The Best Blueberry Bread

Name: Blueberry Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 cup white granulated sugar; 2 cup all purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 large egg; 1 cup milk; ⅓ cup vegetable oil; 1 cup blueberries ((1/2 pint)); 3 tablespoons butter (melted); 1½ cups powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1½ teaspoons heavy cream (can substitute milk)

1 hour 10 minutes

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By: Julie Blanner134 Comments
Updated: 9/10/21

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Blueberry Bread is a quick bread made in just five minutes without yeast! You’ll love this easy Blueberry Bread Recipe. Make it into a Blueberry Loaf Cake by drenching it in glaze!

It’s perfect for Saturday mornings, Easter and Mother’s Day brunch and so much more.

sliced blueberry bread on a platter with knife next to it

Originally posted March 11, 2019 and updated with fresh details March 29, 2021.

Blueberry Bread is a simple adaptation of my tried and true Sweet Bread recipe which has been made over 1,000,000 times! Spring is a great time to integrate fresh fruits into your favorite recipes like cakes, breads and muffins!

The addition of blueberries makes this bread even more acceptable for breakfast. Blueberries are rich in potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and fiber. They are full of antioxidants, low in calories, high in nutrients and incredible flavor!

close up of blueberry loaf cake, one slice cut on a white platter.

Blueberry Bread is made with just seven staple ingredients and fresh blueberries. Sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk and vegetable oil. You can add vanilla extract, if you’d like, but it’s so flavorful you certainly don’t need it. It really is just that simple!

You can get my complete guide to easy Quick Bread recipes made with staples here!

You can use fresh or frozen blueberries in this easy Blueberry Bread Recipe, but I prefer using fresh. However, if you choose to use frozen berries, make sure you gently fold them into the batter immediately out of the freezer. This will reduce the chance of your Blueberry Bread turning purple.

blueberry loaf cake on a white platter, knife to the side.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

This Blueberry Bread is so moist thanks to milk, vegetable oil and using one of my favorite tips: the toothpick test to ensure it’s done without over baking.

It’s the perfect breakfast or beautiful addition to brunch! I tend to serve Blueberry Bread for Easter, Mother’s Day, the 4th of July and for breakfast when we are entertaining guests at the lake cottage, but it also makes an incredible dessert.

Blueberry Bread is also known as Blueberry Loaf Cake. The soft, moist texture and tender crumb has a cake-like consistency. Drench it in glaze and you have an incredible Blueberry Loaf Cake.

It creates beautiful, easy-to-serve slices, every single time!

Blueberry bread in loaf pan on a marble kitchen counter

This Blueberry Bread Recipe is a lot like my Blueberry Muffin Recipe, in loaf form! Drenched in glaze, of course!

One of my favorite things about making bread is not having to clean a muffin tin. Seriously, I have yet to find a quick and easy way! However, this baking spray is the ultimate for a quick and easy release.

blueberry bread with glaze sliced on a white platter, knife to the side.

Blueberry Bread Ingredients

Sugar – Granulated sugar.
Flour – All purpose flour.
Baking Powder – The leavening agent in this easy quick bread.
Salt – This ingredient brings out all the flavors in this simple bread.
Egg – The binding agent.
Milk – Use whatever you have on hand from skim to half and half.
Vegetable Oil – What makes this bread so moist. You can substitute canola oil or melted butter in a pinch.
Blueberries – Fresh or frozen. Note, frozen will bleed creating a purple swirl effect.

Variations

Lemon Blueberry Bread – Incorporate the zest of one lemon into the batter or use 1 tablespoon lemon extract.
Cream Cheese Blueberry Bread – Combine 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup white granulated sugar and 1 egg. Pour half of the bread batter into the loaf pan, followed by the cream cheese mixture. Top with more batter, leaving room to compensate for rise.
Make it Crunchy – Sprinkle sugar (or cinnamon sugar) on top just before baking.
Add a Crumb Topping – Combine 1 tablespoon softened butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons all purpose flour in a bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until it reaches an oatmeal like texture. Pour over bread just before baking.
Top with Glaze – Lemon Glaze, Classic Glaze, Orange Glaze, or Cream Cheese Glaze

blueberry loaf on a white platter on a marble surface.

It’s so easy! No yeast, no fuss! To see just how easy it is to make this quick bread, watch the video in this post. This Blueberry Bread Recipe comes out perfect every single time!

How to Make Blueberry Bread from Scratch

Prep – Grease loaf pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine Dry Ingredients – sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Combine Wet Ingredients – Beat eggs, milk and oil.
Mix – Gradually add flour mixture to wet until just moist.
Bake – Next, pour batter into the prepared pan an inch and a half below to compensate for rise. Optional: sprinkle sugar on top. Bake 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack
Glaze – Finally, you’ll combine glaze ingredients, warm and drizzle.

A slice of blueberry loaf cake with the whole loaf in the background.

Tips

Frozen Blueberries – If you’re using frozen blueberries, do not thaw. This will prevent purple swirling in your bread.
Don’t Overfill Your Loaf Pan – Fill 2/3 full to compensate for rise.
Use the Toothpick Test – Bake times vary based on your loaf pan size, material and oven. Insert a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, it’s done.

Baking Alternatives

Make Muffins – If you prefer to make them into muffins, just grease miniature muffin tins and fill each to ⅔ full. Bake 12 minutes.
Make it Ornate – Alternatively, you can also bake it in an ornate loaf pan with the same minimal effort!

To Store

Room Temperature – Store Blueberry Bread in a sealed plastic bag or covered in saran wrap at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Refrigerate – Refrigerate 1+ week in an airtight container or sealed bag.
Freeze – Freeze loaves or slices by wrapping them tightly in heavy foil or plastic wrap. Then place them in freezer bags (I like to do at least 2 to prevent freezer odors from seeping in), and freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature to serve.

Gifting Blueberry Loaf Cake

To gift Blueberry Loaf Cake, you can use six miniature loaf pans. Just reduce baking time to 40 minutes. Once they cool, you can wrap with a ribbon. For more presentation ideas you can get your copy of my 10 Easy Sweet Bread Ebook here.

You don’t have to share! Blueberry Bread makes a great gift for yourself, too! Miniature loaves are easy to freeze, thaw and enjoy even months later!

blueberry bread blueberry loaf cake with glaze

Can I use frozen blueberries in bread?

You can definitely use frozen blueberries in this blueberry bread recipe. Don’t thaw them prior to baking, as this will allow them to keep their shape in the loaf a little better!

How do you keep blueberries from sinking in bread?

Try tossing your berries with a tablespoon or two of flour before adding them to the batter. Just remember to account for that when you mix up your dry ingredients, subtracting that same tablespoon or two from the amount called for in the recipe.

Should you wash blueberries before baking?

Yes, always wash your fruit before consuming. Blueberries are quite delicate, so wait to wash them just before baking.

If you try this Blueberry Loaf Cake recipe, please come back to share using my 5 star rating in the comments below! Not only do I appreciate it, but I know readers do, too!