Delightfully Sweet Lemon Loaf

If you’re a lemon lover, not much is more delicious than the refreshing scent and flavor of an easy Lemon Loaf. This simple Lemon Bread is decadent and divine, full of lemon flavor!  This easy Lemon Bread Recipe takes just 5 minutes hands on time and makes a beautiful breakfast or gift!

If you’ve been reading this blog for long, it won’t come as a surprise to you that I love all things lemon-flavored. Lemon adds a true zest to any dish, and it works as a beautiful addition to almost anything you can imagine tossing it in. I’ve used it in pasta, drinks, cookies and baked goods of all kinds.

This incredible lemon bread recipe is long overdue. It’s another quick and easy sweet bread recipe the whole family can enjoy for breakfast and snacks!

It’s a beautiful addition to breakfast and brunch, makes a great hostess, housewarming and teacher gift, or delicious dessert!

If you love my Sweet Bread, Orange Bread or Blueberry Bread, you’ll love this delightfully sweet and tangy lemon bread!

Are you on the list? Subscribers receive access to my free printable library that includes “Wishing you a sweet Christmas” gift tags. Get your free copy the ebook 10 Sweet Bread Recipes as well!

The Difference Between Lemon Loaf and Lemon Pound Cake

This delicious lemon loaf recipe is similar in shape and appearance to my lemon pound cake, but there are some distinct differences. This easy quick bread is light and fluffy in texture. Although this lemon bread recipe is quite moist, it’s not nearly as rich and heavy as a pound cake.

Pound cakes are typically much more dense than quick breads. The biggest difference? Butter… a lot of butter! My pound cake recipes tend to use butter versus oil and in my pound cake recipes I prefer the smoother texture of powdered sugar instead of granulated.

There’s a time and a place for both versions of a classic lemon loaf, but I always feel that quick breads are a little lighter, making them a slightly-less decadent treat.

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

A Lemon Loaf makes a great gift, is the perfect addition to brunch displays. and makes a great breakfast, snack or dessert! The beautiful glaze is a delightfully sweet way to top it off, but you certainly don’t have to. Either way this sweet bread is so good!

When life gives you lemons, make this lemon bread recipe.

Lemon Loaf Ingredients

Lemon Loaf or Lemon Bread is made with staple ingredients!

• Sugar – White granulated sugar makes this bread delightfully sweet. Optional: sprinkle sugar over the loaf just before baking for a shimmery finish.
• Flour – All purpose flour is the foundation of this bread.
• Oil – Vegetable oil makes the bread incredibly moist, with a light and delicate crumb. In a pinch you can substitute canola oil.
• Eggs – The binding agent.
• Milk – Milk creates a nice soft loaf. In addition, milk adds flavor to quick breads and gives it a beautiful brown color due to caramelization of milk and sugars!
• Lemon extract or lemon juice and lemon zest – fresh lemon juice and zest is always my go to, but lemon extract will do the trick!

The glaze or lemon drizzle is simple as well, made with powdered sugar, butter and lemon juice!

How To Make Lemon Bread

You can see just how easy it is by watching the video in this post!

1. Prep – Grease 6 mini loaf pans or 2 1 pound loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients – Sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Combine wet ingredients – Beat eggs, milk, and oil together with lemon zest and lemon extract.
4. Incorporate – Gradually add flour mixture into wet ingredients in a large bowl, just until moist.
5. Bake – Pour batter into prepared pan and bake (I leave an inch below the top to compensate for rise). 40 minutes in miniature loaf pans or 50-60 for 1 lb loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Glaze

Optional: sprinkle sugar on top (recommended if you’re not topping with a lemon drizzle).

Tips

This lemon loaf recipe is quick, easy foolproof and versatile. However, there are a couple tips to get the perfect lemon bread, every time!

• Don’t over-mix.
• I like to buy the cute ceramic mini loaf pans available at Michael’s Craft Stores. These paper loaf pans are also great for gifting.
• Don’t over-bake.
• Lining your loaf pan with parchment paper or using this incredible baking spray can help to release it from the pan easier.
• Cool – Try to let your quick bread loaves cool on a wire rack on the counter, it increases air circulation during the cooling time.
• Large Loaves – Don’t want 6 miniature loaves? You can also make this Sweet Bread recipe in 2 – 1 pound loaf pans or cut the recipe in half for just 1 loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
• Make Muffins – If you prefer to make them into muffins, just grease miniature muffin tins and fill each to 2/3 full. Bake 12 minutes.
• Make it Ornate – Alternatively, you can also bake it in an ornate loaf pan with the same minimal effort!

Variations

• Add fruits  – make it a Lemon and Blueberry Bread by simply adding blueberries
• Add nuts – almonds, pine nuts and even walnuts are a delicious addition

How To Store

• Cool completely and cover them to store at room temperature safely for up to three days. (Good luck getting this lemon bread recipe to last long enough to worry about that expiration date though!)
• Refrigerated – Place the loaves in large sealable plastic bags (with a paper towel at the bottom to help soak up any excess moisture) refrigerated up to 1 week.
• To Freeze – Wrap lemon loaf in heavy aluminum foil or sealable plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to three months.

If you’re anything like me, your mouth might be watering after reading all about this fresh and fragrant lemon loaf! You’re in luck, because I’m full of good ideas for using your lemons in a seriously delicious way. In my eyes, since lemons are a fruit…they are a healthy choice no matter what. You’re welcome.

More Amazing Lemon Recipes

• Lemon Spaghetti with Artichokes
• Lemon Chicken
• Basil Lemon Pasta Salad
• Lemon Shortbread Cookies
• Lemon Pie
• Lemon Ice Cream

And SO MUCH MORE. All my lemon-infused recipes can be found right here in the recipe index!

More Easy Quick Bread Recipes

• Cinnamon Bread
• Almond Bread
• Brown Sugar No Yeast Bread
• Sweet Bread
• Cranberry Bread
• Orange Bread
• Carrot Bread

What’s your favorite way to use lemons? If you enjoyed this lemon loaf, I’d love for you to share on Pinterest or Facebook, and come back to leave this recipe 5 stars!

Need help with baking conversions? Check out my Essential Measurement Conversion Chart 

Lemon Loaf

If you're a lemon lover, not much is more delicious than the refreshing scent and flavor of an easy Lemon Loaf. This simple Lemon Bread is decadent and divine, full of lemon flavor!  This easy Lemon Bread Recipe takes just 5 minutes hands on time and makes a beautiful breakfast or gift!

5 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings (hover to scale): 24

Author: Julie Blanner

Ingredients

• 2 cup sugar
• 4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cup milk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoon lemon extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest about the zest of 1 lemon

Lemon Drizzle or Glaze

• 6 tablespoon butter melted
• 3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Instructions

• Grease 6 mini loaf pans and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
• Beat eggs, milk, oil, lemon extract and zest.
• Gradually add dry mixture to wet until just moist.
• Pour batter into pans an inch below to compensate for rise. Optional: sprinkle sugar on top.
• Bake 40 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from loaf pan.
  
• Meanwhile, combining lemon drizzle ingredients until smooth. Warm and pour to cover lemon loaf.

Video

Notes

Substitutions

Don't have lemon extract? You can substitute with additional lemon zest. 1 teaspoon of extract is equal to 2 teaspoons of lemon zest.

Store

• Cool, cover and store at room temperature up to three days. 
• To Freeze - Wrap in heavy aluminum foil or sealable plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to three months.

Loaf Pan Size

• If you're using full size loaf pans, two will work perfectly for this recipe. Increase bake time to more like 50-60 minutes and use toothpick to check doneness.

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