When fresh blueberries are in season during the summer months this Healthy Blueberry Lemon Bread is a must-bake! Sweet, moist, lemony and bursting with juicy blueberries, this quick bread recipe makes a scrumptious afternoon snack or breakfast with a cup of coffee.

A close-up side view of a stack of slices of blueberry bread

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Why We Love This Recipe For Healthy Blueberry Lemon Bread

There are few things better than baked goods with blueberries, and this healthy lemon blueberry bread is no different. The blueberries and citrus flavor pair so well together with the turbinado sugar and I absolutely love the sliced almonds on top. It’s so delicious!

Making a few simple swaps, including white whole wheat flour for some of the all-purpose flour and canola or avocado oil instead of butter, makes this blueberry bread healthier too.

Recipe Highlights

  • Simple to make and it comes out perfect every time.
  • Great for breakfast, brunch and snacks.
  • Incredibly kid-friendly!
  • White whole wheat flour adds fiber and avocado or canola oil adds healthy unsaturated fats.
  • Just 3/4 cup of added sugar for the whole loaf.

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Key Ingredients for this Healthy Lemon Blueberry Bread

a loaf of blueberry bread from the side
  • Flour: This healthy lemon blueberry bread recipe is made with a blend of white and whole-wheat flour. I like to use King Arthur Flour White Whole-Wheat flour because it is milder in flavor and lighter in color than regular whole wheat flour. They act almost the same in baking recipes.
  • Turbinado sugar: Sometimes called raw sugar, this light brown sugar is slightly less processed than white sugar so that some of the molasses (stripped out when white sugar is made) is left behind. The flavor has toasty caramel notes. Look for it in the baking section of the supermarket or natural foods stores. You can use evaporated cane juice instead of turbinado sugar, which has slightly finer granules than turbinado. If you like the flavor of coconut sugar, you could use that instead but it may overpower the other flavors. I don’t recommend using honey or maple syrup, which can darken baked goods. When I tested this with honey, even baking at 325 degrees, the bread was too dark.
  • Other Baking Staples: Baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt.
  • Fresh Blueberries: I prefer fresh in this recipe. If you want to use, frozen, thaw and drain them before tossing with the flour mixture.
  • Oil: avocado or canola oil
  • Lemon: You will use the lemon zest and juice.
  • Orange Juice: orange juice with or without pulp is fine.
  • Eggs: You’ll need both egg whites and egg yolk, separated.
  • Sliced Almonds: Can be omitted if needed (in the case of an allergy, omit almond extract as well.) Use a dusting of confectioners sugar on top instead.
A stack of slices of blueberry bread next to a loaf and a bowl of blueberries

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Healthy Blueberry Bread

Step 1: Preheat oven & prepare loaf pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 1.5-quart loaf pan (8.5 by 4.5 by 2.5 inches) with cooking spray.

Step 2: Whisk together dry ingredients

Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Toss blueberries in the flour mixture to coat.

Juice and zest a lemon
A woman preparing food in a kitchen

Step 3: Whisk together wet ingredients & add dry mix

Whisk egg yolk, zest, fresh lemon juice, sugar, oil, orange juice, vanilla and almond extract in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir to combine. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. When beating egg whites, make sure there are no traces of yolk or oil in the bowl. Any fat will inhibit the foaming process.

Fold in the egg whites. Use a silicone spatula and take gentle swipes through the batter (also known as folding) only until the whites are incorporated. The goal is to keep as much air as possible in the whites, as this lifts the bread and keeps it from becoming too dense. This is one of the keys to giving this quickbread and light texture.

Stir the wet and dry ingredients together
Whipping Egg whites

Step 4: Bake healthy blueberry lemon bread

Pour batter over the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread to cover. Sprinkle with almonds. Transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool in the pan 25 minutes before running a knife along the edges and turning out, cool right-side-up on wire rack.

Tip: Though it may be tempting, try not to check on the bread too many times which will let the hot air out of the oven, making it take longer and possibly compromising the rise. The bread could even end up collapsing in the center if it is still liquid inside. So set the timer for 55 minutes and then check it. If a toothpick comes out with batter on it, keep baking another five minutes. Then check again.

fold the whipped egg whites into the batter to lighten it
top the loaf with blueberries and almonds
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FAQs and Expert Tips

Storing instructions:

Let the bread cool completely, then store it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag lined with paper towels. Keep at room temperature, not in the fridge. It will stay fresh and moist for up to 4 days. This is great if you want to make the recipe in advance for an occasion.

Freezing Instructions:

To freeze, place individual slices in a large freezer bag or wrapped with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw each slice at room temperature or warm in the microwave or oven.

Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?

I tested this healthy lemon blueberry loaf with frozen berries, but they did not set up in the center. You could use frozen berries that have been thawed and drained if you need to, but I preferred the texture and juiciness of the fresh berries.

slices of blueberry bread

More Healthy Bread Recipes to Try

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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A close up of a blueberry bread

Healthy Blueberry Lemon Bread

★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews
  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
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Description

When fresh blueberries are in season this Healthy Blueberry Lemon Bread is a must-bake! Sweet, moist, lemony and bursting with blueberries, this quick bread makes a scrumptious snack or breakfast.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour, preferably white whole-wheat
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 egg yolk
  • zest from 1 lemon plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¾ cup turbinado sugar
  • 2/3 cup avocado oil or organic canola oil
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 1.5 quart loaf pan (8.5 by 4.5 by 2.5 inches) with cooking spray.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the blueberries to the flour mixture and toss to coat.
  3. Whisk egg yolk, zest, lemon juice, sugar, oil, orange juice, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl until smooth. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir to combine. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the whites into the batter
  4. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with almonds. Transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool in the pan 25 minutes before running a knife along the edges and turning out, cool right-side-up on wire rack.

Notes

Baking Tip: To prevent the bread from collapsing, set the timer for 55 minutes and then check it. If a toothpick comes out with batter on it, keep baking for another five minutes. Then check again. Checking too often will allow the temperature in the oven to fall and the center of the loaf will collapse.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/12 loaf
  • Calories: 256
  • Fat: 13 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 3 g

Keywords: Blueberry bread,blueberry lemon bread,healthy blueberry bread

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