Best Vegan Lemon Blueberry Bread 🍋 A simply scrumptious recipe for making a loaf of the best lemon blueberry bread with all vegan ingredients. Deliciously moist and topped with a citrusy lemony glaze, this quick bread will brighten anyone's day.
Lemons and blueberries together are pure magic. The contrast of tart and sweet and the vibrant color of brilliant yellow lemon with deep purple blueberries is a feast for the tastebuds and the eyes!
I'd been in the mood to bake something with lemon and blueberries, and as usual, began leafing through my mom's tattered and well-loved recipe books full of old family recipes for inspiration. Initially, I thought I would make my great grandmother's old-fashioned Welsh lemon pound cake, but once I read how much butter and sugar went into that heavenly creation, I thought - not. Sorry Grandma. That's when I decided to create a quick bread instead of a pound cake. Banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, orange bread and most muffins are all quick breads. And if you love lemon bread, wait until you try this recipe for the most fabulous vegan lemon cake with lemon curd!
Table of Contents
🍋 Why we love this recipe
- It's easy and simple to prepare
- It's scrumptious!
- You can use fresh or frozen blueberries
- Is a perfect lemon blue berry breakfast cake
- It looks amazing
- A perfect sweet snack or dessert to serve guests
- No eggs or dairy
- Less sugar and fat than pound cake
This recipe is very easy to prepare. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a lemony-licious treat that everyone can enjoy. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, this sweet quick bread makes a great morning or afternoon snack. Ready to experience a loaf of the best vegan lemon blueberry bread you've ever tasted? Let's start baking!
🍋 Ingredient Notes
See the printable recipe card below for quantities and details
I love making quick breads. Like the name suggests, a quick bread is just that - a leavened flour-based loaf that does not require yeast or additional time for rising/proofing in order for the bread to increase in volume. Muffins and quick breads rise while baking. For this recipe, we will use baking powder as a leavening agent.
- Flour - I prefer using organic all-purpose flour. (See FAQ's below for tips on preparing this recipe gluten-free).
- Salt
- Baking powder - a fresh package is best for rise.
- Dairy-free butter - Vegan butter (melted)
- Sugar - granulated and powdered sugar
- Vegan egg replacer - I used Bob's Red Mill See below for more egg substitute options,
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon juice - fresh is best but bottled will work too.
- Lemon zest
- Non-dairy milk - your choice. I often use rice milk in this recipe.
- Blueberries - fresh or frozen
🍋 Baking tip: Vegan Egg Substitutes
Why are eggs used in baking?
Most traditional recipes for baked goods such as cakes, cookies, muffins, and quick breads specify eggs as an essential ingredient.
Eggs have been used in baking due to their unique properties that contribute to the structure, texture, and flavor of various baked goods. They act as binders, providing stability and holding ingredients together. Eggs also add moisture, tenderness, and richness to baked goods. Additionally, eggs help in creating a fluffy and light texture in cakes and other pastries.
The problem is, eggs are not vegan. Whether obtained from factory farm chickens housed in battery cages, free range, or backyard pet chickens, the physical and emotional toll these animals endure to continually produce eggs is harmful and inhumane.
What to use instead of eggs in baking?
Fortunately, there are several excellent options for cruelty-free egg substitutes that work great for replacing eggs in baking recipes. Here are some of the most common plant-based ingredients that can be used instead of eggs in baking.
Best vegan egg substitutes for baking
A note about egg substitutes
The best substitute for eggs in baking can vary depending on the specific recipe and desired outcome. Experimenting with different substitutes and adjusting quantities may be necessary to achieve the desired texture and flavor.
🫐 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180℃.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with butter. (Parchment paper keeps the bread from sticking to the pan and makes clean-up easier).
3. Thoroughly rinse blueberries - remove any small stems. Place into a bowl.
4. Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl, thoroughly whisk or stir the melted vegan butter, sugar, egg replacer, vanilla, lemon juice and zest.
6. Gradually add the dry ingredients into wet, alternating with vegan milk. Stir until just combined - don't over-mix.
7. Sprinkle the blueberries with 1 or 2 teaspoons of flour. Lightly toss berries in flour to coat. This will help prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf while baking.
8. Gently stir the berries into the batter.
9. Pour batter into the loaf pan. Place in a preheated oven at 350ºF for 55 - 60 minutes. Begin checking at about 50 minutes.
10. The lemon blueberry loaf will be ready to pull from the oven when the top is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean & dry. Place on a wire rack to cool for 30 - 40 minutes.
🍋 Adding the lemon glaze
When the loaf is cool, remove it from the pan and place it back on the wire rack with a baking sheet or foil underneath (to catch the excess icing/glaze). In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Using a spoon, drizzle lemon glaze over loaf. Sprinkle with lemon zest.
Slice & enjoy!
🫐 Equipment
These are the items you may need to prepare this recipe.
- 2 medium/ 1 small mixing bowls
- 9" x 5" loaf pan
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk, mixing spoon or silicone spatula
- Citrus squeezer
- Citrus zester
- Parchment to line baking pan (optional)
🍋 FAQ's
What's the difference between lemon pound cake and lemon bread?
Pound cake earned its name for a good reason. When the recipe was originated centuries ago, it contained a pound each of the 4 main ingredients: flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Whoa. Today, the amount is less but the proportions have remained equal, which is why pound cake has a very fine and richly dense crumb or texture.
Quick breads, like this recipe for a simple lemon blueberry bread, require less flour, butter, sugar and eggs (or in this case - vegan butter and egg replacer). The result is a moist, lighter, slightly coarse cake-like texture - still rich & full of flavor - but with fewer calories, added sugar & fat.
How to keep blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf?
Fresh and frozen blueberries will have a tendency to sink down into the batter while baking. A simple solution to prevent that is by lightly coating the berries with flour before adding to your batter. You can do the same with pancake batter. Just don't add too much extra flour.
If you want your berries evenly distributed throughout the loaf, pour just the batter (without berries) into the loaf pan, then use a bamboo skewer or long toothpick and gently press the berries into the batter everywhere you want them. I would still dust them with flour first.
How to make lemon blueberry bread gluten-free?
To prepare this recipe without wheat gluten, I suggest using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I have successfully used Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur gluten-free flour in quick breads in the past.
Here's a few more citrus inspired recipes you might like to try!
If you love this recipe ★★★★★ please be sure to rate it below! Sharing your experience lets me know that you enjoyed it and will help other readers decide if they should give the recipe a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕
Recipe
Best Vegan Lemon Blueberry Bread
Equipment
- 2 medium/ 1 small mixing bowls
- 9" x 5" loaf pan
- Whisk, mixing spoon or silicone spatula
- Parchment to line baking pan (optional)
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Bread
- 1 - ½ cups flour all-purpose
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup vegan butter melted
- ⅔ cup sugar granulated
- 2 eggs equivalent with vegan egg replacer, any type - I use Bob's Red Mill
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup non-dairy milk rice, oat, almond, soy - your choice
- ⅔ cup blueberries fresh or frozen
Lemon Glaze
- ⅔ cup sugar powdered
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Line loaf pan with parchment or lightly grease with butter.
- Combine dry ingredients in bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine melted vegan butter, sugar, egg replacer, vanilla, lemon juice and zest. You can use an electric mixer for this part, but I suggest hand mixing everything else.
- Gradually add dry ingredients into wet, alternating with vegan milk. Stir until just combined - don't over-mix.
- Thoroughly rinse blueberries - remove any small stems. Place in an empty bowl and sprinkle with 1 - 2 teaspoon of flour. Lightly toss berries in flour to coat.
- Gently stir berries into batter.
- Pour batter into loaf pan. Place in preheated oven at 350º for 55 - 60 minutes. Begin checking at about 50 minutes. Loaf will be ready when the top is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean & dry.
- Place on rack (in pan) and cool for 30 - 40 minutes.
Lemon Glaze
- Remove lemon blueberry bread from loaf pan. Place on rack with baking sheet or foil underneath.
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar with lemon juice until it's a slightly thick but pourable consistency. Adjust amount of sugar/juice if needed.
- Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over loaf. Sprinkle with lemon zest.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Liz says
I've made this several times, and it always turns out just like the pictures! Great recipe. Not too sweet. I made it this weekend to try to bring a taste of spring in chilly weather, and it definitely brightened my day. I always use frozen blueberries, to great success.
Connie says
Liz, you truly made my day with your wonderful comments! So happy you love the lemon blueberry bread. Now I want to bake a loaf! Thank you kindly!💚
Courtney R says
I whipped this up late last night so I'd have a quick breakfast to take to work. I nanny for a couple toddler twins. My husband texted me saying it was delicious (he brought some to work too) and the babies mauled me to get more of it. 😂 I plan to make another loaf and give it to the family. Huge hit!!
Connie says
Sweet!! So happy to hear that your hubby and the littles in your care loved it! Thank you kindly Courtney for your wonderful comments and the 5 star rating!💚
Debbie Borrello says
Fabulous recipe, I used apple sauce as egg replacement and it was moist and delicious
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Sweet! I haven't tried applesauce in this recipe yet, it's so nice to know it works well. Thanks a bunch for your kind comments and 5-star rating, Debbie!💚🥕
Kate W says
My favorites lemon and blueberry. I must try right away. What if I’d like to use regular butter and eggs? How much butter and how many eggs? Thank You 🙏🏼
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
As an ethical vegan, I've never attempted to create this recipe with animal-based products nor would I recommend using them. I do hope you'll give it a try with the plant-based ingredients I have listed, it's simply delicious.
Judy says
Hello. I'm just going to make this and noticed for the glaze you have 1 tsp lemon zest but don't mention it in the process at the end. Do you add this to the glaze or do you just sprinkle this on top after it's done? Thank you kindly.
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Judy!
Sprinkle the zest on top of the glaze.(Thanks for letting me know, I just updated the directions). Can't wait to hear how it turns out! Happy baking!🍋🫐
Sam says
Lemon and blueberry is my favorite combo ever!! It's so delicious!
J says
Can the all purpose flour be replaced with a healthier option?
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
J - I've only made this recipe with all-purpose flour but if you have a different type of flour you prefer, I think it would be worth trying. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you give it a go!
Carolina says
I love this Lemon Blueberry Bread. So easy! I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with a perfect, not too sweet, dessert bread.
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Carolina - thank you for sharing!🍋 I'm so happy you enjoyed the lemon blueberry bread!
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Lemon + blueberries + cake. It simply doesn't get any better! 🍋💚
Debbie says
I've made this recipe a couple times. I'm curious to know how much applesauce was used?
I've used applesauce in other recipes and like using it. I'm making a loaf to bring camping. My sister and brother in law will love it. Thank you
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Debbie, I'm glad to know you enjoy the recipe! Do you want to substitute the vegan egg-replacer or butter? For eggs, you'll need 1/2 cup (1/4 cup applesauce per egg). For butter, use 1/3 cup applesauce.