Soft & fluffy Lemon Blueberry Loaf. Loaded with juicy, fresh lemon, studded with blueberries and drizzled with lemon glaze. Made in one bowl and no mixer required!
Love lemon and blueberries? Be sure to try my Vegan Lemon Muffins and Vegan Blueberry Cake next!
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FEATURED COMMENT:
"Too amazing for words! I made this loaf this evening, and I promise on my life that I will NEVER ever use another blueberry lemon loaf recipe other than this one! The balance of the lemon and the blueberries is superb!" - Roze ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Nothing says spring like a Lemon Blueberry Loaf. It's fresh and zingy with bursts of juicy blueberry in every bite. And the simple lemony glaze? It has just 2 ingredients for you to mix up, then you drizzle it all over haphazardly. It looks good however it lands and takes this lemon blueberry bread right over the top!
What makes this recipe different from all the other lemon blueberry loaf cakes out there? Cornmeal! Trust me on this addition. It adds wonderful texture, colour, flavour and contrast to the sponge and really complements the lemon and blueberries.
A big, thick slice of this vegan loaf cake, with or without some of my vegan butter, is springtime eating perfection, and I should know because I've eaten about 3,000,052 slices this week. And don't just take my word for it. So many people say this is the best vegan lemon blueberry loaf cake, and it has lots of glowing 5-star reviews (find them below the recipe)!
Mel x
🤍 WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAF
- Springy and gorgeous. It's an AMAZING spring-infused cake made with fresh lemons and beautiful blueberries!
- Perfect texture. Crunchy, crusty outside and fluffy, soft sponge inside.
- So many blueberries! Bursty, jammy blueberries in every bite.
- My secret ingredient. Cornmeal! Here for depth of flavour, colour and a really great, interesting texture.
- Fragrance. It's like no other at all stages, from prep to baking to eating!
- Zingy lemon glaze. Drizzled ALL OVER the top to make it look like you know what you're doing with cake decorating!
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
For the cake:
- Flour - All-purpose flour if you are in North America and plain flour if you are in the UK.
- Cornmeal - I like to use fine or medium cornmeal. In the UK, use polenta if you can't find cornmeal. You can also safely switch the cornmeal for shredded coconut.
- Blueberries - These can be fresh or frozen. If frozen, don't defrost them.
- Dairy-free milk - Any creamy unsweetened dairy-free milk, such as oat milk, almond milk or soy milk, is fine.
- Sugar - Cane or white sugar. Don't use brown sugar or coconut sugar in this recipe.
- Oil - Any neutral liquid oil. Melted coconut oil also works really well, and the coconut flavour complements the lemon and blueberry flavours.
- Leaveners - Baking powder and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda in the UK). Both are essential in this recipe.
- Lemon - Fresh lemons, not bottled lemon. We are using lemon juice (this reacts with the baking soda, making the loaf rise and become fluffy) and lemon zest, which is where the majority of the lemon flavour comes from. Both are necessary.
And for the simple lemon glaze:
- Powdered sugar - Also known as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar. I use Wholesome Sweetener's brand.
- Lemon - Lemon juice for more zingy citrus flavour!
Note that you can omit the glaze if you want to, and the loaf is still delicious. However, if you don't use it, I recommend sprinkling a small handful of granulated sugar over the top of the batter just before it goes in the oven. This gives the loaf a texturally amazing, crunchy crust!
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen:
Mix the batter, then fold in the blueberries.
Spoon into a lined pan, top with more blueberries, then bake.
Mix up the simple glaze.
Cool on a wire rack, then drizzle over copious amounts of glaze.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, frozen blueberries can be used in this recipe. Don't defrost them. Add them straight to the batter from the freezer. This helps avoid them bleeding into the batter.
Yes, if you don't have a very sweet tooth, or you forgot to buy the powdered sugar, it's fine to omit the glaze. The loaf is still really delicious without it. If you can, I recommend sprinkling plenty of granulated sugar over the top of the loaf before baking for some amazing texture, though!
Unsweetened finely shredded coconut is a really great alternative.
Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour (In the UK, use plain flour)
- ½ cup (75 grams) fine or medium-grind cornmeal, or unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda (Bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (120 mls) liquid oil
- ¾ cup (150 grams) cane sugar or white granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (180 mls) unsweetened dairy-free milk
- zest of 2 medium lemons (zest them first, then juice them after)
- ¼ cup (60 mls) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons)
- 1 cup (130 grams) fresh or frozen blueberries, plus a small handful for decorating the top (don't defrost frozen berries)
For the frosting
- ¾ cup (95 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. The amount needed will vary. Please take note of my directions below
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190 *C) and grease a standard 1lb loaf pan ( 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches) with some oil. Place a long strip of parchment paper along the bottom and up either end to act as handles. This will allow you to lift the loaf out easily once it's baked.
- To a large bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk together to combine.
- In another bowl or jug, add the melted oil, sugar, milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk or stir them all together. Don't worry if it curdles or turns a bit thick and gloopy.
- Make sure everything is ready to go, oven at temperature, loaf pan ready and at your side, before you continue. Then, pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. With a spatula or wooden spoon, fold them together. Don't overmix. Be gentle, but work quite quickly. As soon as you can no longer see any dry flour, pour in the blueberries and fold them through the batter.
- Immediately spoon the batter into the loaf pan, smooth out the top, and sprinkle over a few extra blueberries (not essential; it's just for looks!). If you don't intend to glaze the finished loaf, a handful of granulated sugar sprinkled all over the top is nice, as it will bake up to give a lovely crunchy top.
- Get it into the oven without hanging around (we need to take advantage of the reaction of the baking soda with the lemon juice for maximum fluffy texture). Bake for 47 to 55 minutes. If you use frozen blueberries, it might take a couple of minutes longer. Check it at about 47 minutes by poking the centre with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, except for perhaps a little blueberry juice, then it's done. Or press the centre with your finger. If it bounces back, it's done. If it leaves a dent, put it back in the oven for a few minutes.
- Leave the loaf in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper handles to gently lift it out and onto the cooling rack. Remove the paper from the base and leave it until completely cool.
- Once the loaf is completely cool, in a small bowl, add the powdered sugar. Gradually add the lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring really well between each addition. It will feel like there is not enough liquid, then all of a sudden it will come together into a thick, smooth glaze. You shouldn't need more than 4 tablespoons.
- Once the glaze is completely smooth and drizzle-able, use a spoon to drizzle it all over the top of your loaf. Leave it for at least 10 minutes to set up a bit before cutting.
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Kirsten P says
ANOTHER 5* recipe! This loaf is amazing! The addition of corn meal provides such a wonderful texture and flavor. It's blueberry season, and I am guessing I'll be making this for friends and family with my bumper crop of berries. Thank you!
Sharon says
I don’t use oil and am wondering if I could substitute applesauce for that ingredient?
Karyn says
So delicious and lemony! It was exactly what I was looking for. Recipe was easy to follow with perfect measurements (I use a scale). I have already shared with friends. It’s a must try!
Lidia Rosas says
This was the first recipe I made from this blog and me and my family were amazed because it tasted like something bought from a bakery. I usually couldn't get recipes to turn out good but a Virtual Vegan gives such good measurements and instructions that just by following them I can get the same result, which didn't happen to me with other recipes and I ended up feeling like a failure of a cook. Thank you for sharing!
Melanie McDonald says
That's awesome Lidia! I'm really pleased you all enjoyed it so much!
L. Reid says
This is DELICIOUS!!! Go with the fresh blueberries and definitely add more to the top. Perfectly sweet, great texture and the glaze is a treat. It is easy to make. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you're enjoying it and thanks for coming back to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Sue C says
Oh my goodness, what a fantastic recipe! The addition of the fine cornmeal is genious, IMHO! I had never used this ingredient in a quick bread before and the texture is novel and delightful. I have made this several times now and still have to practically muzzle myself to keep from gobbling it all at once. My only substition is avocado oil in place of the coconut oil. If you carefully weigh things and follow the instructions, it will come out perfectly. Many thanks for this keeper of a recipe!
roze albina says
Too amazing for words! I just made this loaf this evening and I promise on my life that I will NEVER ever use another blueberry lemon loaf recipe other than this one! The balance of the lemon and the blueberries is suburb!. I used flaked coconut instead of the cornmeal and I love it. I think the coconut gives it that extra savory flavor. I don't know who made-up this recipe, but they need a medal! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Sooo yummy!
Andrea says
Delicious! This is going in my forever file. I used vegetable oil, coarse cornmeal and unsweetened almond milk. Next time, I'll try coconut oil and finer cornmeal to see how much difference that makes. My oven started at 375 but was up to 400 after 20 minutes, so it only took 40 minutes to bake. Because the top formed more of a crust than I expected, I would recommend following her suggestion to add blueberries to the top. Plus, It seemed like it could use the extra berries. Thank you for this excellent recipe!
Amelia says
This recipe is a keeper! I made it and let it sit overnight, and am trying to pace myself from devouring it. I used a little more lemon zest than the recipe called for and mixed blueberries with raspberries, but followed everything else to the t. It’s moist and tart and everything I hoped it would be. thank you for sharing!
Caron Pillion says
The best vegan cake I've made period. Texture, flavour, everything was spot on. It's so fluffy and lemony!
Hayley Edwards says
Just made this and it's fabulous. Thank you so much!
Do you think I could use raspberries when I make it again?
A Virtual Vegan says
So pleased you enjoyed it! Raspberries are great in this recipe instead of the blueberries. Fresh work better than frozen because they don't bleed into the batter so much and are drier.
Jen says
Hi there! First of all, the flavors in this are amazing! I have made it three times now and it disappears quickly each time. But! Each time it has come out kind of crumbly... like when you slice it, it's not dry but doesn't hold together as well as say like a banana bread? I was wondering if I could just do flour instead of adding the cornmeal... would I increase the flour the same amount as the cornmeal that goes in?
Thanks, Jen
Jess says
Hello,
Thank you for the recipe. I made this loaf today and it came out to be VERY crumbly and not quite sweet. Even after cooling, the loaf keeps breaking apart and it doesn't hold together. I'm not sure what went wrong, literally followed this recipe to a T. It's also quite bland - even after adding all that lemon zest and lemon juice, there's no citrusy flavor and there isn't enough sugar, so the loaf just tasted like very crumbly bread, which was disappointing.
A Virtual Vegan says
If it is crumbling then it makes me think that something went wrong when you were making it like an ingredient change or not the right amount of something. This is one of my most popular recipes and gets nothing but great feedback and all of my recipes are tested by me and a team of recipe testers so I know they will work reliably in kitchens other than my own.
When made exactly as per the recipe it stays together and slices perfectly and it's not bread-like at all.
You mention it's not sweet enough but there's 3/4 of a cup (150 grams) of sugar in it. That's a standard amount for a cake with 2 cups of flour and it's plenty sweet enough, especially with the very sweet powdered sugar frosting too. Any more and it would be way too sweet.
Did you weigh and measure everything accurately? Ideally with a digital scale? Cups are notoriously inaccurate.
Did you change anything at all? No matter how small. Baking is a science. For it to turn out perfectly everything has to be followed absolutely exactly.
You did use all-purpose flour as per the recipe and not another kind? What brand did you use?
Did you reduce the oil or use something else instead? For instance vegan butter maybe? Oil and vegan butter are not interchangeable at exactly the same amount. You need substantially more vegan butter because it's not 100% fat. That's why it's not listed as an option here.
Is there a chance you overbaked it? All ovens and bakeware are slightly different which is why the time I give is a guide and it's important to use your own judgment and knowledge of your oven.
I hope that can help you pinpoint what might have happened!
Jess says
Hello, thank you for your response.
I'll bake this recipe once again since I do see that it is quite popular and the reviews are good.
roze albina ches says
Oh my goodness. You may have left out a few of the ingredients. Plus I used flaked coconut instead of cornmeal, used whole milk, and canola oil.
The sweetness is perfect, not too much or less. Sorry you had that experience. Mine held together perfectly.
Stephanie says
Loved this bread so much!! I’ll call it bread, even though it tastes more like a delicious cake?, makes me feel a little better about eating most of the loaf. I had some left over vegan cream cheese frosting that was excellent on top. Any success on a gluten free version? I especially like using oat flour, but not sure if that’s a good sub here? Thank you!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I have the perfect answer: https://avirtualvegan.com/gluten-free-lemon-cake-blueberries/
So pleased you're enjoying it!
Denise says
I made this for the first time today. Love it love it love it ?. This is now my go to lemon and blueberry loaf. Thank you for sharing
Karin Johnson says
This recipe is incredible! I've lost tract on how many times I've made it lol.. It's the answer to gift giving, bringing to holiday meals and slicing a piece here and there from the freezer.... althoughit doesn't last long lol :)
Deanna Myers says
Could you use apple sauce instead of oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
In my experience applesauce isn't a great substitute for oil in baking. It adds way too much moisture and affects the texture greatly. It's also acidic which can affect the balance of ingredients and how the recipe works especially in a recipe like this one which already contains a lot of acid from the lemons. Too much acid can cause a cake to collapse.
Nicole says
Hello Melanie,
I made this loaf two days ago and it was incredible. The texture and taste were just perfect! The next morning we put a couple of slices in the pan with some vegan butter and it was crunchy on the outside and just as delicious as on the first day! Thank you for such a great recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Nicole! Frying in butter sounds like a delicious way to use up the leftovers!
Ana says
Hi Melanie, I’ve been doing this recipe and everyone loves it so much that a friend now asked me to make it for her birthday cake. What do you recommend if I want to double the size? Would just making the double amount of batter and using a bigger pan work? Thank you so much!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you're enjoying it Ana! You can easily double the batter and use a bigger pan. Or if you wanted to make a layer cake, double of this recipe should fill 2 x 8 inch pans. Obviously, cooking times will change and I can't advise on that as I haven't tried it but you're familiar with the recipe so know what it looks like when ready, and just test it with a skewer or thin knife to check it come out clean. I would guess baked as 2 layers in 8 inch pans it will take about 35 to 40 mins.
You know what would work amazingly with it in a layer cake? My lemon curd: https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-lemon-curd/
Hope that helps!
Michelle Oie says
The cake was lemony & moist. Everyone asked for seconds & it was devoured. I was unsure of the included cornmeal but it created a nice texture. Also, I now use monkfruit instead of granulated sugar in all my baking with great success. As I was adding the wet into dry ingredients, the melted coconut oil started to harden. Is that what you mean by gloppy? The recipe was easy to follow & would easily accommodate other berries. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it! When you mix the liquids up the lemon juice can curdle the milk a bit (the extent of this depends on what type of milk you use) and can make it go a bit thick and lumpy. That's what I was referring to. But, it's fine if the coconut oil starting getting a bit lumpy too. That's just because the milk was cold. It doesn't make a difference to the end result.
Laura says
I tried this recipe as I had some frozen berries taking up room in my freezer, now I always make sure I have some there, so I can make this loaf! Really tasty and always a success, even with non vegan guests!