An Italian in my Kitchen

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Best Homemade Lemon Bread

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Best Homemade Lemon Bread, a delicious moist,  Lemon Loaf Recipe.  Made with fresh lemons and a simple lemon glaze. The perfect snack, dessert or even Breakfast Bread.

A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!Homemade Lemon Bread

Now that I cookie baked myself out, I thought there’s more to Christmas than just cookies and bars. So  I want to share one of the most delicious and requested quick breads I have ever eaten or made.

How to make Lemon Bread

  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and a portion of the sugar.
  • Then add the softened butter and mix until you have a coarse crumb mixture.
  • Stir in the lemon zest.
  • In another bowl beat the eggs slightly then add the milk and mix until combined.
  • Pour into the flour mixture and stir just until combined (about 18 stirs)
  • Pour into loaf pan and bake for approximately 1 – 1 1/4 hours.
  • Let cool completely before drizzling with the lemon syrup.

Lemon Bread.   I love lemons.  I love the smell of lemons, I love the taste of lemons, anything lemon is fine by me.  

lemon bread 2 slices and a loaf on a board

When I was a kid there was a lemon cologne we used to wear, I loved it, just wish I could find it again. This Easy Lemon Bread Recipe is a simple, easy and really good loaf that tastes so yummy.

It doesn’t even need a heavy icing because the light  lemon syrup is the perfect finish.  I can say I have been making this bread for over 20 years.  

In my opinion it is the Best Lemon Bread Recipe Ever.   

Every time I make this recipe I get asked for it, Lemon Loaf is one of my sister-in-law’s favourites.  

A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!

I usually make two and take one to her, she tells me it sure doesn’t last long in their house.  I can assure you it doesn’t last long in mine either.

Best Homemade Lemon Bread is perfect as a breakfast bread or even with afternoon tea.  It is so easy to make, no need for beaters, it is very much like making muffins.  All you need is a pastry blender (I usually use a fork) and a fork or wooden spoon for mixing.

That delicious lemony glaze is the perfect addition to this loaf, no need for any kind of icing and the tangy sweet taste is just what you need.  You know it and I know it. Just remember it’s Christmas, so eat now and worry about it later.

 Lemon Bread

A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!

I think that is why I always adored Scarlet O’Hara, she had the right attitude,  “Tomorrow is another day”.  Enjoy!

More Lemon Recipes you may like.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

close up of a lemon cheesecake square

Italian Lemon Crostata

Italian Lemon Crostata, a simple and easy Italian Dessert, a flaky pie pastry and delicious lemon filling. A perfect snack or dessert recipe.

Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake

Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake an easy made from scratch, anytime cake. An Italian sweet cake.  

Toasted Coconut Lemon Ice Cream

Easy No Churn Toasted Coconut Lemon Ice Cream, an easy homemade ice cream recipe, a refreshing fresh coconut and lemon flavor dessert.

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies are an easy Christmas Cookie Recipe, a buttery lemon base rolled in chopped almonds makes these the best cookies.

Be sure to watch the video!

4.86 from 21 votes
A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!
Print
Best Homemade Lemon Bread
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
 

A delicious Lemony Sweet bread with a simple glaze.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy lemon bread, homemade lemon bread
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 291 kcal
Author: Rosemary Molloy / An Italian in my Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest zest from 1 lemon
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (I used 1 medium lemon) 22 ml
  • 2 1/4 cups flour 270 grams
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 7 1/2 grams
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt 4 grams
  • 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar 276 grams
  • 3/4 cup butter softened 170 grams
  • 3 eggs (large)
  • 3/4 cup milk I used 2%) 177 ml
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius), grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

  2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and 1 1/4 cups sugar, add the softened butter and with a pastry blender blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest.

  3. In a small bowl add eggs and beat lightly with a fork add milk and mix until combined, then pour this mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until flour is moistened.
  4. In prepared loaf pan add the batter and bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours (or until tooth pick comes out clean). Cool then move to a wire rack.
  5. In a small pot add 4 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar, over medium heat stirring constantly bring to a boil until thickened. With a pastry brush, brush syrup over the top of the bread. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts
Best Homemade Lemon Bread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 291 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 72mg 24%
Sodium 270mg 11%
Potassium 114mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 39g 13%
Sugars 21g
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin A 8.6%
Vitamin C 1.7%
Calcium 5.2%
Iron 7.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Updated from December 13, 2014.

 

A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!

 

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A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try!

 

A tangy delicious sweet Easy Lemon Bread Recipe. A moist sweet homemade loaf with a simple glaze, perfect for every occasion. A must try! #lemon bread #sweet loaf #lemon #dessert #cake
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. This recipe is very similar to the one my grandmother made, we still have her recipe on a yellow note pad paper. One suggestion is to poke holes in the bread before you pour the lemon drizzle over it and it will seep down into the bread.

    Reply

  2. This looks delicious ! I too remember lemon cologne . I think mine was by the same company that made Loves Baby Soft cologne

    Reply

  3. I just made this Lemon bread for our family reunion breakfast and it is DELICIOUS!! It was pretty easy to make, too.

    Reply

  4. It’s great and so versatile! I’ve made it three times in the past week (lots of lemons to use from the backyard). Everyone has loved it and several asked for the recipe. I added lemon juice, reduced the sugar and baked for 55 min. I also tried a divine lavender version with ground lavender and vanilla. Next I want to figure out how to make it green for St Patrick’s Day (green tea? lime?). Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  5. Going to try this tomorrow. Hope it’s good as all of the comments indicate.
    If you Google lemon cologne, there are MANY to choose from!!

    Reply

  6. So I somehow accidentally left the milk out of this recipe. Could have been the two screaming toddlers. Anyway, even though the cake doesn’t look as pretty as the picture, I can’t stop eating it! It is seriously amazing. I can’t wait to make it again (WITH the milk!). This is such a great recipe.

    Reply

    • Hi Michelle, well good to know it’s delicious even without the milk lol. And yeah toddlers can do that to you. I remember those days. Thanks so much have a great weekend. Rosemary

      Reply

  7. As a lover of all things lemon, this was great! Super easy to make and came out of the pan beautifully. I added a bit extra lemon zest to the batter but it’s the glaze that makes this so special. I’m going to try the other lemon recipes you have too. felice anno nuovo!

    Reply

  8. Aloha Rosemary,
    I’ve pinned so many of your recipes lately but this one will be made tonight!
    I remember that lemon cologne and loved it too — mahalo for the trip down memory lane!
    Mynda

    Reply

  9. Wish I could upload a picture! It turned out absolutely delicious! And I rarely eat my own desserts but this was quite a winner, thank you! The glaze I brought to a boil and removed from the heat about 30 seconds later and it was exactly right!

    My loaf only needed 55 minutes at 350 but each oven is different 🙂

    Thanks again Rose

    Reply

  10. Just made this loaf, its in the oven! I’m just wondering how long the glaze was mixed for, mine feels very sticky and thick, not sure if I over did it or not.

    Also I added a touch of real vanillin i can’t bake without it when I use 3 eggs,
    I’ll let you know how it turns out!
    Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply

  11. OMG!! Rosemary!!

    Without a word of a lie, this is totally awesome!! I made 2 loaves yesterday including the syrupy topping. Already gone, I’m making more! Totally love this recipe!! Even my husband said ‘really good’ as his usual response is, yeah, it’s ok.. Italian men! lol

    Oh, and for those who don’t have a pastry cutter, I used 2 butter knives in a criss-cross sort of direction and turned out splendidly.

    Reply

  12. The lemon bread turned out delicious! I wanted to surprise my husband this morning with a special treat and he agreed I made the right decision with your recipe.

    Reply

    • Hi Janell, unfortunately I have only made this Lemon Bread with regular milk so I can’t say that it would work with almond milk, but you could try and then let me know. 🙂

      Reply

  14. Love this bread!! My kids ask me to make it all the time for their breakfast. The only thing I changed was the glaze. Attempted recipe, but didn’t care for it. Instead I used 1/2 c powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest. I thought that was perfect. Great recipe.

    Reply

  15. I made this for the first time last night and I absolutely love it!! I followed the recipe to the tee, baked for 65 minutes and it turned out beautifully! It’s moist and lemony and glaze is perfect. I was wondering if I could just add poppy seeds to it the next time to make a lemon-poppy seed loaf?? Thanks so much for sharing!

    Cheers,
    Bonnie

    Reply

    • Hi Betsy, to tell the truth I have no idea, because I have only made the recipe with all purpose, I really don’t know almond flour. If you want to try it let me know how it turns out. 🙂

      Reply

  19. Should I use the eggs and milk at room temperature?
    I read that when you use softed butter all your ingredients should be at the same temperature. Thanks!

    I can’t wait to try it

    Reply

    • Hi Adriana, oh that is interesting, but I just used the milk and eggs from the fridge and it works every time. But you could if you wanted to. Let me know how it turns out. Have a great weekend.

      Reply

      • Omg!! Thank you sooooo much for this recipe and for your reply about the milk and eggs temperature. I did it your way. Milk and eggs from refrigerator. I just got a slice and it is soooo yummy. My new favorite lemon bread recipe. My son love it too!! Another question, for how many days can I leave the bread at room temperature?
        Thank you sooo much

        Reply

  20. I’m trying your Lemon bread. I love making different breads. My question is, can i freeze this bread with the lemon sauce on it or should i wait to i take it out of the freezer ,before i put the Lemon Glaze on it?

    Reply

  21. Hi one of my nephews has recently fallen for anything lemon, so I’m trying your recipe this week.
    Was the cologne Love’s Fresh Lemon? lol, I loved it, too!

    Reply

    • I have a mini loaf pan that has 8 slots, this recipe filled them 3/4 full, and the loaves were perfect miniatures of 4.80 oz each. Took about 23 minutes til clean toothpick test, though they didn’t brown on top. I doubled the glaze, as there was more surface area, and I brushed each loaf 3 times, while hot in the pan, then removed them, so they wouldn’t stick with glaze on them, to cool completely. This helped the glaze dry nicely without being sticky, when the loaves were completely cool. The lemon in the bread isn’t strong, though it is in the glaze, making a nice contrast in flavors.

      Reply

  23. I like quick and simple recipe, so I try this and turn out sooo good and tangy!
    I used only 200 gr of sugar for double recipe and still taste sweet to me!
    I definitely will make this super simple bread again!
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Hi Elizabeth, lucky you! Unfortunately I have never had a Meyer Lemon, but I just read about them, and apparently they are sweeter than regular lemons, I think they would work fine although I might cut back a bit on the sugar depending on how sweet you find them. Let me know.

      Reply

  25. This really is the best lemon bread <3 I love practically everything that has lemon in it and this perfect bread met all my expectations, the only thing I changed was the amount of sugar because I'm not a fan of food that is too sweet and 250 grams seemed like an overkill for me 🙂 I can't wait to try more of your recipes! Have a lovely day! (and thank you for using both grams and cups, very usefull!)

    Reply

  26. Hi Rose, I’m in Sydney – Australia and you’ve got me salivating as I love anything and everything “LEMON”. This is on my “to do list” for this coming week also I’ve pinned it not only to my Recipes and Cake Baking boards, but I also have a “Lemon Lovelies” boards as lemons are my all-time favourite everything.

    Reply

  29. Made this today. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out exactly as in the picture. It is a wonderful bread and everybody loves the flavor. My dad doesn’t like eggy flavor so he avoids most cake/breads…he ate like half of it. My colleagues asked for the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this!

    Reply

  30. oh my gosh it was lovley,took it in work and it was all gone well before lunch,making one again tomorrow.Thankyou for sharing

    Reply

  32. Hi Rosemary, do you think the loaf would be as good if I used dark brown sugar instead of white, thats all I have unfortunately! Can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Hi Beth, isn’t that strange I was just thinking the same thing myself today. I really don’t know but why not give it a try. But don’t pack the sugar down. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂

      Reply

  33. I NEED something lemony in my life today and this looks like the perfect recipe….especially from someone who makes gone with the wind references 😛 I’m heading upstairs to make this right now! Thanks for sharing 😀

    Reply

  35. Being a picky eater growing up I have never eaten a lemon dessert. I guess I just had it in my mind that lemon wouldn’t taste good. So this was the first time I’ve ever made ANYTHING lemon and OMG it was fantastic!!! I added 1 teas. of lemon juice to the milk and egg only after reading the review that it wasn’t as lemony as they thought it would be but everything else I followed to a T! I loved how I didn’t need lemon extract, This was fantastic! The Syrup over the top was delish! Thank you! It was an easy recipe to follow and we all devoured this loaf in a day!

    Reply

  36. Aloha from Hawaiʻi!!!! I just made this and poured some of the better into a mini muffin pan for my daughters classmates….. OH MY GOODNESS, these are DELICIOUS!!! SO ONO! (what we say here)

    Reply

  37. This looks delish! Can’t wait to try it…..I love anything lemon.
    Question – if I were to divide the batter into 2 portions, how long should mini loaves be baked? Thanks!

    Reply

  38. This is in the oven now and smells amazing! Does this bread freeze well? If I were to freeze it, would I have to wait and put the glaze on it when I serve it? Thanks!

    Reply

  39. Hi Rosemary, it turned out perfectly and we love it! Thanks again for sharing. Tastes really good. Couldn’t wait for breakfast so we had it for dessert. 😉

    Reply

  40. Looks amazing, thanks for sharing, Rosemary!

    In the recipe, is it plain flour or bread flour? And is it unsalted or salted butter?

    Looking forward to making it soon 🙂

    Cheers from New Zealand.

    Reply

    • Hi Yvette, plain flour and salted butter, can’t find unsalted butter in Italy, at least my part of Italy :), hope you enjoy it. Let me know.

      Reply

  43. I made this bread for Easter. Unfortunately, the bread was only about 2 inches thick. Tasted good but very dense. More like a scone than a bread. What may have happened?

    Reply

    • Hi Donna, I really don’t know what went wrong, I make this quite often and I have never had that problem, maybe your loaf pan was too large or your baking powder expired. Let me know. Happy Easter.

      Reply

  45. This is seriously good, and very easy. My husband loves it! For those of you who think it looks good (and it does!) well, start cooking, cause it tastes as good as it looks.

    Reply

  48. I’m a lemon lover too Rosemary! I bet this bread is so tasty! I love all of the fresh lemon zest you add, I think that brightens up a recipe so much. Looks amazing!!

    Reply

  50. Has anyone made these into muffins? Curious because I like to make as a muffing and freeze them so that my husband can grab them on his way to work, Let me know, I am going to try them that way, but would love to know if anyone has had any success baking them that way.
    By the way LOVE Italy! My family is from Gaeta and we visit often. Lucky you to be living there.

    Reply

  51. Made this today and it is delicious. In my oven, an hour pushes it, but I will adjust that next time… and there will definitely be a next time. I was looking for a little more pronounced lemon flavor, but again, I can make that suit our taste. Loved the glaze. Overall, I’d highly recommend this recipe to all of you who thought it looked good because it really is good. Thank you, Rosemary, for a wonderful addition to my recipe box.

    Reply

  52. Loves baby soft was the perfume.Bought at a drugstore and it came in LEMON SCENT:)
    Was my favorite as well.This bread is outstanding and is going into the NEVER LOOSE FILE

    Reply

  55. Hi! I am brand new to your site. Oh, how happy I am! I can taste this lemon bread now. This is an “immediate make” for me. I cannot tell you how I envy you. I know that isn’t right but it is the truth. Oh my, to live in Italy……………I can only dream. I’ll be watching for your blog posts!

    Reply

  57. Thanks for coming and linking up at The Weekend Social. Please be sure to come back next week starting Thursdays at 9PM EST The Midnight Baker! I hope to see you there!
    Judy

    Reply

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