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Bursting with flavor, this delicious lemon bread loaf is perfect to serve as a dessert or enjoy as an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. Glazed with a lemon and honey syrup, it’s a wonderful blend of sweet and tart.
Freshly baked lemon bread is guaranteed to satisfy that sweet craving. Bursting with lemon flavor all throughout with the help of lemon juice and zest, this bread is a perfect balance of sweetness and zing. A must-try for home bakers. Try using mini loaves for gifting!
“Excellent, made Limoncello and then used the zest and fresh lemons to make the bread. Made double batch using plain Greek yogurt.. Made 1 Loaf and one Bundt, perfect!!!” – Melissa
Table of Contents
Recipe at a glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Lemon
Skill Level: Easy
Summary
- Simple Ingredients: With basic pantry staples like flour, sugar, and eggs, plus the zest and juice of lemons, this recipe is straightforward and easy to assemble.
- No Butter Needed: Olive oil replaces the need for butter, creating a moist texture and adding an earthy flavor.
- Versatile Serving Options: Enjoy lemon bread as a dessert, breakfast, or a snack. It’s perfect for any occasion or time of day!
- Healthier Alternative: Made with Greek yogurt and olive oil, it’s a healthier choice without compromising on taste.
Ingredients to make lemon bread
- Lemons: I use the juice and the zest for a wonderfully strong and fresh lemon flavor in each bite. Pick lemons that have a good squeeze to them.
- Greek yogurt: The yogurt adds a wonderful tang of flavor and helps to make it nice and creamy as well as fluffy and light.
- Olive oil: Olive oil creates a wonderfully moist cake and adds a really nice flavor without needing to use butter.
- Eggs: Use fresh eggs, and organic if you can.
- Dry ingredients: Sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Yogurt Options: Replace plain Greek yogurt with a lemon flavor yogurt for a more lemony flavor. Swapping it out entirely for sour cream will work too.
- Use Oranges: One reader was successful in swapping out lemon juice and zest for orange juice and zest for a whole new flavor profile.
- Top with turbinado or demerara sugar before baking for some crunch and a shiny top. Most ideal if you don’t plan on adding an icing drizzle.
- Eggs: You can help to make this recipe vegan by using a flax egg.
How to make an easy lemon bread
- Mix together the wet ingredients with the sugar.
- Whisk until smooth; although some lumps are fine.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients separately in a small bowl and add them to the bowl of wet ingredients.
- Whisk until just combined.
Pour the batter into a standard loaf tin that’s greased and lined with parchment parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven
You’ll know it’s ready when it looks golden and the sides start to pull away from the loaf pan. You can also test that a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
If you’d like, you can make the honey lemon glaze, but the lemon loaf is delicious on its own! Just combine the ingredients for the syrup on the stovetop. Use a toothpick to make holes in the top of the loaf and pour over the warm syrup.
“Beautiful! Needed to use up leftover buttermilk, so swapped it for yoghurt, turned out beautifully moist and tasty!” – Caitlin
Tips for making the best lemon bread
- Grease the loaf pan and use parchment paper for easy removal. When it comes to making quick breads, I love this double greasing method because nothing sticks to the bottom and the overhanging parchment paper makes it so easy to lift from the pan.
- Don’t over mix the batter. The dry ingredients should be just combined, if you over mix it the bread won’t be light and fluffy.
- Place batter in the oven quickly after adding mixing the dry ingredients. You don’t need to rush, but make sure the oven is ready before you begin this final mixing. Baking soda will react immediately with lemon juice, and you want that reaction to happen in the oven.
- Cover the bread with aluminum foil if necessary. If you notice after 30-40 minutes of baking that the top of the bread is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil to help it bake evenly on all sides.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH LEMON BREAD
How to store & reheat this lemon bread
Once the bread has cooled, place it in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for 2 days. Cover it with foil or a plastic bag to prevent it from drying out.
How long will lemon bread last in the fridge?
When wrapped and stored properly, lemon bread will last up to one week in the fridge.
Can I freeze lemon bread?
Yes, this bread will freeze well for up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled bread tightly in foil and place in a freezer bag. You can thaw it at room temperature.
Reheating lemon bread: Reheat a slice of lemon bread in the microwave heating for 10-15 second increments until warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
To avoid excess browning, place a foil tent gently over the top of your loaf pan to protect the top. This will greatly reduce the browning that will happen and still allow the loaf to bake.
Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. Also, ensure the oven is preheated before baking, as that immediate heat helps the bread rise.
Yes, if you can, take out the ingredients 30 minutes before you start making this lemon loaf. Warm ingredients will combine more easily and trap air to create a fluffy bread.
A delicious homemade lemon bread loaf that’s so bright with flavor! Soft and moist, enjoy a slice with a glass of raspberry tea in the summer, or drizzle it with a sweet icing. I love this during springtime, lemon bread makes a great gift as well!
More quick bread recipes:
- Cinnamon Apple Bread
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Pistachio Bread
- Sweet Avocado Quick Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Strawberry Banana Bread
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
- Chocolate Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Lemon Bread recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Lemon Bread
Video
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 lemons zested
Instructions
Make the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper for easier removal.
- In a large bowl, combine yogurt, olive oil, cane sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until completely smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until just combined, but a few lumps are fine.
- Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and place in the oven immediately. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack.
Make the Syrup
- Combine the honey and lemon juice in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until honey is dissolved.
- Add lemon zest and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and allow the bubbles to settle.
- Prick the top of the loaf in several places with a toothpick. Pour the hot syrup over the loaf evenly.
- Allow to cool for at least another 20 minutes before serving.
Equipment
Notes
- Instead of greek yogurt, you can use sour cream or milk.
- I tested this recipe with a whole wheat white flour, but it will work with any other all purpose flours.
- To make this gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Do not substitute only almond flour or only coconut flour.
- Replace honey with other types of granulated sugar or maple syrup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This lemon bread is my go to. Everyone who’s ever tried it cannot get enough so thank you for this recipe. Question though – I’ve made this recipe so many times I know it by heart but lately the bread falls after I take it out of the oven and I cannot figure out what’s changed or what I need to do for it not to happen. Any advice?
P.S. Love your book!
Thanks so much, Kat! Hmm, sounds like it could be an issue of overmixing the batter? Or maybe not putting the batter in the oven right away after mixing in the dry ingredients? (The baking soda works better when it’s added to the batter and then put in the preheated oven shortly after.)
If I don’t have a loaf pan, could I replace it with silicon muffin cups?
Thank you!
Hi Andrea, you can, but I am not sure what the exact baking time would be – probably around 20-30 minutes, so just make sure you are keeping an eye on them. If you do make them in the muffin pan, let me know how they turned out and the bake time!