Juicy blueberries and fresh lemon zest flavor this tender and delicious Gluten Free Blueberry Lemon Loaf! It’s made with simple ingredients without too much fuss. It tastes like a slice of sunshine in every bite! | Gluten Free + Low FODMAP + Dairy Free Option
BTW – If you like this lemon loaf you might also like my Gluten Free Lemon Cake With Blueberry Filling!
Rich, moist and bursting with fresh flavor! Serve this gluten free blueberry lemon bread as a simple dessert, with a cup of coffee or enjoy as a bright and zesty afternoon snack.
Gluten Free Blueberry Lemon Loaf Ingredients
- Lemons: For the bright, lemon flavor you’ll need the fresh zest and juice of 1 whole lemon plus some more juice for the lemon glaze.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are ideal, but frozen is a great option if they’re not quite in season yet. If using frozen, I recommend you thaw the berries first (to get rid of the excess ice/water), then add them to the batter.
- Butter & Milk : Melted butter adds a richness in flavor and density to this loaf cake. Milk adds moisture and protein to enhance the flavor, texture and color.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs (not cold eggs from the fridge).
- Sugar: This recipe uses less added sugar than most other lemon bread recipes. Between the juicy blueberries and the lemon drizzle glaze – I promise you won’t need it!
- Vanilla Extract: For a hint of vanilla flavor.
- Dry Ingredients: Use your favorite all purpose gluten free flour blend (store bought or homemade), xanthan gum, baking powder and salt.
How to Make this Blueberry Lemon Loaf
Altogether this gluten free blueberry lemon loaf recipe is fairly easy to make! There are a few different bowls and small pot required for best results, but the steps break down into simple steps.
Stage One: Batter Prep
- Add the butter, milk, vanilla and zest to a small saucepan and warm over a low heat until the butter has melted.
- Stir in the lemon juices and set aside for now.
- In a stand mixer (or with a hand help mixer) beat the eggs and sugar together until thickened and frothy.
- In another large mixing bowl whisk the dry ingredients until well combined: flour, baking powder, salt and xanthan.
- Add the dry ingredients to the beaten egg mixture.
- Add the melted butter mixture and mix into a smooth, silky, thick batter with no remaining lumps.
Stage Two: Add the Berries
- Pour about 1/3 of the batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Stir the berries into the remaining batter.
- Pour the rest of the berry-filled batter into the loaf pan.
Why partially fill the pan First?
Good question! This helps prevent the berries from sinking down to the bottom of the pan while baking.
Standard baking practice suggests you toss the blueberries in flour to prevent the dreaded soggy-bottom blueberry bake. While many people do seem to have success with this practice, it’s fairly hit-and-miss in my experience.
What does work? This tip I learned from Serious Eats on how to stop blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan: Insulate the berries from the pan by adding a small amount of batter (without the blueberries) first then add mix in the berries and fill the rest of the way.
Stage Three: Bake, Cool & Drizzle
- Bake for about 50-60 minutes until fully cooked through.
- Cool a few minutes still in the pan then remove and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon drizzle by whisking together icing sugar and lemon juice until combined.
- When the blueberry lemon loaf is almost fully cooled but still a little warm, drizzle the icing over the top.
Make it Dairy Free
- Vegan butter works just the same as does oil! Olive oil is a great option – in fact I adapted this recipe from my Spanish Lemon Muffins (Magdalenas) which calls for olive oil as a key ingredient.
- Dairy-free milk substitutes work as well! Soy milk has a good amount of protein making it a great option for dairy free baking, but alternatives like coconut milk and almond milk work too.
Store & Freeze Leftovers
- Leftover cake will keep up to five days. You can keep this at room temperature for up to three days. Past three days, keep in the fridge. Store in an airtight container or wrapped up to keep it from drying out too soon.
- This blueberry lemon loaf is freezer friendly!
- Freeze for an hour or two until frozen solid, then remove the cake from the freezer. Wrap in a couple layers of plastic wrap then place in a freeze safe bag. Keep frozen 1-2 months. Defrost in the fridge or over night at room temperature.
- For more eco-friendly/non-plastic storage options, I recommend investing in reusable silicone freezer bags. Beeswax wraps are also a great option though you should only freeze for about 3-4 weeks for freshness.
Tips & Final Notes Before You Begin
- Make sure your oven is fully preheated before you add the loaf.
- Line the loaf pan with baking paper. Make sure to leave an inch or two of paper hanging over the sides – this makes it easily to lift the bread out of the pan at the end.
- Check the oven at about 35-40 minutes into the bake time. If you notice the top of the loaf is starting to brown too soon, cover with foil or baking paper to keep it from burning.
If you try this Blueberry Lemon Loaf, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I always appreciate the feedback – especially when you share what changes you may have made. It also helps future readers who are thinking of making the recipe!
Blueberry Lemon Loaf
Juicy blueberries and fresh lemon zest flavor this tender and delicious Gluten Free Blueberry Lemon Loaf!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (113g)
- 1/3 cup milk (80ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (30 ml)
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup white sugar (135 g)
- 1 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour (230g)
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (150g)
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar/icing sugar, sifted to remove clumps (125 g)
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (30-45 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Lightly grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the butter, milk, vanilla and lemon zest to a small sauce pan. Warm over a low or medium-low heat for a few minutes until the butter has melted. Stir in the lemon juice and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs and sugar. Beat on high for a minute or two until the mixture turns to a light-pale color with little bubbles across the surface. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the beaten eggs. Mix on a low speed until a thick, smooth batter forms with no remaining lumps.
- Add the melted butter mixture. Mix into a thick, but smooth and silky looking batter.
- Pour about 1/3 of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth into an even layer across the bottom of the pan.
- Stir the blueberries into the remaining batter until evenly distributed, then pour everything into the loaf pan.
- Place in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until cooked through then transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool. Check the oven around 35-40 minutes. If the top of loaf is looking quite brown, cover with foil or baking paper to keep it from darkening too much.
- Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
!Lemon Glaze
- Whisk together the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. For a thicker glaze add more sugar. For a thinner, runnier glaze add more lemon juice.
- When the loaf is almost fully cooled, drizzle the lemon glaze on top. It should set within a few minutes then enjoy.
Notes
- You can use frozen blueberries instead of fresh, but I recommend you defrost the berries first to eliminate the excess ice/water.
Make it Dairy Free
- Substitute the butter for vegan block butter or oil. Vegetable oil, olive oil and coconut oil work.
- Use a dairy free milk of your choice. I used almond in the cake pictured above.
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