The smell of freshly baked bread is always irresistible. Impress your family and friends with this moist and tender Lemon Blueberry Pull Apart Bread that’s bursting with sweet berries and drizzled with the perfect lemony glaze.
If you’re craving a bakery-style treat, you can’t go wrong with a simple Blueberry Pull Apart Bread. Every bite is layered with flaky dough, fresh berry jam and a sweet-tart lemon glaze.
This gorgeous bread is the perfect way to use up more of your farmers market fruit during blueberry season. There’s nothing quite like sweet juicy blueberries. 🫐
Lemon blueberry loaf has fresh blueberries like you find in easy blueberry muffins except it’s a yeast bread. The difference is that a quick bread recipe uses baking powder or baking soda and sour cream or greek yogurt, while this blueberry loaf recipe uses yeast instead, similar to what you would find in a cinnamon roll.
While this might look complicated, it’s an easy recipe that is really no harder then making cinnamon rolls. Instead of rolling the dough, you are stacking it. And instead of a cream cheese frosting, like I add to strawberry cinnamon rolls, this delicious lemon blueberry bread is drizzled with a simple lemon glaze.
Plump blueberries are roasted slightly, forming a jam that is spread on top of the bread dough, this way you don’t have to worry about the berries going to the bottom of the bread, you get blueberries in every bite.
If you’ve never made yeast bread, don’t be intimidated. Instant yeast is so easy to use and this blueberry bread recipe doesn’t require much prep time at all. While the dough rises you can make the juicy blueberry filling and stir together the lemon icing.
You could also make this recipe with homemade peach or strawberry jam. As a bonus, blueberries are chock-full of nutrition and one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. So you’ll even get a good dose of vitamin C with your morning lemon blueberry loaf cake!
Why you’ll love this Lemon Blueberry Bread Loaf
- It’s an impressive bread for breakfast or dessert
- Prep it the night before and bake it in the morning
- Flaky bread layered with fresh homemade blueberry filling
- The lemon glaze adds a tart zing
- Freeze the bread for lazy weekend leftovers
- A scrumptious treat with a cup of coffee or tea
Homemade Blueberry Bread Ingredients
Yeast – I use instant but you can substitute active if you don’t mind a little longer rising time
Whole milk – the extra fat makes the dough super soft and rich
Egg – warm to room temperature before using.
Butter – you’ll use some for both the bread and the blueberry filling
Blueberries – substitute frozen blueberries if fresh berries aren’t available, just drain the juice before roasting.
Lemon zest – a couple of teaspoons add a bright flavor to the blueberries and lemon glaze. For a more lemony flavor, add some fresh lemon juice to the icing.
Pantry staples – all purpose flour, granulated and powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract
Pro Tip: If you forgot to take your egg out of the refrigerator, place it in a bowl of warm water. It will warm up in no time.
Blueberry Bread Loaf Variations
- Use strawberries, blackberries or raspberries instead of the blueberries
- Substitute store-bought fruit jam for the homemade filling
- Try orange or lime zest instead of lemon zest
How to make Blueberry Bread with Lemon Glaze
Step 1:
Combine the sugar, yeast, and part of the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 2:
In a small bowl, microwave the butter, water, milk and vanilla until the butter has melted, about 30 seconds.
Step 3:
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then beat in the egg. Fold in the rest of the flour and combine.
Step 4:
Switch to the dough hook and beat until smooth and slightly sticky.
Step 5:
Place in a large bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot for about an hour.
Step 6:
Roll the dough into a rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
Step 7:
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Roll the dough into a 13 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread the blueberry sauce (instructions below) over the top. Then cut the dough into four 10 x 3-inch strips. and stack them on top of each other in the bottom of the pan.
Place them in the loaf pan.
Step 8:
Bake for 15 minutes, then cover with aluminum foil and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. You can use a toothpick to make sure the center of the loaf is cooked through. Let cool and remove to a wire rack before drizzling with glaze.
Blueberries Filling: To make the blueberry filling, combine melted butter, sugar and lemon zest and pour the mixture over fresh blueberries. Place the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, until they just start to burst. Cool before using.
Icing: Whisk powdered sugar and lemon zest together, then add milk or lemon juice until thin enough to drizzle.
Pro tip: To keep your blueberries fresh for up to two weeks, try a vinegar wash, or freeze them for even longer storage.
How to serve Blueberry Bread with Lemon Glaze
While the bread is a little sticky on the top from the glaze, you can still eat this with your fingers, or grab a fork. Try serving it at a brunch with eggs or a quiche or for a mid morning coffee break.
You can serve this warm, or at room temperature. You can even add some vanilla ice cream and have it for dessert. This is a simple recipe to double and make two loafs, one for now and freeze the 2nd for later. This has become one of my favorite recipes to make for a lazy weekend breakfast.
If you love blueberries and want to make more of a dessert recipe, then try a blueberry bundt cake that you can throw together in just a few minutes.
More sweet breakfast recipes
Love this lemon blueberry bread recipe? If you’re looking for more ideas for breakfast or burnch,try some of my favorites:
Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe FAQs
Store the cooled bread in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days or transfer to a freezer bag and keep in the freezer for three months.
You can use frozen blueberries. Let them thaw, and drain the extra liquid before roasting.
You can buy dry yeast in two forms: instant and active. I prefer making this bread recipe with instant yeast since it doesn’t need to be dissolved separately in water.
Strawberry Poke Cake, Icebox Pie and Crumble are great places to start if you’ve got extra strawberries.
To get your fill of blueberries try Pancakes, Bojangles Biscuits and Scones.
If blackberries are more your style you’ll love a Praline Crumble, Southern Cobbler or Blackberry Crisp topped with vanilla ice cream.
Since the cooked blueberries are layered between the dough, they will stay in place as it bakes.
You do not need to refrigerate this bread, placing it in the refrigerator will dry it out. It is best stored on the counter in an airtight container or freeze it.
Adapted from Bake from Scratch
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Blueberry Bread with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon yeast Instant
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg room temp
FILLING
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
ICING
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Place 1 cup of flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add butter, water, milk and vanilla and microwave for 30 seconds or just until butter has melted. It should be warm but not hot. If it’s hot, let it cool before adding to flour mixture. Beat on low until combined. Add egg and beat until combined.
- Add 1 ½ cups of flour and beat until combined, then change to the dough hook and beat on low until it is smooth. The dough will be slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky to handle then add more flour. Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Punch down the dough to remove the air and roll it into an 8 x 6 inch rectangle and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
- Spray a standard 8 x 4 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into a 13 x 10 inch rectangle. Spread blueberry sauce over the top, leaving a ½ inch border. Cut dough into four 10 x 3 inch strips and stack them on top of each other.
- Cut strips into 4 equal sections. Stack the sections in the loaf pan starting at the bottom and working to the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes to an hour, until doubled.
- Preheat oven to 350º . Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Then cover the loaf with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until it is golden brown. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove and drizzle with icing.
Blueberry filling:
- Preheat oven to 400º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour melted butter, sugar and lemon zest over blueberries in a medium bowl and stir until they are coated. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, until the berries have started to burst but still hold their shape. Let cool completely.
Icing:
- Combine powdered sugar and lemon zest. Add milk and whisk until it is smooth and thin enough to pour over the loaf.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You can substitute other berries for the blueberries.
- If you don’t have fresh blueberries, you can use frozen, just drain the juice before roasting.
- You could also use prepared jam instead of roasted blueberries.
Nutrition
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