this bread! It disappeared in under 10 minutes at our small family gathering. And that was the loaf I froze. It was just as delicious as the fresh baked one. Thank you for the great recipe, Jo!
Jo Cooks Team says
That’s fantastic to hear! Nothing like some fresh homemade lemon loaf 🙂
Belinda A McCoy says
I have made this recipe 5 more times for my family and I am about to make multiple loaves to give to my friends. IT IS THE BEST, QUICK, & EASY loaf to make. SO MUCH FLAVOR, and super moist, most delicious loaf recipe I have ever tried. AND it’s pretty too. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and oh by the way….I do not use sugar. I use my own blend of Stevia and Splenda and its perfect.
Jo Cooks Team says
That’s amazing to hear, Belinda! We’re so glad you love the recipe.
Grace says
What type of sugar should we use?
jo says
Just regular granulated sugar.
Matthew G Contri says
I’ve made this for the past 3 years, this year used a bundt cake pan. This is always a hit and this year fed more.
Has anyone done this in an Instapot? If so any special settings I should know about.
Catherine Walsh says
I made cupcakes (the mix made 24), baking them for 15 minutes. I added the lemon syrup but not the glaze. They are gorgeous! Thanks for the recipe.
Sheridan Fittock says
Hi Jo, since I have found your recipe, I have been making this loaf every week! I have been using Mulberries that grow locally. The loafs have turned out amazingly every time! Thank you 😊
jo says
That’s wonderful to hear, so glad you’re enjoying this. 🙂
Cheryl Petretti says
This is an amazing recipe, Jo! My grandson made it for a County Fair competition (First Place!), and we liked it so much we started offering it to our AIRBNB guest who absolutely LOVE it! (It’s even been mentioned in our reviews!)
Thank you so much for this recipe! :0)
Leen of Melbourne says
Hi Jo
Thanks for the recipe! I reduced the sugar to 159g and added 25ml fresh lemon juice and the cake was so moist and delicious.. didn’t do the syrup or glaze. I will make it again..perhaps with raspberries..
Pamela Jackson says
Could you make this recipe in the bread machine as a sweet loaf? It looks wonderful.
Joanna Cismaru says
I haven’t made this in a bread machine, haven’t owned one in a very long time. You probably could, just make sure you follow the bread machine instructions as far as ingredient order and so on.
Thomas Manley says
I baked this today and as of now, I do not have anything to show for it. I recommend that when you bake one, you should do at least two. That way, when you try and see how the first one tasted, you won’t be disappointed like I am now, that you and your guests ate all of it in one sitting. This is so gooodd!!!! Thanks for a great recipe! Tom
Joanna Cismaru says
My pleasure, Tom! Next time….make 2! LOL
Rosanna says
I have made this recipe many times with one change. I use 100% pure Chosen Foods cold pressed, naturally refined avocado oil which has up to 260°C smoke point. It has a mild, and smooth flavour too. I use Avocado oil in all my baking and cooking.. I make your yummy loaf for my mother two or sometimes three times a month..she loves lemon and blueberries..so it’s a perfect snack with her tea..BTW it freezes nicely too..Cheers 😊
Elena Iconaru says
I’ve done it, and looks great; it took 1 hr and 10 min in my oven. Can’t wait to taste it!
Thanks and I will make more of your recipes, Jo!!
Joanna Cismaru says
My pleasure, glad you liked it!