Blueberry Bread

This sweet, yeast-free, Blueberry Bread is loaded with fresh blueberries and topped with the most amazing glaze!

I love quick bread recipes like this fruity Blueberry Bread! Orange Cranberry Bread and Glazed Lemon Zucchini are two more bright favorites.

our favorite blueberry bread!

I’m always excited to find new recipes that I can bake up and bring to neighbors or friends. It’s nice to change it up and bring something different than our traditional cookies, cake, or candy.

This Blueberry Bread recipe is one of our favorites to gift to neighbors. This quick bread is loaded with blueberries and is very simple to make. Sure, it’s not healthy, but it’s delicious!!

We love this Blueberry Loaf because no yeast is involved but also because it’s topped with a delicious glaze.

How to Make Blueberry Bread

We call this a “quick” bread because it doesn’t require any yeast, which means there’s no rise time! Simply mix the ingredients, put them in a pan, and bake!

PREP. Preheat the oven to 375. Line a 9 x 5 bread loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. 

WET INGREDIENTS. Add butter and sugar in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. One at a time, add each egg, blending in between. Mix in vanilla.

DRY INGREDIENTS. In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder. Add to sugar mixture, a little bit at a time, alternating with the 1/2 cup milk.

Note: Use fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries in this recipe. In either case, rinse them off not only to clean them but to remove extra color which tends to bleed creating purple bread. Place the berries in a colander and run them under cold water until the water runs clear. Pat dry. 

• Running frozen berries under water will cause them to thaw a little, but they don’t need to thaw completely. 

Using a fork, crush 1/2 cup of your blueberries and add to your batter. Fold in the remaining blueberries.

BAKE. Pour batter into prepared bread pan. Sprinkle sugar over the tops and bake at 375 degrees for about 65 – 70 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool at least 30 minutes.

Using Different Pans

Make blueberry muffins. Divide the batter into muffin tins filling them about ⅔ of the way full. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Mini loaves. Divide the batter into 4-5 mini loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mini loaves make a really cute neighbor, teacher, or friend gift!

Tips + Variations

Sinking Blueberries. To keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom, toss them with flour before folding them into the muffin batter.

Glaze. Want one? Just whisk together 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted), 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 – 2 teaspoons heavy cream. Drizzle over warm bread, if desired.

Room temperature ingredients. Use room temperature milk and eggs to help them incorporate with the other ingredients easier. 

Easy clean-up. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper making it easier to remove the baked bread to finish cooling on a wire rack. 

Baking powder. Quick bread utilizes baking soda, or in this recipe baking powder, as the rising agent. Be sure the baking powder is not expired or it will not rise properly.

Variations

Although we love this recipe as is, there are a few ways you can change it up:

• Berries: Replace the blueberries with strawberry or raspberries.
• Lemon Blueberry Bread: add 2 tbsp lemon zest to the batter before baking. Use lemon extract in the glaze.
• Almond Flavors: Use almond extract in the glaze and add sliced almonds to the top.
• No Glaze: Replace the glaze with a dusting of powdered sugar or a sprinkle of white sugar.

Storing info

STORE. Cool this easy Blueberry Bread recipe completely before storing it to avoid soggy bread. Store in an airtight container along with a paper towel to soak up any moisture. It should last 4-5 days on the counter or a week in the refrigerator.

FREEZE. Wrap the loaf with plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil, or place it in a Ziploc freezer bag. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQ

For more delicious (and easy!) quick breads, try:

• Glazed Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
• Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread
• Mini Cinnamon Loaves
• Amish Bread
• Snickerdoodle Bread
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Adapted from Taste of Home